6. Audit and Scrutiny - Our Performance Management Strategy - 25 Jan 2024 (Combined)

North Ayrshire Council · 25 January 2024
Back to Audit and Scrutiny Committee — 25 January 2024 and its agenda

Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.

Original council PDF · Download plain text

Page 1

NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 
25 January 2024 
Audit and Scrutiny Committee 
Title:    Our Performance Strategy 2023-28 
Purpose:  To advise the Audit and Scrutiny Committee of Our
Performance Strategy 2023-28, including a new approach
to self-assessment. 
Recommendation:  The Audit and Scrutiny Committee notes Our Performance
Management Strategy and that it forms the basis of
performance management within our Council. 
1. Executive Summary 
1.1. This paper presents Our Performance Management Strategy 2023-28 and
proposed systematic approach to self-assessment.  Our Performance
Management Strategy has been updated following the approval of Our Council
Plan 2023-28 by Council in June 2023.  It reflects the Accounts Commission
Statutory Performance Information Direction 2021, learning from the previous
strategy and includes key findings from the initial Best Value Thematic Audit.
2. Background 
2.1. The Accounts Commission Statutory Performance Information Direction 2021
was published in December 2021.  This Direction, effective from April 2022 until
March 2025, has a stronger emphasis on self-assessment (as well as other key
areas) than the previous Direction.
2.2. In January 2022 the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) discussed the Direction
and agreed a revised Performance Management Strategy and new approach to
self-assessment should be considered.  It was decided the new approach to
self-assessment would be included within the revised Performance
Management Strategy 2023-28 following approval of Our Council Plan.  This
also provided the opportunity to gain more insight into the new Best Value
Thematic Approach introduced during 2022-23 which directly drives the design
and implementation of performance management across our Council.   
2.3. Our Performance Management Strategy 2023-28, attached at Appendix 1,
combines learning from the previous strategy with the Best Value Thematic
Approach and initial draft results of the audit.

Page 2

2.4. Though intended to be valid throughout the lifetime of Our Council Plan 2023-
28, it will need to be reviewed following any statutory or national policy changes
such as a new Direction (due December 2024) or changes in the National
Performance Framework (currently being consulted on).
2.5. Self-Assessment
2.6. Our proposed approach to self-assessment is summarised on page 17 of
Appendix 1. How we self-assess will evolve as we gather feedback on the
process and continually adapt and improve.  For this reason, it is purposefully a
summary within the strategy.  Further details on the proposed approach are
below.
2.7. During discussions at ELT in January 2021 it was suggested the self-
assessment approach could be used to allocate resources effectively across
teams/services and identify potential areas of transformation.  Following the
development of Our Council Plan in June 2023 and release of the 2023 Public
Service Improvement Framework (PSIF) for self-assessment in November, it is
proposed that North Ayrshire Council adopts the 2023 PSIF approach to self-
assessment.  
2.8. It is acknowledged that some approaches to self-assessment can be resource
intensive, however we would alter our approach based on the ‘risk’ of a
particular team and the depth of assessment would be tailored accordingly. 
The 2023 PSIF includes ‘red threads’, these are versions of the framework
tailored to particular areas to ensure an efficient and effective process. In
addition, the framework provides an opportunity to tailor it further to the needs
of each area.
2.9. Prioritisation would be based on the statutory and corporate risk, impact on our
communities, financial risk (investment in that team/service), potential
reputational damage and whether any external scrutiny of that team/service
had recently taken place.  The findings of these investigations/audits would
allow a decision on whether further assessment is necessary at this time.  The
approach would link with the Service Reviews process being undertaken by
Financial Services.
2.10. Discussions have taken place with other local authorities via national groups,
with many re-establishing scheduled self-assessments and using risk to
prioritise services.
2.11. Next Steps
2.12. Following approval of the self-assessment approach, officers will identify
planned audits and inspections across our Council to help inform a timetable.
2.13. A medium-term programme of the teams/services prioritised for self-
assessment would be agreed with ELT and Heads of Service.  Following this,
the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections team would work with the
team/service to utilise the PSIF.  The Improvement Service has agreed to
support the initial PSIF self-assessment and train relevant officers in self-
assessment.  Self-assessment would involve consideration of the following:

Page 3

• PSIF self-assessment questionnaire.
• Recent audits, inspections and accreditations.
• Operational Plans (service outputs and outcomes).
• Benchmarking opportunities.
• People statistics such as employee absence, additional costs, health and
safety, complaint handling, compliments and request response times (for
example Elected Member, MP and MSP requests and FOIs etc.) to gain a full
understanding of the performance and ‘health’ of a team.
• Financial management.
• Reputational management (communications and consultations).
• Discussion of results with relevant Senior Managers and Heads of Service prior
to final report development and peer review.
• Capturing ideas for innovation or cross service working to improve performance
and inform transformation. 
2.14. An operational report would be produced and reviewed by a peer review group,
similar to the approach undertaken prior to 2020 for Directorate Plan reports. A
summary of this report would be published on our website in line with the
Direction.  Following self-assessment, we would develop work around peer
review with other local authorities where appropriate, again with the support of
the Improvement Service.
2.15. This approach would be in addition to any scrutiny already existing through
public consultations or self-assessment of committees.
3. Proposals 
3.1. It is recommended that the Audit and Scrutiny Committee notes Our
Performance Management Strategy and that it forms the basis of performance
management within our Council. 
4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty 
Financial
4.1. The Executive Leadership Team are considering how resources can be
provided to help support self-assessment.
Human Resources
4.2. The Executive Leadership Team are considering how resources can be
provided to help support self-assessment.
Legal
4.3. We have a statutory duty to demonstrate Best Value.  Our Performance
Management Strategy and self-assessment approach support this.

