IDeA Report 2000
Performance Management - Planning and Review
Strengths
SCC is currently putting into place a planning framework which will link its service and financial plans with its best value performance plans. All services will be using the European Foundation for Quality Excellence Model (EFQM) in producing service plans, in order to ensure that they address the issue of continuous improvement.
Service planning is included as a core competency in SCC’s new management development programme. Plans will be assessed in order to ensure that they meet the required standard. Support will be provided through a range of means, including one-to-one coaching, for those managers who need additional help with service planning.
Service plans identify clearly the lead officer responsibility for initiatives and include targets.
Issues to Address
There does not currently appear to be a system for consistent, corporate performance management and monitoring. This matter should be addressed as part of new planning framework in order to ensure the effective delivery of corporate initiatives such as best value.
The new planning framework should also recognise the need for staff at all levels to be involved in the production of plans if they are to feel ownership of them. They should also participate in the monitoring of progress against the plans through such mechanisms as team meetings.
Almost 20 per cent of the emails received by the review team referred to the need for stronger strategic corporate leadership in planning the future activities of the council. There was concern that the council still acts on a departmental basis when establishing its priorities. This links back to the point made earlier in this report about the need for there to be a clear strategy setting out how the council’s vision is to be achieved.
The same correspondents also tended to make the point that service plans do not tend to take account of the staffing resources available which has resulted in some staff feeling “swamped”.
The new service planning framework needs to ensure that targets are outcome based as far as is possible, rather than being exclusively output based.
People Management
Strengths
It was clear from discussions with staff that the majority are loyal to the council and committed to undertaking their work as effectively as possible.
Staff referred positively to the council’s “family friendly” working practices. There is workplace nursery provision, paid paternity leave and part-time working and job sharing are actively encouraged.
There also seems to be a positive attitude towards the employment of people with disabilities.
At the senior levels of the organisation 360 degree appraisals are being introduced and are viewed favourably by those concerned.
Staff generally consider training and development opportunities to be good.
A recent innovative staff development programme has been introduced entitled the “Somerset Public Sector Staff Networking Scheme”. This enables staff within SCC, its districts, the health authority, the police and other agencies to work alongside their counterparts in order to learn more about their partners’ policies and practices. Whilst only a small number of SCC staff have taken advantage of the scheme so far it is considered to be an imaginative way of ensuring closer joint working.
There is a monthly corporate newsletter produced by the chief executive which deals with major initiatives, and a council intranet. There are also some departmental and personnel newsletters.
Issues to Address
Notwithstanding the existence of the newsletter and the intranet, staff generally considered that communication could be radically improved. In particular there appears to be a lack of awareness of the “big picture” and a greater identification with issues affecting sections or departments within the council. It is suggested that the issue of internal communication be reviewed alongside external communications. Greater attention should be given to promoting achievements and to ensuring that staff are able to act as knowledgeable ambassadors on behalf of the council.
The corporate health performance indicators show that in 1998/99 the percentage of senior management posts filled by women was 15. The target for the current year is similarly 15 per cent. This is a disappointing proportion of women senior managers given the overall number of women employed by the authority. It is considered that SCC should give thought to providing increased management development opportunities for women. This could be achieved by extending their new management development programme to women at lower levels in the organisation, or through internal or external secondments or through providing opportunities for women to lead specific projects.
There is an inadequate database for human resources. This is being addressed urgently. Improvements to the information presently available will be essential to effective workforce planning and monitoring.
The current staff review and development process has been in place for some time. This is meant to comprise an annual appraisal with a mid-term review. However, there was evidence to suggest that the system is being inconsistently applied. There was also a feeling amongst heads of service that the current system will not meet the new demands for increased performance management, and that the discussion of development needs should perhaps be separated out from the appraisal itself. It is recommended, therefore, that the application and form of the staff review and development scheme be revisited to ensure that it meets the current needs of the organisation.
