Data Quality Audit Report (PDF) - Lake District National Park

Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item 8
Scrutiny Committee: 30 January 2008 Page 1
AUDIT REPORTS: DATA QUALITY AND BEST VALUE PERFORMANCE PLAN
1 SUMMARY
1.1 The Audit Commission found our management arrangements for ensuring data quality
demonstrated adequate performance. Our Best Value Performance Plan complied
with the relevant legislation and statutory guidance.
Recommendation that:
a Members accept the report on Data Quality (Annex 1);
b Members agree the action plan for data quality (Annex 2);
c Members accept the report on the Best Value
Performance Plan (Annex 3).
2 BACKGROUND
2.1 This is the second year that the Audit Commission has undertaken work on data
quality and a copy of their report is attached as Annex 1. Their approach this time
included a self assessment, which I completed and submitted in advance of their visit
in July 2007. No spot checks of data submitted for performance indicators were
undertaken.
2.2 Their review of our management arrangements for data quality has resulted in a
judgement that we have adequate performance. The report highlights some
improvements in the last year to data checking and reporting processes. It also
identifies a number of areas for improvement. Actions to address these are in Annex
2.
2.3 The Audit Commission's report on the Best Value Performance Plan is given in Annex
3. The report states that the Plan complies with relevant legislation and statutory
guidance and there are no matters to report. The auditor did make a point of note for
future plans that we be more specific about outcomes of improvement priorities. This
comment relates to the Improvement Programme projects which were listed in the
Plan, but the outcomes were not stated.
3 POLICY CONTEXT
3.1 Effective performance management is crucial if the Authority is to deliver its part of the
Vision for the National Park.
4 OPTIONS
4.1 Options in relation to the proposed action plan in Annex 2 are to:
a accept the proposed action plan;
b suggest amendments to the proposed action plan;
c not undertake any action in relation to data quality.
5 PROPOSALS
5.1 I propose option (a) above, that you adopt the Action Plan in Annex 2.
6 BEST VALUE IMPLICATIONS
6.1 The Local Government Act 1999 requires all best value authorities to prepare an
annual performance plan.

Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item 8
Scrutiny Committee: 30 January 2008 Page 2
7 FINANCE CONSIDERATIONS
7.1 There are no financial considerations.
8 RISK
8.1 One of our corporate risks is about data quality: the quality of data is insufficient to
deliver the Business Plan. However, the rating for this risk is lower than the tolerance
level identified by members so it will not be actively managed but will be monitored
during the year. Once we complete the actions in Annex 2 then this risk should be less
likely to become an issue.
9 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
9.1 We have a statutory duty, according to the Local Government Act 1999, to publish a
Best Value Performance Plan each year. However, this was the last year that we were
required to produce an annual Best Value Performance Plan as the requirement to do
so has been repealed by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act
2007, although the relevant commencement order has not yet been made.
10 HUMAN RESOURCES
10.1 The Improvement Officer (Performance Management) and the Head of Strategy and
Improvement will be responsible for completing the actions identified in Annex 2.
11 DIVERSITY IMPLICATIONS
11.1 There are no specific diversity and equality issues relating to the audit reports or data
quality.
12 SUSTAINABILITY
12.1 There are no significant environmental, economic and social effects.
Background Papers Audit Commission reports, Performance Plan 2007-2008,
Self assessment of the adequacy of arrangements for data
quality
Author/Post
Kate Payne, Improvement Officer (Performance
Management)
Date Written 8 January 2008

Lake District National Park Authority
Agenda Item
Scrutiny Committee: 30 January 2008 Annex 1, Page 1
ANNEX 1: AUDIT COMMISSION REPORT ON LAKE DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK
AUTHORITY DATA QUALITY

Lake District National Park Authority
Agenda Item
Scrutiny Committee: 30 January 2008 Annex 2, Page 1
ANNEX 2: ACTION PLAN FOR DATA QUALITY
Recommendations from Audit
Commission
Establish a clear understanding of
the standards of data quality
expected within the Authority
Explicitly refer to managing the
quality of performance data in
corporate plans and role
descriptions and ensure that
appropriate support is available to
relevant staff
Highlight any unexplained year-onyear
variances in performance
data which may be symptomatic of
data inaccuracies
Confirm protocols with partners to
ensure that quality of shared
performance data
Comments Actions Who Deadline
Our role profiles refer to performance
management but do not explicitly
mention data quality however we
suggest that this is included in guidance
notes issued more regularly rather than
changing role profiles.
Year-on-year variances are calculated
annually using a paper form and Heads
of Service are asked to explain reasons
for any variance greater than 10% from
either data for the previous year or from
the target.
We are currently working with the Lake
District National Park Partnership on
developing indicators to demonstrate
our work towards the Vision so data
sharing will be more common in future
years. In addition we will be required to
submit data for the new Cumbria Local
Area Agreement.
Develop a data quality policy
for the Authority.
Include a sentence in our next
Business Plan about data
quality
Update guidance notes for
data collection to include data
quality
Investigate whether the
performance management
database can flag up any
unexpected variances.
Agree protocol for standards
for data quality with the Lake
District National Park
Partnership.
Investigate whether a protocol
on data sharing exists for the
Local Area Agreement
Improvement
Officer
(Performance
Management)
Head of Strategy
& Improvement
Improvement
Officer
(Performance
Management)
Improvement
Officer
(Performance
Management)
Improvement
Officer
(Performance
Management)
Head of Strategy
& Improvement
31 October
2008
30
September
2008
31 March
2008
30 June
2008
31 October
2008
30 June
2008

Lake District National Park Authority
Agenda Item
Scrutiny Committee: 30 January 2008 Annex 3, Page 1
ANNEX 3: AUDIT COMMISSION REPORT ON LAKE DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK
AUTHORITY BEST VALUE PERFORMANCE PLAN