Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of this Policy is to provide leadership and direction to Chief Executive Officers (CEO) with respect to the manner in which the organisation will behave when participating in the decision-making structure of the organisation.
In particular, this Policy will provide clear direction to Chief Executive Officers (CEO) where decision-making will have an impact on the personal or business affairs of Company or a member of the community.
Scope/Coverage
This policy applies to the CEO of Company.
Policy Statement
The CEO’s most important role is to promote a positive culture of good governance in the council administration. When the CEO is committed to the principles of democratic governance, officers are far more likely to support good governance.
The CEO must help the administration understand the critical role of Company – the CEO sits at the top of the local governance structure and Company is the legitimate decision-maker.
CEO’s should not be seen as simply an addition or, for that matter, an impediment to efficiency. Instead, the administration needs to acknowledge that councillors have been elected by the community to represent its vision and goals.
Promoting Good Governance
The CEO can support a culture of good democratic governance in various ways. These include:
- ensuring that advice from the administration considers the political context which doesn’t mean playing politics but recognises that advice can have political implications
- ensuring that Company officers and employees understand the structure of the organisation and their roles in it
- providing appropriate support for good decision-making processes
- developing processes for the major strategic planning exercises which ensure councillors have plenty of opportunities for input
- recognising that they have a ‘representation’ role and that they will be advocating for individuals or communities at different times to ensure that the appropriate and legitimate support and structures are in place.
Responsibilities
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has a range of responsibilities. These include establishing and maintaining an appropriate organisational structure for Company, managing interactions between staff and the public, ensuring that Company decisions are implemented promptly, providing timely advice to Company, providing timely and reliable advice to Company about its legal obligations and overseeing the daily management of operations following the Company Business Plan.
The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for appointing, managing, directing and dismissing Company staff, and for all other issues that relate to staff.
The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for managing all facets of the organisation, including by ensuring that appropriate policies, practices and protocols are in place to define appropriate arrangements for interactions.
The CEO is also the main person to whom Company delegates powers.