We continually look at how we are performing compared to others, especially other councils similar to us. This comparison exercise is often referred to as benchmarking and not only shows us how we are performing in relation to others, but supports us to improve our services by identifying best practice and learning from others.
How we compare to others
The LGBF is a high-level benchmarking tool designed to support senior management teams and elected members to ask questions about key council services and enable the public to explore how each Scottish Local Authority is doing.
The Local Government Benchmarking Framework (LGBF) interactive dashboard allows for comparisons across nine different themes:
- Adult Social Care
- Children's Services (Broad General Education, Senior Phase Education and Vulnerable Children)
- Corporate Services
- Culture and Leisure Services
- Economic Development
- Environmental Services (Waste, Cleanliness, and Roads)
- Financial Stability
- Housing (note: SBC does not have Council houses)
- Tackling Climate Change
Within the LGBF dashboard you can explore the various indicators at a national level, within family groups or by individual council. Many of the indicators can show the trend over the past ten years.
Most of the data used within the framework are already produced for other purposes and are collected in a consistent way. For example: recycling rates are taken from returns made to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), and destinations of young people leaving school are taken from returns made by our schools to the Scottish Government.