PQF Overview

1. The Planning Quality Framework www.qualityframework.net www.pas.gov.uk

2. today • key principles & objectives • what is it? • how does it work? • watch it in action, look at the outputs • sign up and get going • finish 3.30pm - Q&A as we go

3. why we need a quality framework the focus will always be on speed until there is something better to care about wasted time/effort validation conditions big stuff / small stuff routine / unusual how much of what? permitted development do customers like us? neighbours feel ignored? good ideas did we/do we add value? evidence / guesses did that work? focused improvement measures not targets VFM end-to-end

4. “There’s nothing new under the sun” Ecclesiates 1;9 demonstrate the value of your work • you do this already • regular, ad-hoc, last minute • 100’s of reports, interesting stuff • confident comparison?

5. demonstrate the value of your work • performance management • reporting system data (e.g. PS1/2 returns) • customer care, customer satisfaction • pre-app and post app reviews, AMR “There’s nothing new under the sun” Ecclesiates 1;9 PQF: re-frames and enhances what you already do and applies some standards so that you can report and compare.

6. sector-led…thanks • Hastings • Haringey • Ealing • Cheshire W • Liverpool • Ashford • Reading • Bracknell Forest • Swindon Pilot councils • Sefton • Knowsley • Northumberland • Havering • Hounslow • Nottingham City • Poole • Westminster • Wolverhampton • C’llr Daly @ St Albans • Raymond Crawford @ Hastings • Frances Wheat @ Camden • Stephen Alexander @ W’hampton • Mark Woodward @ Westminster • Martin Vink @ Ashford • Melanie Hale @ St Helens • Steve Dennington @ Croydon • Nick Smith @ Cheshire West • Andy Bowman, Devon

7. What is it & What’s involved?

8. in a nutshell • data requirements similar to benchmark • less onerous (no timesheets, accountants) • new focus for cost and vfm • online customer surveys, broader audience • ongoing, modular • you get: quarterly, annual reports, free customer survey system, free tools • commitment? 4 days a year, no £cost

9. Overview – no single measure of quality The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) Organisational - (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) C’llrs Amenit y Groups Staff Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ? Quantitative Qualitative Design ?build outcomes Q&A TipsPractice

10. Overview The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) C’llrs Amenit y Groups Staff TipsQ&A ? Outcome s Resource s “Value” Process What if ? Qualitative Opinions Design, build, outcomesPractice helpful tools Organisational - (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) Quantitative Facts

11. quantitative: applications data The work Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ?

12. The work Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ? Quarterly. 18 month trends. Ongoing. quantitative; applications data

13. qualitative: 8 customer Surveys Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) C’llrsStaff Amenity Groups Organisational - (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.)

14. Organisational - (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) C’llrs Amenit y Groups Staff Frequent. Connected to decisions. Annual. “State of nation” qualitative: 8 Surveys

15. practice Design ?build outcomes Q&A Tips

16. practice Design ?build outcomes Q&A TipsSelf-serve, share, report

17. Benchmarked ? The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) How are you organised ? (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) C’llrs Amenity GroupsStaff Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ?Yes Design ?build outcomes Q&A Tips No

18. It’s a framework The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) How are you organised ? (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) C’llrs Amenit y Groups Staff Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ? Design ?build outcomes Q&A Tips Quality

19. How does it work ? The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) How are you organised ? (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) C’llrs Amenity GroupsStaff Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ? 12-wkly back office download + one-off mapping Details from decisions issued Details from your records Design ?build outcomes Q&A TipsSelf-serve toolkits / community

20. reports The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) C’llrsStaff TipsQ&A ? Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ? Amenity Groups Design, build, outcomesgood practice shared Organisational - (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.)

21. reports The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) C’llrs Amenit y Groups Staff TipsQ&A ? Outcomes Resource s “Value” Process What if ? Design, build, outcomes Organisational - (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) Annual

22. Questions… The work Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) How are you organised ? (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.) C’llrs Amenity Groups Staff Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ? Design ?build outcomes Q&A Tips

23. Reports - what do you get? “Hitherto, philosophers have sought to understand the world; the point, however, is to change it.' – Karl Marx

24. …less of this 35 pages of histograms ?????!

25. more of this… Structured ‘story’ Part 1 – The work Part 2 – The outcomes Part 3 – Value/non-value Part 4 – Resources Part 5 - Process Part 6 - What if ? Part 7 – Matching facts with surveys Council Planning Quality Report Online Trends over time Database – DIY reports

26. more of this… Structured ‘story’ Part 1 – The work Part 2 – The outcomes Part 3 – Resources Part 4 – Value Part 5 - Process Part 6 - What if ? Council Planning Quality Report Online Trends Database – DIY reports the ‘rounded’ picture: Q: how many expensive process reviews focus on speeding things up but fail to notice that the service says ‘yes’ more often than its peers, creates less waste and has happier customers? who’d be interested in that message?

