Date

3^rd March 2004

Reporting Area

Resources

Lead Director

Jean Hinks

1. Progress / Issue Reporting

Progress Made

Issues to be addressed

Who

By When

Leadership

Updates on previous report

· Corporate Plan - Corporate Plan (incorporating the Financial Plan) due for approval by Council in February. Considerable progress has been made on action planning for the Improvement Priorities together with developing the strategies for achieving financial and organisational headroom and capacity. Service Planning process has been revitalised this year with stronger emphasis on key developments within Services.

· Next phase of Corporate Plan development will ensure deliverability of Improvement Priority plans and headroom strategies. Service planning process to be developed further to reaffirm role of Service Plans in containing all development and investment proposals as driver for Financial Planning. In particular HR, Property, IT and Risk issues must be fully covered.

CX/ HoSRP/CPU Manager

Autumn 2004

· Midsomer Norton/ Radstock Centre Evacuation Guidance - Work has now started on the project.

· Identifying, collating and contacting all interested parties.

EM

April 2004

· Keynsham Centre Evacuation Guidance - Phase 2 of the project under way

· Workshops and meetings to establish project format.

· Investigation into financing arrangements.

EM

Ongoing

Leadership

Updates

Contd...

· The Business Improvement Partnership (BIP) (exParis) Transition phase drawing to a close. Governance structures in place and bedding down; baseline review completed and performance management arrangements established. New Business Improvement Service beginning to establish itself.

· Marketing and communication of BIP and in particular role of Business Improvement Service. Use of BIS must be encouraged to progress organisational change.

· Delivery of new People service including new payroll upgrade.

RD

HHR (with HBS)

Spring 2004

April 2004

· Revenues and Benefits Service - a Mini-Review on performance progress is under way with the Resources Overview & Scrutiny Panel.

· Continue to tackle backlog and improve PI's.

· Bedding in of new I-World system.

· Learn lessons from the O&S Panel Mini-Review when report received.

· A plan to implement Verification Framework (including restructuring) will be proposed shortly.

HR&B

HR&B

HR&B

HR&B

Ongoing

Ongoing

May 2004

March 2004

· HR Improvement Project - HR Strategy and associated improvement action plan endorsed by Council Executive in December '03.

· Work progressing to develop implementation programme. As key enabler it is essential that there is cross-council understanding and `buy-in' to implementation strategies.

CD/ HHR

Ongoing

· Pensions Governance & Myners. New Pensions Committee established and comprehensive review of governance is underway

· In practice the Committee will need to take greater responsibility for decisions.

RD

Autumn 2003

Leadership

· New Emergency Planning Bill 2004 - Dissemination of draft regulations and the implications for B&NES

· New responsibilities and functions are to be placed on the Council to perform a wider range of Emergency Planning duties

EM

April 2004 and ongoing

· Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism Strategy and Guidance (CBRN) - New Government guidance requires the Council to work closely with GOSW to address the new and increasing threat of global terrorism

· The Council's preparedness for a CBRN incident is being assessed and steps taken to change plans, strategies, procedures etc to address our current shortfall in these areas

EM

Ongoing

Leadership

· Property Improvement Review - Project on course and key issues and options have been identified.

· Need to focus review on appraisal of the options to address key areas for improvement

RD/ HPALS

May 04

· Finance Improvement Review - BV plan was originally agreed in 2001 and is now being comprehensively reviewed and updated.

· Need to focus on key actions for service improvement over next 3 years, particularly supporting delivery of council change process. Plan will incorporate structural review of Finance.

HoSRP

Summer 2004

· Final Accounts Audit - a good audit management letter received from PWC, including an "unqualified" sign off of the Accounts.

· Issues raised are subject to management actions to address.

HoSRP

June 2004

· PWC review of the Financial aspects of the Inspection regime has been completed. Slight improvement in overall score awarded.

RD

Mar 2004

People Management

Updates

· Homeworking - Five staff now fully established as homeworkers. Phase 2 is to select the next 5 people for inclusion.

· Cost and efficiency benefits will be reported periodically as pilot progresses.

· Results of first stage to be included in report to Resources O&S Panel

HR&B

HR&B

Ongoing

March 2004

· Regional Resource Centre - with Bristol City Council & South Gloucestershire being established with DWP funding.

