DERRY City and Strabane District Council has been recognised for its excellence in personal and professional elected member development.
The Council has been successful in achieving the NILGA Councillor Development Charter Plus accreditation, which was awarded at the Guildhall on 25 January 2022.
It was agreed that the Council had rigorously applied the structure of the Charter Plus framework in terms of political and managerial commitment; it was led by the members themselves and connected to the strategic context within which council delivers; and impactful with impressive and innovative outward facing collaborative learning and development, in partnership with community groups.
NILGA over the last number of years, underpinned by co-ordination of the Councillor Development Charter and Charter Plus Standard across the eleven councils, has prioritised learning and development programmes for elected members ensuring that competencies and skills sets linked to the 21st Century Councillor are available at a regional level.
The NILGA Regional Programme for Elected Member Development, initially piloted but now a permanent feature in the development of elected local government members in Northern Ireland, offers accredited, strategic, and practical based learning for elected members.
Fiona Douglas, Regional Development Manager, NILGA, said: “NILGA firmly believes that councils are the local hub of government, the bodies that get things done and the main drivers of Northern Ireland’s pandemic recovery.
“Derry City and Strabane members and officers are offering excellent leadership in their District, as proven by their successful accreditation, and this continued Charter Plus Award means further great results for Derry and Strabane, other councils across Northern Ireland, and for NILGA.
“I want to congratulate Derry City and Strabane District Council again for successfully completing this course and ensuring the greatest standard of elected member development for rate payers in the District.”
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, added: “Achieving the NILGA Councillor Development Charter Plus is fantastic news for our council.
“It is testament to the hard work, dedication and leadership shown by both council officers and members in delivering the best service for everyone in the district.”
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