Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Cabinet Member for Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/020

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes Tel: 07741 607452

Report by Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources (CA9).

To seek approval of the outcomes framework 2022/23 supporting the Strategic Plan.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)               Adopt the outcomes framework as set out in annex 2.

b)              Agree the revised reporting schedule as set out in paragraph 9 (table 2).

c)               Note that the measures reflect a combination of pre-existing service measurements and progress measures for the council’s strategic priorities and that as such the framework is a ‘living document’. Additions and amendments will be appropriate from time-to-time reflecting policy development or contextual changes. In the event of any amendments to the framework they will be clearly identified in a Cabinet report setting out the changes and rationale behind them.

d)              Receive and consider any feedback on the outcomes framework from the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and delegate to the Corporate Director for Customers, Organisational Development and Resources, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders, the ability to make amendments to the outcomes framework following discussion and feedback.

e)               Request officers prepare a ‘strategy map’ setting out how key thematic and service plans link into the corporate strategy and its priorities, a timeframe during which key policies and strategies will be reviewed, and the identification of new outcome measures resulting from the review.

f)                Note the progress to date developing a public performance portal with a planned go-live in the second quarter of the year. 

Cabinet was asked to approve the Outcomes Framework 2022/23 supporting the Strategic Plan and which represented a high-level overview of the Council’s priorities.

Before considering the item, the Chair had agreed to a number of requests to speak:

Councillor Donna Ford, Shadow Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, criticised the format of the report saying that it was not very user-friendly.  She was concerned that using numerical metrics did not take into account expected population growth.

Councillor Ford noted that counting only new things – for example new kilometres of cycleways – did not take account of any existing kilometres of cycleways that had become unusable.  She asked that statutory services be distinguished from discretionary services so that comparisons could be made with other authorities.  She welcomed the introduction of a ‘one-stop-shop’ public portal where all the data can be accessed by the everyone.

Councillor Michael O’Connor, Deputy Chair, Performance & Corporate Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee, summarized the feedback from the Committee.  They suggested a number of improvements to the layout including identifying the Cabinet Member responsible and having benchmarks against other councils comparable over time.

The Committee asked that the metrics reflect the Council’s priorities and provide a unified picture.  Qualitative measures should be provided where possible.  It was suggested that there should be metrics on complaints and complaints procedures.  The final list of recommendations from the Committee will be sent to the Cabinet Member.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, introduced the report.  Cabinet was asked to note that this was still work in progress with a number of target details still being developed. The Cabinet meeting in July will be the first populated report in this reporting cycle to assess progress.

Alongside the bi-monthly reporting to Cabinet, there will be the annual report in June, quarterly workforce reports, and six-monthly reports on the climate action plan and the Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.  There will also be ‘exception reporting’ to alert Cabinet to any significant changes mid reporting cycle.

Councillor Phillips thanked the scrutiny committee for their recommendations and for the time taken to read and comment on this report.  She committed to responding in writing and incorporating the recommendations that she feels will enhance and improve this report.

RESOLVED to:

a)           Adopt the outcomes framework as set out in annex 2.

b)           Agree the revised reporting schedule as set out in paragraph 9 (table 2).

c)           Note that the measures reflect a combination of pre-existing service measurements and progress measures for the council’s strategic priorities and that as such the framework is a ‘living document’. Additions and amendments will be appropriate from time-to-time reflecting policy development or contextual changes. In the event of any amendments to the framework they will be clearly identified in a Cabinet report setting out the changes and rationale behind them.

d)           Receive and consider any feedback on the outcomes framework from the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and delegate to the Corporate Director for Customers, Organisational Development and Resources, in consultation with the relevant portfolio holders, the ability to make amendments to the outcomes framework following discussion and feedback.

e)           Request officers prepare a ‘strategy map’ setting out how key thematic and service plans link into the corporate strategy and its priorities, a timeframe during which key policies and strategies will be reviewed, and the identification of new outcome measures resulting from the review.

f)            Note the progress to date developing a public performance portal with a planned go-live in the second quarter of the year.