It is important that as many residents as possible feed into the Corporate Plan consultation as it will be used to determine policies and action plans moving forward. If a new idea or suggestion doesn’t fit with the Corporate Plan then it will not be progressed. It is important that RBWM get this right and so they need your help.
https://rbwmtogether.rbwm.gov.uk/rbwm-corporate-plan-consultation
When I first read the questions below I challenged their source of origination as they sounded as if they had been ripped straight out of a manifesto! I think they need more explanation so residents can appreciate where RBWM are coming from and so have suggested this in my comments. I have also asked separately from whence the points came for clarity.
I have been reassured by senior officers that we are using best practice and the OSGM Framework gives us a great starting point. OGSM stands for objective, goals, strategies, and measures, and creating an OGSM framework helps put our corporate vision or strategy into action.
To help you with your approach I have shared my response below and would encourage you to contribute to this consultation. RBWM seem to be pumping out many consultations but this is seen as very, very important and so if you only choose to complete half a dozen this year, make sure this is one of them.
Thank you.
Cllr Jon Davey – Clewer & Dedworth West
| Thank you for completing the survey Corporate Plan Consultation. Your responses are listed below for your reference: |
Our overarching ambition is to “build a borough of opportunity and innovation”. Our framework sets out some headline commitments related to that. To what extent do you agree/disagree that these headline commitments reflect your ambitions for the borough? Opportunities for families and individuals to achieve their ambitions and fulfil their potential Strongly agree Opportunities for places and businesses to thrive Strongly agree A council trusted to deliver its promises Strongly agree Please provide any further comments you may wish to make in relation to these headline commitments. Obviously I want what is best for RBWM but if you had asked me how well this is being met, that would be a much different set of answers. The phrase “Build a borough of opportunity and innovation” is a misnomer. People are innovators and they need to be encouraged and cultivated in a supportive environment. This starts at school with an individual’s unique skills sets being identified and given the appropriate encouragement, resource, guidance to help them become the best version of themselves. Not being forced to be academic if that is not who they are. Everyone should be treated equally and support given to all, not just a few deemed Special or Gifted so the majority are left to drift in a sea of averageness. Businesses thrive where there is a market for what they have or where systems are set up to deliver solutions to a global market… China are very good at supporting their businesses… perhaps the Council should be more involved in helping local business innovators succeed? Places thrive when they have something that attracts others in. As for councils delivering on promises. If people keep voting for those making poor promises, like no increases in council tax, then it’s a self fulfilling prophecy. RBWM need the resources to match their ambitions or no promises will be kept. We have identified three headline outcomes related to our headline commitments. To what extent do you agree/disagree that these are the right areas of focus based on your experience of living/working/volunteering here? Everyone benefits from better life chances and a ladder of housing opportunity Neither agree nor disagree Everyone benefits from quality infrastructure that connects neighbourhoods and businesses and allows them to prosper Neither agree nor disagree Everyone can access quality and value for money services Neither agree nor disagree Please provide any further comments you may wish to make in relation to these headline outcomes here. Right areas of focus – “Everyone benefits from better life chances and a ladder of housing opportunity” what does that even mean? Chances are there to be had by those who are open to them. Housing ladders are very 80s, most struggle to get on level 1 today as house prices outpace most people’s budgets. “Everyone benefits from quality infrastructure that connects neighbourhoods and businesses and allows them to prosper” Are we talking about better roads, cycle paths or is this directly related to every house getting 5G? “Everyone can access quality and value for money services” electric, healthcare, please define. If you want to know what I think… we should focus on creating a clean and healthy environment in which to foster positive attitudes. Take care of the ecology and the biodiversity will look after itself. Focus on healthy eating, exercise and meditation and people will become happier, more positive, more innovative and you “Build a borough of opportunity and innovation”. Our framework sets out our approach to delivery. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each element of our approach? Empower individuals, communities and businesses to maximise their potential Strongly agree Be evidence-led and invest in prevention Neither agree nor disagree Shape our service-delivery around our communities’ diverse needs and “get things right first time” Neither agree nor disagree Promote awareness of a clean, sustainable, and biodiverse environment in every decision we make Strongly agree Please provide any further comments you may wish to make in relation to this approach. Elements of approach – two elements sound very medical and so make this section confusing. You empower individuals by giving them the skills to think for themselves… so I think this is best addressed by encouraging a “Service Above Self” approach to life in RBWM which will see everyone doing their bit to help others. Many hands make light work and those that get involved could be rewarded in free services from RBWM. For instance, a young person helps an elderly neighbour with a few jobs, saving the RBWM money and they are rewarded with free gym membership. Overall, to what extent do you agree/disagree that the draft Corporate Plan framework meets your expectations of the council’s direction? Neither agree or disagree If we succeeded in our ambition, what specific things would you expect to be different? If people were happier, healthier and living more fulfilling lives then people would be more self-sufficient and need less help from RBWM. Please provide any further comments that you think we should take into consideration. I think the commitments, areas of focus, elements of approach need to come with more of an explanation to aid understanding for residents so everyone is “singing from the same hymn sheet” and can formulate a Corporate Plan that meets the needs of most residents. |
| Thank you, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead |
Photo by mostafa meraji on Unsplash
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