Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Resources (Interim) – presented by the Corporate Scrutiny and Strategy Manager, Resources.

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Resources which presented progress towards achieving the key outcomes of the council’s corporate performance framework (for copies see file of minutes).

The Corporate Scrutiny and Strategy Manager informed the committee that the report was a regular quarterly performance monitoring report which was considered by Cabinet and then divided up and presented to the various Overview and Scrutiny Committees after consideration by the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (COSMB). The report covered the period ending 31 March 2021 and was an end of year report reflecting on the previous year which had been dominated by the impact of COVID-19.

He continued that previously the report had been used to identify areas of underperformance for and identified areas for scrutiny activity.  The Corporate Scrutiny and Strategy Manager then highlighted that he was open to suggestions on how to make the report more meaningful to members and confirmed that the report was structured around the ambitions in the vision and the Council Plan.

The Corporate Scrutiny and Strategy Manager highlighted key performance areas contained in the report commenting upon performance during quarter four.

Councillor Deinali referred to the reference to More and Better jobs and high skilled jobs and noted that many jobs regarded to as essential were not valued prior to the pandemic and were paid national minimum wage.  She asked for examples of high value, skilled jobs and queried what was being done to encourage and promote social value, getting young people into jobs that were valued and contributed to the community, rather than a highly paid job.

The Corporate Scrutiny and Strategy Manager advised that the County Councils Regeneration Statement went up to 2022 and an Economic Strategy was in the process of being produced.  The Regeneration Statement included targets on Gross Disposal Household Income and the Council was trying to increase that in terms of comparisons with regional and national figures.  In relation to ‘more jobs’, the County needed to increase the employment rate, with more people in employment and with regards to ‘better jobs’ there was a need to increase Disposal Household Income and the Gross Value Added, level of productivity in the County Durham economy.  There had been no definition of  a ‘better job’ however there was a target to increase how County Durham compared with regional and national averages.

Resolved

That the Economy and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee notes the overall position and direction of travel in relation to quarter four performance, the impact of COVID-19 on performance, and the actions being taken to address areas of underperformance including the significant economic and well-being challenges because of the pandemic.