Date

6th November 2002

Reporting Area

RESOURCES

Period

To September 2002

Lead Director

Jean Hinks

Progress Made

Issue to be addressed

Status/Who?

Leadership

Leadership

..continued..

The 2003/4 Budget and Financial Plan review has begun with the new Executive leading the process for the first time this year. The `Green' paper is progressing well and will incorporate a range of new longer term issues.

The Asset Management Plan submitted to the Government Office for the South West has been well received.

Proposals have been received from the three short-listed 'Paris' bidders to provide strategic partnership arrangements based on technology enhancements.

Implementation of the changes to the Revenues and Benefits service has resulted in some problems which are being actively managed. Waiting times at the call centre and benefit claims turnaround times have markedly improved. We expect more improvement over the next couple of months following actions to resolve the problems.

Emergency Planning arrangements are being continually enhanced to achieve a high standard as evidenced by recent high profile events both nationally and locally.

Service Plans need to take account of potential efficiency savings and of the key investment themes proposed by the Executive. Appropriate and timely corporate & employee level trade union and employee consultation will need to be initiated. The financial planning process forms a key element of the CPA assessment, and needs to continue its development.

Proper resourcing of Asset Management Planning is a key issue to address if continued improvement is to be maintained.

The project needs continued substantial senior management support during the evaluation phase, particularly from the Project Sponsor.

The resolution of the issues in this service will add cost in the short term. Need to ensure that lessons learned from this implementation process are transferred to other projects, e.g. One Stop Shop

Consequences of and contingency arrangements for the Fire Service Strike are being determined. Guidance and publicity is also being prepared.

Individual Heads of Service and Directors

with Phil Hall/William Harding

Tom McBain

Jean Hinks

Jean Hinks/Ian Savigar

and the Customer Access Board

John Everitt, Gordon Hector & Angie Price

Progress Made

Issue to be addressed

Status/Who?

People Management

People Management

continued..

A joint statement with the Trade Unions on the `Paris Project' has been issued to all staff to reassure them that they will receive adequate information, and have an opportunity to express their views as part of an informed decision making process.

Roll out of Organisation Development and Corporate Training Programmes for 2002/03 are well underway.

Rollout programme for corporate harassment & bullying policy now well underway.

Third staff Survey (Insight 2003) due to be completed in Nov 2002.

No significant shift in recruitment pressures since last report (experiences consistent with national trends and local recruitment market. Review efficiency of present recruitment and selection process underway

Union/staff consultation, involvement, and communications is critical to the project's success.

Organisational Development priorities for 2003/04 need to be determined taking account of the change agenda, E-gov targets, and the CPA outcomes, etc Corporate Training Programme content is being formulated in the light of feedback form 2002 performance Review process and needs identified by managers.

Need to monitor use and application of procedures and efficacy in coming months.

Development of corporate and service action plans will follow publication of results early in 2003.

Need to look at appropriateness of present recruitment arrangement / methods; identification of resources to fund development of e-capability in e-recruitment & e-HR more generally

Jean Hinks. with David Trethewey & William Harding

Sarah Berry & William Harding

William Harding & Lawrence Group

Sarah Berry with Directors Group & Heads of Service

William Harding

Progress Made

Issue to be addressed

Status/Who?

Policy and Strategy

Development of the Risk Management strategy adopted by the Directors Group in March, is underway with corporate risk assessment being incorporated into Financial Plan and budget work.

Information Security improvements in hand and accreditation being actively pursued.

Roll out to services, incorporation with service planning and effective linkages with all aspects of risk to be strengthened.

The Information Security policy has been reviewed and is due to be approved in November. An action plan for improvements to service information security has been agreed.

Jean Hinks and Directors Group

Jean Hinks and Directors Group

Policy and Strategy continued

Long Term Office Accommodation (LTO) -

Initial work on defining LTO needs is reaching conclusion, and consultation on the findings is currently under way. This assessment will be fed into the Bath Quays development project.

Corporate Health & Safety Action plan for 2002/03 on target

A full corporate governance review has been

undertaken this year, and a Corporate Governance Policy statement and action plan has been produced for consultation and adoption by the Council.

This study will have major implications for other services for future ways of working.