Page 4

Equality/Socio-economic
4.4. There are no equality or socio-economic implications. 
Climate Change and Carbon
4.5 There are no climate change and carbon implications.
Key Priorities
4.6 Our Performance Management Strategy directly supports the management of
Our Council Plan 2023-28.  It is particularly focused on the priority ‘A
Sustainable Council’.
Community Wealth Building
4.7 There are no climate change and carbon implications. 
5. Consultation 
5.1 Consultation was undertaken with the Executive Leadership Team. 
Aileen Craig
Head of Service (Democratic) 
For further information please contact Isla Hardy, Team Manager (Corporate
Policy and Performance), on 01294 324035 or email IslaHardy@north-
ayrshire.gov.uk.

Page 5

Our Performance
Management Strategy
2023-28
“Driving continuous improvement
for the people of North Ayrshire”
Appendix 1

Page 6

Page 1 of 18
Contents
Welcome ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Key Objectives ............................................................................................................................................................... 2
Statutory Duty and National Context ............................................................................................................................... 3
Best Value ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Direction 2021 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
National Performance Framework ............................................................................................................................... 5
The Local Government Benchmarking Framework ...................................................................................................... 5
Local Context ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6
The Community Plan ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Our Council Plan 2023-28 ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Operational and Team Plans ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Personal Development Reviews ................................................................................................................................... 7
Our Staff Values ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
Strategic Risks ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
Performance Management ............................................................................................................................................... 8
The “Golden Thread” .................................................................................................................................................... 8
Key Policies .................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Roles ............................................................................................................................................................................ 10
The Continuous Improvement Cycle - Plan Do Learn Act ........................................................................................... 11
Benchmarking ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Performance Reporting and Scrutiny .......................................................................................................................... 12
Actions..................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Performance Indicators........................................................................................................................................... 14
Performance Status (RAG Status) ........................................................................................................................... 14
Schedule of Corporate Reporting ........................................................................................................................... 15
Planned Improvements ................................................................................................................................................... 16
The Council Plan Performance Management Framework .......................................................................................... 16
Tell Us Once ................................................................................................................................................................ 16
Best Value Thematic Approach ................................................................................................................................... 16
Pentana Risk ................................................................................................................................................................ 16
Self-Assessment .......................................................................................................................................................... 17
Benchmarking ............................................................................................................................................................. 17
Quarterly Performance Update Deadlines ................................................................................................................. 17
Format of Public Facing Reports ................................................................................................................................. 18
Publication of Reports and General Information ........................................................................................................ 18
Power BI ...................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Training ....................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Learning From Our Services ........................................................................................................................................ 18
Support to Embed Continuous Improvement............................................................................................................. 18
Managing Strategy Effectiveness ................................................................................................................................ 18

Page 7

Page 2 of 18
Welcome 
The core purpose of effective performance management is to improve the lives of the people we serve by
using high quality information to make decisions.  
We believe the impact our services have on our residents, employees, businesses and visitors cannot be
demonstrated through charts alone.  It requires a balance of quantitative and qualitative information such as real
lived experiences and case studies to measure impact, provide context and effectively inform decision making.  This
approach relies on excellent communication between all teams to share information and is supported by both the
Accounts Commission’s Direction 2021 and the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework.  
This strategy outlines how our performance management supports a culture of continuous improvement within our
Council to support our priorities and so provide the best outcomes for our people.  It provides an overview of
statutory context and our current performance management arrangements.
Secondly, it includes an overview of planned developments to ensure continuous improvement within our
performance management up until 31st March 2028 (coinciding with the lifespan of our current Council Plan). 
Innovation to ensure effective and transparent performance management will be central to our activities.  We
reviewed the outcomes of our previous Performance Management Strategy and these have informed our approach.
Finally, this strategy does not attempt to list the vast range of improvement activities currently underway in our
Council.  These are already covered through existing strategies published on our website.  Similarly, this strategy
excludes Health and Social Care Partnership performance, which is managed separately.
This strategy is managed by the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team and we would welcome any
feedback you may have.  We are constantly striving to make our Council and reports as accessible as possible and
welcome opportunities to discuss how this can be achieved.  For further information please contact: 
The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team 
Tel: 01294 310000 
Email:  NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk 
Key Objectives
Empower and support
teams to embed
continuous improvement
throughout our Council
Establish an effective
dynamic performance
management framework
that reflects our services
Develop perception of
performance as driving
continuous improvement
for the people we serve
Focus on efficient,
transparent and robust
performance
management, minimising
duplication and embracing
innovation
Enhance accessibility
through relevant, clearly
understood publications,
available through a variety
of channels for our
residents and stakeholders
Collaborate with and learn
from teams across our
Council and beyond
Encourage and support
effective scrutiny at all
levels within our Council as
well as by external
stakeholders
Establish the Corporate
Policy, Performance and
Elections Team as key
point of contact for
performance management

