The independent evaluator appointed to consider the current standard of governance performance at Invercargill City Council has changed.

Councillors were advised on Tuesday that their initial appointee, James Crichton, was no longer available to undertake the work.

As a result, the council has agreed to appoint Dunedin businessman and former Dunedin city councillor Richard Thomson to the role instead.

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Mr Thomson owns and runs the Acquisitions chain of retail stores.

He is also a trustee of Healthcare Otago Charitable Trust, chairperson of Hawksbury Community Living Trust, and a member of the Southern Partnership Group, which has been appointed by the Ministry of Health to oversee the redevelopment of the new Dunedin Hospital.

Bruce Robertson, who is guiding the council through the process of responding to the Department of Internal Affairs’ concerns about governance at the Invercargill City Council, said there was no change to the scope of work Mr Thomson was being asked to undertake, or to the timelines.

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Interim chief executive Jane Parfitt said Mr Thomson has been asked to consider the council’s past performance, as well as provide recommendations to both elected members and senior staff on what can be done to improve leadership.

An interim briefing is still expected to be provided to Council in late October, Mrs Parfitt said

Mrs Parfitt is acting chief executive while chief executive Clare Hadley takes annual leave for two weeks.

Mrs Parfitt is usually the council's interim group manager - infrastructure and as a member of the council's executive team has been appointed to look after things while Mrs Hadley is out of the office, a council spokeswoman said.