PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

PERFORMANCEMANAGEMENT

Our Framework For Performance Management

Version 6March 2005

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Performance Management

City of Lincoln Council has risen to the challenge of driving through improvementfollowing its Comprehensive Performance Assessment in November 2003. The authority iscommitted to striving for excellence and its aim is to become an 'Excellent' authority, onepublicly recognised for the quality of the services it provides to the local community.

Performance Management is an essential, key aspect of this improvement agenda andsupports not only the above ambition, but also the authority's overall high-level mission:

“The Council believes that its prime duty is to seek to deliver either by direct action or byworking with partners, sustainable improvements in the economic, social andenvironmental well-being of the citizens of Lincoln”.

Over the next five years the authority is committed to deliver 7 key strategic priorities thatwill make a difference for the people of Lincoln and assist it to achieve 'excellent' status.These priorities are defined as:

•Improvement of the City's infrastructure and car parking and regenerating key parts of the city

• Improvement of the Waste Management, Street Cleansing, Open Spaces Maintenance and Recycling Services.

•Delivering progress towards more of our residents having decent homes to live in.

• Increasing the satisfaction of our service users and ensuring the authority becomes classed as EXCELLENT

•Determining an effective strategy for dealing with Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour reflecting the needs of local communities

•Determining an effective strategy for ensuring sustainable local communities across the city

•Secure the benefits of partnership for investment in Yarborough Leisure Centre and Birchwood Leisure Centre by delivering improvements in the quality of the council's centre-based leisure and sports facilities

1

OVERVIEW


Effective Performance Management is the underpinning mechanism to ensure thesepriorities are achieved.

This document offers both an overview and a practioners guide to how performance ismanaged by the organisation. As such it is written on two levels, one for the casual reader or member of staff who wishes to identify their particular role within theframework, and also at a deeper level (supported by a range of “Pull Out and Use” workbreakdown structures) for those with responsibility for implementing and administeringthe framework.

Crucially this document seeks to comprehensively cover, and formalise in a coherent andintegrated way, the EXISTING operational good practice that is already taking placeacross the organisation.

The Framework does introduce some new concepts such as:

A) Late morning opening - a capacity building measureB) PRIDE Scheme - a celebration of successC) Performance Improvement Clinic - a supportive diagnostic/intervention measure

However, the main objective of the document is to provide a guide to Members, Heads ofService, and Managers. Performance management is examined in detail to build up acomprehensive picture of how performance can be managed from the outset at both thepersonal and organisational level. It also provides strong evidence to the AuditCommission that the authority is taking performance seriously within a defined frameworkwhere everyone knows their responsibility.

The fundamental principle of the whole document is that performance issues areidentified and quickly tackled at the point closest to service delivery. This is the single most important point within the document as it promotes and builds the concept ofownership. If performance is regularly discussed in staff “one to ones”, team meetingsand Departmental Management Teams, it is anticipated that solutions will be identified at this level. Only in exceptional circumstances will performance issues need to escalate to Corporate Management Team and from there ultimately to a Performance Improvement Clinic.

2

OVERVIEW


This document is not revolutionary, it is not a brand new concept or approach, it is a basiccommon sense approach to performance, basically following the model of:

Step One: Define Priorities and Objectives

Step Two: Define measures and targets

Step Three: Provide the resources to deliver

Step Four: Allocate responsibility and ensure ownership

Step Five: Monitor delivery

Step Six: Intervene (at the closest point to any “blockage”)

Step Seven: Deliver against targets

Step Eight: Post Implementation Review to extract learning

Step Nine: Feed learning into new priorities and objectives

The Nine 'Steps' of Performance Management

These nine steps provide the theme that runs throughout this document. Whilst there aremany procedures and mechanisms in place, and are described in detail in the text, thisguide seeks to always link them back to these simple, logical steps.

It is what many of us are doing already and this guide aims to cover, in the simplest termspossible, this Authority's approach to performance management so everyone can betterunderstand their role within it.

3

OVERVIEW

Our Framework For Performance Management 4

CONTENTS

SECTION TITLE PAGE

1 The Overall Approach 5

2 Determining Vision & Planning Delivery 10

3 Managing Delivery 13

4 Appraising & Supporting Staff 14

5 Organisational Systems 19

6 Conclusion 27

Appendices

A Key Milestones within the Cycle

B Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

C Performance Improvement Clinic

Supporting Documents (referred to in text)

1 Position Statement and Action Plan

2 Pull Out and Use Work Breakdown Structures:

A The Strategic Planning Cycle

B The Service Planning Cycle

C Performance Monitoring

D Target Setting and the Best Value Performance Plan

Performance management is simply the culture (e.g. leadership, responsibility, accountability,ownership) and systems (e.g. service planning, committees, meetings, monitoring) that theorganisation puts in place to help it manage and continuously improve its performance.

The City Council's approach to Performance Management builds on this approach andconsists of two interrelated parts that support one another. These parts are:

•Recognition of Staff as individuals - a focus on ensuring personal commitment and accountability to performance management. This includes support through training, development and appraisal and the formal recognition scheme - PRIDE. It also incorporates capability issues at the appropriate point. Overall committed and dedicatedstaff, working in a performance-orientated culture, is central to a high performing authority and treating staff as individuals is fundamental.

•Recognition of Organisational Systems - is concentrated around the formal systemsby which the Council makes decisions, implements them and monitors delivery. The primary focus therefore is on the 'official' systems and procedures in place to support the individual to perform.

So What Mechanisms Are Involved?

Performance management is about systems and the people using them. There is a need forthe right systems to suit the right people at the right levels. Of course the authority acceptsthat there is a need for the right organisational culture to embed the behaviours that areessential to ensure those systems are used. The mechanisms in place to enable this twincycle of activity to take place are as follows:

SECTION 0NE THE OVERALL APPROACH

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT5


SECTION 0NE : THE OVERALL APPROACH

The Nine Steps The Individual Organisational Systems

STEP ONEDefining Vision & Priorities • Team meetings • Strategic Plan

• Job chats • Service Plans

• Staff workshops

STEP TWODefining Measures & Targets • Team meetings • Strategic Plan

• Job chats • Service Plans

• Staff workshops

STEP THREEProviding Resources • Budget allocated to the individual • Service Plans

• Budget Reports

STEP FOURAllocating Responsibility • Job chats • Service Plans

• Staff Appraisal process • Team Plans

STEP FIVEMonitoring Delivery • Staff Appraisal • Directorate Management Team

• Job chats • Corporate Management Team

• Team meetings • Major Projects Monitoring

• Members

STEP SIXProviding Additional Support • Support - training/coaching etc. • Support - Resource re-allocation