Page 8

Page 3 of 18
Statutory Duty and National Context
This section outlines the statutory duty of Best Value and the national context that needs to
be considered within Our Performance Management Strategy.
Best Value
Best Value is a statutory duty as set out in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003 and applies to all public bodies
in Scotland. Its core purpose is to ensure good governance, effective use of resources and continuous improvement
in order to deliver better outcomes for our people.
A new approach to auditing Best Value within Scottish councils came into effect during 2022/23. (Note: This
approach relates to councils only. The Accounts Commission decided in 2021 not to proceed with Best Value audits of
Integrated Joint Boards (IJBs) following a pilot and national policy developments. Broad local and national audits of
IJBs will be used instead.)
The new annual Best Value Thematic Approach explores a particular area of Best Value each year. The theme
covered reflects local government risks and challenges and is determined by the Accounts Commission each year.
All 32 local authorities will be audited on the selected theme by their external auditors.
The results of the audit will be integrated into the Annual Audit of each council in the
autumn. In addition, a national thematic report will be produced to show a Scotland-
wide view of performance.
At least once every five years a council’s report will be highlighted to the Accounts
Commission by the Controller of Audit through a section 102 report. The current
programme of Best Value reporting is due to be published in October 2023, with final
reports in August 2027.
At time of writing our most recent Best Value Audit Assurance Report was published in
June 2020 and is available by clicking on the image to the right. We are currently
undertaking the Best Value Thematic Approach for 2022/23, the results will be included
in the Annual Audit expected to be published in November 2023.
Where the audit identifies areas for improvement, these will form part of an action plan
managed by the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team on behalf of the Executive Leadership Team.
Actions are expected to be monitored within the audit year by the appointed external auditors on behalf of the
Accounts Commission. Updates on Best Value actions will be reported regularly to Cabinet, Council and the Audit
and Scrutiny Committee as appropriate.
Direction 2021
The Accounts Commission has the statutory power to determine the performance information that must be
published by local authorities. The Accounts Commission’s Direction 2021 on Public Performance Reporting came
into effect in April 2022 and defines how local authorities should demonstrate they are achieving Best Value for their
residents up to March 2025.
The Direction gives flexibility in determining which performance indicators (PIs) meet the requirements of Best
Value. Central to this is demonstrating continuous improvement and self-awareness in terms of our strengths and

Page 9

Page 4 of 18
areas for improvement. The Accounts Commission expects us to ensure balanced reporting as timeously as is
practical.
Our strategy will be immediately refreshed following any new Direction from the Accounts Commission.
An extract from the 2021 Account Commission Direction showing the two Statutory Performance Indicators (SPIs) is
below:
“Each council will report on a range of information covered by the following two indicators (including in combination
if desired):
Statutory Performance Indicator 1: Improving local services and local outcomes
• Its performance in improving local public services, both provided by itself and in conjunction with its partners
and communities.
• Progress against the desired outcomes agreed with its partners and communities.
The Commission expects the council to report such information to allow comparison (i) over time and (ii) with other
similar bodies (thus drawing upon information published by the Local Government Benchmarking Framework and
from other benchmarking activities).
The Commission expects the council to, in agreeing its outcomes with its partners and communities, report on how it
has engaged with, responded to and helped to empower its communities, including those who require greater
support.
Statutory Performance Indicator 2: Demonstrating Best Value
• Its assessment of how it is performing against its duty of Best Value, including self-assessments and service
review activity, and how it has responded to this assessment.
• Audit assessments (including those in the annual audit) of its performance against its Best Value duty, and
how it has responded to these assessments.
• Assessments from other scrutiny and inspection bodies, and how it has responded to these assessments.
In satisfying the requirements set out in this schedule, the Commission expects the council to take cognisance of
current statutory guidance on Best Value requirements, and in particular to ensure:
• Balance in reporting areas of improvement that have been achieved and not achieved.
• This is undertaken in a timely manner.
• Easy access to its performance information for all of its citizens and communities, with such information
presented in an accessible style.”
The 2021 Direction is the core focus of our Performance Management Strategy. Key changes between 2018 and
2021 Direction include greater focus on:
• Self-assessment and evidencing how this is used to improve services. (SPI 1)
• Assessments and inspections and how we have used this information to improve. (SPI 2)
• Empowering communities, particularly those requiring additional support, to set priorities and scrutinise
performance in an accessible way. (SPI 1 and 2)
• Supporting the new annual Best Value Thematic Approach. (SPI 2)

