Council performance

 
 

I&DeA International Peer Review

During May-June 2005 Westminster City Council undertook a voluntary international peer review led by the I&DeA. The review team was led by Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council, and included the Mayor of Baltimore, USA, Martin O’Malley. They were asked to assess Westminster’s plans for the future and its capacity to continue to improve as an authority. It was asked to focus on risks and issues including any areas for concern and make recommendations.

In the report, the review team observed that Westminster is a "deservedly excellent council, with a clear vision and impressive staff". It is an authority that lives up to its perceived hype and one where there is a sense of fun and warmth among staff that the rest of the sector does not recognise, the review team added.

The Team highlighted the high quality of staff at both the operational and strategic levels and the impressive and detailed knowledge of issues amongst staff. The team said that "London boroughs as a whole are stronger because Westminster is at the hub of the city, offering leadership and capacity for public service". The key challenges the review team identified in order to continue to improve service - at a time of rising public expectations - included the need to consider financial issues, address new capacity and build strong alliances.

The review team identified five key challenges that the Council needed to address:

  • Delivering the rounded vision for the borough whilst fulfilling increasing customer expectations
  • Sustaining motivation and performance improvement of staff through reward and challenge
  • Identifying the capacity and resources necessary to deliver its increased ambition
  • Delivering on its planned transformational programmes if it is to achieve its aims
  • Building strong strategic alliances with key regional, national and international players to deliver its global ambitions

The findings of the Peer Review will be fed into the City Council’s Performance Plan.