Agenda item

The Panel is asked to consider the report and make any appropriate recommendations to Cabinet.

The Personnel Services Manager explained that the report appended the new Corporate Business Plan for the period to the next local elections in 2019.  The plan sets out the priorities of the current Administration and how the achievement of those priorities would be monitored.

The Personnel Services Manager outlined the amendments that would be made to the document prior to being presented to Cabinet.

Members were informed that the Plan had been developed in a more focused format than in previous years as much of the detail underpinning the strategy already existed in other documents.  There was a short narrative which set out the direction of travel and the context within which the organisation operated. 

The Personnel Services Manager explained that the Plan would be monitored via the ‘Corporate Business Plan Monitoring Report’ which was prepared quarterly and formally presented to the Resources and Performance Panel on a six monthly basis.  The format of the monitoring report would be reviewed once the new business plan had been agreed to ensure that it continued to deliver the information Elected Members required.  Work would also be undertaken, where possible, to align corporate performance targets to the priorities outlined in the business plan.

In response to questions from Councilor Devereux on when the plan would be populated with the measures, resources and timescale, etc, the Personnel Services Manager explained that the Directorate and Service Plans contained the detail of the plan and over the next few months would be fed into the Monitoring Report which was prepared quarterly and presented to the Panel on a six monthly basis, The format of the report would be reviewed once the new business plan had been agreed to ensure that it continued to deliver the information Elected Members require.  Work would also be undertaken, where possible, to align the corporate performance targets to the priorities outlined in the business plan.

Following further comments from Councillor Devereux regarding the technical detail being included in the plan, the Chairman, Councilor Humphrey explained that the Plan was a starting point which set out how the Council’s priorities and how they would be achieved.  Officers would monitor the outcomes and there would be an opportunity for Member input.  When the first monitoring report was presented to the Panel, it would contain the technical information required,.

Councillor Devereux commented that how could a plan be approved without any technical details being included.

The Deputy Leader, Councillor Beales added that he could understand the comments being made by Councillor Devereux.  The document presented was a policy framework.  The Deputy Leader referred to the financial constraints from the Treasury and added that the detail would be included in the Financial Plan.  The Corporate Business Plan had been based on the current Administration’s Manifesto which provided a steer both to Members and Officers on the way forward.  The Council had a full range of policies.

The Chief Executive informed the Panel that the Corporate Business Plan was the top tier of a suite of documents and suggested that it might be helpful to Members to receive examples from the suite of documents when the monitoring report was presented to the Panel.

Councillor Collop concurred with the comments made by Councillor Devereux.

The Chairman, Councillor Humphrey explained that the Corporate Business Plan provided a direction of travel for the next 4 years and drew the Panel’s attention to page 46, second paragraph, which achieving priorities.  The Chairman advised the Panel that there would be an opportunity to challenge the detailed information when the monitoring report was presented to Members.

Councillor Morrison commented that he agreed with the comments made by Councillors Devereux and Collop and wondered whether an alternative name could be used instead of plan.  In response, the Chairman, Councillor Humphrey that the plan set out the Council’s priorities and objectives over a 4 year period and was happy to call it a Plan.

The Deputy Leader explained that the Corporate Business Plan required more technical detail but the Plan showed what the Council wished to achieve and added that the Panel may wish to amend the name.

Following a discussion on the title of the Corporate Business Plan, Councillor Devereux proposed the following:

“That Cabinet be asked to consider rebranding the Corporate Business Plan to

Corporate Business Plan – Policy Framework” with a clear suite of documents underneath to support the plan.”

Councillor Morrison seconded the proposal and on being put to the vote was carried.

RESOLVED:  That the Panel support the recommendation to Cabinet as follows with the additional recommendation (2) set out below::

(1)  That the attached Corporate Business Plan is adopted.

(2)  That Cabinet be asked to consider rebranding the Corporate Business Plan to Corporate Business Plan – Policy Framework with a clear suite of documents underneath to support the plan.