Agenda item

To enable the Committee to scrutinise the performance monitoring system and whether it is capturing the right level of data to support delivery of the Corporate Plan and its priorities and projects, and to make recommendations thereon. In addition, to scrutinise whether there is performance, as identified in the monitoring data, that warrants scrutiny of an activity and to determine whether and how that scrutiny should take place; including it as appropriate in the work programme.

The Committee had before it a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which presented the Performance Report for Quarter One (April – June 2019) (“Q1”) including the Corporate Plan and Priorities and Projects 2018/19.

Appendix A to that report contained details of the 17 indicators and projects. Where performance was measured, 10 (59%) were on or above their expected targets. 5 (29%) were not currently in line with the expected performance and for 2 (12%) there was currently no data available.

Members were informed that any feedback they had from this report would be presented to a future meeting of the Cabinet as a separate reference report.

The Council’s Human Resources & Business Manager (Katie Wilkins) gave the Committee an update in respect of the indicators and projects with particular focus on those indicators that were currently listed as “Behind Target”.

Several Members of the Committee referenced the absence of data for ‘Missed Bin Collections’ and for ‘Recycling Rate’ in the Targets section of the Performance Report. Albeit that this was for Q1 of 2019/20, and therefore prior to the roll out of the new wheeled bin based waste collection service, Members expressed concerned that the data was not available given that it was now Q3 of that year.  Although the Committee did not have Q2 data before it, there were several comments about the new wheeled bin based waste collection service rolled out in Q2.  The Corporate Director (Operational Services) referenced the extent to which teething problems with the new service had occurred and he also reported on specific issues currently being faced by Veolia, the Council’s waste and recycling collection contractor.  In particular, the level of recycled material being collected by Veolia was proving difficult to accommodate in the separate weekly rounds that took place in the District on Thursdays.   The Corporate Director confirmed that for the performance data the Council used verified data received from Essex County Council and it was the absence of data from the County Council that meant that this had been reported as unavailable in the Q1 performance report submitted to the Committee.  There was therefore no guarantee that he could give that this data would be available for the Q2 and subsequent reports.

Consideration was also given to the element of the report on Jaywick Sands which recorded the targets there as “Behind Target” and indicated that several milestones of the target were ‘currently on hold’.  The Corporate Director (Operational Services) advises the Committee that a key issue in respect of this was an updated flood risk assessment currently being undertaken by the Environment Agency to take account of climate change predictions.  This was anticipated in 2-3 weeks and would be used to develop a spatial plan for the area.  This spatial plan was critical to avoid poorly co-ordinated piecemeal development that did not maximise the opportunities of development to revitalise the area. Officers agreed to seek a response to a Member’s question on this issue.

In respect of the target of achieving ‘Cloud migration’ planning and for 40% of services to be migrated (within the aim of Creating a Quality Environment for our Staff), a question was asked about the use of Microsoft Office 365 and there was a concern expressed that this was a more costly option when compared with other options.

After some deliberation by the Committee it was RESOLVED that the Committee notes the contents of the Performance Report Quarter 1 2019/20; records its thanks for the staff of the Council in respect of the work undertaken as recorded in the Performance Report and determines that it shall for the time being continue to seek an update in these Performance Reports on the project ‘Transforming Tendring’.