Page 10

Page 5 of 18
National Performance Framework
The Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework aims to
create a more successful country with more opportunities and better
wellbeing for the people of Scotland. It looks to create sustainable and
inclusive growth and reduce inequalities by giving equal importance to
economic, environmental and social progress and aligns to the United
Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
The National Performance Framework directly influences the outcomes
within our Council Plan. Further information is available by clicking the
image to the right.
At time of writing a review of the National Outcomes is taking place.
Following this review our Performance Management Strategy will be
updated with any amendments.
The Local Government Benchmarking Framework
The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) is administered by the Improvement Service in partnership
with SOLACE. It is highlighted within the Direction 2021 and provides an opportunity to benchmark our performance
with other local authorities in Scotland. As a result, many of the indicators are used within our Council Plan.
By recording the same indicators as other local authorities across a wide
range of themes we can identify opportunities to learn from each other.
The Direction 2021 gives scope to focus on the LGBF indicators that
directly link to our Council Plan priorities. South Lanarkshire Council took
this approach as highlighted by the Accounts Commission in the Local
Government in Scotland Overview 2023. As a result, we have adopted this
approach in 2023.
Local authorities with similar traits such as type of geography and levels of deprivation are categorised into “family
groups” to enable as close as a like for like comparison as possible. Performance can be explored through the LGBF
online tool by clicking the image above and further information is contained in the Benchmarking section of this
strategy.

Page 11

Page 6 of 18
Performance Management
Local Context
This section outlines local context that needs to be considered within Our Performance Management
Strategy.
The Community Plan
The Community Plan (Local Outcome Improvement Plan), is administered by our North Ayrshire Community Planning
Partnership which consists of public, private and voluntary organisations and groups working together with
communities through our six Locality Partnerships to make North Ayrshire a better place to live. The Community
Plan has three themes:
• Wellbeing – Health and Wellbeing – Reducing inequalities by targeted
support to improve individual, family and community wellbeing.
• Work – Economy and Skills – Addressing the causes and effects of poverty
through a strong local economy and skills base.
• World – Climate Change – Working more closely and effectively together
to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Locality Plans
Locality Plans are created by each of the six Locality Partnerships in North Ayrshire. Though supported by
officers within our Council, the priorities and plans are led by our communities. As such, priorities vary by
locality.
Our Council Plan 2023-28
Our Council Plan 2023-28 is the main strategy for our Council for the next five years. Our vision ‘A North Ayrshire
that is fair for all’ is shared with The Community Plan. Our mission ‘Working together to improve the lives of our
people in North Ayrshire’ demonstrates how continuous improvement is embedded within our culture.
Our Council Plan outlines our priorities created in partnership with our residents and is aligned to The Community
Plan. It is the core basis of our statutory performance reporting as outlined in the Accounts Commission Direction
2021. All plans that sit underneath Our Council Plan must align to it. Our Council Plan has four interlinked priorities:
• Wellbeing – To transition to a wellbeing economy, delivering
prosperity, wellbeing and resilience for local people.
• Communities and Local Democracy – We will have active, inclusive and
resilient communities.
• Climate Change – To achieve net-zero by 2030.
• A Sustainable Council – A community Wealth Building Council that is
efficient and accessible, maximising investment and focusing resources
towards our priorities.
For more details, please click the image on the right.
Operational and Team Plans
Operational and Team Plans are not reported in the public domain, however they are critical in providing the detail
needed to deliver Our Council Plan priorities. Operational Plans inform Team Plans, which in turn are more detailed.
Both Operational Plans and Team Plans are crucial in supporting self-assessment.

Page 12

Page 7 of 18
Performance Management
Personal Development Reviews
Personal Development Reviews are key to ensuring all employees are aware of how their actions contribute to the
Council Plan priorities.  They should take place at least once per year in addition to regular discussions about
personal and team performance with line managers.  Personal Development Reviews are also known as “Our Time
To Talk” for all non-teaching employees, “Personal Review and Development” for teaching employees and
psychologists and “Participant Quarterly Progress Reviews” for Modern Apprentices. 
Our Staff Values
Our Staff Values support a culture of continuous improvement by providing key guidance on how employees
are expected to approach their activities.  They are central
to our recruitment and employee development.  For further
details please click on the image to the right. 
Strategic Risks
We are risk aware, not risk averse.  To ensure effective risk management many activities taken to mitigate strategic
risks can be found within our Council Plan and Operational Plans.

Page 13

Page 8 of 18
Performance Management
Performance Management
The “Golden Thread”
Every task of every employee within our Council contributes to achieving better outcomes for the people of North
Ayrshire.  This link is referred to as the “Golden Thread”.  An overview is shown below:
Best Value Duty
National Performance
Framework
Community Plan (LOIP)
Council Plan
Operational Plans
Personal Development
Reviews 
“Our Time to Talk”, “Personal
Review and Development” or
“Participant Quarterly Progress
Reviews” depending on role.
Locality Plans
Strategic Risks
Our Staff Values
Focus
Passion
Inspiration
Key Policies 
(See section below)

