The WLGA continues to offer a range of corporate improvement support to authorities.

Following the withdrawal of the Welsh Government’s improvement grant at the end of 2014-15, the WLGA’s offer has been re-focussed to provide a core offer around:

• corporate peer review programme;
• councillor development and support;
• good practice exchange; and
• corporate improvement support through WLGA Associates.

Through Data Cymru the WLGA continues to provide a range of bespoke and national services to authorities including:

• benchmarking;
• performance management support; and
• MyLocalCouncil website.

The WLGA’s approach to improvement support is based on the principles of sector-led self-improvement and mutual aid; peer challenge, sharing expertise and experience and providing reciprocal support from within the local government family.

Corporate Peer Review

The WLGA’s corporate peer review offer is based on the LGA’s peer review programme, focusing on a number of core themes including: strategic vision, leadership, governance and resource and performance management.

Peer review costs will typically be £10,000 plus VAT for a 4 day Corporate Peer Review (following the withdrawal of the Welsh Government’s improvement grant subsidy). This fee includes all preparatory work and expenses based on a peer team of 2 member peers, 3 officer peers and a WLGA peer team leader. Subsequent days of onsite follow-up support or additional external and/or specific professional expertise on the peer team can be provided at an additional cost.

Further information about the WLGA’s Peer Review offer is available here

Corporate Improvement Support through WLGA Associates

The WLGA works with a range of Associates in providing bespoke corporate challenge and/or ongoing capacity and support to authorities in areas such as corporate improvement challenge and performance planning. Fees vary depending on the nature of support required.

For further information, contact Daniel Hurford: daniel.hurford@wlga.gov.uk 029 20468615.

Councillor Development

The WLGA continues to provide strategic national guidance and support to local authorities and offers bespoke in-house training and support packages to councils and councillors, including scrutiny, chairing skills, mentoring and personal development reviews. The WLGA is also working with Academi Wales and the LGA in developing a new programme of the highly regarded Leadership Academy for elected members.

Full details of the WLGA’s Member Development and Support offer is available here

For further information, contact Sarah Titcombe: sarah.titcombe@wlga.gov.uk 029 2046 8638.

Good Practice Wales

Good Practice Wales is a single access online portal to Welsh Public Services good practice and knowledge.

The Good Practice Wales Portal aims to be the single point of access to a wide range of examples of good practice available across Welsh public services.

Data Cymru

Data Cymru provides a range of improvement support services to authorities, including:

• A range of support for councillors and officers on understanding and using performance data - including MyLocalCouncil website, Benchmarking Wales and other bespoke tools
• Supporting the benchmarking of performance and related data including the facilitation of several national benchmarking clubs
• Bespoke local councillor workshops sessions on understanding and using performance data, for example for members of scrutiny committees
• Provision of range of contextual data to support policy development and delivery - infobasecymru website
• Advice and guidance on using data and developing/using local surveys
• Supporting Public Services Boards and public bodies to fulfil their statutory duties under the WFG Act. This includes producing Well-being Assessments, Well-being Plans and Annual reports, setting and monitoring outcomes to measure priorities and any consultation and engagement work conducted with service providers, users and the public
• Guidance on developing and implementing social research and evaluation techniques to support the delivery of strategic priorities and to measure and quantify the impact of projects and plans developed to support strategic priorities

For further information about Data Cymru contact Andrew Stephens: andrew.stephens@data.cymru 029 20909500.

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