• Escalation - Capability procedures • Escalation - Performance

Improvement Clinic

STEP SEVENDelivery - Reward & Recognition • PRIDE • Committee Reports

• Staff Appraisal • Management Reports

• Personal thanks

STEP EIGHTReviewing Results • Team meetings • Standard PIR’s

• Staff Appraisals

• Staff Workshops

STEP NINECapturing Learning • Documented appraisal • Learning library on intranet

• Minutes team meetings

• Workshop outputs

Fig.1 The Mechanisms for Performance Management

In simple terms, the Council's formal Performance Management Framework (PMF) seeks toachieve an environment whereby:

The Nine Steps Section within this guidance

STEP ONE The authority's vision is defined and

objectives set through the Community Plan SECTION TWO

and supported by the Strategic Plan

i.e. Where we want to go

STEPS TWO AND THREE Translated into service plans and team plans

containing specific key objectives, SECTION TWO

responsibilities and targets

i.e. How we are going to get there

STEP FOUR Cascaded down to individual members of staff

through the Appraisal process. SECTION FOUR

i.e. Who is going to help us get there

STEPS FIVE TO SEVEN Reviewing performance through indicators and

milestones - Staff & Systems SECTIONS FOUR & FIVE

i.e. How fast we are getting there

STEPS EIGHT AND NINE Reporting performance through the Best Value

Performance Plan SECTION FIVE

i.e. Letting everyone know we have got there

Fig.2 A simple Structure to Performance Management - Maintaining the “Golden Thread” from policy to performance.




Golden Thread

The clear linkages between the actions of individual members of staff, teams, services anddirectorates and the high level objectives that are expressed in the Strategic Plan andCommunity Plan is what is termed the 'golden thread'. It ensures a continual focus on staffdoing things that contribute to the high-level objectives, particularly the seven key prioritiesover the next five years. It also helps staff to understand how what they do contribute toimproving outcomes for local people.

City of Lincoln Council - Maintaining the Golden Thread

In reality, and putting names to the key strategies and documents that make up this process,for the City Council this is represented by:

Fig. 3 The formalised process for maintaining the “Golden Thread”

The framework starts with our high level policies - Strategic Plan and Best Value PerformancePlan. These set out the vision by which the Council will operate and steer the organisation.These documents outline the key priorities and objectives for the City Council for the nextthree to five years together with specific actions and targets for measuring achievement.


COMMUNITY PLAN - A VISION FOR THE CITY

BEST VALUE PERFORMANCEPLAN (BVPP)

• Statutory assessment of City Council performance

STRATEGIC PLAN• City Council's contribution to the

Community Plan• Council's vision and priorities

DIRECTORATE SERVICE AND TEAM PLANS

• Service Objectives• Service Performance Assessment

OTHER CORPORATEPLANS/STRATEGIES

• E Govt• Efficiency Savings • etc

INDIVIDUAL APPRAISAL


These objectives are then cascaded down through Directorate and then Head of Serviceplans to provide targets and objectives for teams and individual members of staff. TheAuthority can then assess the effectiveness of action to achieve these objectives throughindividual appraisal.

Finally we report back on outcomes through Corporate Management Team meetings,Departmental Team meetings, Team meetings and various committee reports. This reportingcycle then feeds into the following year's plans and strategies to ensure learning is captured.

This briefly explains the Performance Management Framework at City of Lincoln Council.

The rest of this guide explains each of these elements in more detail, and for practitioners,references to separate “Pull Out and Use” work breakdown structures, which specify inmore detail the roles, responsibilities and timings.



The Annual Strategic Planning and Service Planning Cycle

Underpinning Performance Management is an annual cycle of activity to firstly sets thePriorities, Objectives and Milestones for the year ahead (Strategic Plan/ Best ValuePerformance Plan), and then ensures the necessary resources, both staff and financial, are allocated to deliver them (service plans). This is an 8-stage cycle and is illustrated by the following:

Fig. 4 The Corporate Planning CycleEach stage of this cycle is explained in more detail below, and the “Pull Out and Use” workbreakdown structure referenced below offers further information on the roles,responsibilities and timings within this process.

See Pull Out A - Strategic Plan Cycle

See Pull Out B - Service Planning Cycle

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SECTION TWO DETERMINING THE VISION AND PLANNING ITS DELIVERY

1Engage in ConsultationSEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER

5Develop supporting Strategic Plan bidsDECEMBER

2Analyse resultsNOVEMBER

8Implement and monitorservice plansMAY ONGOING

4Confirm priorities and objectivesNOVEMBER

6Appraise, consult andapprove range of bidsJANUARY TO MARCH

3Develop corporatepriorities and objectivesNOVEMBER

7Finalise service plans incl. approved bidsAPRIL TO MAY

CYCLE FOR MEMBERS, CORPORATE

DIRECTORS ANDHEADS OF SERVICE


1 Engage in Public Consultation - September to October

The process begins with two sets of workshops - one at Corporate Management Team/Headof Service level and one at Member level to amend existing/identify new priorities andobjectives and reflect likely external pressures.

The draft priorities and objectives from this process are then subjected to externalconsultation with stakeholders. Stakeholders include staff, residents and partners. The PolicyUnit leads on all such consultation.

2 Analyse results - November

The Policy Unit subsequently analyses the results of all stakeholder sessions and produce a detailed report ranking the priorities and objectives and cross referencing to any national priorities.

3 Develop Corporate objectives - November

The results are considered by both an 'All Member' workshop and a separate joint CMT/Hostworkshop. Both sessions are facilitated by the Policy Unit.

4 Confirm Priorities and Objectives - November

The Policy Unit produces a report for Executive bringing together the outputs from all theworkshop sessions. Executive then confirms the final set of priorities and objective for thefollowing year.

5 Develop Strategic Plan bids - December

Once the objectives have been finalised and prioritised, proposed new activity and initiativesrequiring financial resources are produced from within service areas. For each, directoratesmust produce a project brief detailing the outcomes expected and how such activity willsupport key objectives. The Policy Unit supports the collation of such project briefs, but itremains each directorate's responsibility to produce the briefs.

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SECTION TWO : DETERMINING THE VISION AND PLANNING ITS DELIVERY


6i Appraise and Prioritise bids - January to March

All collated bids are considered within a Corporate Management Team session to qualitycontrol the bids put forward, and the final list is referred to Members. An 'All-Member'workshop, facilitated by the Policy Unit, ranks all these bids using a basic scoring system andthe results form the basis of a report to Executive. Executive subsequently approves a “SelectList” of bids to expose to public consultation.

