PAPER C2
Purpose : for Decision
REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE
Date : 10 SEPTEMBER
2003
Title : BEST VALUE
REVIEW OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING
IMPLEMENTATION
DATE : 22 SEPTEMBER 2003
SUMMARY/PURPOSE
1.
Members
are asked to endorse the findings of the recently completed Best Value Review
of Community Development and the improvement plan arising out of it.
BACKGROUND
2.
The Best
Value Review of Community Development is part of the Council’s programme of
service reviews. It was commenced in
January 2002, and was conceived in two parts.
Initially reviews of 8 of the individual services making up Community
Development were completed and those reviews were then supplemented by an all
embracing study into Community Development and the linkages between its
constituent services.
3.
The
individual parts of Community Development subject to review were:
The Library Service
The Museums Service (including Dinosaur Isle)
The Records Office
The Schools Music Service
The Arts Service (including theatres)
The Parks Service
The Sports and Recreation Service
Ventnor Botanic Garden
4.
The
reviews of each service considered each of the 4 ‘C’s in relation to that
service area and also included an analysis by a critical friend and visits to
see examples of good practice in the service areas. Members and officers alike were involved with the visiting programme. The individual service reviews were
completed by March 2003, following consideration by a Best Value Appraisal
Group in January 2003. The individual
service reviews are contained on the CD Rom which accompanies this report.
5.
Following
completion of the service reviews, the IdeA were commissioned to act as a
“critical friend” to Community Development as a whole. Using both the reviews and face to face
interviews with Officers and Members, the IdeA report was able to comment on
the overall effectiveness of the services, both individually and collectively
as Community Development. The IdeA
report and the individual service reviews were central to the production of the
“high level” review of Community Development as a whole which is presented with
this report for consideration.
6.
It is
important to stress that it is the high level review for which endorsement is
sought. It will set the framework
within which the improvement plans for the individual services will be
delivered.
STRATEGIC CONTEXT
7.
The
Best Value Review has identified a clear aim for the collective work of the
services which form the Community Development department:-
“To enhance the quality of life
of Isle of Wight residents through the provision of cultural experiences and
opportunities and the development of cultural values; and to use cultural
services to assist in underpinning the Island’s tourism industry”.
8.
The
adoption of this aim and also the eight objectives which underpin it
demonstrates that the Community Development services support 5 of the 6
corporate objectives; the only exception being that which relates to improving
public transport and the highways infrastructure.
9.
With
respect to the Community Strategy, it can also be demonstrated that the
Community Development Services underpin each of its 7 themes.
CONSULTATION
10.
An
extensive range of consultation with the public and key stakeholders has been
undertaken in the preparation of the Best Value Review. A summary of the consultation undertaken is
shown in Annex 1.
FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
11.
One
of the most important actions arising from the review is to complete the
re-organisation of the Community Development management structure. This process began following the
reorganisation of the Council’s own management structure in April 2002 but was
postponed pending decisions in relation to the place of other services within
the Council. It is now thought
essential to proceed with the restructure in order to maximise the effectiveness
of the services to deliver corporate and community objectives. The estimated additional cost of delivery of
the new structure is £45,000 per annum, for which there is no current budget
provision.
12.
The
provision of a new Record Office, possibly as part of an all Island Museums and
Archives Resource Centre, is the major financial cost in the review. It is thought that this could cost in the
order of £3 to £5million but that up to 60% of this cost could be funded by a
grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
We are at present exploring all options into securing suitable provision
for the records. There is no current
budget provision to fund either the capital costs of a new Record Office (whole
or in part) or the cost of the feasibility study
13.
The
need to enhance the library service buildings and facilities is one other major
financial cost arising from the “Community Development” high level review. This
is estimated to be a total cost of £400,000 for which there is no current
budget provision.
14.
There
are additional costs contained within the individual improvement plans for each
of the eight services reviewed. It is
intended that these costs be either met from within the existing cash limited
budget or “bid for” during the corporate budget process.
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
15.
Of
the eight individual services reviewed, the Library Service is the only one
which the Council has a statutory duty to provide under the terms of the
Museums and Galleries Act 1964.
Interestingly this Act does not set a minimum standard for library
provision but this has been corrected by Government guidance in the shape of
the recently issued public library standards.
The provision of museums and art galleries by Councils is also permitted
under the terms of this Act, all other services are able to be provided under
the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.
16.
The
services are also able to be provided under the Local Government Act 2000 which
permits the Council to do anything that it considers will promote the social, economic
or environmental well-being of an area provided that the action taken is
relevant to the local Community Strategy.
17.
Article
7(6) of the constitution entitles the Executive to determine the nature and
therefore the title of portfolios at its discretion.
OPTIONS
1. To endorse the Best Value Review
2. To support the delivery of the improvement plan.
3. To consider the additional funding requirements arising from
it as part of the 2004/05 budget setting exercise.
4. To amend the title of the Portfolio to Education and
Community Development.
EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT
18.
If
the Council is to build on the strengths and opportunities for the service and
counter the threats and weaknesses as identified in the review, then it is essential
that the strategic improvement actions are implemented.
19.
This
should allow greater planning and co-ordination across all of the individual
service areas to bring long-term benefit in the delivery of corporate
objectives and also increases in efficiency and effectiveness in the services.
20.
The
delivery of the operational improvements can generally be achieved without the
strategic improvements being implemented.
The wider benefits of linkages across and between services may, however,
not be fully realised, in the case of community development services the “sum
of the parts can be greater than the whole”.
21.
Changing
the title of the portfolio will ensure that the full extent of the
responsibilities of the post are properly reflected by its title. If the title is not changed, then the place
of the community development service at the Executive table will remain unclear
and confused in the minds of the public, who will continue to engage other
Portfolio holders as they best think are able to deal with their community
development related issues.
|
RECOMMENDATIONS
22.
On the basis of the information contained in this report, that options
1, 2 and 3 be adopted.
|
BACKGROUND PAPERS
23.
As
listed in the Best Value Report
Contact Point : John Metcalfe, Head of Community
Development and Tourism
( 823825 email:
[email protected]
|
J
METCALFE
Head
of Community Development and Tourism
|
J WAREHAM
Portfolio Holder for Education
and Lifelong Learning
|
Annex 1
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BEST VALUE REVIEW
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
November 2001 MORI 5 (part)
April 2002 MORI 6
May – Aug 2002 Key Stakeholder consultation
carried out on a one-to-one basis
June
2002 Young Peoples’
video survey
June – July 2002 Questionnaire created on young people and adults
leisure activities on the Island and available on the IWC website : iwight.com
June-July 2002 Similar questionnaire circulated in printed format
around the Island.
July 2002 Community Development Challenge event
held in Ryde. Invitees were from Town
and Parish Councils and Community Forums.
August 2002 Visitor Survey
undertaken in conjunction with Isle of Wight Tourism
October 2002 Libraries Focus Group. Invitees were selected from the Citizens’
Panel
Parks and Gardens
Focus Group
Children and Young
Peoples’ Play Focus Group
November 2002 Staff
consultation