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 self-assessment report for 2024/25 was presented for the committee’s consideration. The Council is required by the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 to publish an annual self-assessment report to show how it has performed, whether its resources are being used efficiently and effectively and how it is managing and mitigating the associated risks.

The report was presented by the Performance and Projects Team Manager who explained the self-evaluation process where each service assessed its performance across four key areas using updated scoring criteria - Needs Improvement, Meets Expectations, Exceeds Expectations and Outstanding. Their assessments were challenged in service review meetings with officers and elected members. Based on this process, the report provides an overall assessment of how well the Council has met its performance requirements, supported by evidence and sets out both actions taken and planned improvements.

In reviewing the self-assessment report, the following matters were raised by the committee –

·      The committee noted the improvement areas identified for 2025/26. It was suggested that to facilitate their progress and completion, each improvement matter needs to be project managed with a clear structure through the use of critical path analysis. This would help define key steps and timelines especially for complex high level projects such as developing a data strategic plan to support the Council’s aim of becoming a data informed organisation. Members emphasised the value of becoming a data driven organisation and the importance of  developing a council wide culture of performance management that applies consistently across all projects.

The Performance and Projects Team Manager clarified that project managers within the Transformation Service are qualified to PRINCE2 level and apply its methodologies when managing strategically important corporate projects. Standardised templates and processes are employed across the Council, including action plans, risk registers and detailed progress tracking. While the self-assessment report provides a high level overview of identified improvement areas and actions, the specific details are contained in individual service development plans which are reviewed and monitored on a quarterly basis.

In a follow up, a member of the committee requested a copy of the project initiation document for the Data Strategic Plan initiative when completed.

·      The committee questioned why all identified improvement actions have a completion deadline of March 2026.

The Performance and Projects Team Manager explained that the improvement areas are broad in scope and the associated actions will be carried out throughout the year with the intention that all will be completed  by March 2026. The committee will receive a mid-year progress update. In response to a question about whether the timescale is realistic, the Officer noted that while some actions are well positioned to be completed, others require further discussion and input from other services. However, the actions are considered achievable within the proposed timeframe.

·      The committee asked how the identified improvement areas reconcile  with services that have self-assessed as exceeding expectations, and whether completing all the improvement actions would result in services being rated as outstanding in the following year. The committee also questioned whether the efforts involved might lead to diminishing returns.

   The Performance and Projects Team Manager confirmed that discussions are ongoing regarding scoring and definitions particularly around service self-assessments which may be revised for next year. The improvement areas are derived from services’ own evaluations and are subsequently prioritised by the Leadership Team in line with the Council’s priorities. Next year’s scoring will depend on the extent to which these improvement areas have been achieved.

·      The committee sought clarification of the table within the report showing how the Council’s wellbeing objectives align with the Welsh Government’s national wellbeing objectives and the Council’s strategic objectives. They specifically queried the meaning of the ticks across the seven columns and the meaning of the term “more equal.”

The Performance and Projects Team Manager explained that the table was developed when the Council Plan was agreed. The three well-being objectives reflect the Council’s adopted wellbeing commitments and the seven columns represent the seven wellbeing goals that public bodies are required to work towards under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The ticks indicate how the Council’s well-being objectives contribute to achieving each of those seven wellbeing goals.

·      The committee highlighted a disconnect between services’ self-evaluation and actual performance, citing the Children and Families Service as an example. The committee noted that the service had rated itself as outstanding in service planning and performance, despite an earlier report showing that 31% of children in Anglesey have been living in poverty for over ten years. The committee further commented that it would have expected the service output position statement (table on page 18) to reflect a more varied pattern, including more red rated areas. In its current form, the table suggests no improvements are required.

The Performance and Projects Team Manager acknowledged that the current scoring and definitions may need to be reviewed for the next self-assessment cycle. He clarified that the self-assessment reflects whether the Council believes it has met its stated commitments and targets for 2024/25 while the wider impacts on people and communities are addressed in the annual Performance and Wellbeing report.

·      The committee asked whether the self-assessment process draws on broader factors such as health and safety, commercial aspects and community impacts when determining performance ratings.

Using the Children and Families Service as an example, the  Performance and Projects Team Manager said that the assessment considered service planning, the challenges faced during the year and how these were addressed, as well as key performance indicators and targets, which are monitored quarterly. Based on this evidence the self-assessment panel concluded that the service’s performance was outstanding.

·      The committee raised concerns regarding the criteria used for service self-evaluation, specifically questioning the value and clarity of including both an “exceeds expectations” category and an “outstanding” category. Members noted that if the scoring framework and definitions are to be revised next year to become more rigorous,  some services may receive lower ratings which could be challenging for those teams. It was suggested that services should be encouraged to recognise that “meeting expectations” is a positive and commendable outcome, particularly in light of Council’s responsibilities and the pressures it faces.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer acknowledged that the current service output position as shown in the table may be misleading. While it appears to suggest that services are generally performing above expectations, it actually reflects  performance against the Council’s targets for 2024/25, which may not be immediately clear to a wider audience .

Having reviewed the self-assessment report, it was resolved that the Governance and Audit Committee -

·      Notes and accept the draft self-assessment report for 2024/25 and requests that the Performance and Projects Team Manager considers the comments made during the discussion relating to the clarity of definitions, scoring methodology and evaluation criteria.

·      Notes that the self-assessment process is to be reviewed and recommends that the revised process for 2025/26 is more objective and data driven, and that the “Exceeds Expectations” category is removed to improve clarity.