Performance Monitoring – Corporate Services
Item: 6.2
Policy and Resources Committee: 23 November 2021
Joint Report by Chief Executive and Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing
1. Purpose of Report
To advise on the performance of Corporate Services for the reporting period 1 April to 30 September 2021.
2. Recommendations
The Committee is invited to scrutinise:
2.1
The performance of Corporate Services for the reporting period 1 April to 30 September 2021, as set out in sections 3 to 5 and Annexes 1 and 2 of this report.
It is recommended:
2.2
That the action, referred to at section 3.2 of this report, which has been progressed to completion, be removed from the Corporate Services Service Plan.
2.3
That the action, referred to at section 3.3 of this report, be amended as indicated.
3. Service Plan Performance Monitoring
3.1
The action plan, attached as Annex 1 to this report, provides the detail of the agreed service priorities, as expressed in Corporate Services Service Plan, and contains SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound) targets for the life of the Service Plan. The action plan also provides the mechanism through which the time-limited aspects of the Service Plan will be progressed to completion.
3.2
Set out below are those Service Plan actions assessed as Blue within Annex 1, namely those which have been progressed to completion and are now being recommended for removal from the Service Plan.
- 04 – Gender Pay Gap Action Plan – To develop an action plan to address the Council’s gender pay gap and occupational segregation.
3.3
Set out below are those Service Plan actions identified as being in need of amendment, for example, by having the target date updated.
- 03 – Review of Benchmarking arrangements – it is proposed that the target date for this action is extended to 31 March 2022.
4. Service Performance Indicators
Service Performance Indicators provide the mechanism through which the performance aspects of the services provided year on year are monitored. The monitoring report is attached as Annex 2 to this report.
5. Service Complaints and Compliments
5.1
Table 1 below sets out numbers of complaints and compliments made to Corporate Services in the six-month period 1 April to 30 September 2021, and for the two preceding six-month monitoring periods.
Table 1.
| Six months ending 30 September 2020 | Six months ending 31 March 2021 | Six months ending 30 September 2021 | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complaints | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Compliments | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
5.2
When considering the raw data within Table 1 above, it should be noted that the Council has adopted a policy of encouraging staff to record all complaints against the Council through the Complaints Handling Procedure. This includes complaints that are quickly and satisfactorily resolved by the frontline service, thereby enabling the Council to identify any trends that would help to improve the service. As a result of this policy, the number of complaints captured by the procedure may increase and that does not necessarily reflect an increase in the number of people contacting the service to express dissatisfaction with the Council.
6. Corporate Governance
This report relates to the Council complying with its performance management policies and procedures and therefore does not directly support and contribute to improved outcomes for communities as outlined in the Council Plan and the Local Outcomes Improvement Plan. That said, Service Plans are developed taking cognisance of the Council’s policies as outlined in the Council Plan.
7. Financial Implications
There are not anticipated to be any significant financial implications arising as a result of the recommendations to this report.
8. Legal Aspects
The Council’s performance management systems help the Council to meet its statutory obligation to secure Best Value.
9. Contact Officers
John W Mundell, Interim Chief Executive, Email chief.executive@orkney.gov.uk.
James Wylie, Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing, Email james.wylie@orkney.gov.uk.
Andrew Groundwater, Head of HR and Performance, Email andrew.groundwater@orkney.gov.uk.
Andrew Hamilton, Performance and Best Value Officer, Email andrew.hamilton@orkney.gov.uk.
10. Appendix
- Appendix 1: Summary of the performance of Corporate Services against the targets within its Service Plan.
- Appendix 2: Summary of the performance of Corporate Services against its Performance Indicator targets.