Page 14

Page 9 of 18
Performance Management
Key Policies
The policy landscape is summarised below:
National Themes / Policies 
• Best Value and continuous improvement
• Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015
• Best Start Bright Futures Tackling Child Poverty
Plan 2022-26
• The United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNCRC) 
• The Promise
• Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)
• Islands (Scotland) Act 2018
• Human Rights Based Approach
• Fairer Scotland Duty
• Equality Act 2010
• Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets)
(Scotland) Act 2019 – Net Zero Scotland by 2045
• Placemaking Approach
• National Strategy for Economic Transformation
(NSET)
• Green recovery and renewal 
Local Strategies
• Community Wealth Building Strategy
• The Regional Economic Strategy
• Community Plan (LOIP)
• Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic
Plan
• Education Service Improvement Plan
• Child Poverty Action Plan
• Children’s Services Plan
• Children’s Rights Report
• Youth Participation and Citizenship Strategy
• Island Plans
• Regeneration Delivery Plan
• Local Housing Strategy
• Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP)
• Local Development Plan
• Environmental Sustainability and Climate
Change Strategy
• KA Leisure (North Ayrshire Leisure Limited)
Business Plan

Page 15

Page 10 of 18
Performance Management
Roles
Everyone is responsible for performance, every task undertaken in the working day contributes to our “bigger
picture” outlined by Our Council Plan (as detailed in the “Golden Thread” section above). However, roles have
specific responsibilities in terms of performance management.
The Accounts Commission is the independent public watchdog for local government, they
report directly to our residents.Accounts Commission
North Ayrshire Council is responsible for approving the Council plan which sets out our vision
and direction for five years.North Ayrshire Council
The Audit and Scrutiny Committee has oversight of a range of functions including the
preparation of a strategy for performance review; ensuring that Chief Officers establish and
implement arrangements for reviewing service performance against objectives; monitoring the
performance of the Council towards achieving policy objectives and priorities; and reviewing
the implementation of Our Council Plan.
North Ayrshire
Council's Audit and
Scrutiny Committee
Cabinet is the main decision making body within our Council. It is responsible for the setting of
the vision and direction of our Council, scrutiny of performance and approving the submission
of performance reports to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee.
North Ayrshire Council
Cabinet
The Executive Leadership Team has strategic responsibility for our Council Plan, scrutinising
performance and agreeing action and resources to address areas of underperformance.
Executive Leadership
Team (ELT)
Executive Directors are responsible for the strategic direction of their directorate and ensuring
it is inline with Our Council Plan. They have overall responsibility for the performance of their
directorate. In addition they are directly involved in finalising the priorities and content of Our
Council Plan.
Executive Directors
Heads of Service are responsible for managing and scrutinising the performance of their teams
through Council Plan reporting and Operational Plans. In addition they scrutinise and approve
the release of information to external regulators. They also identify opportunities to learn by
benchmarking performance with others (not limited to other local authorities).
Heads of Service
The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team leads the delivery of the statutory duty
to demonstrate Best Value as set out in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003. This
includes supporting the Executive Leadership Team in the creation, management and reporting
of Our Council Plan and other performance frameworks, contributing to national performance
networks and collaborating with all teams within our Council to achieve continuous
improvement.
Corporate Policy,
Performance and
Elections Team
Managers are responsible for managing the performance of their team and supporting their
team to deliver overall objectives in Our Council Plan. In addition Senior Managers are
responsible for Operational Plan creation including setting objectives and targets and may be
involved in updating Council Plan performance. They also identify opportunities to learn by
benchmarking performance with others (not limited to other local authorities).
Senior Managers and
Team Managers
We all contribute to Our Council Plan through delivering the tasks agreed in our team plans and
personal development reviews. As a result we all contribute to improving outcomes for the
people we serve.All Employees

Page 16

Page 11 of 18
Performance Management
The Continuous Improvement Cycle - Plan Do Learn Act
Performance management and performance reporting are very different things. Performance management is using
the information available to us to effectively plan, undertake activities and learn from the results. We then act on
this learning to inform future planning to meet the needs of the people of North Ayrshire. This is known as “The
Continuous Improvement Cycle” or “Plan, Do, Learn, Act”. Performance reporting is a method within the “Learn”
part of this cycle to show what has been achieved so progress can be effectively scrutinised and any changes to the
approach made (in the “Act” and “Plan” stages).
This really is a continuous improvement cycle with its complexity and timescales tailored to the strategic level, scale
or risk of a plan, project or activity. It is key to effective performance management throughout North Ayrshire
Council.
Be SMART: SMART objectives and indicators* are:
Specific Precise in what we are trying to measure.
Measurable Realistic in terms of how we can measure the indicator and how practical it is to source this
data when needed. If the effort of sourcing the data outweighs its value, then an alternative
measure could be a better choice.
Achievable Ambitious but realistic targets.
Relevant The measure relates to our priorities, will tell us what we need to know to make a decision and
relates to the overall aim.
Time-bound There are timeframes for achieving goals.
*It is important to make a distinction between SMART indicators and other sources of information such as real lived
experiences which are invaluable in informing policy and demonstrating impact.
Focus on: The outcomes we are wanting to achieve;
Who else we can potentially compare to and learn
from (benchmarking); Resources available and how
we will undertake activity; How we measure progress
and effectiveness using SMART indicators such as
performance indicators and actions; and target
setting.
Use the results of the “Act” stage to inform future
approaches to achieving outcomes.
Carry out the activity.
• Report and scrutinise the outcomes of the activity by
using the indicators. Did we achieve what we set out
to? (Target setting at the “Plan” stage is essential to
answer this question and provide the evidence needed
for effective scrutiny.)
• Has anyone else achieved better outcomes and could
we learn from a better performing team / authority /
organisation (benchmarking)?
Use the insight generated at
the “Learn” stage to
determine what we should do
differently; what we should
do again and how we could
develop further.
The Continuous
Improvement
Cycle

