Information for local authorities: performance management
Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA)
Local authorities that are designated as 'best value authorities' (all single tier, county and district councils) have a statutory duty to put in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in their functions. Under statute the Audit Commission has an inspection role to assess how well these authorities are fulfilling this duty and so in 2002 the Commission established the Comprehensive Performance Assessment. CPA distils a complex set of judgements on local government bodies and the services that they provide into one simply understood rating. As part of this broader audit and inspection framework, the Commission carries out inspections of specific functions or services of councils - such as environmental services including waste. (For the household waste indicators, see pages 18, 23 and 24 of CPA 2006 – the harder test on the Audit Commission website).
Please see the Audit Commission's CPA page for the latest ratings for individual authorities including full inspection reports and for more information on the CPA process used in single tier and county councils and in district councils.
Page last modified: 23 March 2007
Page published: 9 March 2007