Recommendation No.	Page of report	Issue to be addressed/Recommendation	Priority 1=Low 2= Med 3=High	Responsibility	Agreed	Comments		Date
IRMP
1	9	Members should be actively involved in the consultation process for IRMP, especially in relation to targeting resources within overall council expenditure priorities and acting as agents of challenge and scrutiny.	3	CFO			Select Committee Report on Service Plan to Select Report on IPDS progress to Select Feedback to Select Committee Members information folder FSEC Seminar for all Members Executive Members engagement with Fire Service staff	19/07/04 20/09/04 18/10/04 15/11/04 Nov 04 Nov 04 Station Visits Commence Sept 04
2	10	The brigade needs to ensure that using good practice from other brigades/organisations is seen as the norm when developing IRMP and the corporate plan.	2	DCO			Attendance at Regional IRMP Group Use Audit Commission best practice Member of FSEC Regional Team Member of Regional Management Board Fire Service Improvement Team	Continuing

Recommendation No.	Page of report	Issue to be addressed/Recommendation	Priority 1=Low 2= Med 3=High	Responsibility	Agreed	Comments	Date
3	10	Lack of effective communication/engagement throughout the brigade is a serious barrier to progressing all aspects of Modernisation. The brigade needs to work jointly with the council, using their expertise, to develop a robust communications/consultation strategy, with clear leadership, as a matter of some urgency	3	DCO CFO CSM DCO DCFO FAIRMaP Board		Commence Consultation Meetings with RFU Monthly Newsletter Communications Strategy created by Staff Working Group and Best Practice from four other Brigades Implement (after negotiations with FBU) the Industrial Relations Protocol Create Industrial Relations Protocol with RFU FAIRMaP Consultation with Corporate Policy Team involvement	30/07/04 Aug 04 Sept 04 Sept 04 Nov 04 Oct 04
4	11	The brigade needs to allocate responsibilities, set milestones and identify clear priorities to enable a clear methodical assessment of progress against action plan targets.	3	DCO		Administrative process created to monitor FAIRMaP Action Plan Quarterly Performance Management Report to Select and BMT	Sept 04 From Oct 04
5	12	The Brigade needs to ensure that there are clear links between the IRMP and effective medium term financial planning, both within the immediate service and with the council overall.	2	CFO CFO DCO		Service Plan Service Plan to Select Committee Best Value IPDS Progress Report	30/07/04 Sept 04 Oct 04

Recommendation No.

Page of report

Issue to be addressed/Recommendation

Priority 1=Low 2= Med 3=High

Responsibility

Agreed

Comments

Date

6

12

There needs to be a transparent assessment of whether the existing structure and skills meets the challenges of the extensive change agenda and the business needs of the modern fire service. This should be approached jointly with the council’s HR team.

3

CFO

Capacity and Business Needs Team (including Corporate HR and Policy Team)

End Nov 04

7

12

Joint working with the council needs to be more robust and become through regular, programmed and specific contact, become integrated into the work of the brigade.

3

BTO CSM CFO BTO DCO CSM Third O

Ginny Gledhill to represent Brigade on Regional HR Development Group Corporate ICT Project assistance PIA Monitoring Meeting IPDS Progress Group Monthly Budget Monitoring with Budget Accountant Quarterly Performance Management Report Quarterly Risk Management Meeting with Bob Streets

July 04 Aug 04 From Aug 04 Oct 04 Ongoing Quarterly Quarterly from Sept 04

Rank to role

8

16

The brigade needs to take better advantage of overall council experience to develop role maps and to match service needs with capacity.

2

Corporate HR BTO CSM

Corporate HR advice is to wait for advice from ODPM Seek definitive guidance from ODPM and IPDS Hub Corporate HR to cross map rank to role principles for Support Staff with existing Council Policies

_ Aug 04 Oct 04

Recommendation No.

Page of report

Issue to be addressed/Recommendation

Priority 1=Low 2= Med 3=High

Responsibility

Agreed

Comments

Date

IPDS

9

18

The brigade needs to ensure that there is a clear strategy for funding IPDS now and in the future. This must have member “buy-in”.

