We have set our priorities within this plan and now we have to 'make it happen'.
To enable us to plan effectively, we have implemented a Strategic Planning and Management System (SPMS). The Strategic Planning and Management System relates our key priorities to what we are able to achieve with the resources we have. This planning system notes the different levels of policy development at the overall corporate / strategic level. Alongside this planning, development and review framework our approach to best value sets out a clear distinction between operational management and strategic management.
Review
The Corporate Plan, policies, strategies and service plans will set a clear agenda for the Council. We will regularly review our achievements to ensure we are doing what we said we were going to do. This review will be undertaken at three levels. The overall purpose of review is to learn from previous successes and failures, to perform better and to feedback into the Strategic Planning and Management System next year. The three different levels of review are:
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review of achievement of the Corporate Plan
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review of the development and implementation of our policies and strategies
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review of implementation of Service Plans and capital and revenue budgets
All our policies will have a strategy or detailed action / implementation plan for the following year. The implementation plan will be drawn up between all those Services and our partners who have a key role and responsibility for delivery of the policy issue.
Falkirk Council's strategic community plan sets the vision and key priorities for all agencies within the Council area. This is a partnership document and sets out longer-term priorities.
Influencing the Council's Corporate Plan
This contains what we want to achieve (our goals) and how we want to achieve these (our values). It sets out our key priorities for the coming year and beyond. This is informed by the strategic community plan and the vision and priorities contained therein. It also takes account of the Administration's manifesto and their aspirations for this area.
Leading to policies
The goals and more detailed key priorities are developed through our specific policies. Some policies may either be very specific to one issue or service of the Council or may have an effect across all our services and our area.
Leading to strategies
Strategies underpin our policies and identify a programme of action across the Council to ensure their implementation. These are not wish lists but are based on our resources and our capacity to deliver. We need to be very clear and honest about what we can achieve.
We cannot make everything a priority if we want to achieve real and lasting change.
Strategies are often developed by a number of agencies in support of a joint policy or aspiration.
Leading to service plans
Service plans are action programmes for each of our seven Services. Each plan identifies clear service objectives, which contribute to the achievement of our goals and values.
Service plans also identify the key tasks that each service requires to undertake to achieve its objectives and the way it will manage the service in line with our values. Service plans will be produced each year. Services must be clear and realistic about what can and cannot be achieved.
Leading to budgets
Our capital and revenue budgets are the financial plans we use to deliver services and achieve our goals and values. The allocation of money in budgets will be determined by what we plan to achieve. In effect the way we spend the money in our budgets will be determined by our policies and priorities. Decisions about the allocation of money and resources will be guided by the SPMS process.
Then we review
Our Corporate Plan, policies, strategies and service plans make specific proposals about what we want to achieve. We must review progress to determine if we have achieved our stated priorities. It is important that we learn from our successes and failures so that we can improve our performance in the future. The results of the review will also influence the key priorities in the next plan.