PAPER B
Committee: SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
Date: 22 DECEMBER 2005
Title: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND
SCRUTINY
REPORT OF ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
___________________________________________________________________
REASON
FOR CONSIDERATION
To update the Scrutiny Committee on the procurement
of performance management software for the Council, and give a perspective on the
role of Scrutiny within performance management.
|
RECOMMENDATION That the Scrutiny Committee agree to support in
principle the purchase of performance management software to assist the
Council in delivering its priorities and objectives, and that it will be an
invaluable tool to the business of the Scrutiny Committee. |
BACKGROUND
1.
The Council has been receiving for two years the Quarterly Performance
Management Report (QPMR) which gives information on key performance indicators
relating to the corporate objectives. This information is presented to the Cabinet
on a quarterly basis and includes indicators that have under achieved or over
achieved their targets in the previous quarter.
2.
Although the report is embedded within the fabric of the Council as a
measurement tool it is a laboriously long process to produce, takes up to eight
weeks to reach Cabinet by which time the data is historic and does little to
encourage the debate on managing performance. There is now a need for a more
effective tool to manage service performance.
3.
For the last year, the Performance Management Team has been researching
and compiling information to begin a process to procure a software package to
manage the Council’s performance. This has now reached a stage where a
preferred supplier has been selected and negotiations will begin.
4.
It is anticipated that the software will be in place to deliver a report
to Cabinet in mid-April for the last quarter of 2005/06 therefore the scrutiny
of that information can begin shortly afterwards.
5.
The new software will revolutionise the way the Council manages service
performance. It will hold action plans for projects, teams and individuals and
national and local performance indicator data, including Local Area Agreement
and Aim High targets, accessible 24 hours a day.
6.
It will mean that historic data will no longer be presented to Cabinet
and Scrutiny as reports will be submitted within weeks of the end of the
quarter.
7.
It will mean under and over performing areas will have more information
on action to re-dress the situation enabling the Scrutiny Committee’s role to
have more impact by capturing the issue much more quickly therefore adding
value and quality to the Work Programme and making a difference to service performance.
This will obviously increase the Scrutiny Committee’s profile as being key to
challenging performance and driving improvements.
8.
Overall, the new software will play a major part in driving the Council
forward to its aspirations of being judged as an ‘excellent’ Council in the
forthcoming Corporate Performance Assessment. It will help to give the Council
a performance-oriented culture where Members and staff work together to improve
our services being delivered to the community, giving up-to-date information on
progress to reach targets and ensuring the Council is open and accountable for
its performance.
CONSULTATION
PROCESS
Members
had been invited to the evaluation process for the software and there has been
consultation with officers in relation to this report
FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS
The Council’s procurement process is being followed
for the purchase of the software and the cost of the system is within the
budget allocated.
Quarterly Performance Management Reports 2005/06
Cabinet Reports 2005/06
Contact Point: Heidi Marshall, Principal Policy Officer, extension 3250, [email protected]
PAUL
WILKINSON
Assistant
Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer