Peer review Brokering Service
We launched the peer review brokering service for Fire and Rescue Authorities in July 2007 to provide easy access to accredited peer reviewers to critically assess an authority’s approach to a topic.
The concept of peer review is simple: a peer is a critical friend, someone that understands the issues and challenges. Working with peers helps an authority to assess itself objectively and pinpoint its strengths and weaknesses, without creating the interrogative environment of an external inspection.
Peer review is seen by the Audit Commission as one way of reducing the burden of inspection on local authorities. The local government White Paper and the subsequent bill discusses in some detail the use of peer review as a way of allowing local government to deal with its own performance.
We have provided peer reviews for Buckinghamshire (HR Services), Oxfordshire (Community Safety) and Kent (internal assessment). We are now offering subsidies for interim peer challenges before your FRA undergoes its operational assessment. To find out more, pleasecontact us. More detail is also contained inSEFIP Newsletter 6 and SEFIP Newsletter 8.