service planning guidance and templatecouncilportal.cumbria.gov.uk/data/scrutiny...

Strategic Planning 2010 1

Service planning guidance and template


Section A: Guidance notes Introduction Good service planning is a cornerstone of effective performance management. A great service plan provides a solid foundation, keeping priorities and principles firm, even in times of change. They are a vital part of the ‘golden thread’ which links the councils and community objectives through to individual appraisals. Service plans make sure that each person in our council knows how their work contributes to achieving the council’s and Cumbria’s improvement objectives. Service plans are key to making rational and co-ordinated decisions about levels and types of provision. They make sure resources, finances, people, skills and assets are used efficiently. Our service plans need to:

• Set out planned service priorities and improvements. • Ensure achievement of outcomes prioritised by the council, Cumbria and its communities. • Set out clear accountability for delivery. • Outline and address customer needs. • Demonstrate best practice and value for money. • Identify and mitigate risks to planned service levels and improvements. • Provide a mechanism by which managers, members and officers can focus on performance

and improvement, and track progress. • Ensure that the service is inclusive and meets the needs of Cumbria’s diverse population. • Set out the resources required to support service delivery including financial and workforce

requirements. • Address key issues such as quality and productivity.


Service plans in context Regardless of the level of your main detailed performance planning, it is a vital part of the ‘golden thread’ of performance management.

In the best councils, service planning is not a document that sits on the shelf, it is a continuous process that involves everybody in improving services. Most importantly, its not a paper exercise, it should be linked with budget setting, resource planning and a continuous review of performance and priorities. To help with this the following timeline has been designed to help you get the most out of your service planning.


Format and structure of our service plans There is considerable value in having a consistent corporate style and this year all our service plans will follow the same essential, easy steps to ‘Better’ service planning.

Step one: Executive summary and setting the scene Executive summary – although this sits at the front of the document you need to finalise this when you have completed your whole plan. Setting the scene – Provide a brief overview of the service including your vision and key priorities.

Step two: Where are we now? Clarify the context and issues that face your service and its users. It’s about being proud of your accomplishments and sharing your learning, but it’s also about honestly assessing and owning the challenges the service faces.

Step three: Where do we need to be? Assess what needs to change, this is the next step on the route to improvement. This section will help you set a clear vision and priorities for your service over the long term as well as focusing on goals for immediate action.

Step four: How do we get there? Think about the improvements that your service needs or wants to make and identify a clear plan for closing the gap between where the service is now and where it wants to go. This section will clearly allocate responsibilities and define accountability, as well as the resources needed to achieve service improvement through clear links to financial planning and plans for how people’s skills will be used to best effect.

Step five: How do we know we are there? Goals and targets are little use without a clear plan and mechanisms to ensure that you can make it happen. This section asks you to set out the arrangements for monitoring progress against targets and keeping on track to success. You need to include clear information about how you will monitor and maintain progress, keeping on track to deliver real improvements for local people.


Step one:

Executive summary and setting the scene Executive summary – although this sits at the front of the document you need to finalise this when you have completed your whole plan. Setting the scene – Provide a brief overview of the service including your vision and key priorities.

Step two:

Where are we now? This section sets out how well the service is currently performing against a range of criteria, measures, targets and customer expectations. Review last year’s performance as this will help you plan for the coming year. This information will provide the basis for prioritisation over which aspects of the service are to continue, improve or cease altogether. It is also important to be clear about our statutory or legal duties in relation to your service(s).

Ask yourself How does the service meet user expectations? Service planning should be driven by what serves residents and existing or potential customers. Analysis of user and non-user consultation should highlight areas for improvement and illustrate successes. Present key findings and feedback from customers and other stakeholders, such as:

• Qualitative or quantitative surveys conducted by the council or its partners. • Analysis of any partner data relating to your service. • Formal and informal feedback such as customer comments and analysis of complaints. For example,

a needs analysis of highways repairs could be based on complaints about road or pavement conditions, as well as using professional highways surveys.

• Analysis of user views recorded through regular procedure. These might be the views of clients, their carers and families in Adults and Cultural Services about care plans or an analysis of who holds library books, indicating stock in a particular area that may need updating.

• Other consultation such as focus groups as part of a service review or feedback from citizens on neighbourhood panels or user groups.

• A description of your approach to working in neighbourhoods and localities.


How is your service performing, did it meet its objectives and what are the implications for your service from last year? Summarise how the service is performing in relation to its objectives and targets (community strategy, LAA, council plan etc.). Put these in context by providing comparisons over time and with other councils. Provide information on performance against key targets, standards and indicators, such as:

• targets for previous year. • national indicators or local indicators. • professional service standards if applicable. • key financial targets for the service, including productivity or value-for-money indicators.