27. PART 1 - THE WORK 1a. development categories Big stuff

28. PART 1 - THE WORK 1b. Application Counts/ Fee Comparator Purpose: To understand your work and fee income and compare with your peers.. For review: • Are you very different from your peers? • Are peers seeing more of a particular type of development? • Something to learn? • Do the applications / fees mix represent any risk? • Are you managing this risk appropriately ? work profile fee profile

29. PART 2 - OUTCOMES 2a. Approval Rates Purpose: What types of development are we saying 'yes' to and how often? For review: • Granting more permissions? • Messages for stakeholders? • Is the %age of permissions always a positive? • Do your approval rates differ significantly from your peers? • What might be happening elsewhere that you can learn from?

30. 2a. Approval Rates

31. PART 3 – VALUE/NON VALUE 3a. Withdrawn applications Purpose: Rate of withdrawal. A 'waste' indicator. Where possible they should be reduced to near zero. For review: • What is the overall trend ? • Are you doing anything - is it working? • What’s the cost? Fees don’t cover costs. Then the 'free go‘? • How many occur at the request of the council? • What do your developer community think ?

32. 3b. Follow-up applications Purpose: Permission to start? 'follow-ups‘ – series’ of apps for same development. Often the market (EoTs, some NMA), sometimes required by us (vary/remove conditions). For review: • These don’t cover the costs • Is there anything to be done? • Complex Vs simple • What do developers think? • Is there a positive story here that you should share?

33. 3b. Follow-up applications

34. 3d. Non-heritage applications zero fee

35. PART 4 – RESOURCES 4b. Headcount estimate Purpose: how well matched are resources (FTEs) to the volumes of work? For review: • How does the FTE estimate compare to reality? • Caseloads? • Does the trend correspond with volumes? • Are there opportunities to re-focus resources?

36. 4c. Development investment Purpose: What is the investment value that development proposals represent? For review: • significant inward investment £sum Vs cost of planning • What do the trends (rising/falling) mean for your place? • Significance between this and fee income (e.g. future resources available)? • FTE estimate (e.g. can you handle a growing upward trend, or re-focus resources for a downward trend)?

37. PART 5 – PROCESS 5a. Valid on day 1 Purpose: Shows the proportion of applications received that can be worked on straight away. For review: • This is avoidable time and cost • Causes. Don't assume are the sole fault of the applicant/agent. • Are your procedures, processes, consistency and guidance as good as it could be? • What are your customers saying? • Are some application more vulnerable than others?

38. Why do we use boxplots? • Shows variation in a set of data – something an ‘average’ doesn’t. • e.g. average decision 48 days. Hides fact that most are issued between 35 and 54 days. Knowing this you can: • be clearer to customers • improve the process – what is stopping us making 35 days? Quick guide to box plots Average Improvement opportunity

39. 5b. Days to make valid Purpose: Shows the number of days it takes for applications to be made valid.

40. 5c. end-to-end decision times Purpose: Shows the number of days between applications being received and a decision notice being issued.

41. avoid this

42. PART 6 – WHAT IF…? • compare me to my peers (you’d expect that) • compare me to “best of breed” (interesting) • make me look like the best (very interesting)

43. PLUS, MORE TO COME … • Cross-matching facts with customer surveys • Cross-matching the head of service survey (e.g. what ICT system you use / how you organise validation / headcounts) with performance. Beyond “things are different” to “this appears to be why things are different”

44. better for management • multi-layered views • database is yours – climb inside the numbers • focus on the important; no more expensive ‘blanket’ improvement projects • improve, defend, protect • evidence-based change • culture shift: customer focused service alongside timely decision making • members?

45. How does it all work?

46. 1. Customer surveys Agents Neighbours Applicants Reviewer(s) C’llrsStaff Amenity Groups Organisational - (ICT, teams, headcounts etc.)

47. 1. customer surveys • web-based, by email • ‘Limesurvey’: asks: –how helpful? –manage time well? –use information well? –clarity of decision? • we set you up, train, support

48. ‘customers’ (regular, application - specific) • applicants (members of the public that have made a planning application) • agents (a professional person or company making a planning application) • neighbours (a person/organisation that has commented on an application) • case review (for the council to assess how well it did)

49. ‘customers’ (annual, planning more generally) • councillors (what’s the community view, avoid the political) • amenity groups (representative views from organised communities) • staff (are we helping them to do a good job?)

