Fundamental Performance Review Partnership Working 4

Transcription

1 Report title Agenda item Fundamental Performance Review Partnership Working 4 Meeting Performance Management & Community Safety Panel 19 May 2008 Date Report by Document Number Director of Corporate Services PMC 41 Public Summary This report sets out the approach for the fundamental performance review of partnership working, highlighting an increased focus on partnerships in the light of the emerging new external performance assessment arrangements and the new local place-shaping regime and identifying the benefits of partnership working. It is intended to use external peer review to bring specific partnership expertise to the process in order to assess where we are and make recommendations for improvement in the future. In addition, we are working with the Audit Commission in order to use the peer review as a pilot process which may have applicability nationally for fire and rescue services, for future external performance assessment. Recommendation That, subject to the Panel s comments, the progress on and plans for the fundamental performance review of partnership working including the external peer challenge proposals be noted. 8 April of 8

2 Background 1. Partnership working was identified as an area for fundamental performance review when the performance review programme was established in Working in partnership has long been central to the Brigade s activities. If managed well, partnerships can mean better public services, designed and delivered for users. In addition, partnership working can provide opportunities to develop services in a new area with lower risk than going it alone. Successful partnerships are forged by sharing finances, assets, people, information, influence, skills, expertise and intellectual capital, and using these to deliver joint solutions to common problems. 3. We already work with a wide range of partners to reduce the risks of fire and injury, including borough councils, other emergency services, health trusts, social housing landlords, schools and colleges and other agencies that can help us to reach people most at risk. Working with major strategic bodies in London such as the Housing Corporation also aids delivery of our objectives. We have also worked in partnership at a national level, playing a major role in development of policy around the risk based approach, HR developments training, procurement, resilience against terrorism etc. We also work closely with neighbouring Brigades on mutual support and assistance. 4. Partnerships are core to the new place shaping regime. Fire and rescue services are now statutory named partners with respect to development of Local Area Agreements (LAA) which means a duty on local authorities to consult named partners in the LAA development, and for named partners to have regard to LAA targets. As partnership working becomes ever more crucial to delivery of objectives, it is also increasingly a focus of external performance assessment. The new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) will address partnership working in some detail, scrutinising both the corporate capacity of authorities to deliver improved services and the actual outcomes that users and residents experience as a result of partnership working. And the Use of Resources element of external performance assessment also has an increased focus on the governance of partnerships, how financial aspects are tracked and monitored and the value for money that organisations are deriving from partnership working. Definition of Partnership 5. For the purposes of this review, partnership is as defined by the Audit Commission in the document Governing Partnerships Bridging the Accountability Gap published in October 2005 with partnership defined as an agreement between two or more independent bodies to work collectively to achieve an objective. 6. There are a range of different types of partnership. These include formal partnerships, informal partnerships, strategic service delivery partnerships, private/public finance initiatives and multi-agency partnerships. The draft table shown in Appendix 1 outlines in broad terms the range of partnerships in which the Brigade is currently involved. It is intended that commercial type contracts for the provision of goods or services should be outside the scope of this review. Organisational requirements 7. Working effectively with other organisations takes time, energy and persistence. Organisations have different objectives and ways of doing things. Learning to deal with and accommodate partners in a mutually beneficial way is the key to effective partnership working. Those involved in partnership working must be able to deal effectively with people at varying levels with different cultures, procedures and aims. The needs of the partnership have to be planned into the operating procedures of all partners with the support and leadership of senior management and staff. 8 April of 8

3 8. Work has already started as part of the review to address the skills need of our staff. Two partnership training days have been carried out, targeted specifically at station managers and borough commanders. The aim of the training was to bring in external expertise in partnership working to assist staff who are working in boroughs, trying to become involved in the local strategic partnerships, in order to fully participate in the new local area agreements. Advice and guidance on building relationships with local authorities and being able to identify and approach key partnership stakeholders were strategic areas covered. Feedback from these pilot courses has been very positive and within the aims of the review it is hoped to integrate this training within the standard station manager/borough commander development training. 9. There is evidence that identification of a partnership champion at a senior level within an organisation raises the profile of partnership working. The champion role encompasses: Making partnership working more visible and highlighting the strategic importance to the organisation; Making working in partnership a contributor to the achievement of the organisation s aims/values and objectives; Identifying internal and external situations which give rise to partnership issues; Promoting to staff their responsibilities for maintaining high standards within any partnership working; Raising awareness and communicating the benefits of partnership working to those inside and outside the organisation. Authority s Strategic Objectives 10. The new strategic aims recently approved establish partnership at the heart of activity through aim 6, Operating in accordance with our values, and ensuring that safety, sustainability, partnership and diversity run through all our activities. This develops further the former strategic aim to encourage partnership with a wide range of stakeholders. 11. By conducting this review we will identify improvement opportunities including the development of a more effective strategic approach in order to deliver better value for money and deliver against our stated aims. Proposal for the Fundamental Review of Partnership Working 12. For all reviews, access to specific expertise in the topic is essential, as is an element of challenge to existing arrangements. The Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA) have been approached to help with the review and they recommend that we carry out a peer challenge on our partnership working. 13. The peer challenge proposal involves : Examining how LFB engages with partners; Assessing how LFB builds relationships; Identifying how LFB works with shared agendas; Developing a broader, more strategic approach to partnership working; Aligning what we do with what is required under external assessment; Creating a benchmark to enable the delivery of measurable outcomes against stated priorities; Enabling promotion and sharing of best practice; Addressing risks of partnership working; Assessing how LFB can maximise opportunities to promote good relationships between communities; Identifying who to form partnerships with; and 8 April of 8

