BVPI 1

Best value authority’s confirmation that a “Local Agenda 21 Plan” has been adopted (as set out in the report entitled “Sustainable local communities for the local communities for the 21st century3 by 31 December 2000.quality of life and state of the environment;”

The “Local Agenda 21 Plan” is a document developed by the local authority with the participation of the local community and containing the following —

• A vision statement identifying sustainability issues and aims for the area and indicators for the

• A plan of prioritised actions allocated to named individuals or bodies;

• Implementation mechanisms including evaluation and review.

BVPIW 1

The level of compliance with the authority’s approved Welsh language scheme as reported to the Welsh Language Board.

The overall level of compliance with the authority’s approved Welsh language scheme as confirmed by the Welsh Language Board

Service delivery: very good good fair poor

Scheme management: very good good fair poor to which ‘and/but improving’ or ‘and/but deteriorating’ is added to the performance level where appropriate.

BVPI 2

The level of the Commission for Racial Equality’s standard for local government to which the best value authority conforms.

The levels of the standard for local government are defined in the chapter entitled “Measurements” in the Commission for Racial Equality’s document entitled “Auditing for Equality” and in the document called “Racial Equality means Quality”. Best value authorities should report the level they have reached as follows:–

• Level 1: The authority has written a racial policy statement.

• Level 2: the authority has an action plan for monitoring and achieving its racial equality policy.

• Level 3: Results of ethnic monitoring against the equality policy and level of consultations with local communities which are used to review the overall authority’s policy.

• Level 4: the authority’s force can demonstrate clear improvements in its services resulting from monitoring, consulting with local communities, and acting on its equal opportunities policy.

• Level 5: The council is an example of best practice in the way that it monitors and provides services to ethnic minorities, and is helping other authorities/forces to achieve high standards. Confirmation that the authority has reached this level must have been provided by the Commission for Racial Equality.

To report these levels, an authority must have adopted the Commission for Racial Equality’s standard for local government. If the authority has not adopted this standard, it should report the following:“This authority has not adopted the Commission for Racial Equality standard for local government”

BVPI 3

The percentage of citizens satisfied with the overall service provided by their authority.

User satisfaction survey to be carried out.

BVPI 4

The percentage of those making complaints satisfied with the handling of those complaints.

This indicator refers to the complaints to an authority about the way in which it delivers any part of its service.

User satisfaction survey to be carried out.

BVPI 5a

The number of complaints to an Ombudsman classified as–

1. a

   Maladministration.

Number of cases recorded and reported to authorities by the Commission for Local Administration in Wales classified as “maladministration causing injustice” or “maladministration” .

BVPI 5b

The number of complaints to an Ombudsman classified as –

1. a

   Local Settlement.

Number of cases recorded and reported to authorities by the Commission for Local Administration in Wales classified as “complaint settled locally ”.

BVPI 6

The percentage turnout for local elections.

“Turnout” is defined as the proportion of the electoral roll voting in any election in the year except individual by-elections. Where there is no election in the year, authorities should report the turnout from the most recent election.

BVPI 7

The percentage of electoral registration forms returned.

This percentage will be obtained dividing the number of electoral registration form “A”s that were returned at the end of the last canvass by the number sent out at that canvass and multiplying the result by100.

The electoral registration form “A” is the form referred to in Regulation 29(2) of the Representation of the People Regulations 1986 and set out in Schedule 1 to those Regulations.

BVPI 8

The percentage of undisputed invoices which were paid by the authority within 30 days of such invoices being received by the authority.

To obtain this percentage the best value authority will need to divide the number of all the invoices for commercial goods and services paid to external contractors and suppliers within 30 days of receipt during the financial year, by the total of all invoices paid by the authority in that year.

Authorities may exclude invoices sent to schools and paid from delegated school budgets.

In this indicator, and for the purposes of ascertaining whether the authority has paid the invoice within the 30 days period, the period will commence at the time of receipt of the invoice by the authority (not the authority’s payment section). The authority shall then pay such invoice within 30 natural days. Payment includes—

• Dispatch of a cheque or other payment instrument;

• Notification to bank for Bankers Automated Clearing Service payments; or

• Bank processing of the payment if the authority specifies a period after which the bank is to make the payments once it has received the Bankers Automated Clearing Service tape.

