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 draft Annual Delivery Document for 2025/26 was presented for the committee’s consideration.

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience presented the document outlining the Council’s planned work for 2025/26 detailing the actions that will drive progress toward achieving the strategic objectives in the Council Plan 2023-2028. These high level actions are designed to ensure the Council fulfils its commitments under each of the Council Plan’s strategic objectives by 2028. The actions are intended to be measurable with clearly defined targets and milestones wherever possible to enable effective monitoring throughout the year. Progress will be reviewed quarterly by the Improvement and Modernisation Programme Board and outcomes from this process will feed into the Annual Performance and Wellbeing Report.

During the discussion on the Delivery Document, the committee raised several questions regarding the Council’s progress on various proposed actions and aspirations. In response the Chief Executive clarified that the purpose of presenting the document to today’s meeting was to determine whether the committee is satisfied with the Council’s intentions as outlined in the draft document, prior to its submission to the Executive for approval – not to assess progress to date. He advised that the focus is on whether the stated outcomes are sufficiently clear and robust or whether the committee believes additional elements should be included. Once approved and published, the document will serve as a basis for more detailed examination and scrutiny.

Nevertheless the committee was provided with updates on several initiatives including the replacement of the WCCIS system with the Connecting Care database, the new Extra Care Development at Tyddyn Mostyn, Menai Bridge, flood control measures, and preparations to support the Eisteddfod Ynys Môn 2026 – particularly in relation to  non-Welsh-speaking competitors.

Councillor Ieuan Williams while welcoming the document’s ambition, expressed concern that it lacked clarity on how the proposed actions would be delivered. He questioned whether a comprehensive performance monitoring framework was in place to ensure accountability, suggesting that the quarterly programme board meetings may not be sufficient to oversee the breadth of actions outlined. He sought assurance that each action was SMART - specific, measurable, actionable, realistic  and timebound – and that they had been subject to a sanity check. He also highlighted several areas where he felt the document needed to be more explicit regarding implementation and monitoring.

The Chief Executive clarified that the purpose of the Delivery Document is to break down the five-year Council Plan into accessible, annual segments. The document outlines  the Council’s yearly priorities for the public, staff and stakeholders in support of the longer term objectives of the Council Plan. He expressed confidence in the robustness of the Council’s performance management structures and capabilities, a view supported by regulators and demonstrated through the quarterly scorecard monitoring arrangements. This system is designed to drive progress towards achieving the Council Plan’s goals, with operational  details managed  at officer level ensuring accountability and upward reporting. He hoped that the information shared in the political arena and the involvement of portfolio members provides reassurance of the Council’s effectiveness. Despite the Council’s range of responsibilities and ongoing financial pressures and expectations, he believed the systems in place are largely fit for purpose while acknowledging there is always room for refinement.

The Leader, Councillor Gary Pritchard explained that the document sits near the top of the Council’s strategic hierarchy, with more detailed performance plans developed for individual service areas and presented for scrutiny. Including all of these in the delivery document he noted, would make it overly complex and difficult to navigate. Drawing on his experience as former Portfolio Member for Housing he highlighted the service’s engagement with tenants - an area Councillor Ieuan Williams had suggested needed to be more specific. He emphasised  the value placed on tenant feedback, both positive and negative and believed that the combination of ongoing interaction and targeted events allows the Housing Service to gather a broad range of perspectives. As a result meaningful changes are implemented in response to this feedback.

In concluding remarks, Councillor Carwyn Jones thanked members for the feedback, reiterating that the delivery document represents the Council’s road map for the year ahead. He emphasised that individual services will be responsible for monitoring the progress of their respective commitments - many of which will be reported to the Executive and Scrutiny providing further opportunities for comment, while overall delivery will be overseen by the Programme Board.

Having reviewed the document and having received Officer and Portfolio Member assurance on the points raised in discussion, the Corporate Scrutiny Committee resolved to recommend the Annual Delivery Document 2025/26 for approval by the Executive.