Agenda item

To review the attached FY 21/22 quarter 1 Corporate performance report.

C Graham, Project Manager (Performance), introduced quarter 1 and reported on projects at red or amber status (exceptions), as the full report had previously been scrutinised by the Stronger Council Select Committee. The report also included an updated set of all the KPIs, regardless of status, because there had been some gaps in the data at the time the select committee had scrutinised it. Within Performance, more focus would be given to the start-up phase of projects, as well as budget control and resourcing.

The Committee scrutinised the following areas.

(1)       Appendix A – Status and Progress Report: Key Corporate Projects

(a)          Community Health and Wellbeing service area

Epping Forest District Community and Cultural Trust

Where did the discussions take place? Would scrutiny members see the action plan? It seemed that a key change in status of this decision was made about a service but not in a transparent way. How were directors appointed? C Graham replied the action plan was targeted for quarter 3. The Trust came under the Community and Regulatory Services Portfolio. Councillor A Patel, Portfolio Holder, believed this had been done in conjunction with the museum.

(b)          Customer Services service area

Provide insight for the future design of our service based on data and behavioural analysis and provide customer-centric services

There was a query on the recommendation that the project be removed from reporting until the project started. C Graham clarified that an update should be able to be provided when the project had been reviewed, as it was anticipated it would commence in quarter 1 of 2022/23.

To provide an additional one-stop portal, for all member information requirements

Could the number of reports made by members be made available? Councillor S Kane, Portfolio Holder (Customer and Partnerships Services), advised that this would only be possible when all councillors were using the recommended forms online. Questions members directed to officers themselves were being missed but if use of the forms was adopted by all members, proper analysis could be undertaken, and suitable resources put in place.

(c)          Economic Development service area

An externally provided platform for ‘Place’ that will re-imagine Epping Forest District as a great location to live, work and do business

A comment was noted on the project’s goal in relation to its title that EFDC was a great place, you did not have to imagine it! How were local shops being targeted and engaged, and why was the newsletter on hold? C Graham advised that the Economic Development team was currently developing a strategy but once it was ready by quarter 3 (target), it could be shared with members. However, she would contact J Houston, Partnerships and Economic Development Specialist, for an update.

(2)          Appendix B – Quarterly KPI Reporting

(a)          Customer Services service area

Overall Customer Satisfaction

As most people who contacted councillors were not satisfied, was the target too low, as 80% (actual target) did not seem very good, and should the target not be a 100%? C Graham advised that the target percentage was being looked at currently, but as it was reviewed against the previous quarter its journey could begin to be seen.

(b)          Community Health and Wellbeing service area

Were KPIs generated for portfolios and how did they emerge? Councillor S Kane explained that targets were evaluated from previous years. Councillor C Whitbread, the Leader, continued that part of the process was for the Stronger Council Select Committee to look at the full suite of data. C Graham added that initial discussions had begun on how to set these KPI targets.

Total visits in person to Epping Forest District Museums including; school outreach and loan box service

The Committee noted that this figure had probably increased above its target as the public was looking to do more activities / outings locally in the District following the Covid pandemic.

(c)          Contracts service area

Percentage change of leisure centre attendees from previous years quarter: Casual swimming and Club Live membership

The Committee was pleased by the increase in numbers across all leisure centres especially Ongar following the completion of its refurbishment.

(d)          Stronger Place KPIs

Waste: Recycling rate

The Committee asked why this was just below target? C Graham replied that the Waste team now had more staff capacity to focus on developing initiatives to improve recycling.

(e)          Stronger Council KPIs

People: Diversity & Inclusion – % of workforce by ethnicity

The Committee observed that staff were increasingly withholding ethnicity information, which was understandable but disappointing, as this was a reasonable question to ask. Did this need to be looked at further? C Graham replied that she would refer this comment to the People Team.

            RESOLVED:

That the committee reviewed quarter 1 Corporate Performance.