## Benchmark Theme 9: Efficiency To Be Used In Conjunction With Main Csit Benchmark To Provide An Additional Focus On Efficiency


## Criterion 9.1: Services Are Regularly Benchmarked And The Results Used To Focus Improvement.

 Level 1: Poor. There is little or no evidence 
that the key features are in place or that there is commitment to putting them in place. Level 2: Fair. There is evidence of 
concrete progress towards putting the key features in place. Level 3: Good. There is evidence that the 
key features are in place. Level 4: Excellent. There is evidence that 
the key features are in place and have made an impact on performance and results. 
Service performance has not been regularly benchmarked against recognised comparators.  
Service performance has been regularly benchmarked against recognised comparators and improvements made as a result. 
Service performance is being benchmarked against recognised comparators. 
Service performance has been regularly benchmarked against recognised comparators. 
 
 
Key features of an excellent organisation 
Your evidence 
Scoring 
Improvement priority A 
The organisation's information systems provide an integrated approach to resource management. Cost and activity data is captured and this information has been used effectively for benchmarking and to drive improvements. (From use of resources 5.6 A) B 
The organisation has carried out a rigorous benchmarking exercise regularly. The exercise has compared overall Value for Money including cost and income generation. 


C 
Where services have been identified as less efficient than comparator services actions have been taken to address areas for improvement.  

## Criterion 9.2: Culture And Sport Assets Are Fully Utilised.

 Level 1: Poor. There is little or no evidence 
that the key features are in place or that there is commitment to putting them in place. 
 
Level 2: Fair. There is evidence of 
concrete progress towards putting the key features in place. 
 
Level 3: Good. There is evidence that the 
key features are in place. 
 
Level 4: Excellent. There is evidence that 
the key features are in place and have made an impact on performance and results. The organisation utilises all its physical 
assets to maximum capacity. 
The organisation does not utilise all its physical assets to maximum capacity. 
The organisation is working towards utilising all its physical assets to 
maximum capacity. 
The organisation utilises all its physical assets to maximum capacity and can demonstrate continuous improvement in the 
use of its assets over a number of years. 
 
Key features of an excellent organisation 
Your evidence 
Scoring 
Improvement priority A 
The organisation has used its available assets creatively to develop 
and improve services over time. (Use of resources 9.5 A) B 
The organisation has a strategic asset management plan that maximises the performance of assets, and ensures they have a direct and significant impact on achieving corporate objectives. (Use of Resources (9.5 B) 


C 
The organisation uses all its physical assets to capacity. All opportunities to rationalise service points and reduce overall asset costs have been considered and either discounted or taken.  


D 
The organisation has investigated all opportunities to co-locate culture and sport services in other buildings e.g. Building schools for the future, integrated leisure and wellbeing centres, joint service centres. 


E 
The organisation has explored all relevant opportunities for making available spare capacity in its assets to other council services, partners or other parties through commercial arrangements. 


F 
The organisation has considered all opportunities to transfer assets to the third sector. 


G 
The organisation has reviewed with adjoining councils joint service provision where assets and services duplicate provision. 

## Criterion 9.3: Shared Services And Management Have Been Used To Improve Efficiency

 Level 1: Poor. There is little or no evidence 
that the key features are in place or that there is commitment to putting them in place. Level 2: Fair. There is evidence of 
concrete progress towards putting the key features in place. Level 3: Good. There is evidence that the 
key features are in place. Level 4: Excellent. There is evidence that the 
key features are in place and have made an impact on performance and results. 
The organisation has not considered or introduced appropriate ways of sharing 
services and management costs.  
The organisation has introduced appropriate ways of sharing services and management costs and as a result can demonstrate ongoing improvements in efficiency. 
The organisation is introducing appropriate ways of sharing services and 
management costs.  
The organisation has introduced appropriate ways of sharing services and 
management costs.  
 
 
Key features of an excellent organisation 
Your evidence 
Scoring 
Improvement priority 
A 
The redesign of services and processes has increased productivity and reduced time and cost while maintaining or improving quality. (use of resources 5.3 B) B 
Partnering arrangements and long-term supplier relationships have assisted improvements in efficiency and service delivery.(use of resources 5.3 D) 


C 
Arrangements for sharing back office services have been considered and introduced wherever possible including with adjoining councils or partners. D 
Arrangements for sharing management have been considered and introduced wherever possible including with adjoining councils and partners. 

## Criterion 9.4: Culture And Sport Services Have Been Procured To Deliver Required Outputs, Outcomes And Value For Money

 Level 1: Poor. There is little or no evidence 
that the key features are in place or that there is commitment to putting them in place. Level 2: Fair. There is evidence of 
concrete progress towards putting the key features in place. Level 3: Good. There is evidence that the 
key features are in place. Level 4: Excellent. There is evidence that the key 
features are in place and have made an impact on performance and results. Plans are in place to review the current service provider(s) and if value for money cannot be demonstrated a procurement process will take place including a rigorous option appraisal process. 
The current service provider(s) was procured following a rigorous option appraisal and regular reviews continue to show they offer value for money in terms of costs and the outputs and outcomes being delivered. 

The current service provider(s) were not procured following a rigorous option appraisal process and there has been no recent review to ascertain if they are providing value for money and delivering the required outputs and outcomes. 

The current service provider(s) was recently procured following a rigorous option appraisal and are delivering the required outputs and outcomes cost effectively. 



Key features of an excellent organisation 
Your evidence 
Scoring 
Improvement priority  
A 
The organisation has a good track record of strategic commissioning and procurement of goods and services to support improvement and efficiency, including through the LSP. (Use of resources 5.3 C) 


B 
The organisation regularly reviews the provision of its culture and 
sport services and considers if alternative service delivery models may be more capable of and delivering required outputs and outcomes as set out in strategic plans more efficiently. 