6ii Appraise and Prioritise bids - January to March

Public Consultation (same external groups as per stage 1 above) recommences on the 'selectlist' of bids. This process is facilitated by the Policy Unit results in a final ranking for eachscheme (after analysis of the results by the Policy Unit). This forms the basis of a report toFull Council, which is incorporated into the annual Council Tax setting process.

7 Write Service Plans - April to May

Service plans at Directorate and Head of Service Level are then completed withindirectorates, building in the agreed priorities, objectives and approved schemes for thefollowing year. Service plans are drafted in sufficient detail to enable the cascading down ofobjectives to individual members of staff.

8 Implement and Monitor plans - May onwards

The Strategic Plan, Best Value Performance Plan and supporting service plans are publishedand implemented at the end of the cycle. Cascading of objectives down to individual staffmembers is undertaken and monitoring commences.

The Strategic Plan ensures that staff and stakeholders are provided with a clear vision ofwhere the authority is going and the priorities to be met. The Best Value Performance Planspecifies in service delivery terms the targets, measures and objectives to achieve the vision.The service plan ensures accountability for delivery and allocates the specific resources to get there.

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SECTION TWO : DETERMINING THE VISION AND PLANNING ITS DELIVERY


So How Does it Work Operationally?

The approach to performance management can be illustrated in the following diagram,which clearly shows the two interrelated aspects referred to in Section One. The shadedboxes (referenced by letters) identify the organisational systems in place to supportperformance management, whilst the clear boxes (referenced by numbers) identify theprocesses relating to staff as individuals. This diagram visually demonstrates how the twoaspects to performance management inter-relate and each aspect/cycle is developed further in the next two sections.

Fig.5 The Performance Management Cycle

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SECTION THREE MANAGING DELIVERY

AConfirm Service Plans

B Allocate projects &

targets and standards

H Capture lessons learned

C Monitor Progress

G Complete PostImplementation

Reviews

D1Monitor projects

D2Monitor PI

performance

F1 Complete Projects

F2 Assess Performance

ETake remedial action

7 Capture learning

1 Agree targets &

immediate PersonalDevelopment Needs

6 Review targets

2 Staff Appraisal

5Determine rewards

/recognition

3Ongoing performance

monitoring

4Additional Support

CYCLE FOR MANAGERS AND

STAFF


Maximising the Potential of Our Staff

Isolating those aspects of performance management relating to the individual, there areseven basic stages utilised by the City Council.

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SECTION FOUR APPRAISING AND SUPPORTING STAFF

Fig.6 The Performance Management Cycle for individual Staff

Stage 1 - Agree Targets and Support

Heads of Service negotiate, with those affected staff, the accountability for projects, targetsand service standards early in the service planning cycle. This ensures a realistic anddeliverable set of objectives that feed into the finalised service plan for the year ahead. Individual responsibilities are then confirmed when the service plan becomes operational aspart of the appraisal process and/or job chats.

1Agree targets & immediatePersonal development Needs

5Rewards /Recognition

2Appraisal

4Additional Support

6Review targets

3Ongoing performance monitoring

7Capture Learning

MAXIMISING OUR STAFFPOTENTIAL


Personal development needs (necessary to meet these new responsibilities) are identified aspart of the negotiation process (ie whilst staff objectives are being negotiated prior tofinalisation of the service plan) and are met at both the 'formal' and 'informal' level. Formaldevelopment may include training and is built into the Training Strategy for the year (servicemanagers inform Human Resources at the start of the year of the training needs of theirstaff and any corporate need met where training is the appropriate delivery mechanism) andreflected in service plans. Informal development includes mentoring and coaching activities,which are organised by service managers.

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SECTION FOUR : APPRAISING AND SUPPORTING STAFF

Staff have the opportunity to further raise any issues around capacity and training as part ofeither their annual appraisal or their more regular 'job chats' throughout the year. Teamresponsibilities and development needs are clarified at Team Meetings, again at the outset of the year.

See Pull Out B - Service Planning

Stage 2 - Formal Appraisal

This relates to the formal, annual appraisal of the individual. The authority has a structuredappraisal system to review performance over the preceding year and review the allocatedperformance targets (see stage 1 above) for the current year. This provides an opportunity todiscuss barriers/constraints on performance and therefore enable additional support to beput in place.

Stage 3 - On going Monitoring

Progress is monitored throughout the year through both regular 'Job chats' with a linemanager and Team Meetings. Each Director will take an overview through DirectorateManagement Team meetings.

To facilitate monitoring at team level, one morning each week is designated as late openingto the public. This affords the opportunity for each team to come together to review performance, discuss issues of corporate/departmental importance or undertake additional training. This is a critical aspect of theperformance management culture as it enables staff to take a “breather” and look atperformanceas a team and identify how improvements can be made. The role of each line manager isessential in ensuring such sessions achieve a productive outcome.

See Pull Out C - Performance Monitoring


Stage 4 - Additional Support

Where performance falls short of the level agreed, then additional support is required. Suchsupport involves further training or providing additional coaching and mentoring. Such helpis documented (minutes of any discussions) and agreed by all parties. The result is monitored(possibly through an increased level of monitoring - agreed as part of any performancereview meetings). Where improvement is insufficient to reach agreed targets then furtherintervention action, on an escalating scale is required. Some of this activity may well count asthe preliminary stages of the Council adopted capability procedures.

The objective is to offer a realistic level of support to give staff every opportunity to meetagreed performance standards.

Support at team level is similar. The regular team meetings are used to review team targets.Support is agreed between the line manager and team and is supportive in nature offeringcapacity building opportunities such as training/coaching and also problem solving sessionsto involve the whole team in identifying blockages to performance. There are varioustechniques to analyse where performance blockages may be and the use of staff fromelsewhere in the authority with experience in using the tools can be used. It is essential thatthe team 'buys into' the action agreed to resolve the performance issues.

Should performance continue to fail then managers will need to look at the individualperformance of each member of the team to ascertain if it could be a personal performanceissue (and this may be revealed by the job chat sessions anyway).

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Stage 5 - Reward and Recognition

Personal Responsibility in Delivering Excellence (PRIDE) is a new scheme that ensuresrecognition for outstanding performance at individual and team level. The authority believesthat a motivation to perform and “do a good job” is inherent in the staff who work for theauthority. The public service ethos is unique and to some extent would be undermined bythe introduction of the predominantly monetary based incentives schemes typified in theprivate sector.

