Best Value

Best Value is a performance framework introduced by the Government in 1999 as a key element to modernise local government. It requires local councils to deliver services to clear standards by the most economic, efficient and effective means available. Councils are expected to achieve continuous improvement in all their services.

Best Value aims to develop a culture in which:

• continuous improvement is the norm
• performance planning that monitors and reports performance against national and locally defined standards and targets to set out future priorities and targets for improvement
• fundamental Best Value Reviews (BVRs) of all services to identify what needs to be improved and how to do it
• there is a focus on issues rather than on traditional service boundaries
• there is a flexible approach to service delivery, based on the needs of client groups and communities, and not those of the local council departments or other agencies
• councils adopt an approach that, while complying with the requirements set by central government, is implemented imaginatively, embraces innovation and allows for significant local choice

Best Value aims to achieve improvements for services for local people year after year. Effective organisations need to have clear purpose and knowledge of how well they are performing and their strength and weaknesses. It is important to have a clear set of goals with priorities, targets and key actions identified.

In delivering service improvements that local people expect, it is equally important that local councils have a comprehensive baseline of performance against which they and the people they serve can judge the progress they are making. We achieve this through the Plymouth People newspaper and annual council tax booklet.

Documents

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Audit of 2006 to 2007 Performance Plan - audit of 2006 to 2007 Performance Plan. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 2MB