Council progressing well against Operational Delivery Plan

Councillors have approved a progress report on Highland Council’s Operational Delivery Plan for 2024/25 which provides a planned approach to transforming Highland communities by bringing major sources of investment to the area and new ways of delivering services.

The report noted positive feedback from Audit Scotland on progress made since 2020, including plans in place to support priorities and an embedded culture of transformation.

Transformation projects within the Delivery Plan aimed to make savings of £27.6m in 2024/25, for example, by changing procurement processes, generating income from tourism, and reducing numbers of senior managers. The report forecasts that 95% of savings will have been delivered, excluding Adult Social Care, where earmarked reserves have been used to frontload the transformation of the service.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner said: “I welcome this report which shows the progress being made as directed by our Future Highland Programme bringing changes in services to benefit communities across Highland. A focus on driving external investment has already seen successes such as £17.5 million investment for home energy efficiency.

“The report also reflects the positive comments in the recent Audit Scotland report about the ways in which Highland Council is taking steps to transform its delivery of services.”

Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban added: “Members have had the opportunity to discuss the Delivery Plan report which is vital to ensure that the Council’s ambitious plans are robustly scrutinised to keep project delivery on track. Innovative approaches to income generation such as the Storr Centre are paying off for people in Highland.”

Chair of Corporate Resources Committee, Cllr Derek Louden said: “Long term financial stability, sustainable service delivery and affordability is what we are aiming to achieve to enable continuous improvements to service delivery for Highland. This report is a positive step in the right direction, highlighting the importance of good value systems and processes such as in procurement, where savings of hundreds of thousands of pounds have been delivered.”

The report also highlighted how staff have been kept informed and involved, with 97% agreeing that a roadshow programme for staff set the Council’s vision for the future; 96% that it clearly articulated opportunities; and 78% that they could see the benefits for communities from the Council’s Delivery Plan.

The delivery plan shows how Highland Council intends to transform over time, with a focus on six development areas incorporated into the following portfolios:

• Person-centred solutions.
• Workforce for the future.
• Reconfiguring our asset base.
• Net zero energy, investment and innovation.
• Corporate solutions.
• Income generation.

The Operational Delivery Plan supports the My Future Highland Programme and Performance Plan which combined together comprise the Council’s transformation programme.