This section should illustrate where improvements have been made, but also where the service has fallen short of expectations and the reasons why. What are your key achievements? This is your opportunity to describe how well the service is performing against key indicators, You should draw out the key facts and demonstrate how your service has contributed to required outcomes. Ideally though, this will be a positive commentary on what you have written so far. This is an opportunity to show how day-to-day outputs actually result in greater efficiency, improved services and quality of life for local people. It should also highlight where effort and resources are best placed to deliver key outcomes – essential for prioritising services for the coming period. Success can breed success. Demonstrate the potential and capacity for further improvement by listing any national or local recognition, citations, accreditation or awards for good practice or significant learning that has taken place in the last year. And don’t forget to use this information as evidence for your submission to the councils excellence awards and to other national awards. How does the service compare? To other service providers: You must provide information on how competitive your service is. Benchmarking is essential if we are to understand how we compare against other authorities and service providers. A brief overview of alternative providers could also be included. Where well-developed markets exist, comparisons on cost and quality of alternative service provision should be used to demonstrate the competitiveness of our council services. To other councils: In any thorough assessment of a service, there should be comparison of service performance against those of other councils.


Step three:

Where do we need to be? This section positions the service for the future, setting out what needs to change in order to deliver better services. What does the service need to do to achieve the council and Cumbria’s objectives and customer expectations? How does the service need to change to come in line with national priorities? What changes must be made over the period of the service plan in order to achieve objectives in the near term and the long term? This section is about making tough choices about provision and outlining service priorities. Information provided in this section may mirror the ‘Where are we now?’ but will focus on what must change for the future. These may be changes in:

• The service profile, such as an expansion in customer base or levels of provision • Service performance, such as improvement against key performance indicators • Reduction of service provision in lower priority areas, or • Changes in costs due to changes in levels of service or efficiency gains. Both cashable and non-

cashable efficiency gains are increasingly important in light of the Efficiency Agenda. Explain why changes are being made and what is driving those changes. This section should also include information about external factors that may affect the provision or cost of the service, such as changes in demographics, price increases of goods or services, or changes in the law. Evaluate the challenges facing the service by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the service in relation to the demands placed on it by the external environment. This will highlight any gaps in capacity that need to be addressed. Evaluating these risks means that you not only have a better idea about how feasible changes are, but also a rationale for making changes. It may well be that a service which is perfectly alright today, may offer a service which won’t be appropriate for next year or in five year’s time. By doing a PESTLE and SWOT analysis this will help provide you with the structure needed to evaluate your service. 'Where we want to be' often leads to discussion around how teams could improve an existing service. This can result in small incremental improvement, but often transformational change is required. To achieve this, we recommend that services must benchmark against other excellent councils and those with good inspection results to identify alternative ways for delivering.


Step four:

How will we get there? This is now your framework for action, with clear indications of what needs to be done, by when and who is responsible for doing them. Summarise your main actions and objectives. The following template includes these headings and here’s some guidance to help you. The list below explains the information required for each part of the template. Service objective What does the service hope to achieve and how does this link to corporate and community objectives? Lead person A named person responsible for ensuring the objective is achieved. Council plan outcome Here you need to make a link to the relevant council themes (better, wealthier, healthier, happier, safer and greener) and include the relevant council plan outcome. Performance measure Include all the key performance measures which relate to this objective, including National Indicators. Target or expected output for 2011/12 and 20012/13 Include a numerical target if appropriate or describe the output expected. Outputs may be quantifiable levels of service, such as number of families re-housed or the occurrence of single event. Output targets should be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound). This will mean that part of a targeted output will include an indication of how the performance will be measured. Resources What resources will be required to complete the task? These resources will be about people as often as about money. What skills will staff need to ensure success? If any development is required (whether through training, mentoring or even learning on the job) is this reflected in their personal development plans? The bottom line has to be reflected in terms of financial, personnel and other resources. And if all actions can’t be adequately resourced, that’s an indication that prioritisation must be more robust. Final implications of the plan have to be clearly demonstrated. Risk Include the risk reference from the risk section of the service plan which relates to this objective.


Step five:

How do we know we are there? Finally ask yourself what are the measures for your success? BE CLEAR about:

• The mechanisms for monitoring performance and progress. • What will be reported. • When information will be reported and how frequently. • Who will report to whom. • Who will take action if there is insufficient progress.

