Measuring performance

Our aim is for local authorities to provide the highest standard of service for the best possible value for money.

We monitor their performance through:

The Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA)
Best Value Performance Indicators
Inspections

For the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) the Audit Commission collects a range of performance information, including Best Value Performance Indicators, and gives each council an overall rating.

Councils get from 0 to 4 stars based on the quality of their services and their management. Highly-rated councils and their partners have extra freedom over what they can do.

All the results are published by the Audit Commission so you can see what progress your council is making.

Best Value is how we encourage local authorities to make their services better and better by asking searching questions and listening to what local people say.

Communities and Local Government works with the local services inspectorates, like the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate. We make sure they look at the councils that most need it and co-ordinate their inspection programmes.

If your council is doing well in certain services, it may have a Beacon Award to recognise this.

Find out more by visiting our site for local government practitioners.