Supporting West Sussex County Councils performance management programme

The challenge

West Sussex County Council is a 3 Star local authority that recognised that it could improve service delivery if it were to adopt performance management principles and apply these systematically to all aspects of its work.

This involved the creation of a suite of performance-orientated plans shaped around clearly and succinctly defined SMART objectives, each matched by resources,
and carefully aligned with elected Members’ priorities. Mechanisms were required to allow delivery to be managed proactively using monitoring and management information systems linked to objectives at all tiers of management. Management development training was also needed to ensure that managers were able to plan effectively using the new framework and would have the necessary skills to monitor progress and direct activity during the course of delivery in order to ensure that objectives were achieved.

The culture change associated with implementing a new way of managing delivery required strong stakeholder engagement and communications combined with a carefully coordinated management development programme aimed at equipping managers at all levels with the skills and knowledge required to work in a performance orientated way.

Our approach

Having previously supported the formulation of a performance management framework tailored to the Council’s needs, one of our Directors continued to support the Council as the resultant two-year performance management programme was launched. Particular emphasis is currently being placed on three areas:

• Assisting the programme manager and board with the introduction of strong programme governance arrangements, a solid programme structure, and a coordinated approach across the programme’s projects
• Supporting the central project within the programme which is focused on the creation of the operational plans required at both corporate and service levels
• Engaging with senior management to stress the importance of allocating the necessary resources for delivery, now that the centrality of corporate performance management has been fully recognised.

How did this deliver value to the client?

It is still too early in the programme for enduring benefits to be claimed, but already the profile of performance management has risen significantly across the Council’s managers. There is a new clear recognition of the value of objective-based planning and of the need for management approaches and culture to re-orientate to new ways of working. This, in turn, will allow performance to be monitored systematically and decisions to be taken based on up-to-date management
information.

Click here to download PDF  

If you would like to talk to us call on the number below. Alternatively, click on the consultants email address, provide us with your details and we will call you back. We look forward to speaking to you. Contact: Email: Tel: Bob Hendicott bobhendicott@moorhouseconsulting.com +44 (0) 1225 446 313