Remember, even the best service plan and monitoring arrangements on paper won’t make a difference if they are not used. Progress must be tracked against each item in your action plan through our PerformancePlus tool.

Managing risks Looking at each of the objectives in your service plan, identify the risks that may prevent achievement of those objectives. Remember some risks may have already been identified through the registration of partnerships and through the assessment of data and service information – it is important to include those here. Having identified risks, teams need to assess their impact and likelihood. You should then plot them onto a matrix and complete the risk analysis table. Using PerformancePlus the impact (1 – 4) and likelihood (1 – 6) axis are both numerical and multiplying the two scores together gives a Risk Rating – the higher the rating the higher the risk. Teams need to consider how risks should be managed. Higher impact, more likely risks will require more attention than low impact, unlikely risks. The matrix uses traffic light colours to grade risks and actions are required for high and medium risks. Directorates may want to develop the risk appendix in drafting their service plan before the new year. Risk workshops will be arranged for directorates to review risks and consider whether other risks should be included which may not be directly linked to achievement of outcomes. A risk workshop will be held for the Corporate Performance Group to consider corporate risks.

Controlling and monitoring the risk In order to manage risks, teams need to draw up action plans, which help reduce the impact and/or likelihood of each risk. Action plans should include specific tasks and critical success factors performance


indicators, which would demonstrate whether risks have been effectively managed. For all high and medium risks, directorates should identify proposed tasks and performance indicators, which should help mitigate the risk. Tasks and performance indicators should be logged on PerformancePlus. Risk mitigation tasks and performance indicators are included in PerformancePlus as part of the performance management arrangements. The PerformancePlus risk function allows tasks and performance indicators to be directly linked to risks. Monitoring of risk management progress will be through the tasks and measure.

Directorate risk matrix

6

5

4

3

2

1

Probability

1 2 3 4 Impact

Key: 6 = High likelihood of occurrence (Very high) 4 = High impact for the business (Catastrophic)


Directorate workforce analysis

Workforce development plan

Together with the ‘How will we get there?’ and Risk sections, this section should also be monitored on PerformancePlus. Remember to include your IIP actions. Directorates should provide some information about any future team development issues. You may wish to include information about the following issues.

• Looking ahead, what are the key skills / knowledge the team will need to develop / acquire to meet future demand / methods of service delivery? This may be taken from the personal development plans within the Midland Trent system.

• Could there be new partnerships that will impact on the team? What are they? • Are there any particular staff recruitment or retention issues? • What is the skill profile of the current team and what will be the impact of this be on workforce

development needs in 5 years? Again please refer to personal development plans in Midland Trent. • A key source of information should be your Investors in People Action Plan.

Action plan

The priorities for workforce development for the next three years should be used to develop an action plan for the coming year. This will enable the HR team to identify key trends and emerging issues across the council as a whole, and take action at the corporate level where appropriate.

Directorate learning and development plan

This is complied by pulling together the learning and development requirements arising from the annual employee appraisal process. As appraisals are based on council plan / service plan objectives there will be a clear link between the council’s strategic objectives and the development activity provided, If applicable please indicate the number of spaces and courses required. There are usually spaces for 10 people on one course.

Finally…

Service planning is an essential tool for performance management. It helps people understand your service, it provides a road map for where your service needs to be and is an essential part of the accountability framework for service provision. But unless you construct your service plans so that they can be used for the regular management of your service, they are unlikely to be of much use.


Section B: Templates Step one:

Executive summary and setting the scene Executive summary Executive summary for: (insert Directorate/Service name) Responsible officer: In 2010/11 the directorate/service will:


Setting the scene This is a brief overview of what your directorate or service does and its priorities. Setting the scene for: (name you Directorate/Service here) Responsible officer:


Step two:

Where are we now? How does the service meet user expectations?

How did your service perform in 2009/10? Objectives

Performance and any issues

Results of key indicators Indicator 2009/10 Actual 2009/10 Target Your

Performance (RAG)

Performance against Benchmark

Key achievements Comment on how your service has improved in 2009/10 and how have you shared good practice/learning?


What are your legislative/statutory obligations? Describe which elements of the service are a statutory duty (citing relevant legislation) Which elements of the service are discretionary?


Benchmarking Source of evidence

Service cost

Service income

Service performance


Expenditure and income analysis

Activity A Activity B Activity C Total

Expenditure £000 £000 £000 £000 Employee costs X X X X Other X X X X Income Grants (X) (X) (X) (X) Fees and charges (X) (X) (X) (X) Other (X) (X) (X) (X) Net budget X X X X

Workforce analysis No of FTE staff engaged in service management

No of FTE staff engaged in service support

No of FTE staff engaged in frontline service delivery

Total No of FTE staff


Step three:

Where do we need to be?

