Local Authority Insight Series: Monitoring Officers

December 12, 2022

Everything you wanted to know about being a monitoring officer but were afraid to ask. Philip McCourt and Suki Binjal, two of the profession’s most experienced MOs, look at how the nature and the profile of the role is changing.

Numerous recent examples of governance failures at local authorities have underlined the fact that the job of the monitoring officer is getting harder and with further budget cuts on the horizon, is likely to become more challenging still.

Join two of the profession’s most experienced MOs as they look at how the nature and the profile role is changing based on their extensive experience in a range of roles and organisations.

Contents:

The history of and background to the monitoring officer role and how it has evolved.
What skills are required to perform the role effectively? How important is a legal qualification for undertaking the role?
What are the rewards of taking the MO role?
The role of the council’s constitution in the MO’s role.
The future of the monitoring officer. To what extent will the MO’s role move toward that of commercial general counsel and which elements will remain unique to local government?
As the role changes, what new skills will be required and which ‘old’ ones will remain relevant?

Click here to download a copy of the LLG Monitoring Officer Protocol referenced in the video.

About the speakers

Nicola Khon

Philip McCourt

Philip is a board member of Lawyers in Local Government and was previously the President of ACSeS (the Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors) from 2011 to 2013. For some time prior to that, he was the spokesperson for the national portfolio on local government powers and then for regulatory matters.

suki binjal