Performance and performance measurement
We are committed to providing high quality services at a price people can afford. In order to demonstrate this and to provide measurements of our performance. There are three key sets of performance information.

1. Comprehensive Performance Assessment
From April 2009, Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) will replace Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). This new assessment framework will provide a snapshot of how effectively local partnerships are working together to deliver local people's priorities. The 2008 results for CPA (published in March 2009) are thus the final set of results for assessment under the CPA regime. Information about the new Comprehensive Area Assessment can be found on the Audit Commission website. The first assessments under this new regime are due to be published in November 2009.

Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) looks at the overall performance of all authorities.  It has been the cornerstone of the performance framework for local government since its introduction in 2002, and since then Wandsworth Council has achieved top scores on CPA. The framework was revised in 2005 with the introduction of an assessment of progress on implementing improvement (Direction of Travel), and a change in the assessment categories for current performance from descriptors ('good', 'excellent') to a star rating system (4 stars = best). Wandsworth is one of only four councils in the country to have achieved a three star rating and been judged to be "improving strongly" for each of the four years since the framework was changed in 2005.

In CPA 2008 Wandsworth is one of 26 councils in the country to have achieved both the top four star rating for performance and to be judged to be 'improving strongly' in the Direction of Travel assessment. We are one of only two authorities in the country to achieve top marks on all aspects of the 'Use of Resources' assessment. The includes top marks for value for money. We have achieved this while maintaining the council tax at around half the amount levied by other top performing authorities.

2. Corporate Business Plan (replaces the Corporate Performance Plan)
The Corporate Business Plan (CBP) sets out our objectives and priorities for improvement, the plans to achieve them and also includes the medium term financial strategy. This gives a picture of the overall framework within which we work to improve services and achieve value for money. The 2008 Corporate Business Plan meets the statutory requirement for authorities to publish performance on the 2007/08 Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) and a brief statement on whether individual contracts entered into comply with workforce requirements in the Code of Practice on contracts.

3. Performance indicators
Every Council in the country is required to publish performance indicators (PIs) for the twelve months ending March.The PIs are independently verified by the Audit Commission and allow a comparison of the performance in providing services of UK authorities. We also operate to corporate standards for answering the telephone, letters and emails and responding to complaints and suggestions.