The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee of Wiltshire Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 28 January 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the council's performance monitoring, a proposal for a new task group to examine Area Board funding, and updates on various ongoing task group activities.

Executive Response to Corporate Performance Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Rapid Scrutiny Exercise

The committee is set to consider the executive's response to recommendations made following a rapid scrutiny exercise concerning the council's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This exercise reviewed the metrics used to measure progress against the commitments outlined in Wiltshire Council's Our Wiltshire Plan ¹. The report details the executive's written response to the committee's previous endorsements, addressing points such as the linkage between KPIs and plan commitments, the clarity of the KPI scorecard's purpose, the consistent application of KPI principles, the scope of KPIs to reflect the council's convening role, and the accessibility of language used in the KPIs. The executive has indicated that there are no immediate plans to expand the list of performance measures to include a KPI for every commitment in Our Wiltshire Plan, but that performance measures aligned to each commitment are reported to various boards and committees. A wider annual review of Our Wiltshire Plan is planned, which will incorporate a broader range of less frequently updated measures and partnership activity. The executive also stated that the scope of performance measures will not extend beyond those directly within the council's control, though they will review any specific examples of inaccessible language used.

Proposal for an Area Board Funding Task Group

A request from the Executive is scheduled for consideration, proposing the establishment of a task group to review the grant funding model used by Wiltshire Council's Area Boards. The Area Board model, introduced in 2009, aims to foster local democracy and provide a platform for discussing local issues and engaging with the community. The proposed task group will assess the viability, efficiency, and impact of the council's investment in community grants. Key considerations for the review include delivering grant funding through a crowdfunding platform to increase access to local, regional, and national funders, establishing a central 'Wiltshire Council Community Fund' financed by social value contributions and lottery proceeds, simplifying current Area Board grant funding criteria, and streamlining the three existing funding streams into one flexible Area Board fund. The aspiration is to enable wider, non-council resources to support the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Wiltshire, thereby reducing reliance on direct council investment.

Management Committee Task Groups

Updates on the activity and appointed memberships of various task groups are scheduled for review. This includes proposed amendments to the terms of reference for the Stone Circle Task Group, which scrutinises the ongoing activity of the council's wholly-owned Stone Circle companies. The task group has reviewed business plans and cabinet meeting papers to understand the reasoning behind the establishment of these companies and is proposing to provide interim reports on specific areas. Additionally, an update on the MyWilts App Task Group will be presented. This group was formed to review the user experience of the app and make recommendations for improvement, with its next meeting scheduled for 27 February 2026. If recommendations are finalised, they are targeted to be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee in March 2026.

Performance and Risk Monitoring Report 2025/26 Q3

The committee is due to review the quarterly report to Cabinet on the corporate performance scorecard and the strategic risk summary. This report will be considered by Cabinet on 3 February 2026.

Cabinet Member Update

Attending Cabinet Members, or their Portfolio Holders, are expected to provide brief verbal updates on any news, successes, or milestones in their respective areas since the last committee meeting, provided these have not been covered elsewhere on the agenda.

Forward Work Programme

Updates from the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Select Committees will be presented, detailing the topics under scrutiny in their areas. Any recommendations for endorsement by the Management Committee will also be included. The Forward Work Programme document outlines planned agenda items for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, as well as for the Finance & Procurement, Environment, Children's, and Health Select Committees.