PRIDE therefore gives the opportunity to 'shout' about outstanding performance and enablesstaff who have excelled to rightly feel proud. It operates at both a team and individual level.Members of the community or fellow staff can nominate with supporting examples ofoutstanding service. The scheme is sponsored by Corporate Directors and administered bythe Chief Executive's office. There are up to three ceremonies during the year, withpresentations made to those selected. In addition in December each year there is a PRIDEEmployee/Team of the year award. The annual winner/s also receive an entry on the Roll ofHonour on permanent display in Main Reception.

Of course the regular job chats and appraisal processes also provide the opportunity torecognise excellent performance and build up over time a picture of high achievement forthe individual.

Stage 6 - Review

There are occasions when targets will need to be reviewed, but these are not undertakenlightly, and all opportunities exhausted first to meet the standards. .Any performancestandards/targets or commitments published within the Best Value Performance Plan are onlyreviewed with extreme caution and must be assessed by Performance and CorporateManagement Overview and Scrutiny Committee prior to approval by Executive.

If circumstances have changed and targets will clearly not be met, management and stafftogether must determine more appropriate personal and team targets. However, a robustcase is prepared to justify the revision of targets and this is agreed at least at DirectorateManagement Team level, with a clear explanation of how revising the individual/team targetwill impact on any departmental/corporate targets.





Stage 7 - Capture Learning

As the end of the year approaches there is an opportunity to pause and review and draw onthe lessons learnt as the service planning cycle starts again. As part of service planning forthe following year, targets are agreed with staff and are based on:

•Previous performance,•The resource levels available, and •Any other factors likely to impact on performance the following year.

This ensures all targets are realistic and achievable.

Once agreed, and the service plans confirmed in May, the objectives and targets arecascaded down again to teams and individuals. This is a relatively quick exercise and maywell be instigated at a Team meeting or early job chat.

Overall this is a high level summary of how performance is managed at that the individualstaff member level.


Maximising the Potential of Organisational Systems

The key objectives from the Community Plan are, in relevant cases, incorporated into theStrategic Plan and are then built into both the Best Value Performance Plan and ultimatelyinto service plans for delivery. Each directorate produces an annual service plan which detailsall the objectives for services delivered by the Council for the year ahead. The objectives thenflow into objectives for individuals and teams and are assessed through the appraisal process(see Section Four above).

Fig.7 The Performance Management Cycle- Organisational Systems

Stage A - Confirm Service Plans

The Service Planning process referred to in the separate work breakdown structure ensuresthe necessary financial and staffing resources are in place for the year. Service Plans followthe corporate template to ensure all key aspects are covered. These service plans then formthe basis for the annual Best Value Performance Plan, a public document which not onlyassesses progress over the previous year, but also specifies key targets over the followingyear. The Policy Unit is responsible for publication of the Best Value Performance Plan by the

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SECTION FIVE ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEMS

AConfirm Service Plans

ETake action

BAllocate projects and targets

DD1 Monitor projects

D2 Monitor PI performanceFF1 Complete Projects

F2 Assess Performance

CMonitor Progress

GComplete PostImplementation Review

MAXIMISINGORGANISATIONAL

EFFECTIVENESS

HCapture lessons learned


statutory deadline of 30th June each year, but relies heavily on these service plans for content.

See Pull Out B - Service Planning

Stage B - Projects and Targets

The formal allocation and articulation of accountability is through service planning. Thereforeaccountability is negotiated and established within the service plan process. By linking in thisway the “Golden Thread” is maintained from corporate strategic priorities and objectivesdown through the Directorate Service Plan and Head of Service plans into objectives for eachindividual member of staff. This enables the team, and individuals within the team, to clearlysee their accountabilities and how these fit within a corporate context.

Stage C - Monitoring

As with monitoring the performance of individuals, progress with the delivery ofperformance against targets for the authority as a whole takes place throughout the year.Such reporting depends on the type of activity involved and is covered in more detail below.

Stage D1 - Projects

This stage looks far deeper and more specifically at the delivery of projects.

Monitoring at the 'front line' is undertaken at the regular team meeting sessions. At least onemeeting per month is a performance management based meeting with a particular focus onachievement against the milestones for projects.

Monitoring by exception also takes place at the directorate level through DirectorateManagement Team (DMT). One DMT per month focuses on those projects within theresponsibility of the directorate that are either failing to achieve agreed milestone dates orare at risk of overspending. The focus for the DMT session is to ensure projects do not over-run or over-spend.

This approach supports the twin principles of:

•Early action•Ownership and Action at the point of delivery within the organisation

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SECTION FIVE : ORGANISATIONAL SYSTEMS



Monitoring above this level is by Major Projects Monitoring Group. This Group consists ofHead of Service Team (HOST) with the Portfolio Holder for Performance (as observer), theDirector of Resources (as corporate champion for projects) and support from the Policy Unitthrough the use of specialist software. Meetings are every quarter and consider all schemeswhere departmental activity has not brought the project back on track. The action taken isreported to each following Corporate Management Team (CMT) meeting for furtherconsideration and possible intervention action. A report is also produced for Performanceand Corporate Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee to enable Members to retainan overview and recommend any action from a political perspective.


Stage D2 - Performance Indicators

For the ongoing monitoring of service delivery issues (as opposed to project work) again thisis undertaken primarily at regular team meeting sessions. At least one meeting per month isa performance management based meeting with a particular focus on achievement againsttargets against the range of national, local and management performance indicators.

Monitoring will also take place at the directorate level through Directorate ManagementTeam (DMT). Again at least one DMT per month is devoted to considering performanceissues on an exception basis. Reporting will focus on those indicators within theresponsibility of the directorate (either specifically or through a direct departmentalcontribution to a corporate indicator such as sickness absence or E Government) that arefailing to achieve agreed targets. The focus for the DMT session is to explore ways to bringperformance back on target.

Monitoring at the next level is on a quarterly basis, to Corporate Management Team.Following this a report is produced for Performance and Corporate Management Overviewand Scrutiny Committee (PCMOS) to enable Members to retain an overview on performanceand instigate any action from a political perspective. Subsequent to the PCMOS meeting, thereport is then tailored to each of the other overview and scrutiny committees to enable awider debate of performance issues. In all cases the Policy Unit writes and presents thecovering reports.

