To agree the projects within the 2013/14 corporate delivery plan.

Cabinet considered a report on the corporate delivery plan for 2013/14, which had been approved by Council on 23 November 2012.  The report gave the review position, following a realignment of resources to ensure that the Council was working on the right things.  It provided further detail on the specific projects contained in the plan, and the methodology and basis for measuring in-year performance.  The plan was one element of the Council’s wider Budget and Policy Framework, and its overall aims were to improve performance, reduce costs, identify and minimise risks and ensure effective service delivery. 

Council had delegated the responsibility for approving in-year amendments to “outcome measures” to Cabinet, and members were asked to consider adding a series of outcome measures to the corporate delivery plan, to enable more effective monitoring (paragraph 10.4 of the report, page 7 of the agenda refers). 

The following principal points were made in discussion:

·           It was crucial to maintain a correct balance between the corporate delivery plan, the root and branch programme, and the budget, and the proposed quarterly reports to Cabinet would be an essential part of the monitoring process. 

·           The Chief Executive provided reassurance that in moving forward, the focus would be on the specific elements of the Council’s business plans, in order to demonstrate effective delivery and financial control.  He would speak in more detail on financial control later in the order of business on the agenda (minute 83 refers). 

·           There would be an ongoing public consultation over some elements of the plan, particularly because some projects would continue to impact on specific communities and groups of people.  In addition, a number of events would be run, using the “lean approach” to understanding the entire customer experience from start to finish. 

·           It was requested that councillors in general be included in the process for meeting the delivery challenges outlined in paragraph 10.7 of the report.  Some members felt that this paragraph served to emphasise a clear need to appoint specific project managers to alleviate the growing pressure on directors, particularly in the areas of making savings and improving performance.  Acknowledging that such a move might present a resource issue, the Head of Human Resources said that project management would most likely be concentrated on the bigger, more complex projects, and that the capability of line managers and their staff also needed to be drawn upon.  She said that she would consider ways to develop the role of councillors more fully in relation to the issues in paragraph 10.7, alongside the current level of updates provided to Cabinet, and the agreed routine involvement of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees.  This also needed to be carefully balanced with officers being enabled to carry out their tasks effectively. 

·           In response to a question, the Head of Human Resources gave details of the current recruitment campaign in respect of social workers.  Despite using some innovative ways to attract staff in this field, and a scheme of career development amongst existing staff, it was still challenging to secure permanent experienced team members due to a national shortage of social workers. 

RESOLVED:   that

(a)             the corporate delivery plan 2013/14 be approved;

(b)             the additional outcome measures (as detailed in paragraph 10.4 of the report) be included in the corporate plan to enable more effective monitoring of performance in relation to the council’s public sector equality duty, safeguarding, the effectiveness of the adults transformation plan, and broadband delivery;

(b)             performance monitoring and delivery assurance arrangements be noted; and

(c)             the Overview & Scrutiny Committees will play a role in challenging and assurance of delivery.