Agenda item

To note the performance report.

Richard Fitzgerald (Business Intelligence Manager, Performance, Strategic Business Development & Intelligence) and Helen Page (Interim Head of Countryside and Community Development) were in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Fitzgerald introduced the Performance Dashboard which showed progress made against targets set for Key Performance Indicators (KPI) up to the end of December 2018. Mr Fitzgerald informed the Committee that the targets and KPI’s were set on an annual basis and that the targets within the current Dashboard reflected those set and agreed by the Committee in 2018 through the Business Plan process. Following the implementation of the Strategic Delivery Plan, targets and KPI’s would no longer go through the same governance process and would instead be generated in coalition with the newly adopted Strategic Delivery Plan. Members would have a chance at the next Committee in May to comment on the new mechanisms in place for approving KPI’s and targets.

2.    Mrs Page referred to the Environment, Planning and Enforcement KPIs and provided Members with a brief summary and reasoning for the red indicators, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report. With regard to EPE19, Mrs Page informed the Committee that a further month’s data had been received since publication of the report and confirmed that the KPI had achieved a RAG rating of amber. Mrs Page affirmed her confidence that the EPE targets, although challenging, would be achieved by the end of the 2019.

3.    Mr Pearson referred to the red KPI for the Libraries, Registrations and Archives service which related to number of people using outreacch services which was mainly the Home Library Service.  He said that work was due to be undertaken to review the current KPI’s to capture customer satisfaction levels as well as customer access levels and that in regard to the home library service, satisfcation would be a better measure. Mr Pearson said that the new LRA stratgey offered new opportunities for the services to look at their performance measures and said that LRA were keen to engage with Mr Fitzgerald to identify new targets.

4.    The officers responded to Comments and questions as follows:

(a)  In response to queries regarding the decline in library visits, Mr Pearson assured the Committee that library access levels were continuously monitored, however, there had been a decline in visits and this was backed by national trends. The summer period would often see increased library usage due to the summer reading challenge and increased student usage due to exams. However, Mr Pearson assured Members that trends would continue to be monitored and presented to the Committee.

(b)  With regard to the number of weddings in Kent, Mr Pearson said that there had been an increase in sites applying for a licence to perform and host wedding ceremonies which has had a positive impact in terms of economic growth for Kent. However, in response to queries regarding the social change in civic ceremonies and whether this had impacted on the national trend, Mr Pearson agreed to liaise with the LRA and respond to Members directly with the requested data.

5.    Mr Pearson paid tribute to the entire ceremonies team and wholly commended staff for their continued professionalism and positive work that has changed people’s lives.

6.    RESOLVED that the report be noted.