In its second year, the programme is proving a success in encouraging councils to take ‘ownership’ of their own issues and bring about changes which will
make a difference to the lives of the people and communities of Wales.

Clive Grace, Director-General of the Audit Commission in Wales said:
“Overall, councils in Wales are showing good signs of progress especially in the areas of performance information and partnership working. Service improvement is more patchy and there remain some considerable challenges. Local authorities, the Assembly, audit and inspection bodies and other partner organisations must work together to address these challenges if Wales is to achieve the highest standards of public service.”

One of the report’s findings is that education services in Wales have largely improved across the board - particularly with the provision of special needs education and strategic management.

However, the picture is less favourable for social service delivery and practice. The report concludes that some councils are struggling to improve at the required rate with regard to their services for children, adults and older people.  

The report also highlights other areas where more attention is needed:

Housing: Many councils encountered difficulties in producing robust business plans and a realistic programme of improvement where necessary.

Regeneration: There is a need for greater co-ordination between the different tiers of government in addressing regeneration issues.

Highways: Many councils tend to undertake responsive maintenance rather than planned improvement schemes.

Waste Management: Whilst many councils have taken steps to improve their waste management strategies through partnership agreements, not all councils have set out practical measures for achieving recycling targets.

Leisure and Culture: The range and quality of sport and recreation services varies significantly between councils. In fact, the proportion of resources allocated to sport and recreation has steadily declined over the years.

As well as examining the services they provide, the WPI 2004/5 report also looks at how councils manage themselves. It reports that a significant level of progress has been made in training and developing council leaders and managers. However, it says more needs to be done to improve customer focus and the management of capital assets (council property) to help raise performance and efficiency levels.