The Communities & Local Government Department published it's Autumn Performance Report for 2007, which sets out the progress made against its Public Service Agreement Targets and efficiency targets since the publication of the Departmental Annual Report in May 2007. The report is structured around it's strategic priorities followed by a chapter on efficiency targets.

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The report is published as a .pdf document. If you can not view the report, you may need to install Acrobat Reader on your machine.

Tags: Perfomance Management, PSA

The open sharing of information and monitoring of performance are key to the success of Local Partnerships, LAAs and LSPs. Now for the very first time, LocalGov TV are going to be talking the same language but also talking about it at the same time. 'I believe that data and that accuracy of data will provide us with the power we never had but also provide us with much more confidence that the activities we are suggesting as the way forward are the right activities' claims” Dr Angela Lennox, Chair, Leicester Partnership.

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Tags: Transformation, Local Area Agreement, Perfomance Management, Systems

This Thematic Review of housing association progress towards the Decent Home Standard (DHS), looks at the data that housing associations supply about DHS performance. It carries out an in-depth analysis of one set of data, the statistics from the Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR). Data have been scrutinised in order to reach a conclusion about whether housing association claims stand up. The conclusion that the data indicates is that they do.

Tags: Perfomance Management, Planning

This independent report was commissioned to ensure government acts as a leader in understanding changes in communication and information technology. It talks about a new era, where government starts to learn how to support citizens' own ways of making, finding and re-using information online.

Click here to access the relevant Cabinet Office webpage.

Tags: Systems, Perfomance Management, FoI

In 2009 Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) will take over from the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) of local government. CAA will continue to provide assurance about how well-run local public services are and how effectively they use taxpayers’ money. But it also aims to be more relevant to local people by focusing on issues that are important to their community. It will develop a shared view about the challenges facing an area, such as crime, community cohesion, a sustainable environment or public health issues such as obesity, and will also create a more joined up and proportionate approach to public service regulation.

In April 2007, the Audit Commission published ‘The evolution of regulation’ presenting their initial thoughts on CAA to provide a starting point for widespread discussion over the coming months. At the same time, they are continuing to work with other inspectorates to develop CAA and there will be joint consultation on proposals at the end of 2007.

CPA 2007 and the transition year 2008/09

The Audit Commission have published The transition from CPA to CAA (210Kb). This consultation document included questions relating to CPA 2007 for the next round of national reporting which will be published in February 2008, and the transition from CPA to CAA in 2008/09. Very minor changes to CPA were proposed for the coming year. For the transitional year, a number of substantial amendments were considered, including possible changes to service assessments for single-tier and county councils. This consultation closed on 14 June and responses are currently being considered. The Audit Commission aims to publish the final CPA 2007 framework for single tier and county councils at the end of July.

Tags: Perfomance Management, Audit Commission, CPA, CAA

On 26 April 2007, the Audit Commission published for consultation their proposed changes to the key lines of enquiry for the 2008 use of resources assessments for single tier, county and district councils. 2008 will be the last year that they assess councils under the current Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) framework, but they expect use of resources to remain as an important element of the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) from 2009.

Without anticipating the detail of CAA, they are proposing some changes to the key lines of enquiry for 2008 to help smooth the transition to the new performance framework. The White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities indicated several issues and policy priorities that will need to be reflected in use of resources assessments under CAA. The Audit Commission is proposing to give more emphasis to these issues in 2008 to avoid too big a change the following year and to give councils time to plan and manage their response. They are also responding to the significant improvements in council performance for 2006 by continuing our policy of gradually raising standards.

Click here to access the Consultation on us of resources (2008).
Click here to access the Proposed KLOE for assessments starting in 2008.

Tags: Audit Commission, Perfomance Management

In the pre–Budget report of November 2006, the Chancellor announced that “the National Audit Office will work with the Better Regulation Executive, regulators and business to develop a process of external review of regulatory performance”.The assessment process will focus on the extent to which regulators are performing in line with the Hampton principles and Macrory characteristics, and will encourage continuous improvement. Read More...

Tags: Perfomance Management, Regulation

This study investigated ways of improving the measurement of the output of Children’s Social Services in the National Accounts. It was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills following an independent review in 2005 led by Sir Tony Atkinson, which recommended changes to the way that government output is measured. Measuring the output of Children’s Social Services requires a different approach from that used for private sector goods and services because there are no market prices to indicate the value of interventions. The Atkinson review recommended that what ideally should be measured is the incremental impact that interventions have on client outcomes and welfare. The study’s aim was therefore highly challenging: to recommend a methodology for producing a robust annual output measure that fully reflects the change in welfare to individuals and society from Children’s Social Services’ provision.

Tags: Children's Services, Perfomance Management