Renfrewshire Council: the Audit of Best Value and ... - Audit Scotland

Exhibit 2
The council has ten strategic aims and objectives set out in the community plan and the corporate
statement
Community plan core aims
• To provide and promote learning opportunities which meet the needs and aspirations of individuals,
business and communities.
• To support and sustain economic growth which generates work and wealth.
• To make significant progress towards Renfrewshire being one of the healthiest areas in Scotland.
• To provide the best possible support and care to vulnerable individuals.
• To improve and maintain our neighbourhoods and homes.
• To create safe places to live, work and play.
Corporate statement objectives
• To raise achievement, set standards and continually improve.
• To ensure that our services are designed to meet the needs of all our residents.
• To modernise the way we work.
• To develop services in ways that can be sustained.
Source: Delivering the Key Corporate Initiatives, Renfrewshire Council, 2005
21. The council has a well integrated strategic planning framework and has also established a strong
framework of corporate values which govern the way it does business. These values are set out in the
council’s corporate statement and include: ‘involving and empowering’, ‘treating our customers well’,
and ‘valuing our employees’. The council has established methods for measuring how these values
are contributing to improvement but could improve its approach by setting specific targets for
improvement. It is clear that the values are key drivers for the council’s culture of continuous
improvement.
22. The council has also identified its 20 corporate and medium-term priorities and sets them out in the
paper Delivering the Key Corporate Initiatives. The corporate initiatives document clearly specifies the
role of elected members in each of the council’s planned initiatives. Elected member roles range from
approving policy and strategy decisions to receiving regular monitoring reports on progress. Elected
members are also actively involved in promoting best value, approving the best value review
programme and considering the results of reviews. Commitment to best value is also clearly
demonstrated in the council’s stated objectives and priorities. For instance ‘To raise achievement, set
standards and continually improve’ is identified as a strategic priority; ‘Achieve Best Value’ is one of
the council’s corporate initiatives; and ‘Aiming to be the Best’ is identified as a corporate value.
23. The council reviewed its policy and decision making processes in 2001 and further refined them in
2002. The aim is for the structure to streamline decision making, support community planning and
ensure proper coverage of council functions which do not fall naturally within community plan themes,
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