Page 17

Page 12 of 18
Performance Management
For further details about the “Continuous Improvement Cycle”, creating performance measures and setting targets
to effectively manage performance, please contact the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team. Further
information on benchmarking can be found in the next section.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is comparing our performance to others (not only the public sector or within the UK) and learning
how to improve as a result. This is not limited to comparing performance indicators, we actively benchmark by
comparing different approaches to address the same issue or achieve similar outcomes.
We are one of 32 Scottish local authorities utilising the Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF),
coordinated by the Improvement Service and SOLACE. This framework enables us to compare our performance
across a wide range of themes with other local authorities in Scotland. In addition, to provide as close a comparison
as possible, councils with similar traits are grouped into “family groups”. This gives us access to a wide range of
comparable data on as close to a like for like basis as possible. Further details on the LGBF can be found above.
We compare performance through several routes, many of which are specialised such as APSE.
Performance Reporting and Scrutiny
We have a statutory duty to report our performance in a balanced and timeous way. In addition, the process of
reporting our performance ensures effective scrutiny by peers, Elected Members and ultimately our residents. An
overview of the process is shown below.
In addition, there is a good deal of checking data, ensuring notes explain performance and provide context, sourcing
qualitative information around the impact we are having such as case studies and ensuring our reports are accessible
and relevant to the people of North Ayrshire. This includes the use of Power BI as the basis of our North Ayrshire
Performance Dashboard.
Updates added
to Pentana Risk
Data checks and
additional
information
sought
Report drafted
Report
reviewed
by Heads
of Service
Report reviewed
by Executive
Directors
Report
finalised
Report
scrutinised and
approved by
Executive
Leadership Team
(Q2 and Q4 only)
Report scrutinised
and approved by
Cabinet (now in
public domain)
Report scrutinised
and approved by
the Audit and
Scrutiny
Committee
Report published
on our website
and promoted via
social media.

Page 18

Page 13 of 18
Performance Management
As a result, effective time management is crucial to ensure reports are scrutinised and in the public domain while the
data is still as relevant as possible.  We work with teams to ensure good quality timeous information. 
Actions 
Actions represent an update on planned activity over a certain time period.  For this reason, action updates are
explanations of performance, including what is going well and, if an activity is behind schedule, what is being done to
address this.  
The actions within Our Council Plan summarise activity undertaken through existing key strategies.  The status of an
action is determined in one of two ways:
1. If the action has not yet reached its due date, an informed decision is made by the action owner on whether
they consider the action to be on target, slightly adrift or significantly adrift of where it should be at that
time.  This can be informed by project plans and milestones held within teams.  
2. If an action is not complete at its due date, it is automatically set as significantly adrift of target.  Due dates
can only be extended where there is a reasonable explanation to do so.  The amended timescales are then
presented to Cabinet for full transparency and approval.
Actions form the basis of the narrative within Council Plan Progress Reports.  A visual Action Status Tracker is
included in the reports to enable any action trends to be identified.
Action Timescales
Traditionally corporate performance management and reporting coincided with financial years, however with long-
term developments such as the Ayrshire Growth Deal as well as recognising that some services, for example
Education, work to different reporting frequencies and timescales such as academic years, this was reviewed as part
of our previous strategy.
In April 2021 we introduced a more dynamic form of performance management that reflects the activity rather than
the financial or academic year.  This ensures:
• Education performance is captured using term time frequencies and academic years where appropriate
within our corporate reporting.  (I.e. Academic year end is captured in Quarter Two / Mid-Year Council Plan
reporting.)
• Large scale projects are reported at a level where the full project, or relevant milestones (rather than small
elements), are reported – preserving the context and providing a holistic view of performance and impact.
As actions for specific areas end, potential replacement actions are identified.  These are approved by the Executive
Leadership Team and Cabinet when public facing performance reporting is presented for scrutiny and approval (at
Quarters Two and Four).  Rationale for any replacement actions is on a case-by-case basis based on priorities and
operating environment rather than like for like replacements.
The corporate Annual Performance Report remains aligned to financial years and captures all performance progress
within that year.

