Report - London Borough of Hillingdon

Hillingdon Performance Management │ 7
Detailed Report
Performance management processes
19 The Council's performance management framework for 2005/06 consists of a
Council plan, a performance supplement, group and service plans and individual
plans produced through the use of the Council's Performance and Development
Agreement (PADA) process. The Council plan for 2005/06 entitled "Making a
Difference" incorporates the Best Value Performance Plan and includes the
Leader's Statement that sets out the tasks for the groups for the coming year as
well as providing an assessment of the progress made against the Council's
targets and objectives in the preceding year. The Council plan documents how
the Council is to work with local strategic partners to address the aims detailed
within the community strategy. However, at the time of our fieldwork the new
community strategy had not been signed-off by all of the local partners nor
published. The performance supplement provides a commentary on the Council's
progress against Best Value performance indicators to meet best value statutory
requirements.
20 In interviews with senior and middle managers and focus groups with managers
and front line staff the focus on performance management was evident. In the
three service areas subject to detailed probes performance issues were standing
agenda items at management and team meetings which were held at monthly or
weekly intervals. Issues affecting performance were routinely identified and
addressed.
21 The PADA I process is well understood and embedded within the organisation. All
staff we spoke to at senior, middle management and operational level stated that
they had received timely appraisals. Evidence of a 'golden thread;' the consistent
use of objectives from the Council plan, to Group plans and then finally to
individual performance plans was provided within the probe areas. Departments
had individual systems to monitor compliance with PADA processes but there is
no monitoring at the corporate level. Systems to monitor whether regular 1-2-1s
were undertaken were less systematic. As identified in the IDeA peer review
report (2004) it is difficult to demonstrate the ‘golden thread’ running from the
community strategy through to individual staff targets given the absence of a
finalised community strategy. The Council needs to ensure that group and
individual plans tie into the new community strategy as part of the next group and
individual planning cycle.
22 Staff are kept informed of performance issues by a range of methods including
team meetings and briefings, the circulation of minutes, and corporate and
directorate updates. Staff we spoke to were clear as to their departmental
objectives and progress in achieving them. There is often a natural reluctance to
provide critical feedback and systems are needed to overcome this barrier. The
Council has implemented two notable approaches, for example 'skip' meetings
I
Performance and Development Appraisal
London Borough of Hillingdon