Issue - meetings

(Leader of the Council) To consider the attached report (C-082-2013/14).

(1)        That the progress in relation to the achievement of the Key Objectives for 2013/14 for the first nine months of the year be noted.

The Leader of the Council presented a progress report on the achievement of the Corporate Key Objectives after nine months of 2013/14.

The Leader stated that the Corporate Plan was the Council’s key strategic planning document, setting out its priorities over the four-year period from 2011/12 to 2014/15, with strategic themes reflecting those of the Community Strategy for the District. Updates to the Corporate Plan were published annually, to reflect the key objectives for each year of the plan period and progress against the achievement of objectives for previous years. A range of key objectives for 2013/14 were adopted by the Cabinet in March 2013. Progress in relation to deliverables and actions designed to support the achievement of the key objectives was reviewed by the Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on a quarterly and outturn basis.

The Leader reported that at the end of the third quarter of 2013/14, 74% of the actions supporting the key objectives had either been completed or were expected to be completed by the end of the municipal year, 15% of the proposed actions might not be completed by the end of the municipal year, whilst a further 11% had been put on hold as a result of external circumstances. The draft key objectives for 2014/15 were currently being developed and would be considered by the Cabinet at its next meeting.

Decision:

(1)        That the progress in relation to the achievement of the Key Objectives for 2013/14 for the first nine months of the year be noted.

Reasons for Decision:

It was important that relevant performance management processes were in place to review progress against the key objectives, to ensure their continued achievability and relevance, and to identify proposals for appropriate corrective action in areas of slippage or under-performance.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

No other options were appropriate in this respect. Failure to monitor and review performance against the key objectivesand to consider corrective action where necessary, could have negative implications for the Council’s reputation and judgements made about its progress, and might mean that opportunities for improvement were lost.