Broads Authority has 'made great strides' says performance review
The Broads Authority has moved a long way in a short space of time and should achieve considerable success in the future.
This is the view of a team of five assessors from other national parks and local government backgrounds who spent four days in Norfolk scrutinising the work of the Authority as part of the National Park Authorities’ Performance Assessment.
After detailed discussions with a large number of people representing internal and external interests, the team concluded that the Authority is a good and improving organisation which 'has made considerable strides in terms of strategy, plans, stakeholder relationships and corporate systems.'
It reported that 'considerable support was expressed by many stakeholders for the work the Authority is doing. The Authority recognises that it still has further to go; that it needs to improve resource planning; and to show that the integrated approach to managing the Broads is delivering priorities. With its demonstrated self awareness and with further embedding of its overall plans and approaches it should achieve considerable success in the future.'
The review team consisted of Ken Lloyd, SOLACE Enterprises Facilitator, Peter Simpson, Chief Executive, Hambleton District Council, Jim Dixon, Chief Executive, Peak District National Park Authority, Jean Tallantire, Member, North York Moors National Park Authority, and Kathryn Beardmore, Access and Recreation Manager, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.
The process is intended to give each national park authority a better appreciation of its strengths and weaknesses and help it to improve the quality of the services it offers to the public.
The Broads Authority scored highly on two themes - its quality of vision and partnership working.
'Stakeholders consider the Authority to be very inclusive and imaginative in the way they have engaged others,' says the report. 'Most stakeholders are complimentary about the strategic leadership of the Authority and its ability to identify and initiate change with clear minded thinking. They see the Authority as competent and capable.' They also felt that the Authority was one they could easily do business with.
John Packman, Chief Executive of the Broads Authority said: 'We are delighted with the report of the review team. The overall result is an excellent one and the outcome very positive for the Authority. The task is now to use the report as a springboard to drive further improvement.'
The team made 27 recommendations which will be developed into an improvement plan by the Authority.
One of the key recommendations is that the Authority should increase the appreciation of the vision for the Broads among partners and staff by making a new, shortened version more widely known. Members are asked to adopt the shortened version at the Broads Authority meeting on Friday (27 January).
Other recommendations are for the Authority to raise its regional profile and reduce the drain on member and officer capacity by reducing the impact of polarised views of members and developing their broader strategic perspective.
Copies of the full Performance Assessment are available on request from the Authority's offices at 18 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ.
19/01/2006
