Governance

Supporting your local government.

We offer a range of innovative governance services specifically designed for local governments.

For more information, please contact Melanie Fraser, our Governance & Communications Executive.

Regulation 17 

Civic Legal has been conducting Systems and Procedure Reviews for regional and metropolitan local governments since 2016.

We are able to conduct the reviews both on-site and via video-link.

Our reviews help CEOs to comply with regulation 17 of the Local Government (Audit) Regulations 1996 (WA).

“The Civic Legal approach was very personalised and our officers were pleasantly surprised by the efficiency of the process … many of the officers they interviewed recognised gaps in our systems and procedures and started addressing them even before Civic Legal delivered its report to us formally… The City found the Civic Legal report clear and concise.” 

Charlie Clarke, Manager Governance, City of Fremantle 2017 – 2022

Civic Legal has been running its unique governance support service, Project Aware, since 2018. If governance is done well, it enables the organisation to operate in a predictable way, saving time and effort. If it is not done well, it can expose the local government to risks.

Through Project Aware, the Civic Legal governance team will provide coaching to the CEO and officers to help them to:

• identify governance issues
• review and improve systems and procedures using our unique templates
• comply with regulation 17 of the Local Government (Audit) Regulations 1996 (WA).

Some testimonials from previous clients:

“The Civic Legal Project Aware team have provided the Shire with amazing advice, direction and support over the past two years. Project Aware has helped us to achieve a far greater awareness and understanding of the requirements of Regulation 17, and how the Shire and Council can work together to address this area of compliance. It has provided us with techniques and strategies to feel confident in new areas of governance.“

Alan O’Toole, Deputy CEO, Shire of Bruce Rock 2021

“On a personal level, I found the team at Civic Legal to be very easy to work with. They pushed us to think analytically and to strive to achieve the best we can; all the while supporting and guiding us to ensure we did our best and were our best.“

Andrea Selvey, CEO, Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands 2020

“This project … has proved to be an excellent support tool in the continuous improvement of governance and risk across the Shire … I would have no hesitation in recommending the program to other Shires, particularly those in regional and remote areas.”

John Nuttall, CEO, Shire of Mt Marshall 2018

Policy Reviews and Drafting

Civic Legal is experienced in reviewing and drafting a range of local government policies. Our aim is to understand the individual needs of the local government and ensure this is translated into a practical and effective policy.

Click here to read our article on drafting local government policies.

Gifts Disclosure Guides

Civic Legal has created two unique Gifts Disclosure Guides, with flowcharts to help local governments to navigate the new gifts regime.

We are providing them as a free resource for you to distribute to the staff and council members in your organisation.

Click here for the Gifts Disclosure Guide for council members.

Click here for the Gifts Disclosure Guide for CEOs.

CEO Performance Reviews

Our governance team has assisted in the area of CEO performance reviews.

The final report we provide gives a clear recommendation to council with supporting information.

The review needs to be conducted in accordance with the Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996 (WA), as well as the local government’s CEO Performance Recruitment, Performance and Termination Policy.

Our review includes:

• assessing contractual performance criteria and additional performance criteria
• guiding councillors on making assessments based on documented evidence and outcomes
• assessment surveys based on the local government’s performance criteria
• facilitating discussions with councillors and the CEO.

Our aim is to establish performance criteria that are in alignment with the local government’s Corporate Business Plan.

Seminars designed for local governments

Since 2016, Civic Legal has been delivering seminars and workshops to the local government sector on a broad range of topics.

Click here to find out more.