Wales Programme for Improvement
Introduction
The Local Government Act 1999 requires local authorities to:
- secure continuous improvement in the way in which they exercise
their functions, having regard to a combination of economy,
efficiency and effectiveness
- consult widely on how to do so, and report publicly on the
outcome
- conduct reviews of their functions
- prepare an improvement plan for each financial year
In 2002, the Welsh Assembly Government issued Circular 18/2002,
which established the Wales Programme for Improvement (WPI) as a
means of fulfilling these duties. That supplanted the previous
guidance on Best Value for Welsh local authorities.
In December 2005, the Welsh Assembly Government issued new
guidance which replaces the above Circular 28/2005.
Why revise the guidance?
The Wales Programme for Improvement was established to reflect a
specific set of statutory duties and requirements, but it is
designed to do so in a way which reflects and furthers the shared
vision of public service improvement and local and national
accountability for it. However, since the 2002 Circular there have
been many developments including the Assembly Government’s agenda
for public service improvement – “Making the Connections”.
The revised guidance addresses the outcomes that Making the
Connections aims to achieve at the appropriate points, but in
principle this means that the Wales Programme for Improvement needs
to embrace:
- a common commitment on the part of the Assembly, local
authorities and regulators to delivering a consistently high and
improving standard of public service as efficiently as
possible
- the vital importance of actively establishing, reflecting and
meeting needs and priorities of communities and citizens, and doing
so in a way which mainstreams equality and social justice
considerations
- a willing acceptance of the need to work across geographic and
organisational boundaries in pursuit of shared aims
- a focus on delivery of outcomes, rather than compliance with
processes
Improvement Plan
To meet the requirements of the Wales Programme for Improvement
the Council publishes an annual Improvement Plan which sets out the
Council’s strategic aims and objectives, summarises the outcomes
from improvement work undertaken in the previous year and lists the
improvement work to be undertaken in the current year. It also
provides statistical information on the Council’s performance in
delivering services and compares its own performance to that of
other local authorities in Wales and England.
Wales Audit Office – Audit of the Improvement Plan
As the Council’s auditors, the Wales Audit Office is required
under Section 7 of the Local Government Act 1999, to carry out an
audit of the Improvement Plan. This audit reports on whether the
Plan has been prepared and published in accordance with statutory
requirements and where appropriate recommends how the Plan should
be amended so as to accord with statutory requirements. The Council
is required to consider and formally respond to any statutory
recommendations contained in the report within 30 days.
Relationship Managers Annual Letter
The Relationship Managers Annual Letter (RMAL) relates to work
undertaken by the Council’s Regulators, includes key messages drawn
from audit and inspection work, progress against the Council’s
Improvement Plan and draws on published reports of other
inspectorates. The RMAL also includes more detailed information on
the financial accounts and performance work that has been
undertaken
The above documents can be downloaded from the menu located at
the top of this page.