Agenda item

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF FINANCE, PERFORMANCE AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

To present the performance indicators (PIs) and associated targets for 2018/19 which were agreed by Executive Members in conjunction with the relevant Heads of Service.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the contents of the report entitled Performance Management Measures for 2018/19 be noted;

(2)       That the Chairman of the Committee be requested to write, on behalf of the Committee, to the Leader of the Council to request that where benchmarking was possible, no target should be set below the national benchmark.

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET:

(1)       That Cabinet considers and formally approves the PIs and any associated targets that will be monitored throughout 2018/19 by Overview & Scrutiny.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider and comment on the report entitled Performance Management Measures for 2018/19 prior to consideration by Cabinet.

The Controls, Risk and Performance Manager presented the report of the Head of Finance, Performance and Asset Management entitled Performance Management Measures for 2018/19.

She informed Members that all performance indicators were reviewed at the start of the year and that the setting of performance management measures was part of the corporate business planning process and drew attention to the following:

Table 1

This table listed the four proposed new indicators for 2018/19, two of which related to homelessness and two regarding the collection of food and garden waste.

Table 2

There were two proposed changes to performance indicators and the reasons for those changes were detailed in the comments column.

Table 3

This table listed the performance measures that had not been changed from 2017/18.

Recommendation

The recommendations should be changed to read:

“1.     That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee note and comment on the contents of the report;

 2.      That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee refer the report to Cabinet for consideration.”

Members asked for clarification regarding how target figures were suggested.

The Controls, Risk and Performance Manage advised that Service Managers suggested targets based on their experience of past service performance.

In respect of the new data only indicators regarding waste and recycling targets, Members questioned whether targets should be set in order to have something to aim for.

The Controls, Risk and Performance Manager advised that she would refer this to the relevant Service Manager for comment.

Members noted that there were a number of targets that remained challenging and expressed concern that the target for NI192 – Percentage of Household Waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting had been reduced. They felt that targets should be aspirational and challenging rather than easily achievable.

The Deputy Chief Executive reminded Members that targets should be SMART and that unachievable targets could be demotivating.

The Controls, Risk and Performance Manager advised that very few targets were unachievable. In 2017/18 the only targets that were not achieved were regarding waste and housing inspections and the housing inspection figures were due to staff shortages.

Members discussed that it was important to compare NHDC performance with that of other authorities and that NHDC remained in the top percentile regarding waste monitoring. They considered that, where benchmarking was possible, targets should not be reduced at any time to below the national benchmark.

Members noted that the District Wide Survey had demonstrated a drop-in perception that NHDC provided value for money or engaged with the public and commented that this could be due to NHDC not articulating what we do well.

The Deputy Chief Executive noted that the performance indicators that NHDC did well were not necessarily of great interest to the general public.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the contents of the report entitled Performance Management Measures for 2018/19 be noted;

(2)       That the Chairman of the Committee be requested to write, on behalf of the Committee, to the Leader of the Council to request that where benchmarking was possible, no target should be set below the national benchmark.

RECOMMENDED TO CABINET:

(1)       That Cabinet considers and formally approves the PIs and any associated targets that will be monitored throughout 2018/19 by Overview & Scrutiny.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider and comment on the report entitled Performance Management Measures for 2018/19 prior to consideration by Cabinet.