PAPER C

 

                                                                                                                   Purpose : For Noting

 

                        REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE

 

 Date :             15 JANUARY 2003

 

 Title :              QUARTERLY UPDATE OF THE BEST VALUE REVIEW PROGRAMME

                         

REPORT OF THE DEPUTY LEADER

 

SUMMARY/PURPOSE

 

1.                  To update members on progress of the Best Value Review Programme.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

2.                  Below is a summary of the status of the current Best Value Reviews.

 

Opportunities for Young People

 

3.                  Members of the Executive will have received a copy of the executive summary of the report with their committee papers. This lists the main recommendations of the review, along with some more general recommendations.

 

4.                  The report was presented to the Children and Young Persons Committee and the decision was made to set up a task group consisting of the chair of that committee, the chairs of the select committees for Social Services and Education, the recently appointed Youth Empowerment worker, and representatives from the IWC Young Employees Forum.

 

5.                  They will establish SMART action plans for each of the main recommendations in the review (taking into account any current work being carried out in each of those areas), including the development of an authority-wide / Island-wide strategy for young people.

 

6.                  The Task Group will report back to the main committee by next March/April, by which time a decision will have been made regarding the pump-priming (or spend to save) bids for the Work Experience Co-ordinator post, and the Hang-Out Centres, which are contained in the executive summary recommendations.  The development of the action plan will bring the report to the stage where it can be presented to the Executive for approval.

 

Community Development

 

7.         The review is in its final stages of completion; draft service improvement plans will be published for consultation by 17th January 2003.

 

8.                  Individual service reviews have been carried out on Museums, Libraries, Record Office, Arts, Sports Unit, School Music Service, Parks & Gardens, and Ventnor Botanic Gardens.

 

9.                  There is also an overall strategic review of Community Development drawing together the main points from the service reviews and presenting the main recommendations and improvements in one report.

 

10.             An external challenge by a consultant from the IdeA will take place in the second week of January.

 

11.             The Education & Community Development Select Committee will review the executive summary and improvement plans at its meeting on the 17th February.  The findings will go to Director’s Group on 3rd March.  The Executive will be asked to approve the final report at its meeting on the 26th March.

 

Youth and Community Services

 

12.             The review is in its final stages of completion; a draft service improvement plan was published for consultation on the 11th November 2002, and the Education & Life Long Learning Select Committee has seen the draft report.

 

13.             There are several major changes envisaged for the Youth Service, building on its past strengths, concentrating on those young people with greatest needs (13 to 19 year olds), whilst ensuring it has the right skills and is responsive to changes in future demand.

 

14.             Directors Group will be examining the main findings on 13th February 2003. The improvement plan has been amended and will be submitted to the Education and Community Development Committee for approval on the 28th January 2003. The Executive will be asked to approve the final report at its meeting on the 26th February.

 

Connecting with the Public

 

15.       A full report, which ties in the work to date with other current projects, will be presented to Executive on January 29th.

 

Procurement

 

16.       The Appraisal Group has been set up, (based on the former Procurement Strategy Group) and includes representation from all of the Council’s directorates, Members, UNISON, the Best Value Unit and John Pulsford, the Council’s Procurement Champion. The Group met to discuss the Scope of the review, in the light of the work already done in producing the Procurement Strategy. It was agreed that the Review would build on the work already carried out and that all of the Action Points in the Strategy would be progressed, alongside all of the other areas that are required to be examined under Best Value. The review will be wide-ranging and although the Purchasing Manager’s Team will be a central and key part of the review, it was recognised that all areas involved in procurement will need to be covered. It was noted that Fire and Social Services’ procurement functions had already undergone Best Value Reviews.

 

17.       The Review is very timely as the Improvement & Development Agency (IDeA) are currently offering free help and advice to all local authorities – we hope to get some comments from the IDeA on our proposed Scope early next year and to receive a full health-check on our Procurement Services later in the year.

 

Planning

 

18.       A comprehensive review of Planning Services has just started.  The Appraisal Group has set a scope which will include the wider aspects of planning, including its impact on Tourism, Economic Development, Highways etc; an in depth review of Development Control, Building Control and the Tree service; and a lighter touch review of the Countryside, AONB, and Archaeology services aimed at both examining their links with other parts of the Council and raising their profile generally.  Initial meetings of the project team have taken place and a programme of Consultation is being planned.

 

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

 

19.      Each Review report shows the links between the proposed actions and the relevant parts of the community strategy and corporate plan.

 

 

CONSULTATION

 

20.             A wide range of consultation is carried out for all reviews.

 

FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

 

21.             None at present.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

22.             The conduct of a programme of robust best value reviews, with improvement plans leading to step changes in service delivery, is an essential part of the best value regime imposed by the Local Government Act 1999.

 

OPTIONS

 

23.             The report is for information.

 

EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT

 

24.             This will be considered as the action plans are developed.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

25.             To note the report and to support the programme.

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

26.             Best Value report of Opportunities for Young People.

Minutes of the Children and Young Persons Committee 4th November 2002

           Draft BV reports for Community Development and Youth & Community Services

           Appraisal Group notes for the Procurement and Planning reviews

 

Contact Point :           Don Roe  Best Value Review Unit  (823687 [email protected])

                                                                                                 

 

M J A FISHER

Strategic Director

Corporate and Environment Services

P HARRIS

Deputy Leader