Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Deputy Leader

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/003

Contact: Ben Threadgold, Policy & Performance Service Manager Tel: 07867 467838

Report by Chief Executive (CA6).

The Cabinet is recommended to consider this report and, subject to any amendments, approve the 2019-20 Outcomes Framework for use in monthly corporate reporting.

The Outcomes Framework is the mechanism by which progress towards OCC’s Corporate Plan priorities is measured and reported. The draft 2019-20 version at Annex A has been revised to reflect this year’s business activities and to incorporate improvements identified during routine review and engagement with members.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to consider this report and, subject to any amendments, approve the 2019-20 Outcomes Framework for use in monthly corporate reporting.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval of the Outcomes Framework, the mechanism by which progress towards OCC’s Corporate Plan priorities is measured and reported. Cabinet had before them the draft 2019-20 version that had been revised to reflect the year’s business activities and to incorporate improvements identified during routine review and engagement with members.

Councillor Brighouse, Chairman of Performance Scrutiny Committee advised that the Committee had considered and commented on the draft Outcomes Framework but had not had the Business Management and Monitoring report (Agenda Item 7 on this agenda). The Committee had commented that overall there was a need to reconsider the information gathered to focus not on the large amount of information that the Council had but on the information that was needed. Some information was collected for other reasons and although it was right to report such information, it was not collected to ensure the Council was achieving its vision. A more critical approach to outcomes reporting was needed. Councillor Brighouse highlighted that member engagement with residents was important and should be included in measures in the future. Member engagement, such as with casework could give an indication where things were not working quite right. The Committee had also asked that the 2018/19 target be included. Seeing the Business Management & Monitoring report it was clear that several targets were the same as 2018/19. The Committee had raised queries on individual targets and Councillor Brighouse referred to the target for % of 5-9 passes in English and maths that was seen by the Committee as lacking ambition. For the Committee it was important that they have all the information at the Committee with the same papers to Cabinet and Performance Scrutiny Committee. This would strengthen the relation between cabinet and scrutiny and avoid councillors feeling disengaged.

Responding to a question Councillor Brighouse suggested that as the Performance Scrutiny Committee did not meet monthly they would want to receive the most recent monthly business management & monitoring report. They had had a lengthy debate on the outcomes framework at the Committee but had not had the monthly report which would have been helpful.

Responding to a question about capturing member engagement Councillor Brighouse stated for her it was about recognising that councillors worked in communities all the time. They were able to pick up when things were going wrong, or right. This information was being lost as the Council had not yet found a way to capture it.

Ben Threadgold, Policy and Performance Service Manager, introduced the report noting that it was an evolving process and targets and indicators would continue to evolve. He was working with Directors on the comments around individual targets such as those on attainment.

Councillor Hudspeth, moved the recommendations subject to any comments/amendments. Councillor Hudspeth added that the comments from Performance Scrutiny Committee would be considered and asked that any amendments be circulated to all councillors.

Cabinet generally welcomed the report and the level of transparency it provided. It was seen as a useful framework to the Corporate Plan.

During discussion Cabinet:

.

·              Asked for information on where the low target for increasing cycling had come from.

·              Noted the high level of detailed reporting on matters the Council did not control, such as absence rates in primary schools. It was questioned whether this was due to statutory requirements and further information was sought to clarify this.

·              Asked that the measure on rates of access to cultural services include the 8,000 children trained on musical instruments each week.

·              Queried why the percentage of children with a place at their first preference school and the percentage of children at good schools and settings was ‘reporting only’ when the Council had all the figures.

·              Suggested that given the huge amounts of data it was about how it was presented and to whom and how it was possible to drill down through the information.

·              Queried whether there was sufficient ambition given the number of targets the same in the previous and coming year. Ben Threadgold replied that by not stating the current outcome achieved it was difficult to show whether the intended target was ambitious. Directors would be asked to check this.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)          approve the 2019-20 Outcomes Framework for use in monthly corporate reporting subject to amendments based on the comments; and

(b)          agree that the amended framework be circulated to all Councillors.