The Nolan Principles of Public Life
The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder. This includes all those who are elected or appointed to public office, nationally and locally. All public office-holders are both servants of the public and stewards of public resources. The principles also apply to all those in other sectors delivering public services.
1 Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2 Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
3 Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4 Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
5 Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
6 Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
7 Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
The Gunning Principles
They were coined by Stephen Sedley QC in a court case in 1985 under Judge Gunning. Prior to this, very little consideration had been given to the laws of consultation. Sedley defined that a consultation is only legitimate when these four principles are met:
1 Proposals are still at a formative stage
A final decision has not yet been made, or predetermined, by the decision makers
2 There is sufficient information to give ‘intelligent consideration’
The information provided must relate to the consultation and must be available, accessible, and easily interpretable for consultees to provide an informed response
3 There is adequate time for consideration and response
There must be sufficient opportunity for consultees to participate in the consultation. There is no set timeframe for consultation, despite the widely accepted twelve-week consultation period, as the length of time given for consultee to respond can vary depending on the subject and extent of impact of the consultation
4 Conscientious consideration must be given to the consultation responses before a decision is made
Decision-makers should be able to provide evidence that they took consultation responses into account
The Caldicott principles
The Caldicott principles, introduced in 1997 following a review chaired by Dame Fiona Caldicott, are a set of good practice guidelines for using and keeping safe people's health and care data. The principles are intended to apply to all data collected for the provision of health and social care services where patients and service users can be identified and where they would expect this to be kept private.
1 Justify the purpose(s) for using confidential information.
2 Use confidential information only when it is necessary.
3 Use the minimum necessary confidential information.
4 Access to confidential information should be on a strict need-to-know basis.
5 Everyone with access to confidential information should be aware of their responsibilities.
6 Comply with the law.
7 The duty to share information for individual care is as important as the duty to protect patient confidentiality.
8 Inform patients and services users about how their confidential information is used and what choice they have. There should be no surprises.
You may also find below some useful guidance on running successful meetings.
The Chatham House Rule
Sometimes, a business meeting, or a particular section of it, may be conducted under the Chatham House Rule. It implies that the members of the meeting can use the information shared (to some
extent). However, no one is allowed to identify the speakers or participants. The rule serves as a foundation for nurturing a trusted environment to discuss complex issues. The Chatham House Rule reads, ‘When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.’
Robert’s Rules of Order
The Basics for Small Boards
Parliamentary procedure is a set of rules for conducting orderly meetings that accomplish goals fairly. Benefits of parliamentary procedure include the following:
• Justice and courtesy for all
• Maintenance of order
• Consideration of one item at a time
• All sides get heard
• Ability for each member to provide input
• Majority rule
• Protection of the rights of all members including the minority
Basic Principles
• A quorum must be present for business to be conducted
• All members have equal rights, privileges and obligations
• No person should speak until recognized by the chair
• Personal remarks or side discussions during debate are out of order
• Only one question at a time may be considered, and only one person may have the floor at any one time
• Members have a right to know what the pending question is and to have it restated before a vote is taken
• Full and free discussion of every main motion is a basic right
• A majority decides a question except when basic rights of members are involved or a rule provides otherwise.
• Silence gives consent. Those who do not vote allow the decision to be made by those who do vote.
• The Chair should always remain impartial.
Basic Definitions
Motion – A formal proposal made to bring a subject before an assembly for its consideration and action.begins with “I move that...”
Second – A statement by a member who agrees that the motion made by another member be considered. Stated as “Second,” or “I second the motion.”
Amendment – Before the vote is taken on a motion, it may be amended by:
• Striking out words
• Inserting or adding words
• Striking out words and inserting others in their place
• Substituting one (1) paragraph or resolution for another
Presiding officer/Chair – The individual who facilitates the meeting, usually the President. In the absence of the President, the Vice President is next.
If neither are present, the Secretary calls the meeting to order and conducts an election for a Chairman Pro Tem (a presiding officer for that meeting only).
Role of the Presiding officer
• To introduce business in proper order per the agenda
• To recognize speakers
• To determine if a motion is in order
• To keep discussion focused on the pending motion
• To maintain order
• To put motions to a vote and announce results
General procedure for Handling a Main Motion
• A member must obtain the floor by being recognized by the chair
• Member makes a main motion
• A motion must be seconded by another member before it can be considered
• If the motion is in order, the chair will restate the motion and open debate
• The maker of a motion has the right to speak first in debate
• The main motion is debated along with any secondary motions that are debatable.
• Debate on Subsidiary, Privileged and Incidental motions (if debatable or amendable) take precedence over debate on the main motion and must be decided before debate on the main motion can continue.
• Debate is closed when: Discussion has ended, or A 2/3 vote closes debate.
• The chair restates the motion, and if necessary clarifies the consequences of affirmative and negative votes
• The chair calls for a vote by asking “All in favor?” Those in favor say “Aye.” Then asking “All opposed?” Those opposed will say “no”
• The chair announces the result
General rules of Debate for small Boards
• All discussion must be relevant to the immediately pending question
• No member should speak more than twice to each debatable motion. The second time takes place after everyone wishing to debate the motion has had an opportunity to speak once
• All remarks should be addressed to the chair – no cross debate is permitted
• Debate must address issues not personalities
• When possible, the chair should let the floor alternate between those speaking in support and those speaking in opposition to the motion
• Members may not disrupt the assembly
• Rules of debate can be changed by a 2/3 vote or general consent without objection
Paul Osman
Updated 13th November 2024