Within the Member arena PCMOS once per year calls each Executive Portfolio Holder “toaccount” for performance within the remit of their portfolio. This consists of a question andanswer session enabling those Members on the committee to ask performance related


questions to the portfolio holder under scrutiny and ensure service performance isconsidered prominently in the activity of the portfolio holder.

The whole process for managing performance indicators is facilitated by the Policy Unit usingspecialist software.


Stage E - Take Action

Whilst the stages above relate to regular on-going monitoring, there are occasions whereintervention action/ additional support is required. Such action can be instigated at any leveland is represented in the following diagram:

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Fig.8 Intervention/Support - Keeping it 'Local'



DEPA

RTM

ENTA

LC

OR

POR

ATE

STAGE ONE

STAGE TWO

STAGE THREE

STAGE FOUR

STAGE FIVE

STAGE SIX

STAGE SEVEN

STAGE EIGHT

Need for intervention identified at Directorate or team leveland solutions assessed

Solutions approved at Directorate or team level

Action Plan implemented by the team

Corporate Management Team receives regular reports fromDMT's and MPMG and can refer issue to Performance Clinic

Action Plan reported to Corporate Management Team and approved

Performance ImprovementClinic derives a supportive action plan/otherintervention

Action Plan implemented by Team

Intervention success monitored by Corporate Management Team

Performance and Corporate Management Overview andScrutiny Committee receives regular reports incl. actiontaken by CMT

Performance fails to improve Performance improves



Stage One - Problem IdentifiedWhere performance falls below an approved target/milestone, this is first identified at either the regular monthly Directorate or Team meetings.

Stage Two - Solution DeterminedIntervention/support activity takes place at the lowest level possible in the organisation to ensure “buy-in” from those individuals and teams who have responsibility for implementing the intervention.

Stage Three - Solution ImplementedThe affected team implements an action plan wherever possible in accordance with the principle above.

Stage Four - EscalationAn escalation point - if improvement is occurring then no further escalation is required. However, if the action plan has limited effect, then action is considered at Corporate Management Team level.

Stage Five - Performance Improvement ClinicCorporate Management Team, if they consider it appropriate, refer the issue to the Performance Improvement Clinic (see Appendix B). CMT may also authorise self-referrals from responsible Directors where appropriate.

Stage Six - Support DeterminedEach action plan developed by the Performance Improvement Clinic is reported back to Corporate Management Team for approval

Stage Seven - Support Implemented Following endorsement, the action plan is implemented by the responsible team

Stage Eight - MonitoringContinued monitoring takes place to ensure progress is made in accordance with the action plan. Any failure to progress in accordance with the action plan is referred back to the corporate Performance Improvement Clinic, which instigates a further review.

Stage F1 - Project Completion

For those initiatives/projects that have achieved a completion date, this is reported to MajorProjects Monitoring Group and also to Performance and Corporate Management Overview



and Scrutiny Committee to officially complete and sign off the works. A Post ImplementationReview (see section below) follows in all cases.

Stage F 2 - Service Targets Achieved

For ongoing issues, such as local and national performance indicators, a final year end reportis submitted to Corporate Management Team and Performance and Corporate ManagementOverview and Scrutiny Committee Executive as soon after the year-end as possible to againsign off the previous years activity. This then forms the basis for developing future yeartargets and for reporting progress in the Annual Best Value Performance Plan.

Stage G - Review

The Post Implementation Review (PIR) takes a number of different forms. There is nocorporate template, as each case will differ.

For ongoing initiatives such as performance indicators, the review process forms part oftarget setting in January each year. Targets are based on performance over the previous 9months and are reported to Corporate Management Team and then onto Performance andCorporate Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee as part of the regular reportingcycle. Targets are reviewed following the financial year-end in the light of outturnperformance. All targets (for a three year period) are confirmed by Full Council, as part of theapproval process for the Best Value Performance Plan, in early June.

See Pull Out D - Best Value Performance Plan and Target Setting

For individual projects, the PIR is completed at the end of the project. The results arereported as part of the regular reports to Corporate Management Team and to Performanceand Corporate Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

In accordance with the City Council's policy on feeding learning back into the organisation,all PIR's are carried out by the responsible service manager or project manager. The PIRincludes delivery against the targets originally set (outcomes sought; key performancemeasures) and if applicable delivery against the project plan (deliverables, timetable andbudget). The manager prepares a concise report to record performance against targets andin particular noting lessons learned which might help in improving performance in future.


Stage H -Capturing and Sharing Lessons Learned

In terms of major project works, the Post Implementation Review may reveal a need to:

•Revise the Lincoln Project Management model or any component of it•Revise how Major Projects Monitoring Group or any other monitoring

mechanism is applied •Issue revised guidance on the administration and management of

projects etc.

The important aspect is for the PIR to be fed back into Major Projects Monitoring Group toenable key learning points to be extracted and applied (where necessary) across all projects.

A formal record of each PIR is retained within the intranet based performance managementsoftware, enabling project managers to 'dip into' the PIR's for a wide range of projects asrequired to extract specific learning points.

For ongoing work, such as the monitoring of performance indicators, key learning points interms of unforeseen factors impacting on performance, are extracted at the year end andreported in relevant service plans. This in turn is further analysed and reported in the CityCouncil's annual Best Value Performance Plan, thereby promoting public confidence that keylearning points are being extracted and acted upon.

The Policy Unit maintains an electronic 'Learning Library' identifying best practice to make iteasier for the authority to be a 'learning organisation'.

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It is often argued that the key principle of a Performance Management system is:

“What gets measured gets done and what gets compared gets improved”

In simple terms this is what the above Performance Management Framework sets out - aprocess whereby Priorities and Objectives can be set at the strategic level for those issuesimportant to the City Council. These can then be converted into a series of targets andobjectives at various levels down through the organisation to the individual member of staff,thereby retaining what it is termed the “Golden Thread” and ensuring the authority canmonitor and drive progress.

It is hoped the Framework provides a useful guide to people at various levels. For those whowant an overview then the document does provide a broad guide to the framework'sapplication. For those involved in delivering the framework itself, the series of “Pull Out andUse” work breakdown structures more comprehensively define those processes andresponsibilities that make the system work. Together these supplementary guides “add themeat to the bones” without burdening the main text.

