What we will do to make Highland Council more effective and efficient

| Strengthening the Highlands | What we will do for children and families |
| What we will do for communities and older people |
| What we will do for the economy | What we will do for our environment |

  1. We will -
    • a) We will continue to pursue best value for our residents and service users, seeking efficiencies in the way we work and continuously review the Council’s spending programmes.  We will modernise our services to achieve an annual 2% efficiency savings target and deliver at least £17.629m million savings from the Corporate Improvement Programme 2010/11 to 2012/2013.
    • b) We will bring the Council's budget in on target for the financial year 2011/12 and ensure that a balanced budget is achieved in 2012/13, and that preparations are put in place for sound financial management for future years.
    • c) We will commit to no compulsory redundancies in the workforce wherever possible, by managing any reduction in staff numbers using redeployment, vacancy management, flexible working and targeted early severance, where appropriate.
  2. Commit the Council to the principle of appropriate additional decentralisation of political decision-making within the Council.
  3. Continuously review our performance to improve the way in which Council services are designed and delivered. We will do this by measuring our progress, reporting on it publicly and listening to our customers and communities.
  4. Fulfil all of the Council’s duties to promote equalities and to tackle discrimination and disadvantage - as an employer, in providing public services, in community leadership and partnership working.
  5. Make Council decision-making more accessible by webcasting Council meetings and by other means.
  6. We will make it easier and more convenient to contact the Council (through telephone, internet and other technology).
  7. We will continue to develop Ward and city Forums for every council ward which will enable the public and community representatives to be informed of and to scrutinise Council activities and service delivery, including community planning.
  8. Develop our asset management plan to ensure that the Council owns or occupies only the appropriate number of buildings and that these are fit for purpose.
  9. We will value and consult with staff and trades unions through joint consultative committees between the Council and trades unions Council and trades unions, as well as through other forums established to consult on corporate change programmes including the Corporate Improvement Programme and Pathway to Integration with Health.
  10. Work with the trades unions to deliver modernised working conditions and a single status workforce by 2010 – completed 2009/10.
  11. We will continue to agree an annual training and development programme and personal development plans for councillors.
  12. Review the Council’s programme and report progress against it each year.