Corporate Improvement Plan - 2014/15 progress update

Policy & Resources			23 September 2015
Is the final decision on the recommendations in this report to be made at this meeting?				Yes

Corporate Improvement Plan � 2014/15 Progress Update

Final Decision-Maker	Policy & Resources Committee
Head of Service	Head of Policy and Communications � Angela Woodhouse
Lead Officer and Report Author	Policy and Information Manager � Anna Collier
Classification	Non-exempt
Wards affected	None

This report makes the following recommendations to the final decision-maker:
1. To agree the new corporate improvement framework 2. To note the status of items on the former Corporate Improvement Plan 2014-17.

This report relates to the following corporate priorities:
The corporate improvement plan is part of the Council�s performance monitoring structure and therefore supports the delivery of all corporate priorities.

Timetable
*Meeting*		*Date*
Policy and Resources Committee		23/09/15

Corporate Improvement Plan: 2014/15 progress update

1. PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 This report sets out the new Corporate Improvement Plan framework for 2015-20.

1.2 To provide a status update on the work streams and projects in the Corporate Improvement Plan October 2014 � March 2015.�

2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1 The Council has set the priorities and outcomes for the borough of Maidstone in its Strategic Plan.� The Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) sets out what will be spent and where savings will be made.� Traditionally the Corporate Improvement Plan monitored a number of key pieces of work and projects that were essential to deliver these strategies.

2.2 The introduction of a new Strategic Plan 2015 �20 and the move to a committee structure led to a review of Corporate Improvement Plan framework to ensure that the plan provided the greatest assurance to the Council in the delivery of it priorities.�

2.3 It was also important to ensure that officer time is being efficiently spent on reporting progress against strategies and projects and that, senior officers are concentrating on those areas of the highest priority.

The new Corporate Improvement Plan Framework

�

2.4 The Strategic Plan 2015-20 sets the Council�s priorities as

� Keeping Maidstone Borough an attractive place for all

� Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough

2.5 The diagram below shows the corporate planning process and the links between the key documents which set out the Council�s key objectives to individual performance monitoring, this is often referred to as the �golden thread�.

2.6 To ensure the council is achieving its objectives officers currently monitor operational performance monthly and report on key strategic actions and performance indicators quarterly.� Progress against key corporate projects is also reported quarterly. �

2.7 It is recommended that as part of this process officers will also report progress against strategic milestones which will be reported to Corporate Leadership Team by exception.� Corporate Leadership Team will then provide a six monthly progress statement as part of the Performance Report to Policy and Resources Committee.� This will highlight:

� Success

� Areas for improvement and related actions

� Overall position of the delivery of the Strategic Plan.

2.8 To ensure that the new Corporate Improvement Plan stays focussed any additional areas for monitoring should fill the following criteria:

� Have a clear link to the delivery of the Council�s priorities

� Have a defined life cycle

� Have clear ownership and milestones in place

Status of previous Workstreams and Projects

2.9 The table at Appendix A shows the status of workstreams in the Corporate Improvement Plan 2014-15.� It also indicates where they will continue to be monitored if they are not closed.�

3. PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 It is recommended that Policy & Resources Committee note the Corporate Improvement Plan update as as progress reports on the Corporate Improvement Plan are essential for allowing oversight of a number of different pieces of work across the organisation.

4. CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

4.1 The revision of the Corporate Improvement Plan will be undertaken in consultation with the Leader of the Council/Chairman of Policy & Resources Committee.

5. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

Issue	Implications	Sign-off
Impact on Corporate Priorities	The Corporate Improvement Plan 2014-17 contains projects that will have a positive effect on all the priorities and outcomes for Maidstone set out in the Strategic Plan.�	Head of Policy and Communications
Risk Management	The Corporate Improvement Plan and associated governance minimises the risk that important projects will not be undertaken or will not deliver and that new opportunities are missed. There is still a risk that the Council does not have the resources, both in terms of staff time or money to undertake the projects envisaged in the Corporate Improvement Plan.� However, the plan minimises the risk that effort will be put into pieces of work that are not deemed to be a priority and will allow corporate resources to be devoted to the priorities stated in the Corporate Improvement Plan.	Head of Policy and Communications
Financial	No direct financial implications, but an objective of the plan is to reduce net cost.�	Section 151 Officer
Staffing	No direct staffing implications, but reduction in net cost could be achieved by reducing cost by reducing numbers of staff, or by increasing income, which would have an effect on the work that staff carry out.� Some of the areas of work reported in the update also require substantial staff resources.	Head of Policy and Communications
Legal	The plan progress update has no legal implications but a number of the projects require legal advice and support.	Head of Legal
Equality Impact Needs Assessment	Not required.	Policy & Information Manager
Environmental/Sustainable Development	No implications.	Head of Policy and Communications
Community Safety	No implications.	Head of Policy and Communications
Human Rights Act	No implications.	Head of Policy and Communications
Procurement	No implications but commissioning and procurement is an important enabler in achieving improvement.	Head of Policy and Communications
Asset Management	No implications	Head of Policy and Communications

6. REPORT APPENDICES

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

� Appendix A: Corporate Improvement Plan position update.

7. BACKGROUND PAPERS

� Corporate Improvement Plan 2014-17