Issue - meetings

To receive and consider report 74/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The Corporate Governance Report looks at the key areas of:

Corporate Priorities

Best Value Performance Indicators

Progress against Service Prioritisation Plans

Key staffing data (sickness levels and turnover)

Financial commentary

Corporate Governance reporting to the Executive during 2006/7 included the full versions of all of the individual reports. For 2007/8 the Executive have asked that only exceptions be included in the quarterly report to the Executive. The Senior Management Team (SMT) now has a standard quarterly agenda item for their meetings (which are held monthly) which considers all aspects of corporate governance. At its meeting on 20^th August SMT agreed the exceptions to be reported to the Executive and the appropriate comments / actions proposed have been included in this report. In addition, a number of areas of good performance have been highlighted. These have been included in section 4.

This new style of reporting has significantly reduced the length of the Quarterly Corporate Governance report. Previous versions were up to 40 pages long and contained too much detail. However, the full versions of the individual reports will be still available on the Council’s website. They can be accessed through the performance section of the Council and Democracy area of the website.

The contact officer for this report is Tim Sadler, Strategic Director, telephone (01235 540360).  Email address:  tim.sadler@whitehorsedc.gov.uk

Recommendation

That the Senior Management Team’s Corporate Governance exception report and proposals be noted. 

(Time: 3.36pm to 3.50pm)

The Executive received and considered report 74/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer, which set out the Corporate Governance Report for the first quarter of 2007/08, being April to June 2007.  The report looked at the key areas of corporate priorities, Best Value Performance Indicators, progress against Service Prioritisation Plans, key staffing data (sickness levels and turnover), and included a financial commentary. 

During 2006/07 the Corporate Governance Reports included full versions of the individual reports on each of the key areas listed above.  However, for 2007/08 the Executive had asked that exception reporting should be adopted.  The Senior Management Team would consider a standard quarterly report, which considered all aspects of corporate governance and the full versions of the individual reports were still available on the Council’s website. 

The Executive discussed the Best Value Performance Indicator results for the quarter.  Invoices paid on time was below target but improving.  The latest figure was 91.33%.  It was noted that much work had been carried out to solve the problems experienced following the introduction of the new financial management software.  It was noted that Capita was putting more resources into this and targeting payment of invoices that had been delayed.  Suppliers were being contacted by telephone to inform them of the latest position. 

Members again remarked about the performance indicators that gave a misleading impression of the Council’s performance on waste management.  The Council wanted to minimise waste, and from the waste produced, recycle more and reduce the amount sent to landfill.  This was not reflected in the performance indicators. 

Turning to the financial commentary, it was noted that although there were some variances across the service areas, none of these were considered to be significant.  The latest prediction was that there would be a £75,000 underspend for the authority at the year end.  Portfolio Holders did not raise any significant concerns with budget performance in their service areas. 

The other sections of the Corporate Governance report were noted. 

RESOLVED

that the Senior Management Team’s First Quarter 2007/08 Corporate Governance exception report and proposals be noted.