Hampshire County Council

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee Item 9

10 July 2003

Milestones Executive Group

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Yinnon Ezra ext: 5402

Stephen Locke tel: 01962 826702

1. Introduction

1.1 This report updates members of the Policy Review Committee about the strategic management of Milestones, and communicates the decisions of the meeting of the Milestones Executive Group on 23 June 2003.

1.2 The Executive Group consists of the Executive Members and Deputy Leader of Hampshire County Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council respectively.

2. The Governance of Milestones

2.1 The Milestones project was developed under the aegis of a Joint Management Agreement between the County Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and overseen by the Milestones Joint Management Committee.

There is a separate Joint Management Agreement and Joint Management Committee for the Willis Museum.

2.2 This arrangement pre-dated local government reorganization and the adoption of a 'cabinet' model of administration by the partners.

2.3 The imperative need to revise the business plan for Milestones and provide rapid and decisive leadership to Milestones led to involvement of the Executive Members supported by Senior Officers of the partners.

2.4 There is general agreement that the role of the Executive Group should be formalized as follows:

· the Executive Group should be responsible for providing strategic

development to the management of Milestones, harmonizing the needs of the partners and ensuring Milestones supports their respective aims.

· the respective Executive Members will report to their cabinets as necessary, especially in respect of the business plan and consequential revenue support and capital investment.

The arrangements are intended to provide decisive, authoritative and united direction from both partners. The Executive Group will also consider executive issues relating to the joint provision of museums services in Basingstoke and Deane as a whole.

2.5 The crucial work of the Milestones Joint Management Committee in developing Milestones is strongly recognized. The Joint Management Committee for the Willis Museum has met very infrequently.

The following role for a single Joint Management Committee for museum issues in Basingstoke and Deane Borough is recommended:

· to maintain an overview of integrated joint museum provision in

Basingstoke and Deane district

· to consider and monitor performance related to the cultural and

educational aims of the partners.

· to maintain formal and legal joint arrangements for key standards

of collections management and public services required for Registration of the Willis Museum and Milestones with Re-source.

3. The Business Plan

3.1 The Executive Group received, considered and adopted a comprehensive and detailed Business Plan for Milestones which is focussed on stabilizing performance in 2003/04 and achieving the agreed budget.

3.2 The Executive Group agreed measures for the monthly reporting of key business parameters and the timely monitoring of performance.

3.3 Although the Business Plan for 2003/04 is extremely important, establishing a sustainable Business Plan for 2004/05 onwards is yet more so. The Executive Group will concentrate on this alongside monitoring of the 2003/04 plan.

4. Policy Review and Scrutiny Committees

4.1 The Executive Group propose that a joint visit and meeting of the Policy Review Committee (Hampshire County Council) and Scrutiny Committee (Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council) should be arranged to review progress at Milestones and receive a presentation of the Business Plan.

4.2 The notes of the Executive Group are provided as appendix 1.

Recommendation

1. That the report be noted

2. That the invitation to attend a joint meeting at Milestones with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to review progress and discuss the Business Plan, be welcomed and arranged.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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