Directorate/Service SWOT analysis

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats


Directorate/Service PESTLE analysis Political

Economic

Social

Technological

Legal

Environmental


In step two you will have provided information about your service using current performance information and benchmarking data. This provides the foundation for your future service improvement in 2010/11. With this in mind please now complete the following section for your service(s).

Future directorate/service priorities Impact/benefit New priorities for 2010/11

Alternative delivery models

Further income generation

Cost reduction


Impact/benefit Are there any known major budget pressures?


Step four:

How will we get there? Remember this should be reviewed regularly and any changes of direction during the year should be noted along with the reasons for and implications of the change. Service objective:

Lead person:

Council plan outcome:

Performance measure: 20010/11 target or expected output:

2011/12 target or expected output:

2012/13 target or excepted output:

Resources:

Risk reference: Partners:

Service objective:

Lead person:





Resources:


Service objective:

Lead person:





Resources:


Linked to the resources box above please also complete the following saving and growth proposal template for each service.


Savings proposals

Ref Title Directorate and Service Area Priority Theme Head of Service Summary efficiencies/savings Impact What is the impact on performance? What is the impact on the public? What is the impact on staffing? Medium Term Financial Plan Are there any new costs arising from this proposal (e.g. redundancy, retraining)? Financial summary REVENUE BUDGETS

Year 1 20010/11 £m

Year 2 2011/12 £m

Year 3 2012/13 £m

Cost savings (-) (-) (-) Increase in external funding (-) (-) (-) Increase in fees and charges (-) (-) (-) Additional costs - - - TOTAL (-) (-) (-) Are there any implications for the capital programme?


Growth proposals Ref Title Directorate and Service Area Priority Theme Head of Service Summary of growth proposal Impact What is the impact on performance?

What is the impact on the public? What is the impact on staffing? Medium term financial plan What costs are included in the growth proposal? Financial summary REVENUE BUDGETS

Year 1 20010/11 £m

Year 2 2011/12 £m

Year 3 2012/13 £m

Additional costs (-) (-) (-) Increase in external funding (-) (-) (-) Increase in fees and charges (-) (-) (-) Additional costs - - - TOTAL (-) (-) (-)

Are there any implications for the capital programme?


Directorate savings and growth summary NB Directorates will also need to collate the information at a directorate level to ensure that a single picture is presented to help inform policy and budget options. The following form is for use at a directorate level only.

Impact Revenue

Implications Capital

Implications

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Perf

orm

ance

Publ

ic

Staf

fing

Total Total Total

Savings Proposals

Yes No Yes No Yes No £m £m £m Yes No

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

SAVINGS TOTAL

Impact Revenue Implications

Capital Implications

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Perf

orm

ance

Publ

ic

Staf

fing

Total Total Total

Growth Proposals

Yes No Yes No Yes No £m £m £m Yes No

Description

Description

Description

Description

Description

GROWTH TOTAL


Equality Impacts Assessments Below please list the Equality Impact Assessments or EIA reviews you will be undertaking for your service in 2010/11 and please state clearly whether it is a new EIA or a review

Service area to be assessed New/review

Partnership working Increasingly we need to work in partnership to deliver our objectives. Tell us how your service is being delivered with partners and/or through partnership.

Service being delivered in partnership (brief explanation)

List of partners involved

Please make sure that any partnerships you are or will be working with are entered on our partnership register. If you are unsure which partnerships need to be registered please visit: http://www.intouch.ccc/council-democracy/councillors-democracy-elections/strategies/pshiphome.asp

Key strategies and plans To ensure we keep an up to date list of key strategies and plans to support our policy framework we would be very grateful if you could list any key strategies or plans that you will either be developing, writing or updating in the next 12 months.

Name of key strategy / plan New/review


Step five:

How do we know we are there? Risk analysis

No

Ris

k C

orpo

rate

ris

k?

Dir

ecto

rate

Ow

ner

New

or

upda

ted?

Ris

k pr

obab

ility

Ris

k Im

pact

Ove

rall

risk

rat

ing

(pro

b x

impa

ct)

Act

ion

plan

tas

ks


Workforce planning Our long-term workforce needs and challenges: Our key priorities for workforce development for the next three years: (maximum six)

Environment

drivers (plans) Future position Current

position Gap/surplus Key priorities Measures of

success


Directorate Learning and Development Plan 2010/11

Learning/ Development

need

Expected outcomes (linked to s service plan objectives)

Learning method

No of courses required, if applicable

(10 people per course)

Timetable Cost Method of evaluation


Section C: Supporting information This section provides information to help support the development of your service plan.