· To create a pool of trained staff to assist member Councils through workload peaks

· Development of nationally-applicable forms for the DWP

· Development of a management training course for Benefits managers

HR&B

May 2004

· Organisational & Employee Development Programme 2003/5

· Initial responses to accredited manager training (CMS/DMS) positive. First programmes will run from 02/04.

· Programme delivery will be monitored to ensure supports competency model developed within HR Improvement Plan and that outcomes meet service needs.

HHR

Feb 2004

People Management

Updates

· Organisational & Employee Development Programme 2003/5

· Focus Groups taking place with staff to review Performance Review (PR) process and other communication issues.

· Corporate Plan priorities and service feedback from 2003/04 PR process being used to inform employee and organisational development programme for 2004/05

· HBS People Services - work continued to establish new integrated HR Admin & Payroll Service co-located on single site.

· Outcomes, together with stakeholder feedback in HR Improvement Project, will inform future direction of PR and internal communication strategy.

· Will be need to progress this over the next three months in light of budget process and priorities further identified by services.

· Ongoing work in re-engineering associated processes driven by upgrade of HR/Payroll software to fully utilise web-enablement and maximise efficiencies in employment transactions with associated communication and training issues.

HHR

All

HHR (with HBS)

April 2004

Ongoing

Aug 04

· Local Government Pay - National negotiations on 2004/05 settlement (from 01 April) opened inc longer deal.

· Negotiations will need to be monitored to determine affordability, impact on Council budgets and priorities.

HHR

Ongoing

People

· Accreditation - Pensions and Revs & Bens both pursuing IIP accreditation & both services nominated for industry awards

· Needs to be more widely pursued within services to achieve excellence and recognition of people development

RD

Ongoing

· Transfer of Front Line services at Guildhall & Keynsham to Customer Services Team - transfer date 1^st April 2004

· Maintain staff morale and performance levels whilst transfer is taking place.

HCSLI / HR&B

Mar - Apl 2004

Resources . Updates

· Budget - Current position shows reduction on previously reported projected overspend

· Robust recovery plans have been developed, but need to be monitored and managed.

All

Ongoing

Resources

New Items

· Procurement Project - being developed with HBS and Buying Team with prospect of real savings

· Will require BPR within services and changes to internal control arrangements

RD

ongoing

· Financial Plan - established as part of Corporate Plan

· Plan highlights accumulation of major project risks in period 2004 - 2007 which need to be actively managed to avoid major shortfall in capital resources.

RD/ HoSRP

Ongoing

Policy & Strategy

Updates

· Accommodation Strategy Development of the strategy ongoing with completion of next phase. Strategy agreed by Exec. Phase 4 report due July 04.

· Development of new building within the time frame will be challenging.

RD/ HPALS

Ongoing

· Corporate Governance -

· Need to fully integrate the risk management strategy into the planning processes, and determine response to the Freedom of Information Act. Proposals have been made to achieve compliance with ISO 17799 Standard.

RD/CIA

Ongoing

Policy and Strategy

Processes

Updates

· Revs & Benefits I -World upgrade

· Initial slow operation of, and staff familiarity with, the new system to be speeded up.

· NNDR module now being implemented.

HR&B

Mar 2004

· ResourceLink - Upgrade of HR Management / Payroll Software project on schedule for April implementation first phase.

· Web-enabled system has capacity to improve efficiency of service and reporting arrangements.

HHR (with HBS)

Phased through 2004/ 05

· FMS Project - Stage 1 core functionality delivered in July. Roll out of additional modules in progress with further proposals to be developed

· Roll out of additional modules is imminent in Education and Commercial Services.

· PCB Business Case has been finalised and will be considered by the next Project Board prior to submission to Partnership Board.

· The results of the Process Improvement Project undertaken by HBS will also be considered at the next Project Board

·

HoSRP

Ongoing

· Tax credits - New system went live April 2003, and so far service is achieving expected standards.

· Major resources having to be used to implement the new system, which affects benefit clients.

HR&B

Ongoing

Processes

Updates

Contd..

· Pensions Credits - there have been problems with electronic data data supplied by the Pensions Service, requiring extra checking by Council staff

· Bedding down data quality, and refining processing methods.

HR&B

Ongoing

Processes

· Local Government Bill - Council has resolved to apply Council Tax on second homes.

· Implement annual billing for second homes.

HR&B

March 2004

· Verification framework - implementation of modules within the Housing Benefits Verification Framework to be achieved in 2004/05.

· Assessing impact & implications incl effect on restructuring

HR&B

Apl 2004