Corporate strategy and performance lead

Job context

Local Government Reorganisation brought together the eight councils of North Yorkshire into a single unitary North Yorkshire Council (NYC) on 1 April 2023. This will provide the platform for improving the efficiency and effectiveness, maximising opportunities of scale across a rural council whilst improving outcomes for residents and businesses. It will place communities at the heart of the council with the aim of being the most local, large council in England whilst ensuring we are in a strong position to manage the challenges ahead including rising costs and increased demand for services.

The Strategy and Performance service sits at the centre of the organisation, supporting service delivery and improvement through the analysis and provision of high-quality accessible performance information, and is trusted to advise directorates, Management Board and Executive on the strategic direction of the council.

The service works to ensure the broad understanding of current performance, of the operating environment of the council and the opportunities for future improvement. It will:

• Understand the external environment through horizon scanning, communicating its relevance across the council and ensuring the council's strategic planning, policy and performance frameworks are aligned with the evidenced needs of our communities.
• Support the corporate response to emerging national or international policy issues, providing rapid analysis and organisational support to establish the required approach.
• Deliver briefing information which underpins our leadership approach to maximising the economic and social potential of North Yorkshire alongside innovation and transformation of service delivery.
• Provide technical leadership in the effective use of information and data to develop strategy, policy and performance improvement - including the corporate policy and performance framework.
• Inform, stimulate, challenge and help strategic leads and partners to develop effective strategies
• Inform, stimulate, challenge and help service leads to analyse, understand and improve performance
• Demonstrate technical and operational excellence through a commitment to professionalism and continuous improvement.

Strategy and Performance will work closely with the Data and Intelligence Team to ensure performance information is available at a service level and at a corporate level for reporting. It will also work with the Transformation service to align service plan activities with the Transformation programme and monitor their progress, in pursuit of the outcomes described within the Council Plan.

The service is structured around six teams, supporting individual directorates as well as providing cross-cutting corporate support.

Working arrangements:

• The Head of Strategy and Performance reports to the Assistant Chief Executive (Local Engagement) and manages staff providing strategy and performance functions.
• Corporate Strategy and Performance Leads report to the Head of Strategy and Performance,
• The Corporate Strategy and Performance Leads are outposted to Directorates and each will have responsibility for delivery of support to the relevant directorate as well as lead responsibility for one or more corporate functions across the council (e.g., equality, consultation and engagement, performance, partnerships).
• The Head of Strategy and Performance and the Corporate Strategy and Performance Leads each lead a small team of Strategy and Performance Officers Managers, Strategy and Performance Officers and Strategy and Performance Assistants and matrix manage small teams of others working on particular functions and issues.
• The Senior Public Health Intelligence Specialist is managed by the Head of Strategy and Performance and leads on work and matrix manage teams on public health and related issues.
• The Strategy and Performance Managers, Strategy and Performance Officers and Strategy and Performance Assistants are out posted to directorates to allow the development of relevant service knowledge and experience but will also work across the council on corporate issues and to provide additional resource when required (for example to ensure resilience or to meet additional demands arising from projects or inspections).
• Each Strategy and Performance Manager, Strategy and Performance Officer and Strategy and Performance Assistant is line managed by a Corporate Strategy and Performance Leads or the Head of Strategy and Performance, but is also matrix managed by a Corporate Strategy and Performance Lead, the Senior Public Health Intelligence Analyst or the Head of Strategy and Performance for work related to particular functions and issues in one or more directorates and across the council.
• Each Strategy and Performance Manager will lead on specified areas of work as required from time to time in one or more directorates or across the council.
• Each Strategy and Performance Officer will support specified areas of work as required from time to time in one or more directorates or across the council.
• Each Strategy and Performance Assistant will support specified areas of work or specific tasks as required from time to time in one or more directorates or across the council.

Knowledge and Experience

• Significant knowledge of current policy developments, legislation and good practice standards both at local and national level in relation to one or more key areas of the council's work
• Significant knowledge of performance management, evaluation tools and methodologies
• Significant knowledge of statutory requirements and good practice standards regarding strategy development, equality, consultation and engagement
• Knowledge of effective management of staff and resources
• Extensive experience of strategic planning, policy development and implementation, and performance management
• Experience of developing and implementing organisational culture change within a large diverse organisation

Successful management of staff