Bookmark us at esd.org.uk/performance

Welcome to the community space for all those with a special interest in performance management and improvement.

Real improvement will depend on the ways in which local government can engage with the new PIs and the very different approach to outcome based measurement, progress reporting on direction of travel, evidencing and cross boundary reporting for LAAs and MAAs. This site will help you to find the latest news, views, expertise, discussion and information in this key area and will provide links to other useful sources of information and contact with those involved in policy and strategy as well as direct access to experts, practitioners and initiatives currently developing and delivering real, practical solutions for this very important agenda. Please see the video webcast that explains how esd-toolkit supports the National Indicators.

(see the menu for useful links, contacts, forums and resources)

Managing performance information is critical for any organisation, but even more so for local government which is intent on improvement and modernisation, yet constantly challenged to deliver more with less. This makes it critical to establish an accurate baseline from which to judge change, and objective measures upon which to compare performance and best practice.

Even more challenges are immediately ahead. Although the number of performance indicators from central government is set to be reduced, the new basket of indicators will test just how well we can work with a range of partner organisations.

Not only will it be necessary to monitor and evidence partnership performance, you will have to know which partners are involved and their role in service delivery. You will also be required to collectively analyse, dissect and exchange up-to-date data and information on performance.

The esd-toolkit has come a long way from when it was originally developed by local government for managing and measuring progress in e-government. The toolkit can now help you improve your understanding of your own organisation, all the services it provides, and your relationships with your particular partner organisations.

The toolkit can help you manage, understand and drive significant improvement in your performance, by enabling you to:

• have a 360° corporate understanding of the services you deliver and how those services are delivered
• understand your customer, their needs and the services they require
• collate business information and performance evidence from across your organisation and from your partners
• share and develop up-to-date performance information and work flow processes
• baseline, evidence and compare your performance objectively
• present the big picture of costs, efficiency, delivery and improvement

The specific resources to help you do this include:

• a common, independent infrastructure providing the common standards, business data sharing framework and communications tools that can easily be rolled out to any service area or individual
• dynamic real-time dashboards to show and share the latest performance information
• a detailed list of services and standards tailored to your organisation, based on national standards creating the "common language" to join-up local government and connect it with other public sector organisations
• an extensive list of reports, and data uploads and downloads using common formats (csv and xml) for transfer into spreadsheets, intranets and other corporate management tools
• an extensive archive of best practice, lessons learned, user experience and shared business processes
• a facilitated, connected community of more than 10,000 colleagues from all disciplines including performance management, customer services, and an increasing number of other public sector organisations

The Toolkit is continuously being developed and enhanced by local government practitioners to reflect the changes in how services are provided locally and nationally, to provide the information and knowledge you need to respond to these challenges effectively.

Adopting this approach will prepare the ground work for necessary and planned business management and for the national reporting obligations to central government expected to be necessary from 2008.