Commission welcomes progress made by The Moray Council

The Accounts Commission says that it is encouraged by the progress the council has made towards providing Best Value for local people. However there is still more work to be done and it is important that the council keeps moving forward.

The progress report and findings follow the initial report into Best Value & Community Planning at the council, published in February 2006. At that point the Commission said that the council was not yet in a position to deliver Best Value to the people it serves.

In its findings on a follow up report in July 2007 the Commission acknowledged improvement in the council’s corporate leadership and strategic direction, but said that there were still areas of concern.

Reflecting on the latest progress report published today, the Commission says that it is encouraged with the progress which the council has made. In particular it welcomes improvement in strategic leadership by elected members and the development of the council’s approach to strategic planning.

However there is still more to be done. The Commission says that it is important that in building for the future elected members are committed to continuing their personal development, in order to ensure they have the skills needed to deliver effective strategic management. Attention must also be given to the need to continue to demonstrate competitiveness in services. Programme management arrangements for strategic projects should also be reviewed.

Chairman of the Accounts Commission, John Baillie, said:

“The Moray Council has shown encouraging progress, with improvements in leadership by elected members and also in developing the council’s approach to strategic planning. The council now needs to sustain a culture of continuous improvement, reflected in improving services for the people of Moray.”

Progress will continue to be monitored through the routine annual audits.