ANNEX 1
Corporate Services Service Plan 2019 to 2022
Progress against Service Plan Actions at 30 September 2021
CS Service Plan Actions – 01 – HR / Payroll System Development
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 01 – HR / Payroll System Development | Complete Phase 2 of the HR / Payroll System Development. | Continuing to fulfil our duties as an Employer, Carer, Educator and Corporate Parent. | RED | 01-Oct-2019 | 30-Sep-2021 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Andrew Groundwater | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: RED. All service areas, with the exception of Schools, are now operational with the revised sickness absence system. Final completion of the rollout is expected by January 2022, following which a project review and future plan will be developed. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 02 – Pay and Grading Structure Review
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 02 – Pay and Grading Structure Review | Undertake a review of the Council’s pay and grading structure in line with national commitments. | Sustainable pay and grading structure in place. | AMBER | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2022 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Andrew Groundwater | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: AMBER. Further benchmarking work has taken place within HR and advice has been sought from an external expert on the timetabling approach to be progressed. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 03 – Review of Benchmarking arrangements
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 03 – Review of Benchmarking arrangements | Conduct a review across Council services of how benchmarking is currently used in supporting improvement and implement recommendations for a future framework. | To deliver the actions and targets in the BVAR recommended by the Accounts Commission. | AMBER | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Dec-2021 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Andrew Groundwater | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. The Senior Management Team has agreed a priority project to review the performance framework across the Council and therefore this action will be carried through as an element within that. It is proposed that the target date for this action is extended to 31 March 2022. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 04 – Gender Pay Gap Action Plan
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 04 – Gender Pay Gap Action Plan | To develop an action plan to address the Council’s gender pay gap and occupational segregation. | Action plan in place to address the Council’s gender pay gap and occupational segregation. | BLUE | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2021 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Andrew Groundwater | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: RED. The Gender Pay Gap Action Plan was recommended for approval by the Policy and Resources Committee in June 2021. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 05 – Office Accommodation Review
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 05 – Office Accommodation Review | Establish a fully costed options analysis (Pre-CPA1) for Council Headquarters at School Place, which also takes account of the outcomes of the Change Review into Asset Management. | An agreed approach to the Office Accommodation Review. Should this progress following the options appraisal and costing, this action will be revisited. | AMBER | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Dec-2021 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Hayley Green | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: AMBER. Internal discussions have begun again on options, although there is still a significant amount of work to be done before this would be ready for consideration by Elected Members. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 06 – Asset Management
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 06 – Asset Management | Progress where possible Phase 2 of the Change Review of Asset Management. | Reduction in the number of Council Property Assets. Evidence of community bodies benefiting from the programme. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2022 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Hayley Green | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. Assets continue to be disposed of as and when opportunities arise. Due to the lifting of Coronavirus restrictions it has been possible for officers to start to conduct viewings again. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 07 – Procurement
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 07 – Procurement | Progress where possible Phase 2 of the Change Review of Procurement. | Effective procurement which contributes to a reduction in Council costs. Support for local businesses, where possible. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2022 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Hayley Green | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. The Sustainable Procurement Policy was issued for public consultation in July 2021 and the feedback has been assessed. An action plan will now be drawn up which will include actions to support local businesses, community wealth building and the circular economy. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 08 – Digital Strategy
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 08 – Digital Strategy | Review and update the current Digital Strategy and develop a new Digital Strategy Delivery Plan. Focus for this second iteration to be on practical service improvements for Orkney citizens. | A more digitally developed and confident workforce. | RED | 01-Oct-2019 | 30-Sep-2021 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Hayley Green | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. Capacity issues within the team mean action on this did not progress as planned. Work is now underway to bring a completed draft to Elected Members no later than 31 March 2022. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 09 – Business Continuity Plan