Review of Health & Safety Policy underway; Identification of strategic responsibilities in light of new democratic structures; development of appropriate local strategies to address revitalising targets

Corporate governance is a key component of the CPA and failure to deliver a robust policy and implementation would weigh heavily against the Council's corporate assessment. The current assessment of this has been 'Good'.

Jean Hinks

John Everitt & William Harding

Jean Hinks/Directors Group

Progress Made

Issue to be addressed

Status/Who?

Resources

The financial position is tight, with some calls on general reserves this year, and some potential service over-spendings, mainly as a result of external pressures which are being managed actively. There is substantial uncertainty around the Government Grant settlement, but the work on Risk Management, and the development of the Capital resources strategy will enable this to be better managed.

National two year pay settlement for `white & blue collar' staff due to be implemented in Oct/Nov salaries; funding provision made within existing budgetary provision

Early addressing of problem areas is critical, and Directors' Group and the Council Executive are managing the situation tightly. Savings from 2002/3 budget must be delivered. Work on the Financial Plan review, improvements to it, and the impacts for next year's budget is underway.

Will need to be alert to any recommendations from national pay commission looking at issues of pay and reward in national context to inform future negotiations

Jean Hinks/John Everitt& Directors Group.

William Harding/Phil Hall

Progress Made

Issue to be addressed

Status/Who?

Processes

New Electronic Data Management system to form the core for a corporate system is now fully operational, and ready for corporate roll out.

Work is being undertaken to identify options for improvements to the Council's telephone access.

Finance BV Implementation & FMS Replacement seeking to standardise and make more efficient and effective all of the Council's financial processes..

Roll out of Windows XP is progressing well.

The new electronic queuing system introduced at Guildhall to improve queue times and customer information at the customer service desks has been successfully installed and provides valuable information.

Resources need to be identified to achieve corporate roll out..

This has been identified in Voicebox survey as one of the single biggest issues for customers.

Support needs to be maintained, and engagement secured to gain support to any necessary changes to working practices.

The project has identified some issues which will be addressed in the near future via IT Client Steering Group.

Lessons around the creation of expectations with new services should be noted.

Jean Hinks

Peter Rowntree

Tony Bartlett

Matthew Smith

Directors Group/Head of Service Group

Draft report to Executive - Performance Indicators

Report for 2002/03 Year; Actuals for August 2002

Date

23^rd October 2002

Reporting Area

RESOURCES

Lead Director

Jean Hinks

SCOPE OF REPORTING AREA:

Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, Revenues and Benefits, Property, and Legal Services

RESOURCES STATISTICS (Incl Staffing)

SUMMARY

Performance Targets

No.

%

Red

5

24

Amber

7

33

Green

9

43

Not known

TOTAL

21

100

Note: "2000/01 Top 25%" are the Audit Commission's figures for the 2000/01 Upper Quartile Actual for All Councils in England

Indicator

2000/01

Top 25%

1999/00

Actual

2000/01 Actual

2001/02 Actual

2002/03 Actual

2002/03 Target

2002/03 Status

Notes

BVPI 8

Percentage of undisputed invoices which were paid within 30 days

93%

New Indicator

New Indicator

90.7

91.0%

to date

93%

Amber

Government target 97.5% for 2001/02. Measures being taken to achieve the target result.

BVPI 9

Percentage of Council Tax which the authority should have received during the year and did receive in the year, excl reliefs and rebates

98%

97.0

97.0

96.8

97.0%

Estimate

97.4%

Amber

Year End Indicator. DG have agreed measures to improve backlog position which mean this target may not be achieved.

Indicator

2000/01

Top 25%

1999/00

Actual

2000/01 Actual

2001/02 Actual

2002/03 Actual

2002/03 Target

2002/03 Status

Notes

BVPI 10

Percentage of business rates which should have been received during the year that was received.

99%

97.0

98.3

99.6

98.5%

Estimate

98.5%

Green

Year End Indicator.

BVPI 11

Percentage of senior management posts filled by women (new target 2002/03 top 5% filled a) by women, and b) BME Groups)

29%

NEW

25%

27%

28%

28.0%

a) 33%

b)0.43%

28%

Green

BVPI reviewed in 2002/03. Current target is set against existing definition.