4 Developing of an agreed structure for the process of entering into partnerships, their delivery, evaluation and termination. 14. The estimated cost of the peer challenge will be 11,500 which can be met from existing 2008/09 budget provision in the professional services budget for Strategy, Planning and Performance and Strategic Risk Departments. 15. The suggested peer challenge team is: I&DeA Review Manager; External Senior Fire and Rescue Service Officer; Elected Member ; and London Local Government Officer (with experience of partnership working). 16. Officers are in discussion with the I&DeA regarding make up of the team to ensure best benefit and inclusion of appropriate expertise. 17. The peer challenge will be managed within the Brigade by the Director of Corporate Services, a review project manager will work closely with the external team to provide vital support and communication. The peer challenge will be undertaken over three phases:- Phase 1 Local Co-ordination & Preparation Creation of a benchmark for partnership working; Self-assessment against the benchmark Creation of partner survey. Phase 2 On-Site activity On-site meetings, focus groups; Introductory organisational meeting; Verbal feedback at end of on-site activity; Presentation on findings to officers. Phase 3 Follow-up Report Based on the report findings and suggestions for improvement an action plan will be drawn up to improve our strategic approach to partnership. This report will be submitted to the Panel for consideration. 18. Peer review is expected to form a significant part of the service assessment element of external performance assessment from Officers have also been in discussion with the Audit Commission regarding how that might operate and the peer challenge element of this fundamental performance review could form an action learning activity. This would be used to assess the effectiveness of the peer challenge/review approach for future external performance assessment, thus influencing the approach to external assessment for fire and rescue services nationally. 19. It is recommended that the I&DeA proposal be finalised and accepted and once the final proposal is agreed with the I&DeA, preparatory work begins with proposed dates for the on-site challenge being 2/3/4 July April of 8

5 Legal and Democratic Services comments 20. The outcome of the review may raise legal issues regarding the frameworks, contracts and governance arrangements which are already in place or which need to be put into place. Head of Finance Comments 21. The estimated cost of the peer challenge can be met from existing budgets. The review will consider how to develop a cost/benefit analysis of partnership working for the future which will have a positive impact on our approach to achieving value for money. In addition, the governance of partnerships which this review will address, is a feature of the Use of Resources element of the external performance assessment regime and improvements in organisational arrangements in this area should impact positively on the Authority s assessment outcome. Environmental Implications 22. Working in partnership can assist and mitigate the environmental impact of the organisation in a number of ways. The brigade is committed to purchasing goods, works and services in a socially and environmentally responsible way. It is working in partnership with the GLA and as such is a signatory to the Mayor s responsible procurement policy. By working in partnership this way sustainable and environmental improvements can be achieved. 23. By improving our strategic approach to partnership working both environmental and sustainable impacts are taken into consideration and these will then be integrated into the partnership processes, not only looking at our own environmental impact but influencing or learning from that of our partners. 24. In addition the new CAA indicators cover sustainability including climate change and as a partner to LAAs we need to have regard to those indicators and work with the relevant partners to help deliver them. Equalities Implications 25. Working in partnership can only enhance the equality and diversity of the organisation. Partnership working enables us to reach specific areas of the community and allows us to diversify our approach to providing our services. Working with a range of partners in a co-ordinated and strategic way will expand the reach of the organisation and raise awareness of the fire services role in the promotion of social cohesion. 26. Partnership work will also assist the authority to meet its statutory duty to promote good relations between communities and that any organisation we enter into partnership shares that duty. As part of our responsible procurement programme we are already using this duty to influence partners to look at who they employ and the terms and conditions of employment. This can provide a mechanism for the authority to build capacity within disadvantaged communities. 8 April of 8

6 List of Appendices to this report: 1. Table of Partnership Types Local Government (access to information) act 1985 List of background documents Audit Commission Governing Partnerships- Bridging the accountability gap National report October 2005 Improvement and Development Agency proposal for peer challenge Proper officer Contact officer Telephone Director of Corporate Services Brigid Leworthy April of 8

7 Draft Appendix 1 Table of Partnership Types Partnership Type Description Defining Factors Example Formal Partnership Formal partnership, set up with appointed or statutory partners to tackle and advise on specific policy and service delivery. High levels of influence. Access to high levels of funding. Local Strategic Partnerships (delivering on local area agreements). Formal Individual project partnership Partnership set up for defined period of time, with specific objectives/ outcomes. Partnership terms of reference reflect a defined timeframe and specific outcome. Funding from external sources may be involved. Home Fire Safety Visit partnership agreements/ LIFE programme. Informal Individual project partnership Partnership set up to provide a one-off project for the mutual benefit of local parties. Informal agreement, based on mutual understanding. May or may not be written terms of reference. Local borough partnerships e.g. Youth club programme/electric blanket testing. Ongoing service delivery partnership Partnership set up to deliver equipment /services with joint objectives. Formal agreements, often involving significant levels of funding. High levels of control and governance needed to ensure good delivery. AssetCo partnership (25 year contract). Public Private finance initiative Formal partnership to deliver buildings/services. Formal agreements with significant level of funding providing facilities for companies. organisations and the community. Millwall community fire station project. Local Agency Forums Group of organisations getting together to discuss issues promoting cooperation and information sharing. Dependent on type of group there may or may not be agreed terms of reference, or specific objective. Group comes together to facilitate work in individual organisations or communicate. (Relationships between organisations can be new or difficult, so informal communication is a vital first Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) 8 April of 8

8 Partnership Type Description Defining Factors Example step). Multi-Agency partnerships Identified agencies brought together to address specific major incidents/events. Defined terms of reference, roles and responsibilities. Agreed procedures for effective co-ordination and joint effort to ensure better overall response to the public. London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP). Mutual Assistance Common agencies such as fire and rescue services working together to provide comprehensive service. Agreed arrangements to assist in times of need to provide better service to the community. Cross-border working, National response. 8 April of 8