Performance Management

The Council achieves its aspirations by using performance information to improve the way that we work.

 

We do this by comparing our performance over time and with others. This enables us to identify actions for improvement, identify and reduce risks to drive service improvement and achieve the outcomes for our citizens.

 

An effective performance management process provides management systems and an organisational culture that focuses on continuous improvement through knowing where we are, what we need to achieve, how to measure our progress, detecting performance problems and providing options to remedy them.

 

Performance Management provides many benefits:

 

For the customer/citizen:

• Provides services which are continuously improving.
• Provides services which meets the needs of users.
• Makes the Council more accountable to residents and the community.
• Provides a basis for effective communication.

For the organisation:

• Identifies corporate priorities and ensures everyone is pulling together and focusing on achieving them
• Develops an understanding of staff and elected member training needs.
• Ensures work is achieved on time to agreed standards and with the resources and skills needed.
• Provides evidence of continuous improvement.

For elected members:

• Cabinet members become fully engaged in the work of directorates and receive timely briefing on issues.
• Scrutiny members are able to monitor and question performance.

For employees:

• Provides clarity and understanding of where each individual contributes to the vision and direction of department.
• Increases job satisfaction, pride and self-esteem by clarifying roles, targets and achievements.
• Offers opportunity for learning and development.

 

The Performance Management Framework outlines the Council's mechanisms for monitoring, measuring and assessing its performance. Linked to this document is an Annual Planning Cycle that identifies the key performance activities that will be completed that financial year. Internal arrangements focus on embedding a performance management culture which drives continuous improvement.

 

Quarterly Reports and Performance Indicators

As part of the review of its Performance Management Framework in 2020, the Council has adopted a new Corporate Plan (2020-25) which reflects the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and identifies 4 Well-being Objectives for the Council. Each year the annual commitments of the Council are outlined in its Annual delivery Plan which is monitored on a quarterly basis by a single Corporate Performance Report by Well-being Objective, and this is supplemented by specific quarterly performance reports aligned to the remit of each Scrutiny Committee. This approach enables Members to focus on scrutinising the progress being made towards achieving the Council’s Well-being Objectives holistically, and from the perspective of their Committee's remit. It also enables Cabinet and Scrutiny Committees to flex their work programme to reflect any emerging performance issues that may require more intensive consideration.

 

A number of Performance Indicators (PIs) have been agreed by the Council to help better demonstrate progress in achieving our Well-being Objectives. We also report on a national dataset (Public Accountability Measures) which enables us to benchmark our performance across a range of services. A combination of these PIs make up the Council’s Corporate Performance Measures Framework (CPM).  At a local level, our PIs help us to understand how well we are delivering our services and activities and focus on whether customers are better off as a result of what we do.  At a national level, benchmarking our performance via the national dataset, drives service improvement.

 

Performance reports have been designed to make it easier to assess overall progress in relation to each Well-being Objective, whilst continuing to provide detailed supporting information relating to actions and indicators. These are reported on a quarterly basis to Scrutiny Committees and the Cabinet.

 

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 requires the Council to set and publish annual Well-being Objectives that maximise its contribution to achieving the Well-being goals for Wales and report its progress in meeting these.