PAPER B

  

RESOURCES SELECT COMMITTEE – 6 DECEMBER 2004

 

QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REPORT – QUARTER 2 2004-05

 

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR RESOURCES

 

REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

 

This Quarterly Performance Management Report is for the period 1st July to 30th September 2004 and is for the Resources Portfolio. This second report for 2004-05 was presented to the Council’s Executive on the 17th November 2004.

 

 ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE

 

1.                  To receive the Quarterly Performance Management Report insofar as it relates to the Resources Portfolio Holder’s responsibilities.

 

2.                   Determine whether further information is required from the Portfolio Holder on the two Areas to Watch identified in paragraph 4 of this report.

 

3.                  Determine whether further information is required from the Portfolio Holder on the three performance indicators identified in paragraph 4 of this report.

 

4.                  Determine if a further report is required from the Portfolio Holder relating to the finance issues detailed in paragraph 4 below.

 

5.                  To determine whether to add or amend the Select Committee work programme in the light of the QPMR and any additional information received.

 

BACKGROUND

 

1.                  This Report for Quarter 2 2004-05 summarises performance for the responsibilities under the Portfolio Holder for Resources for the quarter ending 30th September 2004.  The report format has been revised and now includes a risk assessment for the new and existing Areas to Watch highlighted in the report; and a revised basket of key performance indicators, with quarterly target profiles.

 

2.         Feedback from the previous Resources Select Committee when the Quarterly Performance Management Report for quarter 1 2004-05 was discussed has been incorporated as follows:

 

·         Additional information has been provided on the liquor licensing arrangements

 

·         The staff training performance indicator has been redefined to exclude school staff from the calculation

 

·         Member training has been adjusted and additional informal training included within the figures

 

·         The Total Operating Costs breakdown by the directorate has not been completed.  It is very difficult to split out the costs by Directorate due to fragmented accommodation arrangements across the Council.

 

Also attached as Appendix 2 is a report on the long-term Areas to Watch that was submitted to the Executive.  The particular issues relating to this Select Committee are sickness absence and vandalism to council buildings for which action plans to improve performance have been produced and approved by the Executive.

 

3.         Significant progress has been made on the targets and activities within the Portfolio Holders responsibilities including:

 

·         The Legal Services Team has achieved re-accreditation to the Law Society Practice Management Standard (Lexcel) and is still the only legal practice on the island so accredited

 

·         BVPP Audit completed and only performance indicator had a reservation placed upon it, down from 5 in 2003-04.   However, the number of amendments did increase to 44 compared with 40 last year

 

·         Some of the performance indicators have shown sustained improvements, KPI-1 the number of working days lost due to sickness absence and KPI-8 percentage of standard searches in 10 working days

 

4.                  However, there are concerns on the following:

 

Areas to Watch:

 

·         Progress on E-Government (page-3 QPMR).  The Council does have clear government targets that need to be achieved by December 2005.  The authority has made only marginal progress in the quarter and the Area to Watch has been increased to highest level (16) as a consequence.

 

·         Vandalism to Council Buildings (page-5 QPMR) The Area to Watch has been identified in every QPMR since its inception.  A further report and proposed action plan has been developed by the Head of Service and needs to be read alongside the proposed action – see Appendix 2 Long-term Areas to Watch.

 

·         Liquor licensing (page-4 QPMR). The key transitional phase is about to commence. There are significant uncertainties about the impact of member level determinations on the time of officers and members. There is also a potentially difficult period around the local elections. Whilst plans have been prepared, including contingency plans, only as time passes will the number and complexity of member level determinations become apparent.

 

Performance Indicators:

 

·         Performance Indicator 4 (page-6 QPMR) percentage of women in the top four tiers of management, the actual is 15% below the target figure

 

·         Performance Indicator 6 (page-6/7 QPMR) number of types of interactions that are enabled for electronic delivery as a percentage of the types of that are legally permissible for electronic delivery.  The outturn score for the quarter is  considerably below the quarterly target score of 60% by 30%

 

·         Performance Indicator 7 (page-7 QPMR) the percentage of invoices for commercial goods and services which were paid by the authority within 30 days of such invoices being received.  For the second quarter in a row the actual performance is below the quarterly target of 95% by 5%

 

Finance:

 

·         A number of ICT projects, particularly those related to delivery of E-government, are funded partly from reserves and Government grants. There are ongoing funding implications of those projects, and it is essential to ensure that base budgets are in place to allow the continuing development of the approved projects; in addition, there are a number of proposed developments for which funding streams will also have to be identified if further progress is to be made. (page 9 – QPMR)

 

RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

 

Annual Action Statement 2004-05

Quarterly Performance Management Report Quarter 2 2004-05

Previous Quarterly Performance Management Reports Quarter 1 2004-05 and Quarters 1-4 2003-04

 

CONSULTATION PROCESS

 

Heads of Service and their staff have supplied the information within the Quarterly Performance Management Report, with Directors being fully consulted on the content.  External consultation has not been necessary for this report as it is concerned with internal financial management arrangements.

 

FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS

 

The report itself does not have any financial implications. However, if Members make any recommendations regarding services identified in this report, these may have financial implications.

 

It is a requirement of the Local Government Act 1999 to deliver best value in service delivery of which an effective performance management system is a significant part.

 

APPENDICES ATTACHED

 

Appendix 1 Quarterly Performance Management Report 2 2004-05

Appendix 2 Long-term Areas to Watch report Human Resources sickness absence & Vandalism to Council Buildings

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT

 

Quarterly Performance Management Reports 1 (2004-05) and 1, 2, 3 and 4 (2003-04)

Annual Action Statement 2004-05

 

Contact Point: Heidi Marshall, Principal Policy Officer, 823250 [email protected]

 

 

COUNCILLOR REG BARRY

Portfolio Holder for Resources