Local Performance Indicators
From GPG
In 2003, an IPROW working group looked at devising local performance indicators for public rights of way work with the aim of developing standard measures against which authorities' progress could be recorded.
A key area the group considered was developing a method for definitive map work. A potential method was developed to the stage of being tested by local authorities to gauge its effectiveness for the wide variety of authorities across the country. However this has not yet occurred due to lack of funding required to trial the method.
A definitive map work indicator was discussed at the IPROW conference in 2007 with interest in forming a working group from many participants but limitations of time have precluded progress.
Below is an example of a performance indicator for Hertfordshire County Council's definitive map team.
Definitive Map Team Performance Indicator
Rationale: The Definitive Map (DM) Team has been set a target of DM, commons and village greens cases (the team's workload includes Commons Act 2006 applications), to complete each year. This workload is prioritised using the three key principles in the HCC RoW Good Practice Guide and is graded according to complexity, difficulty and sensitivity.
Target: We have calculated that in an ideal world, an experienced officer processing each stage of each case, would require a minimum of 33 working days to complete a case (including Public Inquiry), i.e. approximately 7 weeks per case, which equates to just under 7 cases per year.
With a current team size of 6.49 officers this gives a 'stretch target' of 45.43, rounded to 45 cases per year. This is a 'stretch target' because we are never working in an ideal world and cases frequently exceed these estimated timescales.
A Performance Indicator is required to measure the team's work towards this target each quarter. This needs to adopt a common sense approach and to be expressed in layman's terms. The team are therefore monitored on performance towards this 'stretch target' based on the most significant areas of workload / time that cases entail, which is expressed as follows:
"The total number of decisions / LEMOs made AND the number of public inquiries / hearings held, for cases, each year."
Definition: (includes all EMOs, PPOs inc SROs, DEDs, CREs, LEMOs, Commons & VGs applications).
Case investigated and decision made for Order / No Order = 1
(NB: where orders are made for multiple routes, in one combined case, this may score more than 1, but is totally dependent on workload)
VG Case investigated and taken to Committee = 1
Public Inquiry / Hearing held = 1
Total annual return = sum of the above.
Calculation:
Investigate & compile report = 10 days
Decision meeting, report & letters = 3 days
Make & advertise order = 5 days
PINS Submissions = 5 days
Public Inquiry etc = 10 days
Total = 33 days
updated by Rosalinde Shaw/Richard Cuthbert, Feb 2011
