Issue - meetings

Report of the Business Intelligence Manager

The scrutiny committee received the report of the Business Intelligence Manager setting out the council’s End of Year 2020/21 key performance indicators (KPIs).

The Business Intelligence Manager introduced the report in which most indicators showed end of year results.  In some cases, however, quarter 4 results were shown where this information was more relevant.  Previous results, targets and relative performance were presented for comparison purposes.

Drawing the scrutiny committee’s attention to the continuing impacts of Covid 19 on performance, the Business Intelligence Manager discussed the highlights identified in her report. 

During discussions on the report, members raised the following points requesting additional information where relevant:

•           Waste and recycling: whether food waste levels had been netted off from the green recycling rates to provide an accurate understanding of overall recycling rates.  It was also suggested that clarity was needed for residents about the need to separate food waste from garden waste on weeks that green bins were being collected from households.

•           Housing benefit claims: whether any assessment had been made by officers about the impact of delayed housing benefit claims and subsequent waits on claimants.

•           Rough sleepers: the need for better understanding around the difference between the rough sleeper target of five against a strategy citing zero.  The Head of Housing clarified that whilst the council’s aspiration was to have no rough sleepers on Watford’s streets, many factors remained outside the authority’s control.  As such, the aim was to achieve a near zero number of rough sleepers, subject to the continuation of funding.

•           Channel shift: no targets had been set for this area in 2020/21 however this would be amended in the current year.  It was explained that current indicators did not consider the resolution of queries, only the way in which people had contacted the council.  Response times to specific queries were measured in other indicators.

RESOLVED –

that Overview and Scrutiny Committee notes:

1.          the key performance indicator results for 2020/21, appended at Appendix A to the report.

2.          that the KPIs will continue to be reviewed as part of the Business Intelligence Strategy, and Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be kept up to date with any changes to the KPIs, or the process for collecting, analysing or presenting KPI data.

Action: Business Intelligence Manager