The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to review the council's resources and performance monitoring processes and to discuss the scrutiny work programme for 2026-27. Key discussions included the effectiveness of the council's performance reporting, the challenges of capacity and financial constraints, and the implications of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) on future service delivery. The committee also reviewed proposed themes for future scrutiny, including youth offending, highways performance, and the impact of climate change.

Hertfordshire County Council Resources and Performance Monitor

The committee received a presentation from Paraic McKenna, Head of Corporate Performance and Business Insight, on the council's quarterly corporate reporting process. McKenna explained that the process is aligned with the Corporate Delivery Plan 2025-28 and provides updates on 40 deliverables linked to the administration's five priorities. The reporting includes detailed reports, snapshots decks for a more intuitive overview, and strategic business as usual metrics. McKenna also highlighted plans to move reporting to Power BI for a more interactive dashboard experience.

Councillor Miriam Swainston raised a point about the need for clearer explanations of terms like quartiles and statistical neighbours in public-facing documents. Councillor Nigel Taylor, new to the committee, sought more context on how different services connect and the logic behind political priorities, drawing parallels with his IT background and the concept of silos. Scott Walker, Head of Corporate Finance, responded by explaining the council's performance management culture, the escalation process for issues, and the challenges of creating perfect joins between diverse services. He also detailed the use of data systems like LiquidLogic and the exploration of data mesh and Power BI.

Councillor Fiona Thomson inquired about the inclusion of staffing, productivity, and performance, particularly in relation to the SEND strategy and the implications of LGR. She also asked for more detail on the use of AI. The committee discussed the frequency of performance indicator tracking, with Scott Walker and McKenna explaining that it varies by service, from daily monitoring of critical areas like children's services and potholes to longer-term programme reviews. They also touched upon the impact of changing priorities and the use of AI in analysing data.

The discussion also covered the council's engagement with other agencies and the speed at which new trends are identified, with a particular focus on demographic changes and their impact on services like schools. The potential impact of LGR on performance management was also discussed, with Scott Walker emphasising the need for robust performance management systems during the transition.

The committee was invited to consider and comment on the performance reporting process and its reports. Councillor Fiona Thomson proposed adding a comment regarding the need for more information on staffing productivity and performance, which was agreed to be incorporated into the work programme. The recommendation to approve the performance reporting process was then unanimously agreed.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2026-27

Tim Williams, Head of Scrutiny, presented the proposed scrutiny work programme for 2026-27. Key items highlighted for upcoming meetings included:

• October 2026: An update session with Executive Directors to discuss their priorities, which would also inform budget scrutiny.
• February 2027: Specifics of the budget scrutiny programme.
• Ongoing/Future: Planning for the annual crime and disorder scrutiny programme, focusing on youth offending, and a review of infrastructure delivery. An update on highways performance, including road mender trials, was also mentioned.

Councillor Fiona Thomson requested that the Executive Directors' update in October include a discussion on capacity, given it was identified as a top risk. She also asked for further detail on the use of AI. Councillor Nigel Taylor proposed making Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) a standing item on the committee's agenda due to its complexity and the tight timeline for disaggregation. He expressed concerns about potential gaps in responsibility during the transition.

The committee discussed the significant implications of LGR, with members agreeing that it would be a pervasive topic across all committees. They decided to await further reports on the structure of new joint committees before finalising their approach. The potential for merging scrutiny items was also discussed, with Tim Williams suggesting that the impact of climate change could be integrated into the infrastructure delivery review.

Councillor Terry Smith raised concerns about vegetation and tree management, particularly in rural areas, and whether this fell under the committee's remit or another. It was suggested that this might be better addressed by the Environment, Transport and Growth Cabinet Panel.

Councillor Miriam Swainston proposed combining the points raised by Fiona Thomson and Nigel Taylor regarding LGR's impact on capacity and the need for updates on AI. She stressed the interconnectedness of LGR, capacity, and budgeting.

Councillor Tina Bhartwas highlighted the importance of following up on flood risk and the fair funding review, ensuring these remained on the work programme.

The committee unanimously approved the Scrutiny Work Programme 2026-27, with amendments and additions as agreed during the discussion.

Other Business

There were no other Part I business items discussed at the meeting.

Part II ('Closed') Agenda

There were no items of Part II (Confidential) business on this agenda.