The Wales Programme for Improvement (WPI) was introduced in 2002, replacing the Best Value regime in Wales. It was designed as a locally owned approach to improvement, where councils assess and seek to improve the corporate health of the organisation and the performance of services.
The WPI underwent significant reform through the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009. Fundamentally, the Measure has sought to link councils’ shorter-term, annual improvement planning (through the WPI) with their longer term strategic planning (the community strategy).
Authorities have a general duty to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of their functions. Improvement is defined within statutory guidance as ‘…means more than just quantifiable gains in service output or efficiency, or the internal effectiveness of an organisation. Rather it should mean anything that enhances the sustainable quality of life and environment for local citizens and communities.’
Authorities must publish Improvement Objectives annually, which should reflect the 7 aspects of improvement as outlined in the Measure:
- Strategic Effectiveness;
- Service Quality
- Service Availability
- Fairness
- Sustainability
- Efficiency
- Innovation
There are wider improvement duties and powers on authorities through the Wales Programme for Improvement:
- Powers to collaborate
- Duty to consider collaborating ‘from time to time’ as a means of assisting improvement and a duty to publish ‘details of the way the authority has exercised its powers of collaboration’
- Duty to consult on Improvement Objectives
- Duty to compare and publish performance information
The Measure also places responsibility of the Auditor General for Wales to more effectively coordinate the work of inspectorates and external regulators within authorities. In response to this, the Wales Audit Office, Health Inspectorate Wales, Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales and Estyn have agreed a Strategic Agreement.
The Wales Audit Office completed full corporate assessments of authorities in 2010, however, although continuing to report on authorities’ corporate governance arrangements on an annual basis, these are based on a rolling programme of lighter touch reviews without reporting a complete corporate assessment in any one year, subject to exceptional local circumstances. The WLGA, WAO and other regulators are exploring the role of self-assessment and peer challenge and assessment to further strengthen the local ownership of improvement and redress the balance of internal and external challenge and regulation.
Links and Publications
- Working Collaboratively o Support Improvement: A Strategic Agreement between Care & Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), Estyn, Healthcare. Inspectorate Wales (HIW), Wales Audit Office - March 2011
- Wales Programme for Improvement Guidance 2010 (Welsh Government)
- Community Planning Guidance 2010 (Welsh Government)
- Local Authority Improvement Plans
- Local Authority Annual Improvement Reports (Wales Audit Office)