Useful documents The following documents and strategies are useful in compiling your service plan. To help you these have been divided into three categories: Must Read

• Council Plan: http://www.intouch.ccc/organisation/strategy/default.asp • Local Area Agreement:

http://www.cumbriastrategicpartnership.org.uk/local_area_agreement/default.asp • Community Engagement Framework ‘Listening and Learning’ and County Council Community

Engagement Charter: http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/view.asp?ID=25090 http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/view.asp?ID=25091

• Community Strategy: http://www.cumbriastrategicpartnership.org.uk/communitystrategy/ Communitystrategyhome.asp

• Communications Strategy: http://www.intouch.ccc/communication-consultation/ communication/communicationstrategy/default.asp

• Consultation Strategy: http://www.intouch.ccc/consultation/strategy.asp • Cumbria Equality Scheme - Equality Impact assessments:

http://www.intouch.ccc/equalities/cohesion/default.asp • Draft budget: Contact you Finance Manager for the latest options and drafts for your directorate • National Indicator Set: http://www.intouch.ccc/bestvalue/apa.asp • Performance Management Framework - Data Quality Strategy and standards:

http://www.intouch.ccc/bestvalue/pmf.asp • Asset Management Plan 2008:

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/CouncilMeetings/Content/Public/2941/39540162325.pdf http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/CouncilMeetings/Content/Public/2941/39540162247.pdf

• Area Profiles: http://www.intouch.ccc/factsandfigures/Statisticsal-summaries/statistical-summaries.asp

• HR Strategy: http://www.intouch.ccc/handbook/hrnew/strategyandpolicies/default.asp • ICT Strategy: http://www.intouch.ccc/aboutyourcouncil/corporatedocuments/i/ict.asp • Partnership Toolkit: http://www.intouch.ccc/council-democracy/councillors-democracy-

elections/strategies/partnershiptoolkit.asp • Service Review Methodology:

http://www.intouch.ccc/organisation/serviceplanning/service_planning.asp • Service Standards: http://www.intouch.ccc/servicestandards/default.asp


• Workforce Development Plan: http://www.intouch.ccc/orgdev/default.asp • Building Strong Foundations – A Framework for Local Authority Asset Management (February

2008): http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/20 Additional supporting documents

• RICS Public Sector Asset Management Guidelines – A guide to best practice (January 2008): http://www.publicsectorassetmanagement.com/

• Capital Plan: http://www.intouch.ccc/CouncilMeetings/Content/Public/2969/3948511171.pdf http://www.intouch.ccc/CouncilMeetings/Content/Public/2941/39449161637.pdf

• Central Maintenance Fund: http://www.intouch.ccc/CouncilMeetings/Content/Public/2941/39681161051.pdf http://www.intouch.ccc/CouncilMeetings/Content/Public/2941/39681161129.pdf

• Sustainability Strategy: http://www.intouch.ccc/planning-environment/sustainability/sustainabilitystrat/default.asp

Useful contacts For information on any of these please contact one of the officers below. General and Partnership Enquiries Helen Blake, Principle Policy Officer, Policy and Performance T: 01228 226687 | E: [email protected] Area Profiles Dan Bloomer, Senior Policy Officer T: 01228 226684 | E: [email protected] Community Engagement Lorraine Smyth, Stronger Communities Manager T: 01539 713419 | E: [email protected] Consultation Kieran Barr, Senior Consultation and Engagement Advisor T: 01228 226308 | E-mail [email protected] Data Quality Hazel Waiting, Performance Officer T: 01228 227489 | E: [email protected] Equality and Diversity Joel Rasbash, Equality and Cohesion Manager T: 01228 226639 | E: [email protected]


Finance Simon Smith, Head of Financial Strategy T: 01228 226261 | E: [email protected] ICT Alan Cook, Head of ICT and Business Improvement T: 01228 221002 | E: [email protected] Local Area Agreement and Community Strategy Clare Killeen, Senior Policy Officer T: 01228 226514 | E: [email protected] National Indicator Set Duncan McQueen, Team Manager Performance, Information & Intelligence T: 01228 226293 | E: [email protected] PerfomancePlus Wendy Daley, Performance Officer, Policy and Performance T: 01228 226095 | E: [email protected]

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