Agenda item

Interview with Clare Wood, Policy and Performance Officer.

Clare Wood, Policy and Performance Officer, presented a report regarding the end of year Strategic Plan action updates, Improvement Plan updates and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) out-turns for 2012/13. 

60 KPIs relating to seven strategic outcomes had been included in the Strategic Plan 2011/15 for 2012/13.  Overall 60.5% of KPIs achieved the annual target set and in relation to 43% of KPIs performance had improved.  In 2011/12, 63% of the targets were met and performance in relation to 57% of KPIs had improved.

During the ensuing discussion, reference was made to a number of the KPIs/business improvement initiatives with Members raising issues and asking questions as follows:-

CDP 003 - Percentage of residents participating in neighbourhood planning as a percentage of the ward population

In response to comments that the use of the words “neighbourhood planning” was confusing and that the Performance Indicator should be renamed to reflect the community development nature of the activities being participated in, the Policy and Performance Officer agreed to review the wording of the indicator for future reports.

HSG PS 002 - Number of homes occupied by vulnerable people made decent

It was suggested that the new Performance Indicator measuring improvements made through public sector intervention to private sector dwellings should be compatible with the move towards a minimum Code for Sustainable Homes (or any future equivalent) of Level 4 for residential development in the draft Local Plan.

HRO 001/BV 12 - Working days lost due to sickness absence

In response to questions by Members, the Policy and Performance Officer explained that short term sickness currently stood at 3.24 days per employee.  Staff sickness had an impact on productivity and performance and sickness levels across the Council were regularly reviewed and monitored.  Appropriate action was taken by managers to reduce the level of sickness including obtaining further medical information from occupational health specialists or giving warnings if there were no underlying medical issues for the sickness absence.  The Council also ran a health and wellbeing programme for staff to improve health and awareness.

BIM 002 - Percentage of financial transactions not carried out on-line or by direct debit/standing order

Referring to paragraph 1.5.13 of the report of the Head of Policy and Communications relating to KPI BIM 002, a Member sought clarification of the use of the word “smarter” to describe the way in which the Council carries out its financial transactions with customers.  The Policy and Performance Officer explained that the word was being used in the context of accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness, but she would review the terminology used.

AMB 001 - Overall employment rates

In response to a question by a Member relating to the decline in the overall employment rate and the action being taken by the Council to influence this and the age profile of the workless population by, for example, providing work experience and apprenticeships, the Policy and Performance Officer advised the Committee that the Council was being proactive in this area.  The Employability and Skills Officer, who managed a work experience programme both at the Council and elsewhere, would be involved in the development of the action plan to tackle the decline in the overall employment rate, and further actions would be included in the Quarter 1 report.

KCC 003 - Percentage of the working age population educated to NVQ level 4 or higher

AND

OUT 002.05 - Work with partners through the LSP to deliver a step change in Maidstone’s learning and skills performance to ensure a high-quality skills base sufficient to enable people in Maidstone to realise their full potential

A Member enquired whether the Council had any plans in place to address the significant drop in the number of working age people educated to NVQ level 4 or higher given that the Maidstone Locality Board had been suspended.  The Policy and Performance Officer said that she would ask the Community Partnerships Manager to provide an update on the actions being taken outside the worklessness initiatives to achieve positive outcomes for learning and skills development.

Business Improvement Plan 2012/13 - Building Control

In response to a question by a Member, the Policy and Performance Officer undertook to ask the Business Improvement Manager to provide an update on the opportunity cost/risk of addressing the capacity issue within the team in the context of the proposed partial commercialisation of the service.

DCV 002a - Percentage of major business planning applications having pre-application discussions

AND

DCV 002b  - Percentage of those taking pre-applications advice where the application was then approved (Major Business Apps)

In response to questions by a Member, the Policy and Performance Officer undertook to ascertain the number of applications in the above categories.

Business Improvement Plan 2012/13 - Energy Consumption

The Policy and Performance Officer undertook to provide for Councillor Yates details of water and energy usage at Maidstone House.  It was noted that this information would be useful when the Committee considered the future of Maidstone House as part of its work programme 2013/14.

In addition to the points raised above the Committee asked the Policy and Performance Officer to review the documentation to correct typographical errors and to provide an explanation of the use of covalent as a performance management tool.

It was resolved that subject to the points made in the discussion:

a)  The performance out-turns and end of year Strategic Plan action updates in the Strategic Plan Annual Performance Report attached at Appendix A to the report of the Head of Policy and Communications be noted.

b)  The update on the Improvement Plan work streams attached at Appendix B to the report of the Head of Policy and Communications be noted.

c)  It be noted that an action plan is being developed to tackle the decline in the overall employment rate (AMB 001); and

d)  The teams involved be thanked for their success in achieving their targets in relation to the following KPIs:

  i.  R&B 005 – Percentage of Non-Domestic Rates collected; and

  ii.   R&B 006 – Percentage of Council Tax collected.