Jane Scullion

1
The CAA trials The Stockport Council experience

• Jane Scullion
• Assistant Chief Executive
• Stockport Council
• jane.scullion_at_stockport.gov.uk

2
Background of Stockport Councils involvement in
CAA

• Chief Executive part of DCLGs sounding board
  meetings
• Participation in SOLACE sub-group on CAA
• Tested IDeA toolkit for self-evaluation
• One of ten authorities across the country which
  carried out a full trial of the CAA process with
  the Audit Commission, over a three month period,
  last year
• Last Corporate Assessment 2005

3
Organisation of the trial

• 'Set up' meeting with Stockport Partnership Board
  and Audit Commission
• Self-assessment document prepared
• Collection of assessments of public organisations
  in area carried out
• Two focus groups with council and partners
• Feedback of early findings, draft report for
  comment
• Final CAA and OA reports delivered
• Improvement planning meeting last week

4
Stockport's view

• The Partnership didn't agree with all the
  findings, but it benefited from taking part
• It is acting to address the two red flag areas of
  inequalities and sustainability
• The Partnership is also going to improve its
  ongoing self-evaluation both 'hard' data and
  'soft' data like case studies -
• The Partnership is keen to work on a regional or
  sub-regional approach for example if all AGMA
  councils had similar areas flagged for improvement

5
What we learned (1)

• The beginnings of a paradigm shift from assessing
  single organisations to assessing partnership
  outcomes across an area
• Focus of assessment ranged broadly, using the
  Sustainable Community Strategy and LAA as
  starting points
• Continued focus on outcomes not processes
• Real need for clarity about evidence
• Organisational Assessment less developed at this
  stage

6
What we learned (2)

• That self-evaluation was invaluable
• The need for disaggregated data
• The need for good quality data from all partners
• The need for a mechanism to collect evidence
  about the added value of partners working
  together
• The emergence of a stronger role in driving
  improvement for all thematic partnerships within
  an LSP
• That the level of understanding of partners still
  lags behind that of councils

7
What we learned (3)

• That the red and green flagging process
  stimulated robust discussion with partners
• That the ongoing relationship with the CAA lead
  is crucial this is not a one off inspection
• That the improvement planning process represents
  real opportunities working with partners,
  Regional Government Office and NWIEP
• That there is a need for 'joined up' evidence
  across the area which will stretch our capacity
• That the role of members is still unclear

8
What next?

• Well, it's not CPA no sitting back until the
  next inspection in 3 years time
• Set up a round table with partners take a good
  look at the three questions and assess yourselves
  against them
• Identify the evidence gaps, especially in IMDs
• Talk to your CAA Lead officer as much as possible
• Use lead role of local councils in LSPs
  positively
• Use CAA to improve ourselves and start now!