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Strategic Planning, Sustainability & Transportation Committee

12 June 2018

 

Key Performance Indicator Update Quarter 4 2017/18

 

Final Decision-Maker

Strategic Planning, Sustainability & Transportation Committee

Lead Head of Service

Angela Woodhouse, Head of Policy, Communications, and Governance

Lead Officer and Report Author

Anna Collier, Policy and Information Manager and Ashley Sabo, Performance and Business Information Officer

Classification

Public

Wards affected

All

 

Executive Summary

The Strategic Planning, Sustainability & Transportation Committee are asked to review the progress of Key Performance Indicators that relate to the delivery of the Strategic Plan 2015-2020. The Committee is also asked to consider the comments and actions against performance to ensure they are robust.

 

This report makes the following recommendations to Strategic Planning, Sustainability & Transportation Committee:

1.   That the summary of performance for Quarter 4 of 2017/18 for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) be noted.

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Strategic Planning, Sustainability & Transportation Committee

12 June 2018



Key Performance Indicator Update Quarter 4 17/18

 

 

1.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

1.1     Having a comprehensive set of actions and performance indicators ensures that the Council delivers against the priorities and actions set in the Strategic Plan.

 

1.2     Following the refresh of the Strategic Plan for 2017/18 the Committees agreed 28 Key Performance Indicators in April 2017.

 

1.3     Performance indicators are judged in two ways. Firstly on whether performance has improved, sustained or declined, compared to the same period in the previous year. This is known as direction. Where there is no previous data, no assessment of direction can be made.

 

1.4     The second way is to look at whether an indicator has achieved the target set and is known as PI status. If an indicator has achieved or exceeded the annual target they are rated green. If the target has been missed but is within 10% of the target it will be rated amber, and if the target has been missed by more than 10% it will be rated red.

 

1.5     Some indicators will show an asterisk (*) after the figure. These are provisional values that are awaiting confirmation. Data for some of the indicators were not available at the time of reporting. In these cases a date has been provided for when the information is expected.

 

1.6     Contextual indicators are not targeted but are given a direction. Indicators that are not due for reporting or where there is delay in data collection are not rated against targets or given a direction.

 

 

2.        Quarter 4 Performance Summary

 

2.1     There are 28 key performance indicators (KPIs) which were developed with Heads of Service and unit managers, and agreed by the four Service Committees for 2017/18. 4 are reported to the Committee for this quarter. 

 

2.2     Overall, 50% (2) of targeted KPIs reported this quarter achieved their target for quarter 4. For 50% of indicators, performance improved compared to the same quarter last year, where previous data is available for comparison.

RAG Rating

Green

Amber

Red

N/A

Total

KPIs

2

1

1

0

4

Direction

Up

No Change

Down

N/A

Total

Last Year

2

0

2

0

4

Last Quarter

2

0

2

0

4

 

 

3.        Performance by Priority

 

Priority 2: Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough

 

3.1     For the last quarter 20 out of 26 major planning applications were determined within the agreed timescales, which equates to 80.77%.  The downturn in the performance on major planning applications in the last quarter was primarily due to clearing a large number of backlog cases, as one of the primary aims of the Planning Service’s Implementation Project work.  The performance for the whole year for majors was 94 out of 108 determined in time, which equates to 87%, which meets and exceeds the KPI target.

 

3.2     The value for processing of minor planning application was 69.5% against a target of 85%. The target was missed for a second quarter and is the result of prioritising and working through the backlog of planning applications, the majority of which were progressed during the back end of the last quarter and the front end of this quarter. This was raised as a significant risk at the start of the planning review. The year to date total, whilst below the target of 85%, shows an overall performance figure of 75.16%. It is anticipated that performance will return back to target levels by the first quarter of the new financial year as the backlog of applications has now been cleared.

 

3.3     89.18% of ‘other’ applications were processed in a timely manner this quarter.  For the year to date this stands at 91.51% and achieves the overall performance target for this category of applications.  This involved the processing of 1,178 applications with 1,078 being processed within agreed deadlines despite clearing a significant number of backlog applications.

 

3.4     There were 61 affordable homes delivered during quarter 4. The year-end target (200) for affordable completions has been exceeded by 26 completions, resulting in 226 affordable completions overall, comprising of 95 for shared ownership (42%) and 131 (58%) for affordable rent.

 

 

4.       RISK

4.1     This report is presented for information only, committees, managers and heads of service can use performance data to identify service performance and this data can contribute to risk management.

 

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1     The Key Performance Indicator Update is reported quarterly to the Service Committees; Communities Housing and  Environment Committee, Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee, and Heritage Culture and Leisure Committee. Each Committee  receives a report on the relevant priority action areas. The report is also presented to Policy & Resources Committee, reporting only on the priority areas of: A clean and safe environment, regenerating the Town Centre, and a home for everyone.

 

 

6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     The Council could choose not to monitor the Strategic Plan and/or make alternative performance management arrangements, such as frequency of reporting. This is not recommended as it could lead to action not being taken against performance during the year, and the Council failing to deliver its priorities.

 

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

The key performance indicators and strategic actions are part of the Council’s overarching Strategic Plan 2015-20 and play an important role in the achievement of corporate objectives.

They also cover a wide range of services and priority areas, for example waste and recycling.

Head of Policy, Communications & Governance

Risk Management

The production of robust performance reports ensures that the view of the Council’s approach to the management

of risk and use of resources

is not undermined and allows

early action to be taken in

order to mitigate the risk of

not achieving targets and outcomes.

Head of Policy, Communications & Governance

Financial

Performance indicators and

targets are closely linked to

the allocation of resources

and determining good value

for money. The financial

implications of any proposed

changes are also identified

and taken into account in the

Council’s Medium Term

Financial Plan and associated

annual budget setting

process. Performance issues

are highlighted as part of the

budget monitoring reporting

process.

 

Senior Finance Manager (Client)

Staffing

Having a clear set of targets enables staff outcomes/objectives to be set and effective action plans to be put in place

Head of Policy, Communications & Governance

Legal

There is no statutory duty to report regularly on the Council’s performance. However, under Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999 (as amended) a best value authority has a statutory duty to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions are exercised having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. One of the purposes of the Key Performance Indicators is to facilitate the improvement of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of Council Services. Regular reports on the Council’s performance assist in demonstrating best value and compliance with the statutory duty.

Keith Trowell, Interim Team Leader (Corporate Governance)

Privacy and Data Protection

We will hold data in line with the Data Quality Policy, which sets out the requirement for ensuring data quality.

There is a program for undertaking data quality audits of performance indicators.

Keith Trowell, Interim Team Leader (Corporate Governance)

Equalities

The Performance Indicators reported on in this quarterly update measure the ongoing performance of the strategies in place. If there has been a change to the way in which a service delivers a strategy, i.e. a policy change, an Equalities Impact Assessment is undertaken to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on individuals with a protected characteristic.

Equalities & Corporate Policy Officer

Crime and Disorder

None Identified

Policy & Information Manager

Procurement

Performance Indicators and Strategic Milestones monitor any procurement needed to achieve the outcomes of the Strategic Plan.

Head of Policy, Communications & Governance, & Section 151 Officer

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix 1: Key Performance Indicator Update Quarter 4 17/18

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None