Agenda item

Report of the Head of Corporate Strategy and Performance.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Town Clerk updating on progress with the corporate and business planning process since the last meeting.

The Town Clerk advised that a refreshed Corporate Plan was being developed for 2018-23, which would set out a new vision and specific outcomes against which to monitor performance. Members would be invited to comment on the draft plan after the Common Council elections, before it was presented to the Court of Common Council for final approval, prior to publication.

The Town Clerk advised that, during January, consultation meetings were held to offer Service Committee Chairmen early sight of the proposals for revising corporate and business planning, including the new template for high-level departmental plans. The proposals were generally received very positively, and a number of helpful suggestions and comments were made. These had been fed back to Chief Officers and their business planners working on the high-level plans.

Draft high-level departmental plans would be presented to Service Committees before the elections in March, where possible, or circulated to the current Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen. Following the elections, Service Committees would receive the high-level plans for approval, supported by detailed business plans.

The Town Clerk advised that, during 2017/18, further development work would take place, including the re-formatting of detailed business plans and arrangements for monitoring and reporting performance. Regular updates would be provided to the Sub Committee as the work progressed.

A Member commented that it would be helpful to see the existing Corporate Plan so that any fundamental changes included in the new one were easily identifiable and any implications arising as a result could be considered appropriately. Members also commented that departmental business plans should be revisited after the agreement of the new Corporate Plan.

Members noted that the output from the People, Place and Prosperity Chief Officer Groups would be used in the development of the Corporate Plan, and that Members must be consulted on the draft plan and future priorities.

It was agreed that a copy of the current Corporate Plan should be circulated to Sub-Committee Members.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.