BVPI 12

Number of working days/shifts lost to sickness

8.2

NEW

10.53 days

9.3 days

*

days

11.9**

days

Amber

Government target of 10.9 days to be achieved by 2005. * Figure being validated; ** revise fifure of 9 set in discussion with DA

BVPI 13

Voluntary leavers as a percentage of staff in post

7.6%

NEW

12.3%

12.9%

*

12.9%

National target removed 2002/03.

BVPI 14

Early retirement as a percentage of total workforce

0.18%

NEW

0.52%

0.27%

*%

0.45%

Green

Government target of 0.45% to be achieved by 2005. Status based on current knowledge. Figure being validated.

BVPI 15

Ill-health retirements as a percentage of total workforce

0.25%

NEW

0.50%

0.34%

*%

0.35%

Green

Government target of 0.35% to be achieved by 2005. Figure being validated.

BVPI 16

Percentage of staff declaring they meet the DDA disability definition (compared with the % of economically active disabled people in the area)

2.7%

NEW

1.1%

(not available)

1.47%

(not available)

*%

1.6%

Amber

Future targets to be reviewed by Lawrence Group/ Dury Groups. Census information due to be published January 2003.

BVPI 17

Percentage of staff from ethnic minorities (compared with the % of economically active minority ethnic community population in the area))

2.67%

NEW

1.4%

(1.4%)

1.6%

(1.4%)

*%

2.0%

Amber

Future targets to be reviewed by Lawrence Group/ Dury Groups. Census information due to be published January 2003.

Indicator

2000/01

Top 25%

1999/00

Actual

2000/01 Actual

2001/02 Actual

2002/03 Actual

2002/03 Target

2002/03 Status

Notes

BVPI 76

Has B&NES a written and proactive strategy for combating fraud and error on Benefits?

New Indicator

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Green

We have an appropriate strategy

BVPI 77

Average cost of handling Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit claim

£47.75

New Indicator

£37.02

£44.08

NYA

£40

Red

Year End Indicator. Costs savings from re-organisation unlikely to be realised this year. Service overspend and backlog to clear.

BVPI 78a

Average time for processing new Benefit claims (days)

36

New Indicator

30

39

58

30

Red

Performance below target at present, but actions being taken to redress the short term problem.

BVPI 78b

Average time for processing notifications of changes in Benefits circumstances (days)

9

New Indicator

6

6

16

7

Red

Performance below target at present, but actions being taken to redress the short term problems.

BVPI 78c

Percentage of renewal Benefits claims processed on time

83%

New Indicator

63%

65%

57%

75%

Red

Performance below target at present, but actions being taken to redress the short term problems.

BVPI 79a

Accuracy of Benefits processing (Percentage accurate on available information)

98%

New Indicator

93%

93%

89.6%

93%

Red

Actual is April to June qtr.

BVPI 79b

Percentage of recoverable Benefits overpayments (excluding CTB) that were recovered in year

69%

New Indicator

60%

55%

NYA

75%

Amber

Year End Indicator. Target will be difficult to achieve this year.

BVPI 80

Percentage of users satisfied with the benefits service (18 separate indicators)

85%

New Indicator

71.6% Avg

Not Req

Not Req

Best 25%

Indicator not required for 2001/02 or 2002/03. Local customer surveys in process.

Local

Percentage (by value) of Council Tax accounts paid by direct debit

NA

New Indicator

New Indicator

New Indicator

64.4%

56%

Green

Successful campaign to increase take up by taxpayers.

Local

Percentage (by value) of Business Rates accounts paid by direct debit

NA

New Indicator

New Indicator

New Indicator

40.6%

45%

Amber

Continuing to seek new ways of encouraging take up by businesses.

Indicator

2000/01

Top 25%

1999/00

Actual

2000/01 Actual

2001/02 Actual

2002/03 Actual

2002/03 Target

2002/03 Status

Notes

Local

Commercial Property Estate gross rental income £Millions

NA

New Indicator

New Indicator

New Indicator

£10.5

Estimate

£10.6

Green

Year End Indicator. Best estimate reported.

Local

Gross initial yield on Commercial Estate

NA

New Indicator

New Indicator

New Indicator

NYA

7.6%

Green

Year End Indicator. Depends on year end estate valuation.

Local

Manage effectively the Council's Capital Programme to support delivery of the Council's service priorities and strategic targets so that actual spending in any financial year is at least 90% of planned spending

NA

New Indicator

96%

95.8%

90%+

90%

Green

Year End Indicator. Best estimate reported.