The Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) was introduced in 2002 to provide a rounded picture of local councils’ performance. It meant that, for the first time local residents, councils themselves and central government were easily able to gauge the level of service delivery by a council and also compare performance relative to other councils.
This could then be the basis for central and local government to work together to achieve improvements in local services.
Since its introduction CPA has proved an important driver for improving local authorities' performance in delivering services for local people and pro-active engagement that followed from CPA categorisation has helped poor performing councils to put in place the building blocks for significant improvement.
The Audit Commission an independent body, is responsible for developing and implementing CPA. The Audit Commission introduced a new framework for CPA of single tier and county councils from 2005 to 2008 in October 2005.
Previously under the CPA 2002-2004 framework councils were categorised as excellent, good, fair, weak or poor.
Under the current framework councils have to perform at a higher standard than before to achieve a particular CPA category. Because the framework is both harder and a different test, the overall CPA categories were renamed to reflect this change. The five categories are 4 stars (reflecting the highest category of performance), 3 stars, 2 stars, 1 star, and 0 stars.
Alongside the star rating, the Commission also publishes a direction of travel statement indicating progress being made by the local authority in achieving improvement.
To make progress clear to local people there are four direction of travel labels “improving strongly”, “improving well”, “improving adequately”, and “not improving adequately”.
A council’s overall CPA star category and its direction of travel judgement are reached through the assessment of 3 separate elements.
These are an annual use of resources assessment; an annual service assessment; and a periodic corporate assessment.
Full results for all councils are available on the Audit Commission's web site along with further information on the assessment framework. |