The Finance & Resources Select Committee of Buckinghamshire Council met to discuss the 2025-2029 People Plan, receive a six-month update on the recommendations of the Budget Inquiry 2025, and receive a report on the model of spans and layers used for the council's organisational development. The committee was also scheduled to discuss its work programme and note the items for the next meeting.

People Plan Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the latest 2025-2029 People Plan. The People Plan is intended to set a clear direction for improving workplace culture, productivity, and employee behaviours to achieve corporate plan goals during challenging times. The plan recognises the scale of change facing local government and the need to respond with a productive, efficient workforce equipped with the necessary attitudes and behaviours including a:

growth mindset; flexibility and ability to thrive in and environment of change automation and greater accountability.

The plan includes directorate-specific goals, and key performance indicators that align to wider workforce measures for the council's budget board and corporate KPIs.

The report pack included an update on key workforce developments under the headings of employee attitudes and behaviours, driving workplace productivity, effective management, and culture for modern local government.

Buckinghamshire Council has been running a Year of Creativity initiative, designed to foster a culture of innovation and creative problem-solving. The council has been engaging staff in Creativity Camps and Idea Shuffles, with the aim of harnessing the collective creativity of employees to address complex challenges, improve service delivery, and enhance overall organisational efficiency.

The council has also been working to make AI part of everyday work, including trials of AI‑assisted minute‑taking with Microsoft Copilot which are intended to save ~30 minutes per meeting on average, improving turnaround and consistency of actions and decisions.

The report pack also included the Resources Directorate People Plan, which has been written to ensure that the council attracts, develops and retains the most talented people to design and deliver services that support the delivery of the Corporate Plan.

Budget Inquiry 2025: Recommendations: Six Month Review

The Finance & Resources Select Committee was scheduled to receive a six-month update on the recommendations of the Budget Inquiry 2025.

Spans and Layers

The committee was scheduled to receive a report on the model of spans and layers used for the council's organisational development.

Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to discuss its work programme and note the items for the next meeting. The report pack included a table of topics that were scheduled for discussion at future meetings. The Budget Monitoring Q2, Capital Programme, Budget Scrutiny Inquiry Group Scoping Paper, and Performance Monitoring Q2 were scheduled for 27 November 2025. Buckinghamshire @ Pace¹ and the ICT and AURA programme were also scheduled for discussion on 27 November 2025.