How do we compare to the rest of the country? Well soon you’ll know. By the end of March 2004, you’ll be able to check how we measure up to the rest of the district councils countrywide.
What is Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA)?
One of the key components of the recent local government White Paper, Strong Local Government - Quality Public Services, is the introduction of comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) for local authorities.CPA aims to combine the diverse elements of the current inspection process into one corporate assessment.
Comprehensive Performance Assessment is a government initiative that aims to help councils improve and deliver better services to local people. A team of Audit Commission Inspectors will assess the Council by looking at evidence about what we do and how we do it and by talking to residents, partners, members and officers.
It brings together all key information on how well a council is run, the performance of its services and the potential to improve. From this, councils receive an overall judgement (poor, weak, fair, good, excellent) and use the inspectors' findings to draw up an improvement plan.
Councils who are performing well will be given greater freedoms over how they spend money and make decisions, and will have fewer requirements to produce plans for the Government. Councils who aren't performing well will receive help and support so that they can improve their services.
Who does it affect?
2002 was the first year of CPA. In 2002, only those authorities with responsibility for Education and Social Services have been included (County Councils, Metropolitan Councils, London Boroughs and Unitary Authorities). District and Borough Councils started CPA in 2003.
Why the need for CPA?
The Government is committed to improving public services through modern working practices, reform and investment. Inspection provides external challenge and tests the effectiveness of national and local policies. The Government accepts that existing inspection activity needs to be better co-ordinated, less burdensome and offers more practical support for councils. For the first time, it is attempting an overall assessment of the performance of councils by pulling together all key evidence.
Who makes the assessment?
The Audit Commission is conducting all inspections to behalf of the Government. They are going to visit Bedford Borough Council at the end of March 2004 and are expected to publish their results in June/July 2004.
What are the Audit Commission looking for?
Unlike other reviews, which have concentrated on specific services, this is an overall assessment of the council’s performance and whether or not it will improve. It is basically looking at whether we have a good business plan that meets local people’s needs and whether we are actually following it. The results will go into a league table of local councils so you can see how well we’re doing compared to other authorities.
What are the implications of CPA for the Council?
While we believe we are a good council, there is always room for improvement. Along with the results, the Audit Commission will publish an improvement plan for each council. This will help us identify which areas we need to work on to provide you with a better service. What is the outcome of the process?
A single management report is published for each council setting out its current performance and capacity for improvement. All councils are ranked as either - poor, weak, fair, good or excellent. From this, the council develops a three-year improvement programme agreed with inspectors and the Government.
The CPA scorecard will be regularly updated with new performance information, inspection work and assessment of progress
What does it mean for Bedford?
The outcome of the CPA process should be a clear and complete picture of the council that is being inspected and a judgement about a council's 'proven capacity to improve'. It will provide the baseline for the council to plan what needs to be done to make improvements. The outcome will also form the basis on which the amount of future inspection and audit for the council will be planned. For example if services are well managed and real improvements for the people who are served are made then there will be fewer inspections and scrutiny than for those who are doing less well.
How may I be involved?
There will be different levels of input for individuals/groups depending on the relationships with the council, with most attention on staff and elected members. However, partner organisations and local people will be involved in meetings, site visits or focus groups to discuss or observe aspects on council activity, new initiatives and their impact on the quality of life in the area.
CPA will:
- help the Council to look at what it is doing and why.
- be a tool to help the Council examine its current priorities and challenge whether they are still relevant
- require us to assess the adequacy of resources to meet the Council’s priorities
- require us to match resources to priorities so that they can be delivered
This may mean a fundamental review of our current priorities either confirming them or radically changing the direction and focus of the Council.
Outline of CPA methodology
CPA will include:
- Council’s own self assessment;
- a PEER review assessment;
- a corporate assessment, informed by the peer report and the authority’s self assessment;
- two diagnostic assessments of the council’s strategic approach to;
- management of open space; and
- management of housing markets;
- the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) assessment of benefits;
- auditor assessments of performance;
- audited performance indicators, inspection reports and plan assessments
 | The self assessment methodology. ( 16 KB ) - DOWNLOAD |
The self assessment methodology will look at the following four questions and underlying themes as ‘Key Lines of Enquiry’:
What is the council trying to achieve?
• Ambition
• Prioritisation
• Focus
How has the council set about delivering its priorities for improvement?
• Capacity
• Performance management
What improvements has the council achieved / not achieved to date?
• Achievement in quality of service
• Achievement of improvement
• Investment
In light of what the council has learnt to date, what does it plan to do next?
• Learning
• Future plans
Each of the themes is given a score between 1 and 4 based on the following scale:
1. Weak
2. Weaknesses outweigh strengths
3. Strengths outweigh weaknesses
4. Strong
This will give the Council the opportunity to describe the local context and community that shapes the priorities we have set for the delivery of our services.
It will also:
Set our own view of how we are doing in meeting the needs of our community
Set an holistic baseline of the Council's performance
Act as a tool of self-awareness
Identify how priorities are set, managed and monitored
Provide the basis for discussion on the other two elements of the CPA and the development of the agreed action plan
The Peer Challenge
- To further strengthen and challenge our self-assessment and preparations for the corporate assessment visit, we are having a peer review. A peer challenge is intended to offer a supportive approach, undertaken by ‘critical friends’ to help the Council to identify its current strengths and recognise key areas that require development in order to drive future improvement. The Council has contracted the I&DeA to provide the Peer Challenge, which is due to commence on Monday 1st December.The Corporate Assessment will be informed by diagnostic assessments of two key service areas (housing and open spaces), performance indicators, the auditor's judgement and the results from the Benefits Fraud Inspectorate report. Following this an overall judgement will be made.
The corporate assessment will look at:
Political and managerial structures and leadership
Ambition and priorities
Community Focus
Capacity and systems
Roles and responsibilities
Risk management and financial control
Corporate support for service delivery
Standards of conduct
Two Diagnostic Assessments
The Balancing Housing Markets Assessment
- How well does the Council understands its housing market?
- Has it developed the right proposals and actions?
- What outcomes has it achieved?
- How does it monitors its progress and impact?
- Is it effective in developing future strategies and plans?
The Management of Public Space Assessment
How well does the Council contributes to the management of the physical environment? Does it keep the locality clean? How well does it work with partners to improve community safety? Does it make a positive contribution to activities to engage children and young people?Following consultation framework, the Commission will produce a single management report for each district council as well as a shorter community digest for the benefit of local people. This will give a judgement about the council's corporate capacity to improve and for their ability to deliver housing and public spaces inspections. The report will include performance data, outcomes of other relevant inspections, plan assessments and the external auditor's assessment of financial performance.