50. using Limesurvey • we create, you run your account • customer details uploaded from excel • system emails survey, records and stores responses, sends reminders and makes reports. • It’s your survey: • council logo • council email address • PAS feeds data and responses into performance report • takes 2 hours to get to grips with it

51. survey results -2 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 Helpful Use of time Use of information Clarity of decision Applicant Neighbour Review Application Ref: HA/FUL/4456/14

52. A quick look at the surveys

53. Things to think about: implementing the surveys May 2014 www.pas.gov.uk

54. Context • Comms are important – opportunity to create a “voice”. You may struggle with corporate controls. Be a person ! • But don’t get it wrong. Looking stupid is bad. • Legal context: respect opt-outs • Not confidential. Participants know that you will see their answers.

55. Dataset • Straightforward: – Name, email, reference, description, address, officer – Also logo and contact point in the council – (this is your survey) • Select all people connected to decisions between X and Y • Data quality ? Portal ? First name / last name ? • = list to apply to policy

56. Survey decisons • Repeat people – Agents = highest quality feedback; but send them 3 x emails ? – Repeated schemes ? Neighbour fatigue ? • Internal review – Very helpful indeed ! Structure – 3 or 4 mins – But overwhelming. Big sudden batch into inbox • What would you do ?

57. Sample survey policy • Frequent fliers – Letter at the outset explaining – Agent forum and reporting back to forum – Prize draw ! • Review – Anything with objections -> Head – Everything else • 50% sample randomly sent to reviewer ‘A’ or ‘B’

58. 2. Planning applications data

59. 2. Planning applications data The work Outcomes Resources “Value” Process What if ?

60. what happens • turns management system data into quarterly performance reports • excel spreadsheet each quarter • ‘translates’ council’s data labels into framework ‘standards’ (you verify) • sector standards will eventually become adopted across the sector.

61. applications data input framework data standards

62. data standards (1)

63. data standards (2) • PS1/2 • small/large scale majors • Q26, Q27, Q28? • works for counties?

64. interim output Councils • Tell us what you call things • Correct errors, back-to-front dates • Send spreadsheet back • Process continues until 90% match achieved – then we’ll make your report

65. Self – serve toolkits Design ?build outcomes Q&A Tips

66. 3. Self serve assessment Notes a) Quality of planning Did we mediate well ? b) Quality of development Has the development met its objectives?

67. a) quality (of planning) • how do we collect data on quality of planning? • toolkit based on ‘building for life’ • not much point in comparison

68. b) quality (of development) • how do we collect data on quality of development? • short term: go on site visits (with committee) • longer term goal: link planning data with completions data. Understand what actually gets built.

69. getting going

70. what’s the commitment ? • councils need: – a chief data wrangler to set up, maintain – An audience (or why bother?) – staff / councillors / strategic / public / others ? • Compulsory – Applications data, mappings • Optional (but strongly recommended) – Surveys – Enhanced data collection (eg agents, conditions, “parent” developments)

71. …in terms of time ? • applications data – initial set up (half a day) – each quarter (couple of hours) • surveys – understand and use the web tool (half a day) – reg. surveys each week/fortnight (1.5 hours) – annual surveys (2 days per year) • quality feedback – planning quality (a day per major application)

72. confidentiality • the framework can properly present the job that planning does • It’s a club. It has rules, data standards, confidentiality • part of the discussion will be how the data is eventually used

73. call to action • we’ll email you tomorrow • sign up: admin@qualityframework.net • ‘do it in a day’ support events: • London (8th October) • Manchester (14th October) • Birmingham (16th October) • London (21 October) • Bristol (28 October) • confident? don’t wait for us – surveys guide and applications data guide • first report October 2014 • first ‘full’ report Jan 2015

74. sign up • To sign up: email admin@qualityframework.net • name of main contact and a sub • a JPEG file of your council’s logo on a white background • the email address that you’d like the surveys to be emailed from (this might be a person or a generic email e.g. planning@council.gov.uk) • Portfolio holder (optional)

75. call to action • we’ll email you tomorrow • sign up: admin@qualityframework.net • ‘do it in a day’ support events: • London (8th October) • Manchester (14th October) • Birmingham (16th October) • London (21 October) • Bristol (28 October) • confident? don’t wait for us – surveys guide and applications data guide • first report October 2014 • first ‘full’ report Jan 2015

76. thank you don’t forget feedback forms & please leave badges email martin.hutchings@local.gov.uk web www.pas.gov.uk phone 020 7664 3000

77. In comparison to benchmark Benchmark Quality framework You have to do it all Modular Once per year Just start Snapshot Ongoing & regular Industrial strength accounting Low hassle Internal management tool External badge Councils only Councils, developers and RTPI Understand value for money Understand quality

PQF Overview

PQF Overview

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