Our Corporate Planning Framework

Working with our partners through the Local Strategic Partnership we have undertaken extensive consultation with our community establishing our customers’ needs and priorities and formulated the Community Strategy. These priorities along with further consultation have been used to inform the Council's Corporate Plan which sits at the heart of our performance management framework.

Community Strategy

The Erewash Community Strategy is the overarching strategic policy document for the borough, produced with partners from all sectors, reflecting the aspirations of those who live and work in the district. The body responsible for delivering the aims of the Community Strategy is known as the LSP (Local Strategic Partnership) which the Council actively supports.

The LSP is governed by a Board which oversees the work of the Executive. The Executive group ensures that work is progressing and developing on the delivery of LSP priorities.

All Council plans and strategies are produced to complement the aims of the Community Strategy. Action plans have been developed for each one of the shared priorities. Progress is monitored by the group lead for each priority area and is reported on a quarterly basis. These reports on progress also go to LSP Board and Executive.

Corporate Plan

This Corporate Plan reflects our aims and ambitions over the next three years to improve the lives of our community. This plan has not been developed in isolation, but rightly has taken into account national, regional and local priorities. We monitor progress against our Corporate Plan on a quarterly basis to the Senior Management Team and Members.

Directorate Strategic Plans

Each Directorate is required to produce a strategic minimum three-year Plan that is reviewed and updated at least annually. Directorate Strategic Plans summarise the key strategic objectives of the department and bring the key issues from the individual plans for each Division of Service, which in turn consolidates the operational plans for individual services.

Directorate Strategic plans have an over-arching requirement to demonstrate the specific purpose and objectives of each individual service and the direct or indirect contribution that is made towards the achievement of strategic objectives. They:

• analyse our ability to deliver, and the potential changes required for the future
• are prepared in consultation with appropriate staff and lead Members
• produce a budget for the cost of services “standing still”
• put forward costed policy options for service growth and development, service reductions and for achieving efficiencies to achieve corporate plan objectives.

For the 2008-09 budget round, detailed work has commenced with the review of the 2006-07 outturn. In future budget cycles this budget preparation work will need to commence in May for completion by October.

Service Unit plans

These are the plans that capture the detailed work at the service level. Each service unit should produce a plan that will enable the Head of Service to manage the day to day business of the unit. These plans should be produced by the Service Head in conjunction with the team and monitored through the service unit’s team meeting. These plans translate the Corporate Priorities through the Directorate Plans to an operational level so that employees can see how they are contributing to these.

EPDRs

Underpinning this policy planning approach is a process of personal performance and development plans in which the individual’s contribution to achieving the Council’s aims and objectives are set out in the form of:

• Personalised objectives and targets
• Training and development activities that are required in order to improve performance.

It is essential that all employees understand the importance of the EPDR process in achieving the strategic objectives of the Council.

Download "The Golden Thread" performance management diagram [PDF 29Kb]