Meeting documents

Report to Executive

4-Monthly Performance Report

SCOPE OF REPORTING AREA

Human Resources

Revenue & Benefits

Finance

Property

Information Systems

Emergency Management

Pension Fund

Main achievements

· Corporate Plan - Key issues and pressures identified.

· People Services - Successful completion of Stage 1 setting up with co-location of HR/Payroll staff ahead of schedule and payroll upgrade `go-live'.

· Revenues and Benefits Service - HBS were appointed to handle outstanding backlog work with a good deal of success.

· HR Improvement Project - Detailed programme developed for this key enabler.

· Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism Strategy and Guidance (CBRN) - working closely with GOSW several new forums have been formed and a work programme is being drawn up. Strategic cross boundary planning will be the keystone to this process and agreement has been reached with our neighbours.

· Property Improvement Review - Action plan agreed by Steering Group.

· Homeworking - Ten Revenues & Benefits staff now fully established as homeworkers.

· Regional Resources Centre (Revenues & Benefits) - One new bid has been approved as part of a National project.

· Local Government Pay - Three year pay settlement reached from 1^st April 2004 with associated changes in terms and conditions.

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

· Revenues & Benefits awarded IIP accreditation and also commended in Municipal Journal achievement of the year awards in category of People Management.

· Financial Plan - Capital Programme Review reported to Council July 04. Outcomes are a greater recognition of risk on major projects (contingency >£10M required) and action plan overseen by PPB to improve process and mitigate risk (See Potential threats below).

· Avon Pension Fund Valuation - Preliminary results received and meeting to review assumptions set for early October (See Potential threats below).

· FMS Project - Stage 1 core functionality delivered in July.

· Pensions Benefits Statements - Distribution of benefits statements to all members has begun on a phased basis over the next six months. (See Potential threats below).

Planned Actions not achieved

· Midsomer Norton/Radstock and Keynsham Evacuation Guidance - Work has been delayed due to maternity leave.

· Finance Improvement Review - Draft Service Improvement Programme held up by management restructuring.

· Avon Pensions evaluated in September for IIP but unsuccessful: re-evaluation will be sought in January.

· Revenues & Benefits service re-structure - Delayed by Hay problems, but should start to function from Nov 2004.

Corporate Governance

Development Opportunities

· HBS People Services - On going work in re-engineering associated processes driven by upgrade of HR/Payroll software to fully utilise web-enablement and maximise efficiencies in employment transactions. Stages 2& 3 will see rollout of manager access to some 400+ staff followed by self-service access to PC users in a subsequent phase. Communication and training issues and improvement of manager information will be key. Further modules and manager/ employee portals to be implemented as part of ongoing project. Web-enabled system has capacity to improve efficiency of service and reporting arrangements.

· HR Improvement Project - Key projects of staff engagement, management competencies, workforce planning to be progressed during next period. Workforce planning to be included within annual resource planning cycle this year. Development of competency led & funded development plan.

· 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.

· Accommodation Strategy - Will have a big impact on working style and culture.

· Revenues & Benefits service re-structure - implementing workload planning to cope with backlog priorities and improving PIs.

· Revenues & Benefits I-World upgrade - NNDR Project under way.

· Verification Framework (Revenues & Benefits) - funding has now been approved and project plans developed to implement Verification Framework in 2004/05. Visiting and Review modules implementing in October 2004 on target, New Claims module is following agreed project plan.

· FMS Project - Roll out of additional modules in progress (completion by end of year) with further proposals to be developed.

· IT Strategy being developed by Council to assist HBS service delivery direction.

· Property Improvement Review - Should enable more effective use of property resources.

· Finance Improvement Review - Important to maintain staff morale and service continuity during restructure. Capacity to undertake service improvement projects.

· Homeworking (Revenues & Benefits) - Project funding is for 20 staff although Phase 3 is proving difficult to facilitate.

· Transfer of Front Line services at Guildhall & Keynsham to Customer Services Team - Need regular monitoring and development of SLA's.

Potential threats

· Local Government Pay - Requirement to complete local pay review and Equalities Impact Assessment by April with associated terms and conditions work by 2007.

· Budget - Latest forecast shows significant projected overspending in Social Services (mainly adult care) of over £1M. Continued monitoring and control essential.

· Financial Plan - More to be done on processes to ensure proper risk management and control. Unfunded and partially funded major projects to be addressed in financial plan review, but higher contingency will be needed. Other significant financial pressures to be addressed in review include pension fund shortfall, social services, single status, customer access and external pressures such as Children Bill. Review to be completed by February 2005.

· Avon Pension Fund Valuation - Initial indications show a substantial increase in employer's contributions.

· Accommodation Strategy - Development of new building within the time frame will be challenging, but can act as a catalyst for organisational change.

· Revenues & Benefits I-World upgrade - Council Tax and Benefit processing is slower with the new system although most of the performance issues have been addressed.

· Tax Credits - Have been in operation for 12 months and have proven more complex for the Inland Revenue than expected, which has impacted on Revenues & Benefits performance. Pensions Credits have been implemented more efffectively than Tax Credits but there have been a number of errors by DWP which have impacted on local authorities creating additional work. There has also been an increase in Housing Benefit applications resulting from Pensioner Tax Credits.

· Local Government Bill - Annual bills reflected the Council decision to charge the maximum Council Tax on Second Homes and Long Term Empty properties which has generated a number of queries.

· Pensions Benefits Statements - Distribution has begun on a phased basis. This has the potential to create a massive administration workload.

Reporting on targets and commitments made in the Performance Plan

3. Equalities Targets

Glossary of Abbreviations used

BPR Business Process Re-engineering

CBRN Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear

DWP Department for Work and Pensions

FMS Financial Management System

GOSW Government Office South West

HBS HBS Business Services Group Ltd

HR Human Resources

IIP Investors in People

IT Information Technology

I-World Proprietary software product of Sx3 Systems Ltd

NNDR National Non-Domestic Rates (Business Rates)

PC Personal Computer

PCB Project Costing & Billing (a module of the Agresso financial system)

PI Performance Indicator

PPB Project Programme Board

SLA Service Level Agreement