Performance Management
Performance management involves tracking performance against targets, then using the information gathered to identify opportunities for further improvement. It is about ensuring that goals are achieved and, for local government, ultimately about ensuring that the services provided to local people are better than they would be otherwise.
Performance management uses a range of tools and activities to drive improvement. Done well, it helps to:
- Prioritise what gets done and ensure that there are sufficient resources to do it
- Ensure councils provide value for money
- Identify and rectify poor performance at an early stage
- Motivate and manage staff
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Improve future performance
This page contains information about the IS' work in this area and links to a range of guidance, good practice and other information on all aspects of performance management.
IS activity in this area
The IS works with key stakeholders to improve performance management practices within local government at managerial and political levels.
Our objectives are to:
- support a culture of continuous improvement and effective performance management within local government
- support councils in improving the specification and measurement of outcomes as a basis for decision making and performance management
- roll-out the Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF) to more councils and partnerships to ensure service delivery is underpinned by robust self assessment.
In order to achieve these aims, we are:
- developing a Performance Management community of practice to promote and support its use within local government and its partner bodies
- implementing a peer review programme and promoting a peer review framework to be adopted by councils
- supporting the Efficient Government programme
- supporting Best Value through critical friend support and review
- delivering the second phase of the PSIF, expanding membership to a wider group of councils and public service providers
- integrating PSIF with the appropriate workstreams around Single Outcome Agreements, Shared Services and the Scottish Government Working Groups implementing recommendations from the Crerar Review
If you want to know more about our performance management programme, contact Mark McAteer on 01506 775562.
Something missing from this page? If you know of any useful websites or resources that we haven't featured, let us know at listen@improvementservice.org.uk
