Agenda Item No

The Vale of Glamorgan Council

Scrutiny Committee (Social Care and Health): 19th October 2009

Scrutiny Committee (Housing and Public Protection): 22nd October 2009

Scrutiny Committee (Lifelong Learning): 2nd November 2009

Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources): 3rd November 2009

Scrutiny Committee (Economy and Environment): 10th November 2009

Report of the Chief Executive

Review of Scrutiny Committee Performance Panels

Purpose of the Report

1.            To report back to Scrutiny Committee on the progress with Performance Panels after a full cycle of meetings.

Recommendations

1.             That the Scrutiny Committee notes the progress made with scrutinising performance information and service plans.

2.             That the Scrutiny Committee endorses the continuation of the Performance Panels to assist in the monitoring and scrutiny of performance.

3.             That the Scrutiny Committee agrees the four Members who will make up the Panel with no Member to sit on more than one Panel.

Reasons for the Recommendations

1.            To inform the Scrutiny Committee of the work undertaken in the Performance Panels.

2.            To enable the Scrutiny Committee to further develop their skills and expertise to scrutinise and challenge performance.

Background

2.            In July 2008 each Scrutiny Committee agreed to establish a Performance Panel in line with the commitment in the Scrutiny Action Plan to 'investigate the feasibility of Member development of specialist functions within scrutiny enabling Members to become experts in certain subjects'.

Relevant Issues and Options

3.            Panels were subsequently established for each of the five Committees with membership varying between 3 and 5 Members and each Panel has met four times since September 2009 and has focussed on the following issues:

·     Meeting 1 - Introduction to Ffynnon and Quarter 1 performance

·     Meeting 2 - Monitoring progress of actions within the 2008/09 Service Plans and Quarter 2 performance

·     Meeting 3 - Draft Service Plans 2009/10 and Quarter 3 performance

·     Meeting 4 - End of Year Performance 2008/09 and target setting 2009/10.

4.            The feedback from Members at the Panel meetings has been very positive with Members commenting that the Panels have helped with their understanding of performance, increased their knowledge of Ffynnon and ability to use the system and Panel discussions have enabled them to probe performance information in more detail.

5.            Although there is still a potential to increase the use of Ffynnon within Committee meetings to explore background data and comments about performance, the use of the system within the Panels has enabled Members to focus on those PIs that merit more detailed scrutiny.  There has been greater engagement by Members with performance information and scrutiny of the service plans for 2009/10 was more detailed than in previous years.

6.            In line with the recommendation by all Committees that the Panels be reviewed after twelve months, Members are requested to consider whether they wish the Panels to continue. If the decision is made to continue with the Panels then Members will need to decide whether existing Panel Members should build on the knowledge and skills developed to date or whether other Members should have the opportunity to join a Performance Panel.

7.            Based on experience to date it is suggested that each Panel has 4 Members and that Members do not sit on more than one Panel due to the time commitment of 3-4 meetings per year and often the same training issues are covered in the different Panel meetings. The current membership of the Performance Panels is:

8.            This report was considered and endorsed by the Scrutiny Committee Chairmen / Vice-Chairmen Group on 30th September 2009.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

9.            Training and support for each of the Performance Panels will continue to be provided by the Improvement and Development Team in the Chief Executive's department.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

10.       None.

Crime and Disorder Implications

11.       None.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

12.       None.

Corporate/Service Objectives

13.       Improving and developing the effectiveness of Scrutiny contributes towards the Community Leadership priority within the Corporate Plan.

Policy Framework and Budget

14.       None.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

15.       None.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

All five Scrutiny Committees

Background Papers

Scrutiny Action Plan

Contact Officer

Helen Moses - Policy Officer, Improvement and Development

Officers Consulted

Jeff Wyatt - Operational Manager, Democratic Services

Beverly Noon - Operational Manager, Corporate Policy and Communications

Responsible Officer:

John Maitland Evans, Chief Executive