To report the Council’s performance for the first four months of 2008/09 against the Corporate Plan 2008/11 and national performance indicators used externally to measure the Council’s performance, taking account of the separate but complementary financial performance report, the updated Council risk register and progress against the action plans produced following the Crookall review.

The Cabinet considered a report on the Council’s performance for the first four months of 2008-09 against the Corporate Plan 2008-11 and national performance indicators used externally to measure the Council’s performance, taking account of the separate but complementary financial performance report, the updated Council risk register and progress against the action plans produced following the Crookall review. 

The Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources expressed thanks to the officers for the improved and new style approach of the report. In some cases, Cabinet Members would need to meet relevant Directors to discuss issues identified in the report.

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager stated that the report had been further simplified and improved in response to feedback from Joint Management Team, Cabinet and Strategic Monitoring Committee. In particular, it was now structured to show performance against each of the themes in the new Corporate Plan, with the covering report highlighting performance against the Council’s priorities. In doing so, it took account of the updated risk register, which was appended to the report, and the complementary budget monitoring report, which would be considered in its own right later in the agenda. The report also set out progress against the action plans put in place in the light of the Crookall report. The next report, in November, would give performance up to the end of September.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation questioned whether it was appropriate to mark indicators as red where no activity has been reported. He also drew attention to page 45, where the out-turn figure in respect of the number people slightly injured in road accidents was incorrect the figure having been previously been reported at Environment Scrutiny Committee.

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager explained that it was a clearly laid down duty of named postholders to ensure that submitted data were correct and, where there was, for good reason, no performance against target to report, to submit an account of progress with the action being taken that should enable the target to be achieved. Most officers complied fully with these requirements but he would reinforce with officers the crucial importance of data accuracy. Members were assured that information and data are looked at critically when they are submitted so that, if there is an apparent nonsense, this is clarified with the originator. Other Members reinforced the importance of indicators being marked red if officers had failed to submit the required information.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation suggested that, where no data or other information was due to be reported, this should be stated, together with the date when it would be due. The Member also questioned why the Young People’s Participation in Positive Activities Indicator on page 22 of the report, in respect of which the latest out-turn was recorded as ‘No data’, was rated green rather than red.

The Corporate Policy and Research Manager informed Members that in that instance, green was correct because the only possible measure of progress would be in the results of the annual Tellus survey. This had been conducted, with the results expected to be available for the next report. In relation to a question raised on out-turn to date in relation to the red indicator for Youth Work on page 23 of the report, the figures were very low for the first four months of the year but action was in hand to fill staff vacancies so as to improve performance.

RESOLVED:   That Cabinet

(i)                 Notes the performance to the end of July 2008 and the measures being taken, where necessary, to improve it;

(ii)               in particular notes progress in implementing the action plans produced following the Crookall review; and

(iii)             agrees that future reports be made quarterly, namely in relation to performance at the end of September, December, March and June.