Vision for the future

"What the Council will look like to a customer in 3-5 years’ time. A vision that is specific and measurable, and outcome focused"

Having a clear vision for the future is crucial. Without it, a council lacks any feel for its direction of travel, and without measurable elements to that vision, it cannot gauge its level of achievement. If the vision is clear and targets for it defined, its implementation can be planned and delivered over time, in manageable steps, and in a way that involves and engages staff and partners.

At an area level, the vision should be joint between the different public, independent and voluntary sector agencies - all working to a common agenda.

Examples of good vsion statements include:

• To deliver services in a manner and at times to best meet the needs of our customers
• To provide complete answers to queries, or to complete transactions fully at the point of first contact, getting it right first time, every time
• To be the  point of access of choice for all public services for people and businesses in the local area
• To create a local economic environment in which new businesses are created, thrive and grow

All of the above are specific, measurable, and customer focused, based on outcomes not processes

Developing a vision is not something that can be done in isolation. It needs to be shared and embedded at all levels from the chief executive down. The vision needs to influence the behaviours of everyone in the organisation, so that in their day-to-day work, they reflect the vision in everything they do. 

In the current climate many councils have visions that focus on "doing more with less", "being smarter in how we work", "commissioning, not doing" and so on - and if developed into specific elements these are strong and powerful visions to have.

"Doing more with less" for example can translate into:

• Make self-service the mechanism of choice for customers - by making it an easy option to use, accessible and supported.
• Enabling staff to work more efficiently by enabling flexible, home and mobile working
• Managing information effectively (which means having a clear information management strategy and electronic management of all information)
• Adopting a true systems approach to everything we do - don't ask how we can improve a process, ask what we're trying to achieve as an outcome, and what is the best way of achieving it
• Tackling digital exclusion so that more people in the community (particularly those in greatest need) can access our services by self-service