NILGA: Empowering local government
Following the success of the recent local government elections, local government is looking to the future.
The loss of some very experienced councillors who saw us through some extremely difficult times following Covid-19 and the recent cost of living crisis, will be felt by the sector. However, looking forward, we know that returning councillors have renewed their ambition and focus and we look forward to the contribution of new councillors who will bring different perspectives and experiences to our work.
Pressure on public finances
Councils are not immune to the serious pressures on public finances, having moved from a pandemic to a local and national economic crisis.
However, councils are determined to realise their ambitions for communities despite those challenges. Enhanced confidence in councils to deliver for people is one of the positive legacies of the pandemic with local government demonstrating agility, dynamic planning, real connection with communities, innovation and high levels of accountability and democratic oversight.
People in Northern Ireland can be sure that those local government values will continue to ensure councils deliver for them. Councillors and councils know their areas better than any other part of the public sector.
NILGA will support the 11 councils in Northern Ireland in their drive to be bold and ambitious for the future by working with councillors, council officers, regional and central government and partners.
Looking to the future
When our government returns to Stormont the ministers will have extremely full in-trays and will have to prioritise what is at the heart of the community and the most important issues effecting the people of Northern Ireland.
Councils are the arm of government closest to the communities they serve. This puts councils in a unique position to deliver high quality public services in response to community need.
During the 2023-2027 local government mandate NILGA will work to empower councils and the local government sector by:
- supporting councils to maximise their financial sustainability with a focus on value for public money;
- working to further improve the partnership between central and local government;
- Supporting councils in leading their own transformation and innovation;
- enabling confident politically led representation for the sector in what is an increasing complex decision making environment;
- delivering high quality learning and development for councillors;
- working with partners to improve the effectiveness of the Code of Conduct for councillors;
- advocating for the further devolution of powers and resources to support local decision making;
- ensuring councils can shape regional and national policy to create the conditions for local economic, social and environmental resilience; and
- reinvigorating recognition for the role councils both for councillors and council officers.
Championing diversity in public life
NILGA has an important role to play by ensuring that councillors are supported and enabled to represent the needs of their communities effectively.
The 2021 Census results published in 2022 show that Northern Ireland is more diverse than ever with an ever-increasing blend of people with a range of experiences, opinions and views.
NILGA champions diversity in public life and works with the local government associations in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland on this very important issue.
Our ‘Be a Councillor, Make a Difference’ campaign was delivered in 2022 with the support of the 11 councils and political parties. The purpose of the campaign was to encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to consider making the leap into public life and politics, as more diverse politics brings better policies, better legislation and greater inclusivity with wider perspectives on how to improve our communities for everyone in them.
The campaign was led by councillors in the 2019-2023 local government mandate sharing their own experiences of how diversity in public life can add so much value to discourse and decision making.
NILGA was delighted to see an increasingly diverse group of candidates standing for election in the local government elections on 18 May 2023 and looks forward to continuing this work.
Supporting our councillors
NILGA also invests in the skills and knowledge of the 462 councillors in Northern Ireland. We do this by providing a regional programme of accredited and non-accredited learning and development opportunities for councillors, tailored to the requirements of their role.
This supports councillors in their role as democratically elected decision-makers in what is an increasingly complex operating environment.
Some recent examples of opportunities include:
- valuing data and evidence;
- scrutiny and challenge;
- performance improvement;
- code of conduct;
- local government finance for councillors;
- mental health and wellbeing for councillors; and
- civil contingencies/emergency planning.
NILGA also oversees the Councillor Development Charter in Northern Ireland, which provides a robust, structured framework designed to help councils enhance and embed councillor development in their work.
How NILGA helps councils in Northern IrelandNILGA is the Northern Ireland Local Government Association. We are the council-led representative body for local authorities in Northern Ireland and our membership is drawn from each of the 11 Northern Ireland councils. We fulfil our leadership role by working with councils to identify common areas of strategic interest at a regional level and working in partnership with key regional, national and international bodies and stakeholders to represent those interests and shape relevant regional, national and international policy. |
T: 028 9079 8972
W: www.nilga.org
