|
Whilst a further revision to the guide is planned for December 2002 it is recognised that some parts of the guide may need to be refreshed more regularly in the light of experience and new developments. It is proposed, therefore, to provide occasional "Newsflash" updates.
New Government Guidance on Best Value and Performance Improvement
11 April 2003
The government has published a new circular on best value and performance improvement, consolidating and replacing the existing guidance contained in previous circulars (10/99 and 02/01). This statutory guidance applies to all English local authorities.
Although much of the content is not new but rather a consolidation of recent developments, it is important that planners are aware of its contents.
The circular reaffirms that
- best value is set in the context of Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) and continuous improvement (not just infrequent reviews),
- authorities must work with others to achieve best value, particularly through Local Strategic Partnerships,
- links between sustainable development and best value should be explicit in improvement and best value reviews.
“sustainable development is fundamental to best value, and should be reflected in authorities’ programmes of reviews, the review process itself and improvement planning”
It stresses the importance of
- ownership of problems and willingness to change
- a sustained focus on what matters
- the capacity and systems to deliver performance and improvement
- integration of best value into day-to-day management
The statutory guidance within the circular introduces the need to set three year targets (not just single year targets) against Best Value Performance Indicators – starting immediately with this year’s Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP).
“if the necessary improvements to services are to be achieved, authorities will themselves need to make better use of the tools that are provided by the legislation, particularly the responsibility to set performance targets, carry out reviews, and publish performance plans”
The government says too much focus has been on process of reviews rather than outcomes and stresses the importance of addressing the four Cs (challenge, compare, consult, competition) in an imaginative way. It goes on to say that review programming should focus on the areas that present the most serious challenges and biggest opportunities for service improvement.
Within the context of procurement, the Government’s definition of best value is “the optimum combination of whole life costs and benefits to meet the customer’s requirement”.
“Those authorities that have carried out reviews to best effect invariably used challenge imaginatively and with the intention of stretching performance rather than containing it.”
The circular also includes a new code of practice on workforce matters in local government service contracts.
Comprehensive Performance Assessment
29 October 2002
About Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA)
Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) is an integrated performance framework designed to help councils deliver better services for their communities. For the very latest news and advice about CPA, please visit the Audit Commission Website .
What does CPA mean for planning?
Planning fits alongside transport and waste as part of Environmental Services and will receive a judgement in that context. Planning, therefore, like any other local authority service, can affect the overall CPA assessment of the authority dependent upon any service assessments of the planning service and planning’s performance through Best Value Performance Indicators. The assessment framework and results for single tier and County Councils are on the Audit Commission website . District and Borough Councils are advised to look very closely at advice on the Audit Commission Website for their forthcoming CPA accessible through this link. One of the key messages for planning authorities is that, in addition to assessing performance against Best Value Performance Indicators, assessors will be looking to see that the Development Planning process is closely integrated with community planning and local strategic partnerships and the use of Quality of Life indicators to monitor the impacts of the Development Plan implementation. Planning services will therefore need to look at the wider strategic context and contribution that their service makes with links to community needs and priorities and corporate objectives of the authority. Councils judged as excellent or good under the CPA regime will have freedoms and flexibilities from inspection, regulation and government restrictions. For the very latest news see the CPA Newsletter on the Audit Commission Website.
Sustainability Update : Top down or bottom up ?
29 October 2002
POS Best Value Group have been taxing themselves how to keep the Best Value Guide up to date in between major Chapter re-writes. But one example is the debate, which proceeds within the sustainability agenda, on a monthly basis. The easiest way to do this seems to make cross-links with update items on other sites.
Before the Chapter was published, a major European Directive, the SEA Directive, was adopted by the EU (May 2001), but as always, such initiatives take time to translate into “What does it mean for me terms?” In Wales, the debate on this issue and its applicability to the Sustainability Appraisal of UDP’s, moved on in April 2002, with the “Baker Report,” (later published on the Wales Assembly Government Website ). Not all planners outside Wales may be familiar with searching this site. POS invites you to consider whether analysis relevant to applying SEA to Welsh UDP’s may have transferability in considering policy planning in England as new systems evolve with the green paper?
More recently, and approaching quality of life and sustainability from a different direction, (that of the Local Strategic Partnership), the Audit Commission Report “Quality of life PI’s feedback,” has been published after a year-long research study (with Local Authorities and others), in late September 2002, and is available at the Audit Commission Website .
We note that a similar area of research is mentioned for the future in Wales, and POS/ POSW will be interested to see if that work, a proposed task for the Local Government Data Unit, seeks to bridge these quite different perspectives between “popular, bottom-up” and “process, top-down” imperatives?
Tony McNulty's Speech
11 July 2002
Tony McNulty will officially launch the guide in front of invited guests - including the trade press - at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, in London, on 11th July. In his speech the Minister will underline the importance the Department attaches to the advice in the guide and the accompanying Moving towards Excellence papers.
|