C 
As part of the most recent procurement processes the 
organisation undertook a rigorous option appraisal before contracting for services. 

## Criterion 9.5: Culture And Sport Services Are Being Commissioned By Partners To Deliver Their Required Outcomes

 Level 1: Poor. There is little or no evidence 
that the key features are in place or that there is commitment to putting them in place. Level 2: Fair. There is evidence of 
concrete progress towards putting the key features in place. Level 3: Good. There is evidence that the 
key features are in place. Level 4: Excellent. There is evidence that the 
key features are in place and have made an impact on performance and results. 
The organisation is not considered an effective delivery partner and has never been commissioned to deliver a range of outcomes on behalf of partners.  
The organisation has been commissioned to deliver a range of outcomes on behalf of partners over a number of years. 
The organisation is seeking to be commissioned to deliver a range of outcomes on behalf of partners.  
The organisation is considered an effective delivery partner and has been commissioned to deliver a range of outcomes on behalf of partners. 
 
Key features of an excellent organisation 
Your evidence 
Scoring 
Improvement priority  
A 
The organisation is represented on the key strategic partnerships 
with commissioning responsibility e.g. health, adult social care and childrens services and plays a full part in the strategic commissioning processes. B 
The organisation presents an integrated and unified presence to potential commissioners of culture and sport services. In two tier areas this includes arrangements for joint working between districts and between district and county services. C 
Capacity has been built among third sector clubs and organisations to enable them to access and support the commissioning process. 


D 
The organisation has mapped commissioning opportunities available 
and has taken steps to fully understand the needs of communities and those commissioning services and is able to adapt services to meet these needs. 


E 
Competency and skills are being developed in the organisation to 
support commissioning. 


F 
An evidence base has been built to demonstrate the potential 


contribution the services can make to specific outcomes. 

G 
Arrangements are in place to effectively performance manage commissioned contracts. 


H 
The organisation has taken steps to demonstrate compliance by 
evidencing value for money, appropriate legal requirements such as safeguarding arrangements and sought appropriate accreditations where required. 

|                                                                                                                            |     |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----|
|                                                                                                                            |     |
|                                                                                                                            |     |
|                                                                                                                            |     |
| Evidence and probes                                                                                                        |     |
| Themes and criteria                                                                                                        |     |
| Efficiency.                                                                                                                |     |
| -                                                                                                                          |     |
|                                                                                                                            |     |
| Recent use of recognised benchmarking services such as the National Benchmarking Service, APSE and CIPFA or an equivalent. |     |
| CRITERION 9.1: services are                                                                                                |     |
| regularly benchmarked and                                                                                                  |     |
| the results used to focus                                                                                                  |     |
| improvement.                                                                                                               |     |
|                                                                                                                            |     |
|                                                                                                                            |     |

- Joint benchmarking exercises between similar councils or groups of councils leading to shared learning and support. 
- Evidence of specific action to addressed identified improvement areas. 

Criterion 9.2: culture and sport assets are fully utilised. 

- Evidence exploring opportunities for bringing services together in a single building to release assets for sale or other uses.  
 
- Evidence of culture and sport assets being offered to other departments or partners to house other services e.g. libraries becoming 
generic customer service points for the council, leisure centres being used as health and wellbeing centres or for social care activity. 
 
- Evidence of culture and sport services being integrated in other services points such as community sports facilities in new schools under 
the BSF scheme 
 
- Evidence of councils planning service provision across council boundaries to avoid overlap and duplication. Use of share access 
arrangements to service between councils. 
 
- Evidence of assets being formally transferred to third sector organisations or community trusts to generate income and investment 
opportunity. 

 
Criterion 9.3: shared services and management have been used to improve 
- Evidence that back office costs have been shared across organisations. 
 
- Evidence of private contractors or trusts collaborating to provide efficient strategic management. 

 
 
- Councils sharing strategic management particularly in two tier areas.  

efficiency 

- Evidence that current delivery arrangements have recently been reviewed and confirmed as delivering value for money. 
 
- Evidence that recent procurement exercises have been rigorous and have considered all the available options 
 
- Evidence that capacity is being built in the third sector among local clubs and organisations so they can be commissioned to help deliver 
services effectively. 
 
- Evidence that skills and competencies are being developed to both commission and be commissioned.  

Criterion 9.4: culture and sport services have been procured effectively to deliver required outputs, outcomes and value for money Criterion 9.5: culture and sport services are being commissioned by  partners to meet their required outcomes 

- Senior managers and elected members participate in the key partnerships and help shape commissioning policy and ensure culture and 
sport needs are taken into account in needs assessments. 
 
- Evidence of service mapping to identify all relevant commissioning opportunities and clarity on key outcomes and outputs required by the 
commissioners. Evidence the providers understand what the commissioner want and need to achieve. 
 
- Evidence that service fragmentation has been addressed so that commissioners can access culture and sport services as easily and 
efficiently as possible. 
 
- Evidence in two tier areas of collaboration between providers to maximise efficient commissioning processes. 
 
- Clear communication channels between commissioners and providers. 
 
- Evidence that skills and competencies are being developed to both commission and be commissioned.  
 
- Evidence that capacity is being built in the third sector among local clubs and organisations so they can be commissioned to help deliver 
services effectively. 
 
- Evidence of county sport partnerships and arts partnerships facilitating better collaboration between providers. 
 
- Good evidence base to substantiate bids for commissioning. 
 
- Effective performance management arrangements so progress and performance can be monitored and reported easily to commissioners. 
- Evidence of VFM benchmarking to underpin pricing of bids. 
 
- Evidence of activity to achieve and maintain relevant accreditation and meet legal requirements of the contract.