Agenda item

A report of the Strategic Director of Corporate Services providing performance information in respect of the Corporate Plan objectives and key performance indicators within the Committee’s remit (Quarter 2 2019/20).

Considered a report of the Strategic Director of Corporate Services providing performance information in respect of the Corporate Plan objectives and key performance indicators within the Committee’s remit (Quarter 2 2019/20) (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

Assisting with consideration of the report: Strategic Director of Corporate Services.

Summary, key points of discussion:

(i)      No red indicators at Quarter 2.

(ii)     “NS” was “Not Started”.

(iii)    ERM1 - SS (agenda page 20):  No increase in number of Flood Wardens since Quarter 1.  View that current time of year was best time to increase numbers, experiencing flooding.  Understood that work was being undertaken to do so, could check with relevant Head of Service as to detail of that.    

(iv)    ERM5 – CIS (1) (agenda page 20): Welcomed that 99% of customers surveyed rated telephone service from Contact Centre as “good” in Quarter 2.

(v)     ERM5 – CIS (2) (agenda page 21): Progress column stated that the first stage of implementation would begin, but no timescale/implementation date was given.  There were other examples of this information not being provided in the report.  That affected the Committee’s ability to monitor progress effectively.

(vi)    ERM5 – SS (2) (agenda page 21): Results of Residents Survey would be published in due course, publication date not known at this meeting.

(vii)   ERM5 – SS (1) (agenda page 21): Those customers not rating web service received as “good”, were the reasons for that known?  Reliant on customers choosing to leave comments.  Redesign of website, unfamiliar location of information for regular users, had caused some dissatisfaction.  Sometimes response related to outcome rather than web service itself, could identify which it was if customer left comments.  Brief discussion as to whether website could be adapted to better indicate nature of dissatisfaction, without customer needing to leave comments.  Number of times online completion was abandoned could indicate that an online form was too lengthy or complex.  Much work had been undertaken to eliminate difficulties for online customers.  Levels of satisfaction for web-related services always lower than telephone/face-to-face (Govmetric).  Brief discussion regarding intended trial of webchat facility, suggestion that Council consider Chatbot also.

(viii)  DES1 – SS (2) (agenda page 22): Review of this Committee’s work programme by the Chair and Vice-chair (to ensure scrutiny reflected the priorities of the Council and that the Committee could be a better critical friend) had been delayed pending availability of the new draft Corporate Plan and draft Business Plan.  Those documents not yet available.  Corporate Plan due to be considered by Cabinet in January.  The Chair considered that access to the Cabinet Forward Programme was also necessary to undertake the review of the work programme effectively, Committee agreed with that view and that access to the document should be requested.  Noted that Key Decision Notice provided details of many of the matters to be considered by Cabinet over next 12 months, however Chair’s view that that did not provide complete picture.

(ix)    “SLT” was “Senior Leadership Team”, further explanation of which was provided.

(x)     DES2 – CIS (2) (agenda page 23):  Were new online forms checked via satisfaction survey on website? In response, reference to frequent requests regarding that during the process, opportunity for feedback if so wished.

(xi)    DES3 – CIS (2) (agenda page 24): Reason why call recording implementation had been delayed to Quarter 4?  In response, because original solution put forward had proved not to be so.  Alternative solution had now been identified that could be implemented by end Quarter 4.

(xii)   Concern that information on the Council’s website was not always easy to find for members of the public, reference to Local Plan consultation information and particularly paper response forms not indicating to where they should be returned.

(xiii)  BP12 and BP13 (agenda page 26):  Satisfaction levels illustrated the better experience that customers considered they had when interacting with Council by telephone/face-to-face (as compared to online).  How would the Council’s move towards increased online interaction with customers balance against that?  In response, reference to working towards one process for each transaction which could be enacted by the customer online as an attractive option but, where necessary, could be facilitated with the customer over the telephone or face-to-face (or via webchat).  Currently, it was not intended to remove those options for the customer.  Committee’s role included ensuring that the Council got the balance right.              

The Democratic Services Officer would ask the Head of Strategic Support to provide information on work being undertaken to increase numbers of Flood Wardens and email a response to the Committee in that respect.

The Democratic Services Officer would arrange for the results of the Residents Survey (ERM5 – SS (2)) to be emailed to the Committee once available.

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services would raise the suggestion regarding use of Chatbot with the relevant team and a response emailed to the Committee by the Democratic Services Officer once available.

RESOLVED

1.         that, further to the comment made in (v) above, future performance monitoring reports submitted to the Committee provide timescales /implementation dates for actions where possible;

2.      that the Committee’s wish to have access to the Cabinet Forward Programme, to assist the review of its scrutiny work programme as outlined in (viii) above, be recorded;

3.      that resolution 2 above be actioned by way of a note to be provided by the Chair of the Committee making that request, to be sent via the Democratic Services Officer to the Leader and Chief Executive;

4.      that the report providing performance information in respect of the Corporate Plan objectives and key performance indicators within the Committee’s remit (Quarter 2 2019/20) be noted.

Reasons

1.      To assist the Committee in monitoring progress effectively.

2.      The Committee considered that access to the information in the Forward Programme was necessary to ensure its scrutiny work reflected the Council’s priorities and direction of travel.

3.      To ensure that the Committee’s request was actioned and included the Chair’s rationale for that request.

4.      The Committee’s remit included receiving regular performance monitoring reports so that it could ensure that targets and objectives were being met and identify areas where performance might be improved.  Having noted the discussion at this meeting and made specific resolution where it so wished, the Committee was content to note the performance information report.