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 09 – Business Continuity Plan | A table-top exercise to test the Business Continuity Plan will be held. | A successful test of the Business Continuity Plan. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Dec-2021 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Hayley Green | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: RED. The formal exercise of the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) has yet to be completed. A desktop exercise of preparedness for a cyber-attack is scheduled for 6 October 2021. This will include reference to use of BCPs, and actions after this exercise will be followed up. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 10 – Participatory Budgeting
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 10 – Participatory Budgeting | Working with colleagues in Finance, explore options to further develop Participatory Budgeting (PB) in line with national policy drivers and the Council's strategic plan, and move the Council towards readiness to meet its 1% budget target for mainstream PB. Inclusion of mainstream PB in Council budget for 2021 to 2022. | More participations by communities in mainstream budgeting. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2023 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Anna Whelan | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: RED. COSLA and Scottish Government agreed in January 2021 to be "flexible" in the delivery of the 1% target for mainstream PB in 2021/22 budgets. COSLA is continuing to support councils which wish to pursue mainstream PB. A proposal to establish a cross-Council project team to address the mainstreaming of PB within Council budgets will be submitted to the Senior Management Team for consideration. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 11 – Locality Plan
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 11 – Locality Plan | Progress the Locality Plan 2018 to 2021 for the non-linked isles. Working with colleagues in Development and Marine Planning, widen the use of the Place Standard for consultation and analysis of local communities across Orkney and develop one or more locality plans for additional selected areas to be agreed by the Orkney Partnership Board. | Demonstrable reduction in socio-economic disadvantage experienced by residents of Orkney’s non-linked isles. Published Locality Plan for a second locality. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2022 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Anna Whelan | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. The Orkney Partnership's first Locality Plan 2018 to 2021 for the non-linked isles is being evaluated. A 5-year follow-up of the original Place Standard consultation is in preparation for early 2022. Since July 2021, locality planning has been supported by the Partnership's new Community Wellbeing Delivery Group and is embedded in the group's action plan. Consultation to inform the choice of location for the next locality plan was undertaken by Voluntary Action Orkney early in 2021. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 12 – Electronic Document and Records Management System
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 12 – Electronic Document and Records Management System | Develop an Electronic Document and Records Management System for the Council. | Support compliance with statutory obligations and deliver improvements in service efficiency and effectiveness. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2023 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Gavin Mitchell | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. Stage 1 of the Project, comprising discovery, foundations and prototype development, has been successfully completed. Stage 2, comprising system piloting and testing, is now underway with reasonable progress being made. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 13 – Online Applications for Licensing
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 13 – Online Applications for Licensing | Develop online facility for submission of licence applications as Phase 2 of the Customer Service Platform project. | Improved customer experience and service efficiency. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2023 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Gavin Mitchell | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. Development of an online system is well underway with support being provided by the Improvement Support Team. |
CS Service Plan Actions – 14 – Gambling Policy
| Title | Description | Intended Outcome | BRAG | Start Date | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS Service Plan Actions – 14 – Gambling Policy | Develop and publish Gambling Policy. | Support compliance with statutory obligation. | GREEN | 01-Oct-2019 | 31-Mar-2022 |
| Lead | Comment |
|---|---|
| Gavin Mitchell | BRAG status at 31 March 2021: GREEN. The statutory consultation process has been completed and an updated Gambling Policy is due to be presented to the Licensing Board for adoption on 7 October 2021. |
ANNEX 2
Corporate Services Performance Indicator Report
Service Performance Indicators at 30 September 2021
CCG 01 – Sickness absence
The average number of working days per employee lost through sickness absence, expressed as a percentage of the number of working days available.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4% | 4.46% | 6.1% | AMBER |
Comment
Managers across Corporate Services continue to actively manage sickness absence. The period between 1 April and 30 September also needs to be considered in the context of COVID-19 with many office staff still working from home with a reduction in community transfer of normal minor illnesses.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 01 showing half-year sickness absence values of 5.23% for H1 2019/20, 5.1% for H2 2019/20, 3.14% for H1 2020/21, 3.42% for H2 2020/21 and 4.46% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 4%.