Views and opinions are welcomed on this document and can be fed back directly to

Simon WaltersCorporate Policy ManagerPolicy UnitExt 3315

SECTION SIX CONCLUSION



A Key milestones within the Cycle

B Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

C Performance Improvement Clinic

APPENDICES

Key Milestones within the Performance Management Cycle

A Guide to Who Does What and When

APPENDIX A



APPENDIX A : DIRECTOR RESPONSIBILITIESA

pri

lPu

ll O

ut

Gu

ide:

A -

Th

e St

rate

gic

Pla

nn

ing

Cyc

le

B -

The

Serv

ice

Plan

nin

g C

ycle

C -

Per

form

ance

Mo

nit

ori

ng

D -

Tar

get

Set

tin

g a

nd

th

e Be

stVa

lue

Perf

orm

ance

Pla

n

Co

rpo

rate

Man

agem

ent

Team

Co

rpo

rate

Man

agem

ent

Team

Co

rpo

rate

Man

agem

ent

Team

Co

rpo

rate

Man

agem

ent

Team

Dep

artm

enta

l Man

agem

ent

Team

Dep

artm

enta

l Man

agem

ent

Team

Dep

artm

enta

l Man

agem

ent

Team

Co

rpo

rate

Man

agem

ent

Team

Dep

artm

enta

l Man

agem

ent

Team

May

Jun

eJu

lyA

ug

ust

Sep

tem

ber

Oct

ob

er

Cons

ider

serv

ice

&st

rate

gic

prio

ritie

s an

dob

ject

ives

for

next

yea

r

Cons

ider

serv

ice

prio

ritie

s an

dob

ject

ives

for

next

yea

r

Cons

ider

cons

ulta

tion

resp

onse

s on

Stra

tegi

c Pl

anpr

iorit

ies

Cons

ider

prop

osed

bid

sfo

r fu

ndin

gfo

r ne

xt y

ear

in li

ght

ofco

nfirm

edpr

iorit

ies

Dev

elop

prop

osed

bid

sfo

r fu

ndin

gfo

r ne

xt y

ear

in li

ght

ofco

nfirm

edpr

iorit

ies.

Not

ified

of

succ

essf

ulbi

ds

Not

ified

of

succ

essf

ulbi

ds

No

vem

ber

Dec

emb

erJa

nu

ary

Feb

ruar

yM

arch

Dev

elop

serv

ice

prio

ritie

s an

dob

ject

ives

for

next

yea

r

Dev

elop

serv

ice

prio

ritie

s an

dob

ject

ives

for

next

yea

r

Conf

irmse

rvic

e pl

ans

for

next

yea

r

Fina

lise

serv

ice

plan

sfo

r ne

xt y

ear

Cons

ider

Q4(

out

turn

)PI

's, p

roje

cts

and

actio

npl

ans

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

Conf

irm Q

4(o

ut t

urn)

