Progress report on Best Value and Community Planning at Argyll & Bute Council

This is Anne McCubbin here to talk with Fraser McKinlay about our Best Value progress report at Argyll & Bute Council. Fraser, what did the last report say?

The Accounts Commission’s report on Argyll & Bute Council, published in February 2006, said the council had made limited progress in establishing Best Value. In particular it said it needed to become more outward focussed and become more responsive to the people using its services.

What progress has the council made now in establishing Best Value? Has anything got better?

The council has made improvements in the two years since the initial report was published. In particular it has stronger strategic leadership, particularly from councillors, post May 2007and the new chief executive is also showing signs of improvement. They have also been more open to external challenge. For example they have appointed some external non-executive members to their audit committee, which we believe is an innovative and welcome improvement.

So, these are good signs. But what still needs to improve?

The Accounts Commission’s findings recognise that the pace of change needs to increase in Argyll & Bute Council. In particular the council’s ability to effectively manage its own performance is still of concern. It does not yet have a fully functioning performance management system and it really needs to develop systems and processes for this.

There are some other corporate processes which also need attention, such as risk management, being better at learning from other organisations and putting into action strategies for managing their people and managing other assets.

So what happens next?

We would expect the council to take the findings of the report into account when they’re planning their improvements from hereon. The council recognise that the pace of change needs to increase and are putting plans in place to ensure that happens. Our local auditors in Argyll & Bute will be monitoring the situation very carefully and the Accounts Commission has asked the Controller of Audit to consider this council as a potential candidate for an early audit in the next round of Best Value.

Fraser, thanks very much.