Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority Item 7b

Best Value Steering Group

Notes of the sixth meeting held on 24 May 2000

Contact: Mr D Howells, Director of Corporate Services, HFRS

Tel: 023 80 644000 ext 203

Present:

Cllr Ms E Brett

Chairman, HFRA

Cllr P Russell

HFRA

Cllr M Woodhall

HFRA

Cllr Mrs J Watson

HFRA

Mr M Eastwood

Chief Fire Officer, HFRS

Mr D Howells

Director of Corporate Services, HFRS

Mrs W Lambert

Financial and Office Services Manager, HFRS

Mr J Pattison

For Clerk to HFRA - HCC

Mr G Hart

For Treasurer to HFRA - HCC

Ms S Brumitt

Hampshire UNISON

In attendance:

Mr N Childs

District Auditor, District Audit

Mr J Tench

Senior Specialist, District Audit

Apologies for Absence:

Mr H Williams

Secretary, Hampshire Fire Brigades Union

Mr Phil Webb

SDO - Quality Manager, HFRS

Feedback from District Audit on the Authority's first Best Value Performance Plan

The primary purpose of the meeting was to receive initial feedback following the audit of the management processes involved in producing the Authority's first Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP).

The District Audit team comprised:

Neil Childs, District Auditor

John Tench, Senior Specialist, District Audit

Clare Mulley, Specialist, District Audit

Susan Whittaker, Auditor, District Audit Survey

It was explained that the audit was based on an extensive compliance checklist which demanded the collection of `evidence' - in both document form and through a series of interviews with staff from various functions and levels throughout the Service. The essential aim was to test the adequacy of the `performance management system' that was used in producing the Best Value Performance Plan. A highly summarised version of checklist was circulated at the meeting and is attached as Appendix 1 to these notes.

Three main shortcomings were identified which can be summarised as follows:

The performance management system needs to be developed to ensure better integration of: the Authority's existing three-year Development Plan; its medium-term financial strategy; and, the Best Value Performance Plan itself.

The actions implicit in the BVPP need to be systematically cascaded and translated into tasks at fire station level where appropriate.

The consultation strategy needs to be developed into a more robust plan of action for the next five years.

It was explained that these issues will form basis of the Auditor's formal report to the Authority due to be received on (or before) 30 June 2000. [Post meeting note: This has now been received and is attached as Appendix 2]. The Authority will have 30 working days in which to respond to the report. It was explained to the Auditors that the Steering Group had been given specific approval by the Authority to make the formal response.

Disappointment was expressed about the `negative' reporting style of the formal report which would highlight only areas of non-compliance. The auditors understood the Group's concerns and emphasised that this was a nation-wide practice stipulated by the Audit Commission.

John Tench responded by pointing out that the Authority had much to be proud of and pointed to the number of `smiley faces' in the compliance checklist (see Appendix 1)! He also said that, in his opinion, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority is a fire authority prepared to "challenge" on many significant fronts and pointed to examples in the Development Plan - notably actions on fire cover review.

Finally, the auditors questioned the Authority's ability to cope with what they considered to be an ambitious number of Best Value reviews. It was established that if problems in resourcing these reviews became a real problem some reviews (other than those specifically required to be carried out by the Home Office) could be postponed. Alternatively if, at an early stage in the process, the benefits and value of particular reviews are identified as being insignificant, these could be abandoned providing sufficient reasons and evidence is provided to justify the decision.

