Foster defends Audit Commissions record on CPAs

31 Oct 02
Sir Andrew Foster, the controller of the Audit Commission, found himself under fire last week from council chief executives and senior managers who were angered by the watchdog's implementation of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment. Speaking at.

01 November 2002

Sir Andrew Foster, the controller of the Audit Commission, found himself under fire last week from council chief executives and senior managers who were angered by the watchdog's implementation of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace), Foster was questioned about both the CPA process and the results. There was little support for the system as questioners highlighted their own negative experiences.

'I have been a chief executive for seven years and this [CPA] process is probably the single most demotivating activity that I have ever been through,' said Chris Duffield from the London Borough of Bexley. 'I find that rather worrying.'

Duffield said that the CPA system was too centralised and did not allow councils the freedom to develop innovative approaches.

He was supported by Jonathan Flowers, director of culture change at the London Borough of Lambeth, who compared the style of the commission with that of the Improvement and Development Agency. The IDA advisers were supportive, he suggested, whereas the corporate assessment was based on a 'glass half empty' approach.

Foster admitted that mistakes had been made, but he defended the commission's overall strategy.

'A lot of our experience is that powerful leaders, political and managerial, when first confronted by different ways of doing things, basically tell us to "stick off" in a whole variety of ways. And sometimes they are right, but sometimes they are wrong,' he said.

The commission controller emphasised the need for chief executives to take on a leadership role as the CPA results are announced. Next month councils will be graded into one of five performance categories ranging from poor to excellent.

'You can use this exercise to squeeze further freedoms and flexibilities from the government. That won't come easily but I think you have the best opportunity that I have ever seen to do that,' added Foster.

PFnov2002

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