Contact: Nick Thomas, ext 7174; [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report includes the outline of the Council's Performance Plan 2006/07, indicates Member involvement in the various elements of the plan and how to access the information on which its key messages are based.

1.2 The Performance Plan is one of only two plans required of `4 star' councils and is part of the Council's Policy Framework:

· The Council is required, by statute, to publish an annual Performance Plan, for publication and submission to the appointed auditor by 30 June.

· In accordance with the Council's Constitution, the Council itself is required to approve the Performance Plan.

2 Background

2.1 The purpose of this report is to demonstrate how reports and decisions taken during the course of the year are combined in the published Performance Plan, which only exists as a website within the Council's intranet site, Hantsweb.

2.2 The website structure enables links to additional information as easy access to information about the Council's performance.

2.3 The principal audiences for the Performance Plan are:

· Staff and elected Members of the authority

· Groups and organisations with an interest in the activities of the authority

· Regulatory bodies and Central Government.

2.4 Since members of the public continue to be informed about performance through the special supplement in the Spring edition of Hampshire Now, they are not a primary audience for the full performance plan. This means that the technical style and content of the full plan is appropriate for its primary function as a reference document.

2.5 The website address is: http://www.hants.gov.uk/corporatestrategy/

2.6 The plan is available in libraries, through the People's Network with the support of library staff and through information centres, with the support of information centre staff.

3 Outline structure of the Performance Plan

3.1 The full Performance Plan contains the following core ¹elements:

· Information about the context in which the Council operates

· The key aims and priorities of the Council identified in the Corporate Strategy

· A summary of performance against these aims, including milestone achievements and results against local targets

· Results of Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) and other relevant audit and inspection reports, outlining the County Council's responses and progress with them

· A full listing of results and targets for the national Best Value Performance Indicators

· A brief statement on contracts, identifying issues which arise under the Code of Practice on Workforce Matters and particularly relating to staff transfers

3.2 The full Performance Plan will also signpost the following items:

· CPA scores

· The outcomes of best value reviews and proposals for future reviews

· Resident consultation strategy and results

· Summarised financial information.

4 Preparation and approval of the content of the Performance Plan

4.1 Almost all the elements of the Performance Plan have been considered by Members throughout the year. /decisions/decisions-docs/ Appendix 1 maps out the paths that each of the key elements, outlined in paragraph 3.1, have taken or will take through the approval process.

4.2 Some of the information, notably current performance indicator results, is not available until immediately prior to the 30 June deadline. This means it has not yet been submitted to any public meeting or member decision day. Therefore the full year performance results for 2005/06 and the summary of the overall council performance will be presented to Cabinet on 26 June 2006.

Recommendation

That the County Council approve the framework for the Performance Plan for 2006/07.

Section 100D - 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.

None

N.B. The list excludes:

1. Published works

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

Appendix 1