Library
Our library contains documents held on the Improvement Service site together with links to documents held externally. A list of websites which also hold publications and information useful to those working in local government is available in our Information Sources section.
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Best Value
DocumentsDate added
Making an impact: An overview of the audits of Best Value and Community Planning 2004-2009
27/10/2009
This Audit Scotland report provides an overview of the audits of Best Value (BV) and Community Planning across the 32 councils in Scotland. The report draws from the 32 full BV audit reports, plus the 11 formal BV progress reports that the Accounts Commission has published. It summarises the impact of Best Value and presents the main issues that arose from those audit reports.
The Accounts Commission's annual overview report on local government in Scotland, which looks at how councils performed in 2008, how they plan and deliver services and how they use resources. It discusses: vision and strategic direction; community engagement; governance and accountability; financial management and planning; accounts and audit; asset management; people management; procurement; ICT; risk management; and service performance.
An independent review of the Best Value Audit process, commissioned by the Accounts Commission as part of its wider review of the Audits of Best Value and Community Planning. The report evaluates the effectiveness of the Best value audit approach to date; identify relevant knowledge and experience from literature and practice across the UK; and makes recommendations for improvement of the Best Value audit process.
The Accounts Commission welcomes a number of improvements by Scotland’s
local authorities but warns that major challenges lie ahead. The
Commission notes a general picture of improved performance but points
to possible changes following the local government elections in May and
substantial financial pressures.
A guide to contracting with social economy bodies for the provision of public services, demonstrating the social, economic and environmental advantages. An accompanying document - Better Value - the social economy delivering public sector contracts - contains 15 case studies of social economy organisations successfully delivering contracts in Scotland.
Fifteen cases studies of social economy organisations successfully delivering public sector contracts in Scotland. These case studies accompany the report Better Value - purchasing public services from the social economy, a guide to contracting with social economy bodies.
Presentation by Colin Mair, Chief Executive, Improvement Service, outlines the history and context of the Best Value audit, describes the audit experience and raises some key questions about the effectiveness of the audit before discussing some possible ways forward.
Presentation by George Black, Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council, on Glasgow's approach to the Best Value audit, the audit experience and the way forward for his Council.
Presentation by Arthur McCourt, Chief Executive, The Highland Council, on his Council's experience of, and frustrations with, the Best Value audit.
Paul Carroll, Corporate Planning Manager at Dundee City Council, and Jim McIvor, Best Value Manager at West Lothian Council shared their experiences of the Best Value audit - how they prepared for the audit; built their submissions; managed the audit process; arrived at an agreed report; and handled the publication of the report. The session also covered some reflection on what has happened since. Presentation given at the Best Value Conference, May 2006.
This presentation by Tom McHugh, Benefits Realisation Manager, and Andrew Spowart, Corporate Manager at the Improvement Service asks why do Best Value audits so regularly show flaws in the planning process? Realising the ambitions laid out in planning is best achieved when they can be uniquely described in terms of people, process and information. Driving measurable service improvements that achieve Best Value through the use of customer focused process improvement was the basis of this presentation.
The Local Government Scotland Act 2003 requires local authorities to demonstrate that they have developed a culture which encourages both equal opportunities and the observance of the equal opportunities requirements. In the light of the new equality duties on race, disability and gender, how can local authorities demonstrate their commitment to mainstreaming, equality impact assessment, procurement, monitoring and employment issues? Presentation by Chris Oswald, Head of Policy and Communications, Disability Rights Commission.
Why do Best Value audits so regularly show flaws in the planning process? Realising the ambitions laid out in planning is best achieved when they can be uniquely described in terms of people, process and information. Driving measurable service improvements that achieve Best Value through the use of customer focused process improvement was the basis of this presentation, given to the Best Value conference on 31 May 2006.
An overview of the main issues arising from Scottish local authority audits in 2005. The paper uses information from a range of sources, including auditors' reports, Best Value audits, Statutory Performance Indicators, and studies of specific services. It looks at how local authorities manage resources through financial management, financial strategy, reserves and balances, asset management and workforce management. It also looks at performance management systems involving scrutiny and performance reporting.
For councillors who already have a firm grasp of Best Value policy and procedures, this advice note provides a useful check list against which to judge how the council is meeting its obligations. For councillors new to Best Value, it provides a starting point for understanding their duties and responsibilities.
