The executive role is focused on providing leadership, setting priorities, developing vision, budgeting, decision-making, and partnership building. In all of these areas effective participation could make a contribution. Good leadership requires a capacity to inform and explain. The setting of priorities, budgets, and decision-making needs a capacity to listen and learn from others through deliberative polling, budget 'sounding boards' and a range of other techniques. Equally, developing vision, selecting budget priorities and launching and sustaining effective partnerships requires a capacity to exchange ideas, suggestions and resources.
Good leadership implies a commitment to participation.
The scrutiny role can cover a range of activities. It might involve the debate of policy proposals. It could include providing a forum for allowing other agencies to account for their actions. It also involves checking the performance of services delivered by the local authority. In all of these elements of the scrutiny role it is clear that effective participation is an advantage if not essential.