Case study 5.2

Hutt City Council – Being clear how technical standards affect planning means that plans can flow through into contracts and performance management

Hutt City Council has compiled a set of technical performance measures to assist and guide its asset management practices. It has integrated these into its asset management plans. For example, its Parks and Reserves Plan sets out "Activity Standards", which are used to measure "the overall performance of the reserves, horticultural parks, playgrounds, sports-grounds and cemeteries". Similarly, “the overall performance of the water supply activity is measured in terms of activity standards”, which are, again, set out in the plan. From these standards, the Council has developed performance measures, which it uses as the basis for:

• targets contained in maintenance contracts; and
• personal staff objectives.