Agenda item

(Deputy Chief Executive) To consider the attached report (FPM-007-2012/13).

The Performance Improvement Manager presented a report outlining the performance of the Council’s Key Performance Indicators during the first quarter of 2012/13, along with some changes to targets and methodology for a number of Indicators.

The Performance Improvement Manager reminded the Cabinet Committee that, pursuant to the Local Government Act 1999, the Council was required to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions and services were exercised, with regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. As part of the duty to secure continuous improvement, a range of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) relevant to the Council’s services and Key Objectives were adopted each year. Performance against the majority of KPIs was monitored on a quarterly and cumulative basis, and had previously been an inspection theme in external judgements of the overall performance of the authority.

The Performance Improvement Manager reported that 21 Indicators achieved their performance target for the period 1 April to 30 June 2012, representing 77.77%, whilst 6 Indicators did not.

The Performance Improvement Manager added that although targets for each Indicator for 2012/13 had been agreed in March 2012, some issues related to specific Indicator targets now required further consideration. The target for KPI 35   in 2012/13, which measured the number of benefit fraud investigations completed, had been set on the basis that there were two vacant posts and an Officer on maternity leave within the Benefit Fraud Team, leaving only one Investigation Officer in place for the majority of the year. The current establishment of the Benefit Fraud Team had increased during the first quarter of the year, and it was therefore proposed to increase this target from 150 investigations to 300 during the year. For KPI 46, Affordable Homes, there had been some slippage of affordable housing completions by housing associations from the last quarter of 2011/12 into 2012/13. To ensure that the target for 2012/13 was meaningful, it was suggested that the target be increased to 72 new affordable homes to reflect the effects of this slippage. The revised target for the year had been re-profiled and the Cabinet Committee noted that the first quarter target of 38 new affordable homes had been met.

The Performance Improvement Manager stated that KPI 22, what percentage of our District had unacceptable levels of litter,  and KPI 23, what percentage of our District had unacceptable levels of detritus, had previously been reported annually as they relied upon a reporting tool supplied by Keep Britain Tidy. This tool had now been replicated and adapted internally, which allowed the Council to provide cumulative Quarterly figures for these Indicators. Thus, it was proposed that these two indicators should be reported quarterly starting from the second quarter of 2012/13.

The Performance Improvement Manager highlighted that these issues had been  considered by the Finance and Performance Management Scrutiny Panel at its meeting on 18 September 2012, who fully supported the recommendations.

The Assistant Director (Technical) of the Environment & Street Scene Directorate provided the Cabinet Committee with an update on the Council’s recycling performance. The target for Recycling in 2012/13, KPI 21, had been increased to 60% - which had never before been achieved by the Council. To meet this target, the Council was implementing a phased collection of food waste from flats, and another new initiative was the recycling of arisings from street cleansing. When asked how the Council could increase food recycling, the Assistant Director responded that Officers would target certain areas and find out what issues were affecting food recycling performance. This information would be analysed to highlight problem areas. Officers would use education and door-knocking to increase performance; enforcement action would only be taken as a last resort. It was suggested that ward members for any problem areas identified could be contacted to help in the education of local residents. The Assistant Director also confirmed that the profits from textile recycling benefited the Chairman’s Charities, although the Council did get credit for the tonnage collected.

The Cabinet Committee was assured that the Performance Improvement Manager  would provide data to every Portfolio Holder about each Key Performance Indicator in their brief.

Resolved:

(1)        That outturn performance in respect of the first quarter of 2012/13, in relation to the Key Performance Indicators adopted for the year, be noted;

(2)        That the target for KPI 35 (Benefit Fraud Investigation) for 2012/13 be increased to 300;

(3)        That the target for KPI 46 (Affordable Homes) for 2012/13, be increased to 72; and

(4)        That the methodology for reporting performance against KPI 22, Unacceptable levels of litter, and KPI 23, Unacceptable levels of detritus, be revised to allow quarterly reporting in 2012/13.

Reasons for Decision:

The Indicators provide an opportunity for the Council to focus attention on how specific areas for improvement would be addressed, how opportunities would be exploited and better outcomes delivered.

A number of KPIs were used as performance measures for the Council’s key objectives. It was important that relevant performance management processes were in place to review and monitor performance against the key objectives, to ensure their continued achievability and relevance, and to identify proposals for appropriate corrective action in areas of slippage or under performance.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

No other options were appropriate in this respect. Failure to monitor and review KPI performance and to consider corrective action where necessary, could have negative implications for judgements made about the Council’s progress, and might mean that opportunities for improvement were lost. The Council had previously agreed arrangements for monitoring performance against the KPIs.