Performance Management

Measuring performance

Measuring performance is used to improve services to the public, improve accountability, to check that we are making progress and achieving our goals. It is the foundation upon which performance management is built, and helps us maintain focus on key priorities, and question areas of poor performance.

There are different types of performance measures:

• Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) are required by law and reflect the government’s priorities. These provide national comparisons of performance.
• High Level Targets (HLTs) are set by Members and reflect our local priorities (some of which will also be national priorities). These align directly to our Corporate aims and objectives.
• Local Performance Indicators (LPIs) are set by Heads of Service through service planning, and reflect both local objectives and day to day management.
• Budget Monitoring. Members of the Council agree a budget at the beginning of each financial year. This is monitored every three months to identify whether expenditure and income show any major variances. 

Vital Signs

The Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and the Directors monitor performance on a monthly basis, using a set of performance indicators called Vital Signs Plus. These include all the important information that elected councillors want to see, as well as performance indicators relating to overall management of the council, e.g. sickness and vacancy rates, delivering on service standards.

Using briefing books, the Council can see how well it is delivering on its day to day services, and on the range of long-term plans and strategies, for example the Crime & Disorder Reduction strategy, and  the Sport and Physical Activity strategy.Elected councillors monitor performance on a quarterly basis using a set of performance indicators called Vital Signs. This set of measures was selected jointly by Members of the Executive and the Scrutiny Committees. Vital Signs is reported to the Scrutiny Committee, who hold the relevant Executive member (Portfolio Holder) to account for performance in their portfolio.

Related links:

• How to use Vital Signs (pdf)
• Vital Signs briefing books
• Financial Performance is reported every quarter, monitored by the Budget Planning Group and the Scrutiny Budget Monitoring Task Force.
• Corporate Improvement Plan
• Data Quality Management Policy 2007
• Corporate Plan Vision and High Level Targets 2007-09

Links to other councils:

• South Beds District Council- Performance Management
• Bedford Borough Council- Performance Management
• Bedfordshire County Council

If you would like further information about performance management please email the Policy Team or telephone on 01462 611049.

Web Site Performance

For information on our web site performance please visit our Web Site Statistics web page.

Linked documents:

* Download How to use PB Views - Vital Signs (application/pdf; 367kb)