PMMI case studies

This page provides links to all of the case studies associated with the PMMI project you can also find them on this external indexing site.

We also have Instructions on how to use the PMMI project case studies (PDF, 5 pages, 108KB) to get the most out of them.  

PMMI research case studies

• Bath and North East Somerset Council
• Chichester District Council
• Derbyshire County Council
• Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
• London Borough of Wandsworth
• West Sussex County Council

Your own stories case studies

Action research case studies

• Cornwall County Council
• Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
• Lancashire County Council
• Lewes District Council
• London Borough of Harrow
• South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

Self-submitted case studies

• Derbyshire Dales District Council
• East Riding of Yorkshire Council
• Hastings Borough Council

 Other performance management case studies you might find interesting.

Summaries in alphabetical order are below:

Bath and North East Somerset Council
This case study covers many aspects of performance management but in particular it shows how an authority has created the energy and pressure to make performance management work across the council.  It will be of particular help to authorities who want to work on:

• developing their performance reporting to focus on key priorities and objectives
• supporting managers in developing their approaches to performance management within the broader corporate framework
• emphasising communication and ensuring that everyone knows how what they do contributes to council-wide performance, thus establishing the ‘golden thread’ from community priorities through to individual action plans

Chichester District Council
This case study covers many aspects of performance management, but particularly shows how Chichester has created the right amount of energy and pressure to make performance management work across the council. It will be helpful to authorities looking for advice on:

• developing leadership in performance management
• involving members
• integrating performance management, financial management and improvement
• involving and motivating middle managers and frontline staff with performance management
• developing a ‘golden thread’ from community priorities through to individual action plans

Cornwall County Council
This case study shows how Cornwall strengthened its corporate approach to performance management, which in turn strengthened service planning and helped embed the 'golden thread' approach to performance management.

Derbyshire County Council
This case study covers many aspects of performance management, but in particular it shows how leaders throughout the authority have used a 'little and often' approach to creating a performance-orientated culture. It will be of particular help to authorities who want to work on:

• developing leadership of performance management
• engendering staff ownership of performance management and improvement
• encouraging innovation and sharing learning

Derbyshire Dales District Council
This case study shows how a small district council determinedly built up an effective performance management framework that delivers real improvement, enabling it to become one of only six district councils nationally awarded ‘four out of four’ on performance management in comprehensive performance assessment (CPA).

It will be of particular help to authorities that want to work on:

• achieving and demonstrating outcomes
• embedding the ‘golden thread’
• engaging hearts and minds both inside and outside the council
• it will also be of interest to those who are interested in engaging councillors in performance management at 'fourth option' councils
• prioritising improvements

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
This case study illustrates several developments at Dudley, including developing performance management, customer service and customer feedback; using a performance management software to develop more robust performance measurement, and developing information systems in support of performance management. This case study also includes information about a new partnership evaluation tool (PET), which helps Dudley evaluate the effectiveness and contribution of partnership working.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council
This case study covers many aspects of performance management but in particular shows an innovative approach to focusing services on what they are trying to achieve and why, and creating a performance orientated culture. It will be of particular help to authorities who want to work on:

• measuring overall performance of every service
• engendering staff ownership of performance management and improvement
• involving members in challenging and supporting service performance improvement

Hastings Borough Council
This case study covers several aspects of performance management, but in particular it shows how an authority is developing a performance management culture with an emphasis on performance measurement to make indicators both useful and fun. It will be of particular help to authorities who want to work on:

• developing or expanding a comprehensive set of local performance measures
• using creativity to raise the profile of and enthusiasm for performance management
• rewarding and recognising improved performance and use of performance management
• supporting the community strategy and corporate objectives with usable measures

Lancashire County Council
This case study will be of particular interest to those councils who wish to:

• engage both service and corporate staff in developing and embedding performance management
• develop learning networks focused on performance management
• implement an IT solution to support performance monitoring

Lewes District Council
This case study will be of particular interest to those councils who wish to:

• provide a structure to help councillors prioritise council services and spending
• involve staff at all levels in performance management through a clearer performance framework, networking and focus on communication
• provide greater transparency and accountability through publishing council performance information online
• engage partners in the issues of better data usage to support performance management in the local strategic partnership

London Borough of Harrow
This case study will be of particular interest to those councils who wish to:

• develop a new performance management framework
• understand the benefits of implementing a new IT platform to support performance management
• develop a change management programme for performance including identifying how activities should be prioritised and planned
• set up a new organisation for performance management with clear roles and processes

London Borough of Wandsworth
This case study describes an authority that has been addressing performance management issues for a long time. Nonetheless, it provides clear evidence of the need for leaders to make it clear through their actions that performance and improvement really matter. It highlights the importance of getting the basics right. It shows how performance measurement and monitoring can be used to give a clear picture of performance, identify areas for improvement, and provide the foundation for performance management to make a real difference where it matters most. It also makes clear that while improvement may not happen overnight, a sustained focus on performance management can achieve real results in the long term.

South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council
This case study will be of particular interest to those councils who wish to:

• develop a better understanding of members' performance management roles
• engage community representatives to improve the performance of a high profile, frontline service

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council 
This case study is a good example of how firm directed leadership can, through a series of iterations and by constantly chipping away, create a culture where performance management becomes part of the normal way of doing things.

This case study will be of interest to authorities that want to:

• enhance the role of political and managerial leadership in driving improvement
• engage staff at all levels of the organisation in order to embed customer-focused performance management in day-to-day activity
• build the capacity of staff to manage and improve performance through development and networking opportunities
• maintain momentum on their improvement journey through learning and external challenge

West Sussex County Council
This case study describes an authority where the approach taken to improving performance management has been incremental – taking place over several years – and closely linked to wider organisational change.  Developing a clear vision for the community was a starting point to improvement. To deliver this, cultural change was necessary, and achieved by taking a pragmatic approach to bringing staff on board and investing in the development of managers and leaders.

The case study will be of use to councils that:

• are struggling to bring about change – West Sussex found that a 'carrot and stick' approach worked well, combining support for staff on new initiatives with clear requirements for, and monitoring of, compliance
• are finding it difficult to make connections between different activities that contribute to effective performance management; a sustained and holistic focus on performance management, within which individual elements have been improved, has enabled West Sussex to deliver real improvements for local people