PI's

for

last

yea

r

Reco

mm

end

final

PI t

arge

tsin

ligh

t of

outt

urn

PI's

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

BVPP

appr

oved

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

Fina

l opi

nion

from

Aud

itCo

m. o

n BV

PP

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

Com

men

ceSe

rvic

e Pl

anre

view

pro

cess

Cons

ider

PRI

DE

Cons

ider

PRI

DE

Cons

ider

Q1

PI's,

pro

ject

s,ac

tion

plan

s

Cons

ider

PRI

DE

Cons

ider

Q2

PI's,

pro

ject

s,ac

tion

plan

s

Cons

ider

Q3

PI's,

pro

ject

s,ac

tion

plan

s

mon

itor

PI's,

proj

ects

&ac

tion

plan

s

Agr

ee d

raft

PI

targ

ets

for

next

yea

r

Reco

mm

end

to C

MT

draf

tPI

tar

gets

for

next

yea

r

Mo

nth

APPENDIX A : HEAD OF SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES


Ap

ril

Pull

Ou

t G

uid

e:A

- T

he

Stra

teg

ic P

lan

nin

g C

ycle

B -

The

Serv

ice

Plan

nin

g C

ycle

C -

Per

form

ance

Mo

nit

ori

ng

D -

Tar

get

Set

tin

g a

nd

th

e Be

stVa

lue

Perf

orm

ance

Pla

n

Hea

ds

of

Serv

ice

Hea

ds

of

Serv

ice

Maj

or

Pro

ject

s M

on

ito

rin

g G

rou

p

Hea

ds

of

Serv

ice

Mo

nth

ly P

erfo

rman

ce M

on

ito

rin

g

Hea

ds

of

Serv

ice

Hea

ds

of

Serv

ice

Hea

ds

of

Serv

ice

May

Jun

eJu

lyA

ug

ust

Sep

tem

ber

Oct

ob

er

Dev

elop

serv

ice

prio

ritie

s an

dob

ject

ives

for

next

yea

r

Serv

ice

plan

sfo

r th

e ye

arfin

alise

d an

dpr

inte

d

Cons

ider

cons

ulta

tion

on S

trat

egic

Plan

prio

ritie

s

Writ

est

rate

gic

Plan

bids

for

nex

tye

ar in

ligh

tof

con

firm

edpr

iorit

ies

Not

ified

of

succ

essf

ulbi

ds

No

vem

ber

Dec

emb

erJa

nu

ary

Feb

ruar

yM

arch

Com

men

ceSe

rvic

e Pl

anre

view

pro

cess

Seco

nd H

OST

wor

ksho

p to

com

plet

e fin

alcr

oss

refe

renc

e of

serv

ice

plan

sfo

r ye

ar

Casc

ade

obje

ctiv

esw

ithin

pla

nto

sta

ff

Cons

ider

proj

ect

prog

ress

Cons

ider

proj

ect

prog

ress

Cons

ider

proj

ect

prog

ress

Cons

ider

proj

ect

prog

ress

Com

plet

eco

llatio

n of

year

end

PI's

for

last

yea

r

Reco

mm

end

final

PI t

arge

tsin

ligh

t of

outt

urn

PI's

Inte

rnal

Aud

itre

view

of

high

risk

BVPI

's

Wor

ksho

psw

ith t

eam

s to

ID s

ervi

ce p

lan

prio

ritie

s fo

rne

xt y

ear

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

team

mee

tings

Star

t to

colla

te y

ear

end

PI's

for

last

yea

r

Reco

mm

end

to D

MT

draf

tPI

tar

gets

for

next

yea

r

Serv

ice

plan

sse

nt t

o Po

licy

Uni

t fo

r BV

PP

Mo

nth

HO

STw

orks

hop

toID

bes

tpr

actic

e fr

omcu

rren

t y

ears

Serv

ice

Plan

san

d ag

ree

tem

plat

e

Dra

ft s

ervi

cepl

an f

or n

ext

year

deve

lope

d/sk

etch

ed o

ut

HO

STw

orks

hop

tocr

oss

refe

renc

ese

rvic

e pl

ans

for

next

yea

r

Serv

ice

plan

sre

view

ed in

light

of

conf

irmed

prio

ritie

s

Casc

ade

any

furt

her

obje

ctiv

esw

ithin

fin

alpl

an t

o st

aff

Exte

rnal

aud

itof

BVP

I's

Star

t to

form

ulat

e 3

year

tar

gets

agai

nst

BVPI

's

Targ

ets

for

next

thr

eeye

ars

agai

nst

PI's

set

Com

men

tsse

nt t

o Po

licy

Uni

t on

dra

ftte

xt in

BVP

P

BVPP

circ

ulat

ed t

ost

aff


APPENDIX A : MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

Ap

ril

Pull

Ou

t G

uid

e:A

- T

he

Stra

teg

ic P

lan

nin

g C

ycle

B -

The

Serv

ice

Plan

nin

g C

ycle

C -

Per

form

ance

Mo

nit

ori

ng

D -

Tar

get

Set

tin

g a

nd

th

e Be

stVa

lue

Perf

orm

ance

Pla

n

Exec

uti

ve

Full

Co

un

cil

All

O &

S C

om

mit

tees

All

Mem

ber

’ wo

rksh

op

s

May

Jun

eJu

lyA

ug

ust

Sep

tem

ber

Oct

ob

er

App

rove

fin

alst

rate

gic

Prio

ritie

s an

dob

ject

ives

Agr

eeSt

rate

gic

Plan

A

gree

Stra

tegi

cPl

an a

ndag

ree

bids

to b

efu

nded

No

vem

ber

Dec

emb

erJa

nu

ary

Feb

ruar

yM

arch

Cons

ider

Q4

(out

tur

n) P

I's,

proj

ects

and

actio

n pl

ans

port

folio

unde

r sc

rutin

ypo

rtfo

lioun

der

scru

tiny

App

rove

BVP

P

port

folio

unde

r sc

rutin

ypo

rtfo

lioun

der

scru

tiny

Cons

ider

Q1

PI's,

pro

ject

s,ac

tion

plan

s

port

folio

unde

r sc

rutin

ypo

rtfo

lioun

der

scru

tiny

port

folio

unde

r sc

rutin

ypo

rtfo

lioun

der

scru

tiny

port

folio

unde

r sc

rutin

ypo

rtfo

lioun

der

scru

tiny

port

folio

unde

rsc

rutin

y

Wor

ksho

p to

deve

lop

stra

tegi

cpr

iorit

ies

&ob

ject

ives

for

next

yea

r

Wor

ksho

p to

cons

ider

resu

lts o

fco

nsul

tatio

n

Cons

ider

Q2

PI's,

pro

ject

s,ac

tion

plan

s

Wor

ksho

p to

rank

bid

s pu

tfo

rwar

d fo

rfu

ndin

g

Mo

nth

App

rove

stra

tegi

cpr

iorit

ies

&ob

ject

ives

for

cons

ulta

tion

App

rove

sele

ct li

st o

fbi

ds f

orco

nsul

tatio

n

Cons

ider

resu

lts o

fco

nsul

tatio

non

bid

s

Exec

uti

ve

App

rove

BVP

P

Conf

irm P

I'san

d ta

rget

sfo

r in

clus

ion

in B

VPP

Full

Co

un

cil

Cons

ider

Q3

PI's,

pro

ject

s,ac

tion

plan

s

PCM

OS

Com

men

t on

draf

t ta

rget

sfo

r ne

xt 3

year

s

Perf

orm

ance

an

d C

orp

ora

teM

anag

emen

t O

& S

Agr

ee d

raft

PI

targ

ets

for

next

yea

r

APPENDIX B


Summary of Responsibilities


APPENDIX B : SUMMARY OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Mechanism

