Agenda item

Consider report by Chief Executive presenting a high level summary of Scottish Borders Council’s performance during Q1 2018/19 and Live Borders performance for Q3 and Q4 of 2017/18 (copy attached).

2.1       With reference to the revised Performance Management Framework (PMF), approved by Scottish Borders Council on 30 August 2018, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Executive, being the first performance report in the revised format, set across the four themes within the Corporate Plan 2018-2023.  The report presented a high level summary of Scottish Borders Council’s performance during Quarter 1 2018/19, with details contained within Appendices 1 and 2 to the report.        Reporting was also included on the progress of change and improvement projects across Scottish Borders Council, replacing what was the separate Corporate Transformation report.  The new reporting basis was explained in addition to a summary of additions and changes to indicators, which would now distinguish between Performance Indicators, where SBC had a direct influence and Context Indicators where SBC had an indirect influence.  New indicators covering Asset Transfers and Participation Requests had been added under ‘Empowered Vibrant Communities’.  Also, to reflect the significant investment made by the Council during    2018/19, an overview of the work and impact of Police Scotland’s Community Action             Team was provided both within the report and in Appendix 2.  The performance of Live Borders, who had delivered sport and cultural services as part of an integrated trust since April 2016, was presented in Appendix 3 to the report for Quarters 3 and 4 of 2017/18.

2.2       With the aid of a presentation, the Policy, Performance and Planning Officer, Sarah Watters, summarised the successes and challenges outlined within the report.  In the ensuing discussion, Members welcomed the new reporting format both in respect of the summary in graphics and the more detailed analysis behind each performance indicator.  They noted that this was work in progress and recognised that the reports would become increasingly meaningful over future quarters as comparative figures became available. In response to a comment that it would also be useful to have an impression of performance comparisons over a significant period of time Mrs Watters advised that this would be picked up in the annual report in June of next year.  Attention would also be given to the presentation of illustrative graphics in a colour blind compliant format.  In response to a question about response-time to customer on-line communications the Service Director advised that this was being addressed as part of the Digital Customer Access Programme by putting in place a proactive response and update arrangement to ensure that customer needs were met efficiently on the website.  Members moved on to consider the performance information presented for Live Borders activities in Quarters 3 and 4 of 2017/18. Members felt the report was helpful and they welcomed the inclusion of case studies to give examples of the impact of Live Borders during the year.  Commenting on the downturn in number of volunteers/coaches during 2017/18 Chief Executive, Ewan Jackson, explained that this tended to be cyclical with numbers increasing when there were global sporting events taking place.   A volunteering policy and plans developed through the Active Schools Plan was being extended to include cultural activities and he was confident that there would be an upward trend in the long term.

DECISION

NOTED:-

(a)                      any changes to performance (and context) indicators outlined in Section 4 of this report;

(b)          that this was the first report in the refreshed format, aligned to the new         Corporate Plan and revised Performance Management             Framework;

(c)                      that separate Transformation reporting would be discontinued, with reporting of Change and Improvement project progress now included within this quarterly Performance report;

(d)                      the performance summarised in this report for SBC and Live   Borders and detailed within Appendices 1, 2 and 3, and the action that was being taken within services to improve or maintain performance.