Best Value

Best Value is a legal obligation, and is set out in the Local Government Act 1999. This places a duty on councils to ensure that they deliver services with regard to "Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness". Much of the detailed definition of this "Duty of Best Value" is determined by the Secretary of State.

Best Value requires us to:

• Publish a Performance Plan - These "Best Value Performance Plans" are subject to external and independent audit, and will be available to all residents in Torbay.
• To use public and user consultation as the main focus for improving performance and quality.
• To carry out Best Value Reviews.
• Not to presume in favour of in-house delivery of services, and to achieve wide-ranging changes in service delivery.

Performance Plans

Each year Torbay has published a Best Value Performance Plan, setting out its major aims and objectives for the year ahead, and showing clearly how it measures its achievements against these aims and objectives. This enables a transparent judgement to be made by residents as to whether the Council is succeeding or not.

Best Value Performance Indicators themselves are being replaced with a new National Indicator Set with effect from 1 April 2008 and therefore, this will be the last Best Value Performance Plan which we will produce and in future years details on our performance will be reported elsewhere i.e. combined in the Council’s Annual Report and Statement of Accounts.