Page 19

Page 14 of 18
Performance Management
Performance Indicators
Performance Indicators (PIs) are numerical measures such as ‘number of’, ‘percentage of’ and so on. We set targets
where possible and appropriate to do so. This informs the status of the PI at each reporting period (see below).
Where practical to do so, PI reporting frequencies should be quarterly or half yearly within Our Council Plan in
addition to annual reporting, with a minimal lead in time.
Performance Status (RAG Status)
The performance status is also known as RAG status due to colour coding used to show progress (red, amber or
green). Within our performance reporting the status of a PI or action is determined as follows:
Status Description
On target
Slightly adrift of target (typically this represents a variance ≥ 1% and < 5% from the target).
Significantly adrift of target (typically this represents a variance ≥ 5% from the target).
Data only (PIs only) – this is where a target has intentionally not been set, usually due to the
indicator being a new indicator or where we can only partly contribute to the outcome.
Data not available / status unknown - (PIs only) the status is not available either due to data not
being available or no target being set.
When calculating the percentage of indicators with each status, the most recent available status is used up to the
previous financial year end. For example, Quarter Two 2023-24 uses statuses up to 31st March 2023. This ensures
any data with a time lag is reported, yet information older than this is given the status of “data not available” for this
calculation to ensure past performance does not impact on the scrutiny of current performance.
Indicators set as data only or with no data available are excluded. For example:
Red status percentage = Number with red status X 100
Number of red + amber + green status
Positive and negative trends are shown within our reporting. In terms of Our Council Plan these are defined as:
• Short-term Trend: Comparison with previous year.
• Medium-term Trend: Comparison with three years previously.
• Long-term Trend: Comparison with more than three years previously.

Page 20

Page 15 of 18
Schedule of Corporate Reporting 
Quarter 1
(April to June)
Quarter 2
(July to September)
Quarter 3
(October to December)
Quarter 4
(January to March)
Annual
Council Plan
Light touch summary
presented to the
Executive Leadership
Team.
Full six-monthly progress
report produced for
scrutiny by the Executive
Leadership Team,
Cabinet and the Audit
and Scrutiny Committee. 
Published on our
website.
Light touch summary
presented to the
Executive Leadership
Team.
Full six-monthly
progress report
produced for scrutiny
by the Executive
Leadership Team,
Cabinet and the Audit
and Scrutiny
Committee. 
Published on our
website.
Full year Annual Performance
Report produced for scrutiny by
the Executive Leadership Team,
Cabinet and the Audit and
Scrutiny Committee. 
Published on our website. 
Public facing North Ayrshire
Performance Dashboard
updated.
Local
Government
Benchmarking
Framework
(LGBF)    
LGBF report produced for
scrutiny by the Executive
Leadership Team, Cabinet and
the Audit and Scrutiny
Committee. 
Published on our website.
Operational
Plans
Operational Plans are supported by the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team.  They are reported within Services and
Directorates but are not in the public domain. 
In addition to corporate reporting, many directorates have specialised reporting to the Scottish Government, external regulators and groups.

Page 21

Page 16 of 18
Planned Improvements
We have a duty to ensure balanced reporting and effective scrutiny. This can only be achieved through
working alongside teams to address any issues and provide support where it is needed. This section shows
how this will be achieved, alongside planned improvements to strengthen our compliance with the
Direction 2021.
The Council Plan Performance Management Framework
Within our previous Council Plan 2019-24 sub actions were introduced and sourced from existing strategies. Though
intended to strengthen the golden thread between the Council Plan and teams, this resulted in approximately 100
specific actions within our Council Plan making effective scrutiny challenging.
Our Council Plan 2023-28 Performance Management Framework takes a more strategic approach, where actions are
higher level but mapped to existing strategies. More than one team may be assigned an action. Relevant teams are
then able to provide a fuller update, focussing on the performance of that strategy as well as associated activity.
This should support more effective scrutiny and cross team working, promoting a whole system approach to our
delivery for the benefit of our residents.
Tell Us Once
Following a successful pilot during the Quarter Two 2020-21 reporting period, the Corporate Policy, Performance
and Elections Team adopted a “tell us once” approach, sourcing qualitative information from existing sources as far
as possible to minimise the duplication of effort within teams. This was especially important due to frontline
services addressing immediate need due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though there is still scope to reuse information
held corporately, the extent of this approach will be scaled back. This is to ensure teams can regain effective
ownership of their performance and a more strategic update can be produced in collaboration with Heads of Service.
A proposal will be developed and presented to the Chief Officers Leadership Team (COLT) in January 2024.
Best Value Thematic Approach
We will support the Best Value Thematic Approach across our Council. This includes supporting the audit and
ensuring any actions are managed and reported as appropriate to the ELT, Cabinet, Council or Audit and Scrutiny
Committee as appropriate.
Pentana Risk
Pentana Risk is our corporate performance management system. We will engage with services to improve how we
use Pentana to support effective and timeous updates of performance information.
Deadlines for the year will be published in the North Ayrshire Council Pentana homepage alongside information on
additional support and links to final Progress Reports to help strengthen the reporting cycle.
We will enhance our use of portals (online viewing) to:
• Ensure users can view their own Council Plan actions and PIs, so there is a clear definition between statutory
Council Plan measures and internal reporting.
• Enable teams to run Operational Plan reports on demand as required, providing greater flexibility for non-
corporate updates within teams.
We will ensure corporately reported data is hosted centrally where appropriate. However, we understand other
systems are in use for good reasons. Therefore, we will not require the data to be transferred / duplicated onto
Pentana Risk other than for Corporate Reporting such as for our Council Plan or The Community Plan (LOIP).
We will ensure our performance management systems across our Council are supporting rather than defining our
performance management approach due to historic or other reasons.