3

DCO

Best Value Team, IPDS Progress Group report to BMT and Executive

Sept 04 Oct 04

10

19

More work is needed to identify and cost further alternative training providers to ensure value for money and the flexibility to meet the needs of all groups of staff.

2

DCO

Best Value Team, IPDS Progress Group report to BMT and Executive

Sept 04 Oct 04

11

19

The brigade needs to introduce regular PDPs/supervisory meetings to all staff as soon as possible. Training to enable managers to undertake PDPs effectively needs to be expedited.

3

BTO CFO

PDP’s to tie in with Training Needs Analysis PDP’s to tie in with Service Planning Process

Sept 04 May to July 05 Annually

12

20

A project plan for the implementation of workplace assessments with milestones for the completion of PDPs for manager and staff should be developed in the near future.

3

BTO

Plan to be complied

Sept 04

Recommendation No.	Page of report	Issue to be addressed/Recommendation	Priority 1=Low 2= Med 3=High	Responsibility	Agreed	Comments	Date
Overtime
13	22	The Brigade needs to undertake a comprehensive review of the opportunities available for preplanned overtime to maximise resource capacity.	2	Corporate HR		Corporate HR to undertake a comprehensive, fully costed review and make recommendations	Oct 04
14	22	The use of pre-planned overtime should be incorporated into the IRMP action plan with clear targets and outcomes.	2	PMFM		Dependant upon above Review arrangements in Best Practice Brigade(s)	Feb 05 April 05
Duty Systems
15	22	The brigade needs to have a more wide-ranging debate on the options for changes to duty systems. This will secure staff engagement and commitment and allow all opportunities to be explored to meet IRMP aspirations.	3	Third O		On publication, evaluate ODPM report on Retained issues and recommend actions Discuss with Wholetome Personnel options for changes to duty systems	_ end of Oct 04
Part Time Working
16	23	23 The brigade needs to undertake a comprehensive review of the opportunities for part-time working.	2	Corporate HR		Corporate HR to undertake a comprehensive, fully costed review and make recommendations	Oct 04
17	24	The brigade needs to work more effectively with the council in delivering this aspect of the Modernisation agenda.	3	Corporate HR		Corporate HR to undertake a comprehensive, fully costed review and make recommendations (see 16 above)	Oct 04

Recommendation No.	Page of report	Issue to be addressed/Recommendation	Priority 1=Low 2= Med 3=High	Responsibility	Agreed	Comments	Date
Financial Diagnostic
18	25	There needs to be a robust and systematic approach to short/medium term financial planning.	3	Chief Financial Officer		Service Plan Chief Financial Officer to review arrangements and make recommendations	31/07/04 Oct 04
19	25	There needs to be effective monitoring of the IRMP Action Plan and its associated resource implications. The Action Plan should include financial milestones to underpin funding arrangements, and any new funding bids and to review such funding arrangements against priority areas.	3	PMFM and Account Manager		To establish appropriate mechanisms	Oct 04

Recommendation No.	Page of report	Issue to be addressed/Recommendation	Priority 1=Low 2= Med 3=High	Responsibility	Agreed	Comments	Date
Modernisation Agenda
20	26	Senior managers and members need to give all staff clear leadership on the Modernisation agenda.	3	CFO BMT CFO		Monthly newsletter Modernisation days at 6 monthly intervals for all staff (including members) BMT Development Programme	Aug 04 Nov 04 Commence Sept 04
21	26	The verification exercise should be used as an opportunity to engage staff in the change agenda.	2	BMT		Modernisation days (see above)	Nov 04
22	26	Corporate HR should be used to facilitate better and more productive working relationships and behaviours with the unions.	3			Arrange meeting(s) with staff, BMT and Portfolio Holder Industrial Relations Protocols (see above)	Sept 04
23	27	Senior management need to ensure that staff understand the progress made on the IRMP Action Plan and how they have contributed to this. Action Plan targets should be cascaded to individual members of staff through PDPs.	3	BTO CSM BMT		PDP Rollout Quarterly Performance Management Report to Action Groups Modernisation Days (see above)	Sept 04 Oct 04 Nov 04