Moray ‘has a long way to go’ to deliver Best Value despite some improvements
In its Best Value report on The Moray Council published today (Wednesday, 8 February) the Accounts Commission states that the council is not yet in a position to deliver Best Value to the people it serves.
Commenting on the report’s findings Accounts Commission Deputy Chair Isabelle Low said: “The report describes an inward looking council that has a long way to go to be in a position to deliver Best Value to the people of Moray.
“Vital management practices such as performance monitoring and checks on the competitiveness of services have been weak. The limited evidence available suggests there is considerable variation in service delivery with few elements of Best Value properly established and significant work is needed to create a culture of continuous improvement.
“Although there are signs that the new leadership of the council has adopted a more positive approach to Best Value, it is unlikely the council will be able to achieve the rapid change required without external help from elected member and chief executive peers.”
The Commission highlights a number of requirements which the council will have to meet if it is to deliver Best Value. These include:
- Identifying clear priorities and concentrate on the essential steps to achieve them
- Developing political and corporate leadership skills in councillors and senior management
- Implementing the consistent use of comprehensive performance measures
The Moray Council now needs to produce an Improvement Plan that addresses the report and the Commission’s findings. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation and ask Audit Scotland to undertake a report on progress made to 31 January 2007.
