Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director (JY).

Agreed:

RESOLVED that the Executive approve the Productivity Plan and grant delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council to make any necessary drafting amendments before publication.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report which set out the background to the Government’s requirement for all Councils to produce productivity plans and provided a draft plan for member approval, before the government submission deadline of 19 July 2024.

Particular reference was made to:-

·         the productivity plan was not a statutory responsibility, despite being a government request;

·         this was an opportunity to inform the government of productivity matters and their future plans; and

·         the report also provided the Council with an opportunity to review where the Council was and what it was looking to achieve.

Opposition group leaders spoke on the item and made the following points:-

·         Cllr Mitchell – welcomed the report and the opportunity to look at increasing productivity. He referenced a report from Cambridge University, on the success of four-day week working practices which saw a 22% increase in productivity, and whether there was scope for the Council to adopt this.

During the discussion, the following points were made:

·         the report was welcomed and was easy to read and acted as a reminder of where the Council was and how it was progressing;

·         work on improving productivity would be ongoing with the One Exeter and digital transformation work;

·         the report highlighted barriers that the Council faced; and

·         it would be beneficial to also compare the Exeter document with that of other authorities.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RESOLVED that the Executive approve the Productivity Plan and grant delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council to make any necessary drafting amendments before publication.