Council

BEST VALUE

Best Value seeks to ensure continuous improvement in all council services, from education and care for the elderly through to refuse collection and roads maintenance. 

Best Value aims to ensure that the cost and quality of these services are of a level acceptable to local people by:

• increasing the role of local people in deciding the priorities for council services;

• improving the way the Council manages and reviews its business; and,

• building on the experience and expertise of staff.

A joint Task Force on Best Value was set up in May 1997 to develop and implement Best Value across all Scottish councils. The Best Value Task Force comprised the Scottish Office (now the Scottish Executive), the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) and the Accounts Commission.

The Task Force has published four reports, all of which can be accessed from the Scottish Executive website:

www.scotland.gov.uk

The Task Force set out a three-year implementation plan for the development of Best Value. In year one, councils were asked to demonstrate commitment to Best Value; in year two progress against their plans; and in year three to demonstrate achievement of Best Value.

Successive reviews of the Council’s Best Value arrangements by the Government’s independent inspectors, Audit Scotland, under the Performance Management and Planning Framework, have concluded that the Council is making progress in implementing Best Value and is able to demonstrate a commitment to taking further action as appropriate.