Agenda item

To receive and consider report 245/05 of the Strategic Director. 

(Time: 3.50pm to 4.07pm)

The Executive received and considered report 245/05 of the Strategic Director on the Best Value Review for the previous year and made proposals for reviews for 2006/07.

Following the completion of the first of the new style reviews, the Principal Performance Management Officer had completed a new Best Value Review Toolkit.  Members welcomed the general approach taken. 

Four reviews were identified for 2005/06 to 2006/07:

·         Services for Younger People - This review had been overtaken by Council’s contribution to the Oxfordshire Children and Young People’s Plan and the Children and Young Persons' block of the Oxfordshire Local Area Agreement

·         Waste Management - The service Best Value Review was completed in March 2005 and an Action Plan had been agreed

·         Revenues and Benefits - This review culminated in the report to the Executive on 23 February 2006

·         Housing Services - It was proposed that this review followed the Housing Inspection

In establishing a review programme for 2006/07 to 2008/09, officers looked at the Strategic Service Review work carried out by the Directors and Assistant Directors on procurement and other significant issues.  It was recommended that reviews were added to the programme as follows:

·         A cross-cutting review in respect of the identification of longer term aims for the area and how these were delivered by the Vale Strategic Partnership and other partnership arrangements

·         A Best Value Review of the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre

Further service based reviews would be considered once the new structure was in place and the Council was in a position to receive the views of the respective Assistant/Deputy Directors. 

The suggested review of Housing Services was supported by the Housing Inspection Team at the initial feedback meeting held recently.  It was suggested that the Housing Strategy should be reviewed also.  The inspectors had suggested that the Council should carry out a zero-based budgeting exercise when compiling its next budget.  They believed that zero-based budgeting would mean resources being better targeted at the Council's priorities, such as putting more resources into Housing Services.  Members noted that the Council had traditionally used incremental budgeting techniques.  The Executive recognised the benefits of zero-based budgeting but were concerned at the time that managers would need to give to undertake the exercise.  It was suggested that the Directors' Group should give consideration to this suggestion in the summer as part of a strategic overview assessment of the Council's operations. 

RESOLVED

(a)        that the progress in respect of the Best Value Review Programme for 2005-06 be noted;

(b)        that the Best Value Review Programme for 2006/07 be approved as being:

(i)         a cross-cutting review in respect of the identification of longer term aims for the area and how these are delivered by the Vale Strategic Partnership and other partnership arrangements;

(ii)        a Best Value Review of the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre;

(c)        that a further report identifying appropriate “Service Reviews” be submitted to the Executive as soon as practicable; and

(d)        that the Directors' Group be requested to give consideration to introducing zero-based budgeting, as part of a strategic overview assessment of the Council's operations.