General Update

David Howells took the opportunity to update the Group on progress being made on the programme of reviews. He also mentioned that the results of the employee survey had now been received and a summary report (prepared by Opinion Research Services) would be circulated widely to staff and members of the Authority in June 2000.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority

Best Value Steering Group

Notes of the seventh meeting held on 24 July 2000

Contact: Mr D Howells, Director of Corporate Services, HFRS

Tel: 023 80 644000 ext 203

Present:

Cllr M Woodhall

HFA

Cllr Mrs J Watson

HFA

Cllr D Horne

HFA

Mr D Howells

Director of Corporate Services, HFRS

Mr Phil Webb

SDO - Quality Manager, HFRS

Mrs W Lambert

Financial and Office Services Manager, HFRS

Mr J Pattison

For Clerk to HFRA - HCC

Mrs J Lovett

For Treasurer to HFRA - HCC

Apologies for Absence:

Mr M Eastwood

Chief Fire Officer, HFRS

Cllr Ms E Brett

Chairman, HFRA

Cllr P Russell

HFRA

Mr G Hart

For Treasurer to HFRA - HCC

Mr H Williams

Secretary, Hampshire Fire Brigades Union

Ms S Brumitt

Hampshire UNISON

Response to Statutory Report of the District Auditor

This meeting of the Group was convened specifically to finalise and approve (on behalf of the Authority) the formal response to the District Auditor's Statutory Report on the Best Value Performance Plan. An Action Plan to address the issues raised was also considered.

A draft document had been prepared, and circulated, in advance of the meeting. The Group were generally happy with the proposed response but asked David Howells to confirm with the District Auditor whether, at this stage, the detailed Action Plan needed to be completed. [Post meeting note: District Auditor confirmed that it made sense to include the completed Action Plan as part of the Authority's formal response]. The final document is included with the agenda papers.

The Group were made aware that the document had then to be published and circulated to all places where the Best Value Performance Plan was being held for access by the public (including all Libraries and public information points throughout Hampshire).

Best Value Performance Plan Item 7c

Response to the Statutory Report of the District Auditor

ACTION PLAN

Responsibility for undertaking the actions set out below will rest with members of the Service Management Team who will report on progress to the Best Value Steering Group. The target date for achieving all actions is 31 January 2001.

1

Performance Management

The Authority needs to develop a corporate performance management system.

Response/Action:

The Authority will review its existing processes (particularly those used in the production of the Development Plan) and consider examples of good practice used elsewhere. This review will be facilitated by the use of an external management consultant.

2

Performance Management

The Authority should improve the integration of the Best Value Performance Plan, the existing Development Plan and its medium-term financial strategy.

Response/Action:

The aim will be to fully integrate the Best Value Performance Plan and the Development Plan into a single document which both identifies and responds to key financial issues. The above review will use a methodology specifically geared towards improving organisational integration of activities with the overriding aim of ensuring that customer needs are met.

3

Consultation

The Authority needs to develop a more robust strategy for who, how and when it will consult.

Response/Action:

It is accepted that this aspect of the Plan needs to be strengthened and supported by a schedule of tasks. The contract with Opinion Research Services (ORS) of the University of Wales will provide good support and useful comparative data across a range of consultative exercises including:

a staff survey (completed July 2000)

a popular (public) survey (September 2000)

on-going `after the fire' surveys

complaints handling survey

This will be supplemented by a programme of local focus group meetings.

4

Review Programme

The Authority should revisit its review programme to ensure that it is achievable.

Response/Action:

It is accepted that the Authority has been optimistic in the number of reviews it has scheduled in the five-year period - particularly in the first year. Resourcing these reviews is already proving to be very difficult so the programme will be re-prioritised and amended in the light of this experience.

5

Review Programme

The Authority needs to explain the justification for its review programme more clearly in the Best Value Performance Plan.

Response/Action:

Although not recorded in the Plan a very detailed exercise was used to identify and prioritise key areas for review. In conjunction with the action for 4 (above), the justification and resource implications of the review programme will be made more explicit in next year's Plan.

6

Review Programme

The Authority should continue to develop its methodology and skills for undertaking fundamental service reviews.

Response/Action:

It is acknowledged that in this first year, at least, there is insufficient knowledge and skills within the Service to properly resource the review programme. As more guidance and training courses emerge in response to the best value initiative, the opportunity will be taken to seek advice and to pick up on published good practice as a means of developing the Authority's own approach, methodology and expertise.

Dir-Fin HFRA 27 9 00 BV Progress Report and Mins