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Performance Improvement

Performance Improvement

Part 12 of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014 sets out a general Duty of Improvement for Councils “in that” a local Council must make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. We are required to have regard in particular to improvement in the exercise of our functions in terms of at least one or more of the following aspects:

(a)  Strategic effectiveness; (b) Service quality; (c) Service availability; (d) Fairness; (e) Sustainability; (f) Efficiency; and (g) Innovation.

Performance management refers to the processes and behaviours which apply to everyone within the Council to maintain high standards to enable local people to access high quality, cost effective services and to ensure that we deliver on our strategic vision. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council are committed to establishing processes to ensure that it effectively manages performance and is focused on delivering continuous improvement.

Council launched its new Corporate Plan 2018-2023 in May 2018 which reflects how we as an organisation commit to long term outcomes identified in the Borough Community Plan published in May 2017 as well as the work we will do to ensure we continue to provide high quality services. The Corporate Plan sets out our vision ‘To Create a Healthy, Happy and Connected Community, a Vibrant and Sustainable Economy and Appealing Places for Living, Working and Learning’.  It details the commitments that we are making which contribute to the vision. Some of the key actions linked to our Corporate Plan commitments in terms of Committed Council, Economy, Community and Place are also found within the Performance Improvement Plan thereby aligning the Community Plan, Corporate Plan and Performance Improvement Plan.

Part 12 of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014 requires Councils to publish performance information.
Included within this publication, is an assessment of the Council’s performance against the three requirements for the year 2022/23:

  1. Statutory performance improvement indicators and standards for the functions of Economic Development, Planning and Waste for 2022-23, including comparison with the previous year’s
  2. Performance improvement objectives set out in the 2022-23 Performance Improvement Plan
  3. Self-imposed indicators and standards 2022-23

You can download the document in PDF format by clicking on the “download arrow” in window below.

Performance improvement planning is an annual process which forms part of Council’s corporate management system directly linked to our overarching Strategic Planning Framework.

As a local authority, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has a legal duty to publish improvement objectives each year. Council is fully committed to ‘making things better, delivering better and making services better…using our best effort to deliver efficiently, economically and to an excellent standard’.

During 2022/23, we reviewed our service areas, identified and consulted on key areas for improvement, outlining what we would do, how we would measure and most importantly how citizens will benefit from these improvements.

As a result, the Performance Improvement Plan 2023/24 identified 4 Performance Improvement Objectives. We will monitor our progress and publish information on our performance against these objectives by 30 September 2024.

To view the online version of the Performance Improvement Plan for 2023/24 click the ‘Preview’ button or to download click the ‘Download’ button below.

The Local Government Auditor has to report whether each council has discharged its duties in relation to improvement planning, the publication of improvement information and the extent to which each council has acted in accordance with the guidance.

The Local Government Auditor also has to assess annually whether a council is likely to make the required arrangements to secure continuous improvement in that year.

Please see below the Performance Audit Reports from the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) undertaken to date.

How to Propose New Improvement Objectives

We welcome your on-going feedback and comments or suggestions on how we might improve our services and in particular if you would like to propose any new improvement objectives. Please use one of the following ways to contact us:

Email:

Telephone:
Performance and Audit Department – 0300 0300 900

In writing:

Strategy and Performance Department,
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council,
Armagh Office,
Armagh Old City Hospital,
Abbey Street,
ARMAGH, BT61 7DY