So, dear new scrutineer, it’s your first proper scrutiny committee meeting. You were elected for the first time about two months ago and everything is still strange and unfamiliar.

I wonder what you are feeling as you look around the faces of your fellow committee members, as they chat away, waiting for the meeting to start. Expectant? Confused? Worried even?

Looking down, there is your agenda. Did it make sense when you looked through it? Did you form a plan of action? Decide what you wanted to ask about?

Or did you decide a watching brief was better for the time being? Yes, I’m guessing you will see what others do first and take a lead from that.

You’ve had induction, of course. You’ve had an explanation of ‘how scrutiny works in this council’. A lot of PowerPoint slides no doubt. Perhaps you joked “don’t test me!” afterwards. Perhaps you just frowned?

You’ve also spoken to more experienced colleagues and asked them what you should expect.

Councillor Smith told you it’s all just a talking shop and that they didn’t really engage with it after the first few meetings. They said they might not bother if they were you.

But Councillor Jones says they have got a lot done through scrutiny. They’ve specialised in an area that’s been important to them and can point to some changes that they’ve helped to bring about. They told you there are opportunities, if you can find them.

You’ll form your own opinion in time, of course. Even if it might seem a bit opaque right now.

But wait!

This isn’t your first meeting, is it? And you certainly know how to work with others to get things done. You’ve shown that in politics and you’ve shown it in work. Many times.

I’m sure you’ve understood already that your skills are transferable and that the particular experience you bring could be really valuable. After all, nobody else round the table looks like they have been involved in some of the things that you have.

So, I hope you are thinking that councillor jones has it right and you will be willing to dedicate some of your precious time (and yes, I know how valuable it is) to this.

I hope you can see some reasons to feel at least a little confident in this new role.

Of course, there will be plenty to learn and you will need plenty of patience no doubt but, dear new scrutineer, it might just be worth it.

Here’s hoping. 🙏

By the way, you can see/add comments to this reflection on LinkedIn here.