Page 22

Page 17 of 18
Self-Assessment
A new approach to self-assessment will be introduced using the Public Services Improvement Framework (PSIF)
tailored to teams and services.  We will work with the Improvement Service to initiate the approach.  Key principles
will be:
• Use of PSIF tailored to risks and capacity of teams and services.
• Reporting to a ‘peer review’ group consisting of members of the Executive Leadership Team to invite
scrutiny and inform resource allocation.
• Reporting summaries on our website and within Council Plan progress reports as appropriate.
Information used to inform the assessment will include:
• PSIF self-assessment questionnaire.
• Recent audits, inspections and accreditations.
• Operational Plans (service outputs and outcomes including benchmarking opportunities).
• People statistics such as employee absence, additional costs, health and safety, complaint handling,
compliments, request response times (for example Elected Member, MP and MSP requests, FOIs etc.) to
gain a full understanding of the performance and ‘health’ of a team (balanced scorecard).
• Financial management.
• Reputational management (communications and consultations).
• Discussion of results with Senior Manager and Head of Service prior to peer review.
This is in addition to scrutiny provided through public consultations and self-assessment of committees.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking information such as data within the Local Government Benchmarking Framework was heavily
impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.  This has meant the value of comparisons over recent years has been limited. 
As the data stabilises and is more reflective of Council performance, we will improve our approach to benchmarking
through:
• Ensuring benchmarked data relates directly to Our Council Plan priorities.
• Utilising Power BI to illustrate trends in a clearer way.
• Approach councils within our family group (or other councils performing particularly well) to understand our
relative performance and seek improvements.
Quarterly Performance Update Deadlines
Within the 2021-24 Performance Strategy we recognised competing demands on teams at quarter end and aimed to
resolve issues through:
• Extending corporate deadlines from two to three weeks after quarter end to accommodate associated
demands including gathering information from remote teams and data checking within secondary
performance management systems.  It also addressed capacity issues due to school holiday periods
coinciding with quarter ends.
• Extending deadlines only when agreed with the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team under
certain circumstances, such as data source availability, data validation or team capacity issues.
• Educating teams in the need for deadlines to be met in order to produce reports that contain relevant
timeous information that can be effectively scrutinised, highlighting the impact of delayed reporting.
• Training to ensure where no update is available, a note will be provided by the team assigned the measure
to explain the reason and when the information will become available.
Deadlines are now three weeks after quarter end, however the other elements require further action and will
continue within the 2023-28 Performance Management Strategy.

Page 23

Page 18 of 18
Format of Public Facing Reports
We will continue to:
• Produce engaging “magazine” format performance reporting tailored for our residents.
• Share reports directly with our own teams as well as community groups following publication.
• Work with teams to better engage with our young people.
• Encourage feedback and use this to further improve our reporting.
• Use consistent branding across all corporate performance documents.
• Engage more with residents through social media using the #NorthAyrshirePerforms.
• Ensure our reporting is accessible.
In addition, we will capture recent audits, inspections and accreditations and associated improvement activity within
our Council Plan progress reports, linking to published reports where possible.
Publication of Reports and General Information
We will improve how our reporting is published both within our Council and externally through working with our
Communications Team to develop a regular schedule. We will review our webpages and ensure all information is
relevant and timeous.
Power BI
We will continue to use Power BI to provide greater insights from the data we hold. This includes people statistics
within Operational Plans, LGBF analysis and the North Ayrshire Performance Dashboard.
Training
Corporate training will be refreshed for performance management, scrutiny and Pentana. The approach will be
based on feedback from teams across our Council.
Learning From Our Services
Performance should not be a desk-based exercise. To enable effective reporting, it is important Policy and
Performance Officers have first-hand experience of many of the areas reported on. As a result, representatives from
the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team will be encouraged to attend events such as Locality
Partnerships and community forums, as well as other activities, to increase our understanding of how to report and
reach our residents more effectively.
Support to Embed Continuous Improvement
We will support teams to embed continuous improvement throughout our Council by offering a range of support as
listed below.
• Benchmarking support – Not only output/data based, but outcome based.
• Scrutiny support – Develop training for officers and Elected Members on effective scrutiny of our performance.
• Signposting to data for policy creation – The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team has knowledge
of, or access to, various sources of local and national data and information.
• Collaboration with other teams – Working closely with teams to make performance reporting as effective and
efficient as possible.
• Corporate data returns – coordinating key cross service data returns such as the LGBF return.
• Continued professional development of our team and those we support.
Managing Strategy Effectiveness
The above activities will be monitored through the Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Operational Plan.
Key activities will be included within Council Plan Progress Reporting where appropriate.

Page 24

Page 19 of 18 
For further information please contact: 
The Corporate Policy, Performance and Elections Team 
Tel: 01294 310000   Email:  NorthAyrshirePerforms@north-ayrshire.gov.uk