The personnel function is heavily devolved, and this has led to a degree of variation in practice in some areas. One such area is the level of commitment being shown within departments to the attainment of Investors in People (IiP) accreditation. Given the benefits of improved communication and management associated with this award it is considered that greater corporate commitment could be shown to the attainment of IiP accreditation across the board.
Staff made many references to the accommodation review which has been taking place for some time. Over 20 per cent of the emails received by the review team expressed dissatisfaction with the time taken to undertake the review and the accommodation which has resulted from it. This was linked by staff to a reduction in morale. SCC needs to ensure that this review is expedited and may also like to consider the extent to which staff are being kept informed of progress.
Project Management
Strengths
The arrangements governing the progression of best value reviews include provision for the sharing of good practice through the best value co-ordination group and through the conveners group.
Similarly there appears to be a sharing of good practice with other Somerset authorities and agencies, on best value and on the undertaking of consultation.
The council is using consistent methodology in the EFQM to underpin its approach to service planning and continuous improvement.
Issues to Address
The authority will need to manage some complex and difficult projects in the current months and years. Examples include the best value review programme and the programme to ensure the achievement of e-government targets. Given the remarks made in the section above on the accommodation review, SCC will need to manage these projects closely.
It is recommended that SCC introduce a consistent approach to project management in order to ensure that initiatives are introduced effectively and on time. This will involve the setting and evaluation of outcomes.
SCC also needs to ensure that adequate resources are in place to support projects, and that members’ role in monitoring progress is clarified.
Systems and Processes
Strengths
The facilities management group has ISO9002 accreditation.
SCC has made a commitment to achieving e-government targets. It has already ensured that there is access to the internet and to email at over 100 locations within the county.
Issues to Address
SCC produced its final draft of an ICT strategy during the week of the review team’s visit. Whilst this is a useful document which sets out the drivers for change, together with e-government goals and steps which need to be taken, it does not represent a clear plan for achieving the authority’s objectives in this area.
There are, for example, no year-on-year targets within it or deadlines for actions. Thought also needs to be given to the cultural change which will be necessary to achieve an increased use of IT by the public, staff and members. Whilst SCC clearly believes in the delegation of responsibilities to departments, it is suggested that it considers producing a more developed central strategy for departments to work to, and that progress is closely monitored against targets.
Financial Management
Strengths
SCC displays sound financial management. It is comparatively prudent in its expenditure despite the fact that providing services to a dispersed rural population tends to be costly.
It has recently moved to the production of a three-year financial strategy. It is beginning to integrate its financial planning with its service planning, and will ensure that changes to service delivery brought about through best value reviews are reflected in amendments to the financial strategy.
It has introduced a standard system of budget bids which includes the provision of information on the achievement of objectives and the impact of the bids on any partner organisation. In the current year, bids were put forward by the member-level boards and the overall budget was decided by the executive.
The authority is jointly procuring two projects with other local authorities using private finance initiative funding.
SCC has recently produced an asset management plan for the period 2000/2003 which sets out the authority’s capital investment priorities.
SCC undertook some innovative consultation through its residents’ forum on budget options for 2000/2001.
Issues to Address
The council delegates much of the responsibility for financial management to departments, and corporate directors have significant freedom over budget virement and financial management arrangements. The authority needs to ensure that clear audit trails are in place in order to support such actions.
Departments appear to determine their own financial management arrangements such as the level at which budgets are managed and monitored. Whilst this reinforces departments’ responsibility for financial management, it could lead to inconsistencies in decision-making. The review team concluded that SCC should review its approach and introduce a greater degree of corporate working and consistency.
It would seem that departments can retain annual budget surpluses. Thought should be given to regular corporate review of budgets and funding in respect of corporate priorities.
The financial planning process agreed by the pilot executive sets the framework for linking the financial strategies to the county council priorities as set out in the vision statement, and to its performance targets as set out in the best value performance plan. However, it is at an early stage and will require continuous development. For example, investment proposals should be supported by a statement of how they will support corporate policies and/or improve performance.
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