Corporate Peer Challenge

Our Corporate Peer Challenge has been postponed due to the general election. We remain committed to this and are working to find a suitable date to reschedule.

Corporate Peer Challenges are a core element of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) sector-led improvement offer to local authorities.

They provide councils with a robust and effective improvement and assurance tool which is owned and delivered by the sector, for the sector.

When this will take place

The Corporate Peer Challenge was planned for 8 July, but has been postponed due to the general election. 

What will happen during the visit

During the visit they will meet with a range of officers, members and partners through focus groups, site visits and one to one interviews.

This will be our first peer challenge for some time. As a learning organisation, it is important we welcome and embrace external perspectives on our work.

It will help us understand the progress we are making towards being able to genuinely say we are doing the best job we possibly can for our residents and communities.

Ahead of the visit we will provide a position statement that sets out our local context and the key issues we would like the peer team to focus on. Alongside a suite of supporting documents, this will give them a feel of the work we are doing and our ambitions for the future. 

How you can help

The peers will spend the week carrying out interviews and focus groups as well as some site visits. 

These will involve a range of employees from around Essex County Council, including members, officers and partners. 

Peers may approach you to hear about your views. We encourage you to be open and honest with your answers. 

We want the actions that come out from the Corporate Peer Challenge to be shaped by you: the people who will help deliver it. 

Areas of focus

All corporate peer challenges have set core areas of focus against which we will be tested. These are:

Local priorities and outcomes

• Are the council’s priorities clear and informed by the local context?
• Is the council delivering effectively on its priorities and achieving improved outcomes for all its communities?  

Organisational and place leadership

• Does the council provide effective local leadership?
• Are there good relationships with partner organisations and local communities?

Governance and culture

• Are there clear and robust governance arrangements?
• Is there a culture of respect, challenge and scrutiny?

Financial planning and management

• Does the council have a clear understanding of its current financial position?
• Does the council have a strategy and a clear plan to address its financial challenges?

Capacity for improvement

• Is the organisation able to support delivery of local priorities?
• Does the council have the capacity to improve?

We have also asked that the team looks in some detail at transformation to help us ensure it will achieve the things we want to achieve.

Final report

We will receive feedback from the peers after the visit, and this will be shared with employees at Essex County Council.

The formal report will be published by the LGA in October 2024. 

Find out more

If you have any questions, contact corporatepeerchallenge@essex.gov.uk.