Comhairle nan Eilean Siar building on earlier progress

Significant improvements have been made in the running of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, says the Accounts Commission.

The Comhairle has been the subject of three Commission reports since 2006 relating to its statutory duty of Best Value and developing a culture of continuous improvement.

A new report published today says the Comhairle has responded well to the Commission's last findings in December 2012. It has used its corporate improvement plan to drive the improvements required and to monitor progress. As a result, a more effective culture of performance management and self-evaluation is embedded across the organisation, and an increased pace of change is evident, especially in key areas such as asset and workforce management. Other improvements include a decrease in sickness absence and a substantial rise in the proportion of staff receiving annual performance appraisals.

The report notes however, that there are still areas for further improvement, including the way it evaluates the satisfaction of customers and citizens. The Comhairle has recognised this and put plans in place to make progress on these issues.

Accounts Commission Chair Douglas Sinclair said:

"There has been significant improvement at the Comhairle and that is very encouraging.

"What it needs to do now is sustain that momentum in the longer term and make the culture of continuous improvement a permanent one."