Date

5^th July 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) approved by Council in February. Service Plans signed off by Executive Members in April/May. Review meetings underway between HoS and lead members.

· Next steps to be agreed by Corporate Plan Working Party end June. Further development of service and resource planning to provide link between Corporate Plan and individual service targets and plans remains key.

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 closed; action plan for next stage of development agreed; BIP mission & Business Improvement Service priorities approved; key and flagship BIS projects identified.

· Partnership Plan proposed, to address key PWC concerns, and to provide greater certainty and clarity in development of partnership.

· Stage 2 of PeopleLink Project to be progressed (See `People' below).

RD

HHR (with HBS)

Autumn 2004

Oct 2004

· Revenues and Benefits Service - the Mini-Review by Resources Overview & Scrutiny Panel assessed the service to be adequate and accepted that whilst service is not upper quartile it was satisfactory given the resources available. Year end performance showed small improvements in most BVPIs on the previous year; this is unlikely to affect the CPA rating.

· Transitional period to implement re-structure, including the adaptation of managers' roles to mirror Balanced Scorecard principles.

· Implementation of Verification Framework.

· Coping with bulk changes for Pension Credits and Tax Credits.

· Workload planning to cope with backlog priorities and improving PIs.

· Updating of Performance Standards for annual CPA assessment

· Conversion of NNDR data to Sx3 solution.

HR&B

HR&B

HR&B

HR&B

HR&B

HR&B

Sept 2004

Fully live by Jan 05

Ongoing

Ongoing

July 2004

Dec 04

· HR Improvement Project - Work progressed to develop detailed programme plan for the key corporate enabler; HoS group set up to steer implementation and ensure `buy-in' to strategies.

· Detailed project plans to be identified for key initiatives with allocation of resources and programmes for implementation cross-council together with associated activities not addressed in key projects.

CD/ HHR

Ongoing

Leadership

· New Emergency Planning Bill 2004 - Dissemination of draft regulations and the implications for B&NES. The Bill had a third reading in Parliament on 24^th May. Funding issues have still to be resolved.

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

EM

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. Several new forums have been formed and a work programme is being drawn up.

· 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.

· Strategic cross boundary planning will be the keystone to this process and preliminary talks are under way with our neighbours.

EM

EM

Ongoing

Ongoing

Leadership

· Property Improvement Review - Options for improvement have been evaluated according to impact and deliverability.

- Resulting action plan agreed by Steering Group.

- Informal Executive Meeting to consider project on 9^th June.

- Single Member decision scheduled for June.

· Need to monitor progress against the action plan.

RD/ HPALS

May 04

· Finance Improvement Review - Draft Service Improvement Programme issued for consultation; initial phases of staff consultation for management restructuring initiated.

· Important to maintain staff morale and service continuity during restructure.

· Capacity to undertake service improvement projects.

HoSRP

Summer 2004

People Management

Updates

· Homeworking -

· Project funding is for 20 staff although phase 3 is proving difficult to facilitate. A request has been made to DWP to delay the next phase pending the re-structure.

· Accommodation benefits need to be realised in charging process.

HR&B

HR&B

Ongoing

Ongoing

· Regional Resource Centre (Revenues & Benefits)

HR&B

Dec 2005

· Organisational & Employee Development Programme 2003/5

· Ongoing monitoring will be essential together with marketing during the year to ensure future sustainability of course.

HHR

Sept 2004

People Management

Updates

· Organisational & Employee Development Programme 2003/5

· Take up during the year and delivery of organisational development events will need to be monitored to ensure viability of programme and targets being achieved.

· Information gathered together with details from development of competency framework & HR Improvement Project being used to refresh PR process and ensure close alignment with overall performance improvement agenda.

HHR

HHR

Ongoing

Oct 04

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

· 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 (with HBS)

Oct 04

· Local Government Pay - National negotiations on 2004/05 settlement (from 01 April) Employers 3 year offer rejected by unions.

· Negotiations will need to be monitored closely to determine affordability, impact on Council budgets and priorities & taking particular account of employee relations climate and potential for any industrial action.

HHR

Ongoing

· Transfer of Front Line services at Guildhall & Keynsham to Customer Services Team - transfer completed on 1^st April 2004; 3 Revs & Bens staff retained by the service, but continuing to support CSLI in the interim period.

· Ongoing work to fully integrate within single service including training and deployment issues.

· Transition to fully functional service so that Revs & Bens staff can return to core duties within re-structure.

HCSLI / HR&B

HPALS

HCSLI / HR&B

Ongoing

By end of August at latest

People

· Accreditation -

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

· Pensions pursuing IIP accreditation & nominated for industry award.

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

RD

Ongoing

Resources . Updates

· Budget - Latest outturn for 2003/04 shows reduction on previously reported projected overspend but serious pressures emerging for 2004/05.

· Continued monitoring and control essential.

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 - Major review of Capital programme begun.

· Capital Programme Review now required by full council in response to higher costs on specific major projects. Review to address contingency to protect against financial exposure and also to consider proper processes for control of projects, aligned with establishment of Major Project Board and planned appointment of senior management resource dedicated to major projects.

RD/ HoSRP

July 2004

· Avon Pension Fund Valuation

· Work on the Triennial valuation is underway to determine the contribution rates for the 3 year period from April 2005. report expected early autumn - results for smaller members may take more time to finalise. Will need to fully update financial plan.

RD

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. Slippage is already noticeable through lack of resources.

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.

· Freedom of Information Act will cause considerable problems for the Council, and an HBS resourced project is under way to establish gap analysis and programme of compliance work.

RD/CIA

Ongoing

Policy and Strategy

Processes

Updates

· Revs & Benefits I -World upgrade

· Sx3 to visit and review the way we are using the system.

· NNDR Project under way.

HR&B

HR&B

July 2004

Dec 2004

· ResourceLink - Upgrade of HR Management / Payroll Software project stage 1 completed for `go-live' in March 04; Expenses module implemented May 04.

· 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.

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 and PiP Projects require further quality assurance work - to be undertaken by HBS. They will the be submitted to BiS Development Group.

HoSRP

Ongoing

· Tax credits

· Contact through the DWP to highlight issues is being maintained.

HR&B

Ongoing

Processes

Updates

Contd..

· Pensions Credits

· Contact through the DWP to highlight issues is being maintained.

HR&B

Ongoing

Processes

· Local Government Bill -

· Monitor the taxbase to identify second homes and long term empty properties.

HR&B

Ongoing

· Pensions Benefits Statement

· Distribution of benefits statements to all members has begun on a phased basis over the next six months. This has the potential to create a massive admin workload and the situation will be carefully monitored.

· Verification framework (Revenues & Benefits)

· Implement Visiting and Review Modules following agreed project plan.

· Implement New Claims Module following agreed project plan.

HR&B

HR&B

Oct 2004

Jan 2005