Agenda item

This report presents feedback from the analysis work requested by Executive Members on the Audit Commission’s One Place website data and seeks approval to launch the first stage of the York & North Yorkshire Local Information System, aimed at sharing information with North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership members.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the results of the analysis exercise carried out on the Audit Commission’s One Place site, and the further work under way with auditors and other organisations, be noted.

REASON:      So that Members are informed of progress in ensuring that public data relating to the City is accurate and presented clearly.

                        (ii)        That the launch of the York profile on the North Yorkshire & York Local Information System, to enable the move from the draft stage to a live stage on the NYCC website (Option 1) be approved.

REASON:      To take advantage of an external funding opportunity, further improve knowledge about our communities and share information with partners and other organisations.

                        (iii)       That Officers be required to monitor the use of City of York Council officer time in joining with the Local Information System, and that this be delivered at no additional cost to the Council.

                        (iv)       That future reports indicate clearly what outcomes have resulted from the application of the new system.

                        (v)        That the Assistant Director of Resources (Customer Services and Governance) be requested to take on responsibility for the cross-referencing of data held on the LIS with the information held by the Audit Commission on the One Place website.

REASON:      In order to avoid any future conflicts of content and presentation between the two systems.

Members considered a report which presented feedback from the analysis work requested on the Audit Commission’s ‘One Place’ website data.  The report also outlined progress on the York & North Yorkshire Local Information System (LIS), aimed at sharing information with members of the North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership, and sought approval to launch the first stage of the LIS. 

The Audit Commission had confirmed the accuracy of the data about York presented on their One Place website.  A recent internal analysis on those indicators which were verifiable had also shown the data to be correct.  Discussions were taking place with the Audit Commission to gain feedback on a number of observations, relating mainly to presentation and interpretation of the data, as detailed in paragraph 7 of the report.  Officers reported at the meeting that the issues identified on specific indicators had now been corrected.  It was clear that One Place would in future be a very useful source of data which would inform performance management reports and decision making across the Council and the City, with links to the proposed York & North Yorkshire LIS.  Officers

In June 2009, York had agreed to join York and North Yorkshire Strategic Partnership in developing an LIS, on the proviso that funding was made available and links with Leeds City Region were explored.  The lead authority, North Yorkshire County Council, had received 3-year funding from the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership to support the project.  The LIS would provide a map-based, on-line local statistics service for the public and a large shared data warehouse facility for the use of partners.  It was now at a point where the first stage of the York profile could be demonstrated and made live at any point after final approval from Members.  A summary of the anticipated benefits of the project was set out in Annex 1 to the report.  Example screen shots of the York profile were provided at Annex 2.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the results of the analysis exercise carried out on the Audit Commission’s One Place site, and the further work under way with auditors and other organisations, be noted.

REASON:      So that Members are informed of progress in ensuring that public data relating to the City is accurate and presented clearly.

                        (ii)        That the launch of the York profile on the North Yorkshire & York Local Information System, to enable the move from the draft stage to a live stage on the NYCC website (Option 1) be approved.¹

REASON:      To take advantage of an external funding opportunity, further improve knowledge about our communities and share information with partners and other organisations.

                        (iii)       That Officers be required to monitor the use of City of York Council officer time in joining with the Local Information System, and that this be delivered at no additional cost to the Council. ²

                        (iv)       That future reports indicate clearly what outcomes have resulted from the application of the new system. ³

REASON:      To ensure that the value of the system can be clearly demonstrated.

                        (v)        That the Assistant Director of Resources (Customer Services and Governance) be requested to take on responsibility for the cross-referencing of data held on the LIS with the information held by the Audit Commission on the One Place website. ⁴

REASON:      In order to avoid any future conflicts of content and presentation between the two systems.