Organisational Systems

Executive

Full Council

Performance and CorporateManagement Overview andScrutiny Committee

Roles and Responsibilities Frequency

• Confirm the Vision, Priorities and Objectives for the City Council -

Approve the Strategic Plan

• Confirm an annual balanced budget which includes strategic plan

spending on new projects

• Confirm the rolling 3- year targets against national performance

indicators - Approve the Best Value Performance Plan

• Approve the Vision, Priorities and Objectives for the City Council -

for inclusion in the Strategic Plan

• Review strategic plan spending on new projects

• Agree the formal out turn figures against all local and national

performance indicators, and 3 year targets - Best Value

Performance Plan

• Approve recommended variances to major projects/action

plans/performance indicators

• Consider by exception variances to major projects/ action plans and

performance indicators & make recommendations to Executive

as required

• Quarterly - May, August,

November, February

• Annually - November

• Annually - March

• Annually - June

• As required



• Annually - June

Corporate Management Team

Other Overview & Scrutiny Committees

Major Projects Monitoring Group

• Consider by exception variances to major projects/action plans and

performance indicators & make recommendations to Executive

as required

• Contribute to the Vision, Priorities and Objectives setting process for

the Strategic Plan and Best Value Performance Plan

• Propose new projects/initiatives for strategic plan spending

• Confirm service plans for the following year

• Confirm the formal out turn figures against all local and national

performance indicators

• Confirm the rolling 3 - year targets against national performance

indicators

• Quarterly monitoring by exception of PI's, action plans, projects

• Consider recommended variances to major projects/action plans/

performance indicators

• Instigate further investigation through the Performance

Improvement Clinic

• Make awards under the PRIDE scheme

• Monitor and instigate supportive action on major projects

• Report by exception to Corporate Management Team and

Performance and Corporate Management Overview and

Scrutiny Committee

• Feed Learning derived from PIR's back into future projects

• Quarterly in April, July,

October, January

• Quarterly in May, August,

November, February,

• Ongoing

• Annually - September

• Annually - December

• Annually - May

• Annually - May

• Annually - May


November, February

• As required

• Three times a year


November, February



Mechanism

Team Meetings

Departmental Management Team

Performance Improvement Clinic


Staff/Members as Individuals

• Determine potential Priorities and Objectives for the directorate for

inclusion in the Strategic Plan and Best Value Performance Plan

• Propose strategic plan spending on new projects

• Recommend service plans for the following year

• Consider all performance issues at a separate performance DMT

• Input into service planning process including potential priorities

and objectives

• Consider all performance issues at a separate performance based

team meeting

• Instigate improvement activity

• Instigate reports by exception to DMT

• Convene as requested by CMT to consider performance issues and

instigate supportive corrective action or intervention as appropriate

• As required

• Annually - Nov to March

• Monthly

• As required

• As required

• September

• December

• May

• Monthly

Portfolio holder -Performance Management

• Attend Major Projects Monitoring Group to observe progress monitoring

• Attend Performance and Corporate Management Overview and Scrutiny

meeting to observe

• Champion performance issues within Executive

• Quarterly April, July,

October, January

• Monthly

• Ongoing

Mechanism

Directors/Heads of Service/Service Managers

Other Portfolio Holders


• Remain aware of, and up to date with, performance issues within their

portfolio area

• Attend at least one “portfolio holder under scrutiny” session per

annum with Performance and Corporate Management Overview and

Scrutiny Committee to discuss performance issues

• Negotiate and agree targets and objectives for staff as part of service

planning process and complete service plan

• Cascade objectives to staff and teams at the start of the year

• Assess and arrange activity to meet development needs of staff

• Arrange and facilitate regular team meetings to discuss performance

issues & instigate corrective action

• Arrange and facilitate regular one to one job chats with staff to

discuss performance and development issues and instigate corrective

action where needed

• Undertake an annual appraisal with staff

• Annually - September to May

• Annually - April & June

• Annually - throughout year

• Monthly

• Quarterly

• Annually

• Regular liaison with

Directors/Heads of Service

• Annually



Mechanism

Individual members of staff


• Contribute to service planning process and the identification of

priorities and objectives

• Discuss and agree personal targets and objectives as part of service

planning process

• Identify and discuss with manager activity to meet personal

development needs

• Receive performance targets and objectives at the start of the year

• Attend team meetings and actively contribute to service improvements

• Participate in Job chat sessions to discuss performance

issues/development needs

• Participate in an appraisal

• Annually - Sept to May

• Annually - Sept to May


• Annually in April & June

• Monthly

• Quarterly


APPENDIX C


Performance Improvement Clinic


Purpose

The purpose of the clinic is to secure a corporate focus on areas of persistently below targetperformance to effect early and sustainable improvement.

The clinic will look at the full range of issues and opportunities for improvement where othermechanisms have to date been unsuccessful.

The clinic will provide senior management with the opportunity to analyse in more detail theissues affecting performance, and to corporately share ownership of these issues. The emphasis is on achieving an Action Plan to address performance. This may impact notonly directly on the area under review but also potentially the roles of other internal andexternal stakeholders.

This detailed look at all the issues impacting on performance will go beyond what canrealistically be achieved in either DMT's or CMT, and so offer a genuine opportunity for allstaff involved to get the issues “out on the table” and debate without the pressure of otheragenda items, the steps that can be taken to implement effective improvement activity.

The ethos of the clinic is one of constructive debate in an interactive environment toencourage lateral thinking “out of the box”. It is an opportunity for colleagues to offer adifferent perspective to any perceived or actual problems and thereby enable the possibilitiesfor tackling the issues to be explored. The clinic will make recommendations across the fullspectrum of possibilities as appropriate ranging from local to corporate solutions and onboth 'hard' and 'soft' performance issues.

Triggers

It is envisaged the clinic will only prove necessary on rare occasions (complying with theprinciple embodied within the Performance Management Framework that solutions toperformance are identified at the closest point to service delivery as possible).

The clinic will only convene when the other avenues for improvement have been exhausted.It is only when actions at individual/team/DMT/PCMOS level fail to deliver the requiredperformance improvement that the clinic is convened to identify and address the particularfactors preventing improvement.

OPERATION OF THE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT CLINIC

As defined in the Performance Management Framework, the triggers will essentially be areasof below target performance in:

•Persistent below target performance against local and national performance indicators

•Persistent slippage on actions resulting from a range of action plans includingthe CPA Action Plan, Best Value action plans, other service based action plans monitored by Members.

The trigger itself can only be a referral from CMT. This can be in response to identified poorperformance by CMT itself or it can be a self-referral from the responsible director whowould welcome a review within the clinic environment. In all cases the final decision onreferral remains with CMT.

Constitution

It will operate as a sub-committee of CMT and so will receive all its referrals from this source.All recommendations arising from the clinic are reported back through to CMT for furtherconsideration and action where appropriate.

The clinic is at the highest level within the organisation and will include as aminimum:

•Chair - Chief Executive and Town Clerk (Head of Paid Service).•Standing Officers - Two or three officers who are at least at Head of Service level who

can offer an independent view (nominations are flexible dependent on the issue being debated by the clinic and will take into account the views of CMT). This may exceptionally be another Service Manager who has a related track record of securing improvement.

•Service Area Attendees: For those issues referred to the clinic, it is for the Head of Service and service manager responsible for the service area to represent the service and contribute to the better understanding of the issues and to comment on possible solutions developed within the clinic.

•Support: A member of the Policy Unit, will attend each meeting and present additionalinformation where requested to do so on performance issues within a local or national context. This officer will record the business of the meeting and details of any resulting agreed action plan in the form of a set of minutes.




Operation of Each Meeting

There is no prescribed/rigid approach or procedures to each meeting. Instead each clinic willremain dynamic and is flexible enough to adopt a format that enables those present toarticulate the issues and potential solutions in an open, honest and constructiveenvironment. The process selected will therefore have regard to the most effective way ofachieving the outcome expected - a realistic and deliverable improvement plan.

Each clinic is highly interactive with all present encouraged to engage in the process tofacilitate a deep understanding of the issues involved.

Outcomes

The outcome from each session is a series of recommendations to CMT (and ultimately toany relevant structure e.g. The Executive) on how improvement can be realised. It isanticipated that the clinic, with its strategic focus, will facilitate the development ofinnovative and creative solutions, building on the cross fertilisation of ideas from staff withinthe clinic. It may enable opportunities not available to the intervention mechanisms at DMTand team level. Where issues clearly cannot be resolved at team/ departmental level, it isanticipated that the clinic will offer this additional dimension.

The whole ethos of the clinic is one of securing the necessary improvement. As stated thiswill need openness and honesty and a constructive environment. The clinic is expected tomake a number of recommendations and these may cover the entire spectrum of optionsranging from allocating additional support, changing other priorities, to more significantintervention activity where appropriate.

The clinic, whilst ideally being supportive, will therefore have “teeth” to make things happenas a result and must be taken seriously as a corporate mechanism.

The most important outcome is a genuine and honest belief that the recommendationsdeveloped WILL DELIVER IMPROVED PERFORMANCE. Without this, the clinic will not havefulfilled its function.


PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Business

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