ITEM EX13 - ANNEX 1

EXECUTIVE – 11 DECEMBER 2001

BEST VALUE REVIEW AND INSPECTION OF HIGHWAY MANAGEMENT:

AMENDED ACTION PLANS

  ANNEX 1 Revised Improvement Options and the Reasons for Them

The Inspection Report recommendations are in bold print in the following Options

Early Improvement Options (within 1 year)

Option 1

Review Standards of operation to ensure that they are achieving the desired outcomes and onsult the public about the standards.

• Incorporates Options 3 and 4 from Review Options:
• To make the most effective use of the budget to reduce the decline in standards on non-principal roads.
• To spend each year’s budget where practicable in line with public expectations for the service.
• The publication in July 2001 of the revised Code of Good Practice for Highway Maintenance, "Achieving Best Value in Highway Maintenance", make completion of such a review highly desirable by March 2002.

Option 2

Publish a unified document listing performance standards in a form accessible to the public.

• This is already an action in Environmental Services Service Plan.

• Incorporates option 6 from Review Options – identify needs of internal customers and implement the use of highway network classifications as appropriate for them.

• Will be a record of decisions resulting from the review of standards and policies required by the publication of the new Code of Good Practice. A report to the Executive on the outcome is timetabled for January 2002.

Option 3

Review the management of the New Roads and Street Works Act to minimise the disruption to road users caused by Public Utilities and maximise income potential

• Incorporates Options 5, 10, 16, 17 from Review Options

• To improve service delivery of the National Street Gazetteer;
• To improve Utilities’ compliance with the New Roads and Streetworks Act;
• To provide more accurate and timely road works information;
• To improve the control of road works carried out by others.

• Provision of better information on roads works could be an Improvement Target in the Council’s submission for a Local Service Agreement.
• Additional staff already recruited to make use of new powers to control the duration of Utilities’ works, charges will offset costs of new staff.

Option 4

Provide a single point of contact for this public for all highway matters.

• Incorporates Options 14 and 15 from Review Options
• To develop a central call handling facility
• To develop a departmental Customer Code of Practice

• The subsequent Council decisions to develop a Corporate Call Centre necessitates refocusing this Improvement Option onto ensuring that the Highway Management service supports and makes maximum use of the corporate initiative.

• A corporate Customer Care Code of Practice is being developed which the Highway Management Service will use.

Option 5

Accelerate the implementation of an effective performance management system

• Incorporates Options 1 and 2 from Review Options.
• The IDeA Peer Review recommends improving performance management across the authority.

Option 6

Develop the partnering processes with Isis Accord and Babtie Ltd to deliver the objectives of "Rethinking Construction".

• Incorporates Options 7 and 8 from Review Options.
• To achieve 10% reduction in the total cost of delivering highway projects by March 2004.
• To improve communication among the partners of the benefits achieved.
• Compliance with "Rethinking Construction" principles is likely to be an influential factor in the level of capital spending awarded by the government.

Medium Term Improvement Options (within 2 years)

Option 7

Review the winter maintenance service, including the out-of-hours service provided by the client, in order to provide cost-effectiveness and to take account of dissatisfaction reported in some areas.

• Not identified for examination in Review because of low costs for a high level of service provision in comparison to other authorities, but Inspection recommendation accepted.

Option 8

Review the Agency arrangements with district councils to ensure that service are delivered as efficiently and cost effectively as possible and in a way that is easy for the public to understand. Implement changes as soon as possible.

• Incorporates Options 12 and 13 from Review Options
• Review existing arrangements for adopting estate roads
• Hold discussions with District Councils on the possibilities for future agency arrangements such as the introduction of agencies for amenity and tree maintenance.

• Put as a medium term improvement option because the major concern of the Inspectors, the Oxford City Agency, has already ended. Agencies for adoption of estate roads could end by March 2002.

Option 9

Instigate a Quality Management System to ensure consistency in work practices between the Area Offices and Headquarters

• To follow completion of policy development and documentation in Options 1, 2 and 3 above

Option 10

Initiate a study into the difference the quality of maintenance makes to the number of road accidents

• National research into various aspects already exists and is understood (eg. Level of road surface skid resistance, winter maintenance, road markings). Commission a review of existing information.

Longer Term Options (within 3 years)

Option 11

To review the Area Office and HQ Management Team structures

• Call centre implementation, changes in New Roads and Streetworks management, Agency changes, and partnering changes are all likely to have an early influence on Area organisations which needs to be assessed before any further review.

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