Our latest analysis of data is that it shows strong evidence of consistent improvements in productivity and service quality
Debbie Johns, APSE
The emphasis on the climate change and the liveability agendas in local government mean waste management and recycling maintain a high profile and consequently there is an ever-growing emphasis on improving performance in these services.
The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Performance Networks is the UK's largest voluntary benchmarking system and has allowed us to collect information on refuse collection and waste management for the past eight years. And the good news from our latest analysis of data is that it shows strong evidence of consistent improvements in productivity and service quality in that period.
The APSE Performance Networks performance indicators for refuse collection services cover a number of dimensions of performance; such as the cost, productivity and quality. Latest annual average figures for councils across the UK, which cover the 2007/8 period, reveal a number of interesting highlights.
First of all, the cost of refuse collection per household was £62.51 in 2006/07 and this has increased in 2007/08 to £66.28, an increase of 3%. But this increase is to be expected as local authorities and the Government continue to give recycling a high priority and new initiatives are introduced to increase recycling rates, which is coupled with increased disposal costs.
The cost of recycling per household including central establishment charges has also increased slightly from a figure of £20.53 in 2006-07 to £20.84 in 2007/08. The increase from £2.64 in 2002/03 reflects the investment in the service and the results can be seen in the amounts of waste now being recycled or composted.
Importantly, the investment is bearing results. The tonnage of waste being recycled per household increased from 0.34 in 2006/07 to 0.38 tonnes in 2007-08. The percentage increase on 2006/07 was 12%. The percentage of households covered by kerbside recycling collections has now reached 96.40%.
The percentage of the total waste collected which is recycled has grown significantly from 26.90% to 33.38% over the past year whilst the percentage composted has gone up from 9.81% to 11.89%.
Total labour costs as a percentage of total expenditure have reduced from 43.16% in 2006/07 to 42.59% in 2007/08. The reductions are probably due to increased disposal costs, the introduction of new and improved recycling initiatives and the promotion and awareness of these initiatives.
Over the same period, transport costs as a percentage of total expenditure have increased from 23.82% to 24.59%, however, which may be as a result of an increase in fuel costs, a factor which is beyond local authorities' control.
Change
All of this shows that the ongoing increase in recycling activity is the driving factor behind much of the developments occurring across the wider refuse collection service area. As the pace of change gathers, continuing increases have been seen in areas such as kerbside collection schemes.
The increasing focus on waste minimisation and recycling targets has led to more pressure being placed upon local authorities to reduce the amount of waste deposited at landfill. This is backed up by financial penalties and challenging targets. The impact of major changes in the industry linked to the need to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and challenging recycling targets is reflected in the trend data available through Performance Networks.
The need for a performance framework that drives cost-effectiveness and efficiency remains. But it is not just about number crunching; it is about ensuring performance measurement means a sharper focus on outcomes and proving that services are providing value for money. It is also about proving the current delivery option is competitive against other options. Our Performance Networks model can be applied across the performance frameworks in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to make judgements on the quality, cost and competitiveness of services.
Collecting accurate and robust data is important, but is only the first stage in a performance management framework. Data must be used to track performance, inform priorities, high-light particular issues and direct resources. There is also a responsibility on local authorities to inform people about the level of performance so they are aware of changes and can make the link between how the council is managing and what service users are experiencing.
Refuse collection is one of the most highly visible local government services and the emphasis on recycling and waste minimisation provides communities with tangible ways of engaging in the climate change agenda. As the service grows in importance and emphasis on performance increases, we at APSE will endeavour to ensure Performance Networks can be used in the most meaningful way possible to help councils continually improve in this key area.
Debbie Johns is a Principal Advisor at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE). For further information on Performance Networks email: djohns@apse.org.uk
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