Best value performance indicators

The essence of Best Value is continuous improvement in the quality of the services provided to customers. It is therefore vital that councils have a comprehensive baseline of performance against which they, and the people they serve, can judge the progress being made. It is also important to be able to intelligently assess whether improvement is being achieved quickly enough and identify performance trends as soon as possible. Performance Indicators are fundamental to this process.

The Government has developed a suite of national Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs), which all local authorities are required to publish their performance against. The information is collected nationally, audited and league tables published. For information on Salisbury District Council's performance compared to that of other district councils in England, please see the Audit Commission's website.

The BVPIs cover council "general health" as well as service specific indicators. The Government uses the indicators to monitor how its policies are operating on the ground as well as to encourage authorities to follow certain policies. The Government also uses the BVPI system to set standards of service delivery, which all councils are required to achieve.

Councils are expected to develop their own suite of local Performance Indicators (PIs) to complement the national BVPIs. These local indicators measure the council's performance in areas that have been identified as important to the people of South Wiltshire, or which contribute to achieving the council's core values, but are not the subject of a national BVPI. Local PIs are not compared nationally, but the council's performance is monitored and reported quarterly and expected to improve year-on-year.

The council also has a Strategic Indicator Suite comprised of a selection of BVPIs and Local PIs which aim to more effectively support and measure the delivery of the council's ten community and organisational themes that comprise its Integrated Improvement Programme. The selection is reviewed annually so they remain current and take account of alterations to the strategic aims of the Council. Of our Strategic Suite of Indicators (Key) we aim to be meeting or exceeding an ambitious target of 70% of our published targets and 75% reaching upper quartile status by 2006/07.

The council is required to report to the public on its progress toward the BVPI targets every year. Our annual best value performance plan, Agenda for Excellence, shows whether we have achieved our targets, how we compare to other district councils and our plans for improvement in the future. Additionally, Salisbury District Council's own Cabinet receives a performance report once every three months. To see any of our best value performance plans or cabinet reports, please follow the links below:

Cabinet reports:

Performance management

Contact details:

Telephone:
01722 434451

email:
performance@salisbury.gov.uk...

Postal address:
Democratic Services
Salisbury District Council
PO Box 2117
Salisbury
SP2 2DF