Archived decisions

Purpose

Cllr Davidovitz has led a wide-ranging review of performance and efficiency arrangements, aiming to get behind the `formal rhetoric' and determine whether there are unexplored opportunities for efficiency gains and improving performance.

There have been a number of strands to the review:

A. Meetings with service managers who are responsible for services that appear to be delivering below target performance according to the 2004/05 performance results. Exploring reasons for current performance alongside opportunities to improve.

B. Exploring opportunities for increased efficiency through technology.

C. Exploring opportunities for efficiency gains through the current restructuring of children and adult services, particularly in relation to shared services.

D. Engagement in performance support arrangements and consideration of information / support needed by both Executive and other Members to fulfil their roles in relation to performance and efficiency.

Approach

Informal meetings were held with key people to elicit information. A formal event with key officers and chairmen of Policy Review Committees was held on 16 November to consider current processes for monitoring and reporting performance and to ensure the information is both accessible and used effectively. A preliminary discussion with consultants also offered further options.

Recognising that the imperatives of Best Value, CPA and `Gershon', have led to a focus on `processes', in order to provide evidence in support of statutory demands this review has focused attention on business improvement.

Where possible, Cllr Davidovitz' research has drawn on exercises that are already underway, such as the restructuring of children and adult services, rather than requiring significant new strands of activity.

A - Performance meetings with service managers

The broad question areas for the meetings were:

· why is performance dropping / not improving?

· what is being done about it?

· what is needed / what needs to happen to improve?

· what are the barriers to improvement?

· in what timescale should we see results?

· Could new technology be used to help improve efficiency?

The following common factors emerged:

· The value of a Member showing interest in these service areas

· Managers are mostly used to explaining what they do and may be less skilled at identifying improvement options.

· Managers were not routinely coming up with ideas for efficiency gains to re-invest in the service

· Lack of resources - specifically around the need for IT investment

This exercise has exposed:

· The need to improve the way officers communicate performance results to members

· The need for managers to be more `performance aware' and self-challenging. Managers often do not have access to or make use of the detailed information to support this approach

· The need for Members to actively consider performance information and the implications of the results in terms of service delivery and achievement of goals.

· The need to recognise the impact prioritisation may have on performance levels and that it is okay for some services to achieve satisfactory rather than top quartile performance.

B - Efficiency from technology

Two different approaches have elicited useful information:

· Cllr Davidovitz had a short slot on the corporate briefing for new managers at which he outlined his remit and encouraged new managers to pass on suggestions for efficiency gains, which has generated a range of ideas.

· Jos Creese, Head of IT has briefed Cllr Davidovitz on relevant IT developments, including the annual IT report.

Coupled with feedback from the meetings with departmental service managers, it is clear there are opportunities to improve performance and efficiency through judicious use of IT. Improvements can be held back initially through lack of resources, however, this only served to highlight the importance of developing clear business cases, which indicate payback and potential funding sources as well as service benefits.

C - Efficiency through restructuring Children and Adult Services

Keith Kerslake and Jenny Heath have briefed Cllr Davidovitz on progress so far with the restructuring of shared services in the new departments, particularly communications and performance management. Cllr Davidovitz has emphasised the imperative for achieving greater efficiency through this activity.

D - Improving access to performance information and support for Members

Cllr Davidovitz is playing an ongoing role in relation to the Corporate Performance Support Network, identifying when members should be engaged in developing performance monitoring and reporting arrangements and ensuring there is challenge in the way performance and efficiency arrangements are agreed.

The special workshop held on 16 November, concluded that the compendium of performance results is a good starting place and has ensured processes are more robust and capable of delivering the information required to report progress on corporate targets. However, the lack of an IT system to manipulate the data and tailor it for different audiences is a significant constraint in moving forward. This is currently being addressed.

Jenny Heath has held a series of meetings with Executive Members to help them understand how to interpret the results as currently presented and to consider how best to promote greater interest in performance results, so they can be used to inform planning and decision making.

The impact of the Democratic Services Review and related work on scrutiny / local link groups is also relevant and being taken into account.