If an invoice is received before the services have been provided or the goods received, the 30 day or agreed term period starts from the satisfactory receipt of goods or the satisfactory completion of the services. Where the authority does not record the date it receives the invoice it should add two days to the date of the invoice unless it has sampled invoices during that year to get a more accurate period to add to that date.

If sampling is used, the sample should be broadly representative of all invoices received by different departments and at different times of the year, and consist of at least 500 invoices.

BVPI 9

Proportion of Council Tax collected.

Authorities will need to obtain the percentage of council tax received in each financial year.As National Assembly for Wales return CTC 99 Section A Line 3 Column C as a percentage of Line 2 Column C.

BVPI 10

The percentage of business rates which should have been received during the year that were received.

The percentage of business rate received by the authority in any financial year. This is known as the percentage of National Non-Domestic rate collected.As NAW return CTC99 Line 10 as a percentage of 1998/99 NAW return NNDR3 Part II Lines 1(i)+2(i) less (Lines 3(i)+4(i)+6(i)+7(i)).

BVPI 11

The percentage of senior management posts filled by women.

This indicator will need to reflect the position as at 31st March in the financial year when this percentage is obtained.The percentage will be estimated by calculating the number of women in post at senior management level as a percentage of all staff in post at senior management level, where “senior management” is defined as the top three tiers of management in the authority.

BVPI 12

The proportion of working days/shifts lost due to sickness absence.

The proportion of days or shifts lost due to sickness absence will be obtained by the authority calculating the numerator and denominator as defined below.

The numerator is defined as the aggregate of working days lost due to sickness absence irrespective of whether this is self certified, certified by a GP or long term. This will include the days lost due to sickness of all permanent local authority employees, including teachers, staff employed in schools and staff employed in Direct Labour Organisations and Direct Service Organisations should be included. However, for the purposes of this numerator, the days lost due to sickness of temporary or agency staff should be disregarded. In addition, the days lost by staff on maternity or paternity leave should also be disregarded.

The denominator is defined as the average number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff employed by the authority within a financial year. For staff who work part time, the authority should calculate the FTE equivalent for both the numerator and denominator on a consistent basis.

BVPI 13

Voluntary leavers as a percentage of staff in post.

This indicator will be estimated by dividing the the average number of staff in post during that year and multiplying the result by 100.

Average number of staff in post during the year means the number of staff at the start of the financial year plus the number of staff at the end of that year and divided by 2

The number of staff means the number of staff in post at the time the indicator is estimated. This should exclude agency staff and those leaving at the end of a fixed-term contract but should include authority staff in schools.

BVPI 14

Early retirements (excluding ill-health retirements) as a percentage of the total work force.

“Normal retirement age” at which retirement benefits become payable is age 65 unless permission is otherwise granted or a person has protected rights.

Early retirement on grounds of redundancy occurs where an individual employee aged 50 or over is in a job which the employer certifies is no longer needed.

Early retirement on the grounds of efficiency occurs where an employee aged 50 or over has ceased to be employed and the employer has certified that the reason for termination is “in the interests of the efficient exercise of the authority’s functions”.

For the purposes of calculating this indicator, authority staff in schools should be included.

BVPI 15

Ill health retirements as a percentage of the local work force.

“Ill health retirement” can occur at any age where an independent registered medical practitioner.

qualified in occupational health has certified that the employee is permanently incapable of performing the duties of that employment or a broadly comparable local government employment with his employing authority because of ill-health or infirmity of mind or body. For the purposes of calculating this indicator, the authority staff in schools should be included.

BVPI 16

The percentage of staff declaring that they meet the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 disability definition as a percentage of the total workforce.

For definition of “disability” see section 1 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c. 50).

The authority will estimate this indicator by dividing the number of Disabled staff in that authority by the total number of the authority staff. The result of this division will then be multiplied by 100.

For the purposes of calculating this indicator, the authority staff in schools should be included.

BVPI 17

The percentage of staff from minority ethnic communities as a percentage of the total workforce

This indicator will be obtained by dividing the number of minority ethnic community staff by the total number of staff in the authority. The result of this division will then be multiplied by 100.

For the purposes of calculating this indicator, authority staff in schools should be included.