The audit of Best Value and Community Planning: The City of Edinburgh Council podcast transcript – May 2013
Intro: I’m here with John Baillie, Chair of the Accounts Commission to talk about the City of Edinburgh Council Best Value report.

1.	What is this report about?
Well, it looks at what’s been going on at the council since the last Best Value report in 2007. That earlier report highlighted a number of issues which City of Edinburgh Council needed to address to show it was improving services and getting best value for the money it spent.
2.	So has the council made progress?
The council has made progress in some areas. There have been improvements to child services and economic development and in some aspects of reducing inequalities. There has also been improved performance in partnership working – both at a political level within the council and with community planning partners.
3.	That’s good news – are there any areas they need to work on?
Well, the Commission is pleased to see that the council now has a long-term financial plan in place, however, we do have some concerns about the scale of the financial challenge the council is facing.
The council’s four-year budget sets out the need for recurring annual savings of £107 million by 2017/18. Plans to address this include £41 million per annum from improved procurement. Even if these planned savings are achieved the council will still need to identify savings of £7m in 2015/16, £19m the following year and £17m in 2017/18.
There are significant risks and uncertainties around whether these targets are achievable and the council’s prospects for future improvement depend heavily on it achieving planned savings and addressing the funding gaps that remain.  The council should give absolute priority to making sure the savings are delivered.
4.	Are there any other areas the council needs to work on?
There are some other areas in which the Commission would like to see improvement. Some of the services we highlighted as areas for improvement in the 2007 report, like waste management and meeting demands for adult social care still need work.  The council should also develop a comprehensive workforce strategy; improve its information and communication and technology, or ICT, systems; and make sure it has the capacity and skills to develop an ambitious improvement and change programme. 
5.	Do you think the council can do all this?
As I said – the scale of the financial challenge is significant and the council needs to make sure its plans are achievable but it does have a good understanding of the challenges it’s facing and the recent leadership of the council has been strong.  
This needs to continue if the council’s plans are to be translated into reality.  
The Commission has asked the Controller of Audit to report again on the council’s in around 18 months’ time.