Best Value, Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) and Comprehensive Area Assessment

Best Value has been a key element of the Government's programme for Local Government.  The legislative framework in place requires Local Authorities to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the quality of public services and in the way that they carry out their functions, striking the best possible balance between effectiveness, efficiency and economy.

The Best Value requirements for Local Authorities fall under the following key headings:

•  Best Value Reviews, Best Value Performance Plans and the CPA - Authorities are required to undertake reviews of all of their functions to an agreed programme.  Authorities are also required to publish annual Best Value Performance Plans for each function

•  Consultation - central to Best Value is an expectation that there will be a greater focus on consultation with users and other stakeholders to establish the need for services and subsequently as part of measuring and monitoring performance

•  Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) - the CLG and Audit Commission have published a series of BVPIs for Local Government services.  These BVPIs will enable comparisons to be made with the performance of other Local Authorities and with the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority's performance in previous years.  In addition, Local Authorities are being encouraged to develop and use Local Performance Indicators (LPIs) that reflect local priorities and tailor Best Value to suit local circumstances

•  Inspection - all functions are subject to inspection under Best Value.  These inspections will take, as a starting point, the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority's own assessment of its performance and any action it plans to take to improve service delivery.

The Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority's fire and rescue service or police project has been developed as a part of a strategic review of the fire and rescue service or police service, taking account of feedback the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority received from [insert relevant sources of feedback from user surveys etc.]. This work confirmed the concerns about the service, and the procurement of the service through a long-term/PFI contract is considered to be the most appropriate way for the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority to meet its Best Value Duty for this service.

Given the importance of the Best Value Duty to the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority, a specific performance standard (Performance Standard•) has been developed to incentivise the Service Provider to assist the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority in meeting its Best Value Duty.  This performance standard is aimed at Strategic Assistance and Reporting and the current intention is that the Service Provider will be required to provide 'assistance and reporting' in the areas set out in the Output Specification.

It is currently proposed that a failure to provide the necessary information to enable the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority to meet its reporting obligations under the strategic assistance and reporting requirements will have an impact on the Unitary Charge as detailed in the Payment Mechanism.

The Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority also recognises that to meet its Best Value obligations in this long-term/PFI contract, additional capital investment may be required by the Service Provider at some future date.  Where new investment is the only option available to meet any necessary changes, such as the improvements resulting from a Best Value Review or CPA, this will be dealt with through the change mechanism.   

Further information about Best Value, including the OBC for the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority's fire and rescue service or police project and other documentation arising from the Fire and Rescue Authority or Police Authority's most recent Best Value Review, relevant CLG Guidance, and the relevant BVPIs and LPIs is included on the Collaborative Website for the project [available for inspection in the Data Room].  

The Local Government White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities" published in 2006 highlighted the Government's ambition to create strong, safe and prosperous communities throughout England through a new settlement between central government, local government and citizens. The White Paper placed a new emphasis on all local services working in partnership to achieve community outcomes.

To cement this approach, a new local performance framework has been developed, which is built around a transformed set of relationships between local authorities and their partner agencies, Government Offices in the regions and Central Government Departments.

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act received Royal Assent on October 30th 2007 and this put in place many of the building blocks for the new performance framework including simplifying the existing Best Value regime and introduced a new duty on Best Value authorities to involve their communities in the local services they deliver. CLG is currently consulting on statutory guidance about how the new duties contained in the Act will have an impact on Best Value authorities. This guidance can be found at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/statutoryguidance

Part of the new performance framework is an agreement by central government to reduce the number of performance indicators placed on local authorities and their partners. As a result a single suite of performance indicators to replace Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) has been developed for local authorities and their partners. The set of 198 indicators and their definitions is currently being consulted on and can be found at:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nationalindicator

[The Audit Commission continues to be responsible for the performance assessment framework for Fire and Rescue Authorities. Until April 2009 the Commission will continue to conduct an annual Use of Resources, Direction of Travel and Service Assessment for all Fire and Rescue Authorities in England. It will also offer a small number of Fire and Rescue Authorities who have demonstrated sufficient progress since 2005, to have their CPA category revised.

From April 2009 onwards the CPA process for local authorities and Fire and Rescue Authorities will be replaced by the Comprehensive Area Assessment process. The Audit Commission is currently consulting on the details of the assessment approach but the aim of CAA is to focus on how local government and its partners are delivering on the priorities defined by each Local Strategic Partnership and set out in Local Area Agreements.]