CCG 02 – Sickness absence
Of the staff who had frequent and/or long-term sickness absence (they activated the sickness absence triggers), the proportion of these where there was management intervention.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 79.55% | 79% | AMBER |
Comment
Performance for this indicator has improved considerably since the end of March 2021 reporting period when the figure was 65%. Individual instances where management intervention has not been properly recorded will continue to be investigated. However, it should be noted that remote working has made interventions more challenging for managers.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 02 showing half-year management intervention values of 87.2% for H1 2019/20, no value shown for H2 2019/20, no value shown for H1 2020/21, 65% for H2 2020/21 and 79.55% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.
CCG 03 – Staff accidents
The number of staff accidents within the service, per 30 staff per year.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.77 | 2.1 | GREEN |
Comment
There were 9 accidents over the previous 12 months, 3 of which were a result of vehicle crashes. There was no pattern to the other types of accidents experienced across the service.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 03 showing half-year accident rates of 1.7 for H1 2019/20, 0.53 for H2 2019/20, 0.27 for H1 2020/21, 0.45 for H2 2020/21 and 0.77 for H1 2021/22. The target line is 1.
CCG 04 – Budget control
The number of significant variances (priority actions) generated at subjective group level, as a proportion of cost centres held.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
Comment
No data has been provided on this indicator as Corporate Services budgets have been subsumed into the other directorates following the interim structure.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 04 showing values of 16% for H1 2019/20, 22% for H2 2019/20, 23% for H1 2020/21, 0% for H2 2020/21 and 0% for H1 2021/22. The target line is approximately 15% for the first three periods and falls to 0% for the final period.
CCG 05 – Recruitment and retention
The number of advertised service staff vacancies still vacant after six months from the time of advert, as a proportion of total staff vacancies.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2% | 0% | 4.1% | GREEN |
Comment
Within Corporate Services, staff retention remains high.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 05 showing half-year vacancy values of 2.86% for H1 2019/20 and 0% for H2 2019/20, H1 2020/21, H2 2020/21 and H1 2021/22. The target line is 2%.
CCG 06 – Recruitment and retention
The number of permanent service staff who leave the employment of Orkney Islands Council – but not through retirement or redundancy – as a proportion of all permanent service staff.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 1.66% | 10.1% | GREEN |
Comment
Within Corporate Services, staff retention remains high
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 06 showing half-year staff-leaving values of 0.7% for H1 2019/20, 2.08% for H2 2019/20, 1.24% for H1 2020/21, 1.24% for H2 2020/21 and 1.66% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 5%.
CCG 07 – ERD
The number of staff who receive (at least) an annual face-to-face performance review and development meeting, as a proportion of the total number of staff within the service.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 79.91% | 79% | AMBER |
Comment
Performance on this indicator dropped due to other priorities and pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic that continue to affect day to day work. However, there has been steady improvement over the past three reporting periods. Managers continue to do their best to schedule and complete ERDs with their staff as workloads allow.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 07 showing half-year ERD completion values of approximately 97% for H1 2019/20, no value shown for H2 2019/20, 68.85% for H1 2020/21, 76.47% for H2 2020/21 and 79.91% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.
CCG 08 – Invoice payment
The number of invoices that were submitted accurately, and paid within 30 days of invoice date, as a proportion of the total number of invoices paid.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
Comment
No data has been provided on this indicator as Corporate Services budgets have been subsumed into the other directorates following the interim structure.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 08 showing invoice-payment values of 81.1% for H1 2019/20, 81.6% for H2 2019/20, approximately 96% for H1 2020/21, 0% for H2 2020/21 and 0% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.
CCG 09 – Mandatory training
The number of staff who have completed all mandatory training courses, as a percentage of the total number of staff in the service.
| Target | Actual | Intervention | RAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% | 47.56% | 79% | RED |
Comment
Managers in Corporate Services aim to improve the completion rates of mandatory courses through regular communication to staff, bearing in mind that a large proportion of the staff within the service do not have access to IT facilities as part of their normal work and so are often not able to repeat refresher training within the timescales required.
Trend Chart
IMAGE: Trend chart for CCG 09 showing mandatory-training completion values of 44.8% for H2 2020/21 and 47.56% for H1 2021/22. The target line is 90%.