Agenda item

To present the report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation.

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Annual Delivery Document for 2023/24 was presented for the Committee’s consideration and comment.

The Annual Delivery Document was presented by Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience as an outline of the Council’s annual work programmes for 2023/24 which are designed to deliver the expectations of the Council Plan. He referred to the six strategic objectives of the Council Plan under which were listed the specific work streams that would be undertaken during 2023/24 to help achieve those objectives. The Delivery Document has been collectively developed with services across the Council and will be implemented within the resources determined as part of the budget set for 2023/24 alongside the Council’s day to day activities. All front line and support staff will be integral to the document’s successful delivery.

The Committee in discussing the document raised questions about the challenges and risks in seeking to realise the priorities set for 2023/24, the arrangements put in place to monitor the progress in delivering the work streams as outlined, the extent to which the Plan accords with the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 as well as ensuring that staff are fully engaged in its delivery.

The Chief Executive and Programme, Business Planning and Performance Manager responded to the matters raised as follows –

·                That to ensure successful delivery, it is important that none of the strategic objectives or work streams are considered in isolation but are considered within the local context. One of the main challenges and risks is the significant additional pressures under which some key services are operating most of which the Council is statutorily required to deliver on a day-to-day basis which makes planning for the future in terms of remodelling more challenging. The financial context is also concerning and is a risk with increasing pressure on services on the one hand against the need to modernise, to create greener buildings, to invest and create jobs whilst also protecting the environment on the other hand which makes achieving a balance between these competing claims very challenging. Capacity and staff retention are foremost priorities in ensuring that the aspirations of the Council Plan, and the specific objectives of the Delivery Document for 2023/24 are achieved. The Council is confident that those are realistic and can be met, and to ensure their delivery and to identify and address any risks along the way, it will be putting in place performance management arrangements mindful of the fact also that some of those risks may come from external sources and will need to be mitigated.

·                Regular updates on progress on delivery are provided to the Corporate Programme Boards and the new corporate scorecard for 2023/24 will be aligned with the Council Plan. Additionally, the Delivery Document is closely aligned with the Council Plan in that it sets out the details around the critical activities that will be prioritised in 2023/24 to help deliver the objectives of the Plan. Reports on day-to-day actions will be made to the Programme Boards whilst improvements, impact on people and performance against indicators will be reported via the corporate scorecard.

·                That the Well-being of Future Generations (Act) Wales sets seven well-being goals for Wales which all public bodies are expected to work towards. These are focused on a Wales that is more prosperous, resilient, healthier, more equal, a Wales of more cohesive communities, of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language and a Wales that is globally responsible. It is hoped that the Council is able to demonstrate through the six strategic objectives of its Council Plan that it is working towards achieving these goals. The Act also expects public bodies to apply the sustainable development principle to all their activities which means taking a longer-term view when making decisions, taking a preventive approach, taking an integrated approach, working collaboratively, and including people in all that they do. The Council is confident that it can demonstrate that it is meeting the expectations of the Act.

·                That it is essential that staff are aware of and know what is expected of them in helping to deliver the priorities of the Delivery Document thereby contributing towards fulfilling the objectives of the Council Plan. Service and Line Managers are responsible for making sure that this information is passed on to their staff in team meetings and on a one-to-one basis and that activities are delivered effectively.

Having considered the documentation and the additional information provided by the Officers, it was resolved to recommend the Annual Delivery Document to the Executive for adoption for 2023/24.