Agenda item

The most recent 6-month update to the Commissioners on the Council’s Improvement and Recovery Programme.

Reporting Person: Kevin Foster

The Members of the Committee were invited to comment on the six month Improvement and Recovery Programme Update for March to September 2024 which was due to be considered by the Executive at its meeting on 12 September 2024.  The document was the fourth progress report to be prepared for the Commissioners and consisted of an outcome-based review of progress against the Improvement and Recovery Plan, a programme-based review of progress against the Plan and the high level risks of the Plan.

Councillor Greentree referred to the paper’s reference to the terms of reference of Committees having been refreshed and advised that he considered such statements to be all-encompassing and a matter of opinion, arguing that in his opinion the terms of reference of all the Committees had not been refreshed and that there were no mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of Committees.  The Committee was advised that the terms of reference of the Committees had been reviewed as part of overall review of the Council’s committee structure earlier in the year.

Councillor Oades added that the report did not include any figures and as such the progress could not be demonstrated.  Section 5 referred to asset rationalisation and debt reduction and it was felt that the report should have included details of the assets sold, their target price and the value realised, together with any next steps.  Officers advised that the report was intended to provide a general overview of progress achieved aimed at the Government appointed Commissioners, set around the success measures identified by the Commissioners to judge the performance of the Council.  Detailed assessments of each of the workstreams were provided to the Commissioners through the monthly meetings of the Improvement and Recovery Board.

The Committee discussed the lack of metrics within the report, it was suggested that inclusion of metrics would allow for better scrutiny and greater transparency. The discussion particularly highlighted the need for Members and the public to have sufficient information provided in such updates to allow an understanding of the Council’s progress, achievements so far, and adherence to timeframes.

The Strategic Director explained that the report before the Committee was a report to the Executive; should the Committee wish to review the progress of the Improvement and Recovery Plan at a more detailed level, with specific figures against each of the workstreams, agenda items could be added to the Work Programme.  The Commissioners would have the opportunity to feed back on the report, and the Council would review its approach in the event any feedback was received.

The Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, Resources, and Finance, Councillor Roberts, suggested the Committee should seek to identify the level of information it wished to receive to be able to contribute towards the work being undertaken through the Improvement and Recovery Plan.  The Vice-Chair considered that the report to the Executive was bland and confusing and that a presentation would have been of more value.  The Officers took onboard the comments and added that a full Member briefing on the Plan, together with a presentation had been arranged for the following evening.

The Portfolio Holder advised that the report sought to provide the Commissioners with a clear indication of progress towards outcomes.  Noting the comments of the Committee, it was suggested that some level of detail around tracking progress could be included in future reports, outlining what work had already been completed over the recent period and what work was still to be done.  The Chair agreed that the report could be much improved to demonstrate clearly the extent of the good work done to-date.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.