The Director of Technical Services presented an update on progress in delivering the Parks Modernisation Project that supported the delivery of the Corporate Goal to “Provide and Maintain High Quality Parks & Open Spaces in Partnership with Local Communities”. He commented that it was a complex multi-disciplinary project with the purpose of establishing a modern, cost effective and efficient service comparable to that offered by the private sector by Spring 2013. An Outline Delivery Plan had been endorsed by the Cabinet (minute 205 (24 November 2011) refers) and the Director highlighted progress that had been made under four key workstreams, which all reported to a Project Board –

·  Policy, Processes and Performance

·  Human Resources

·  Assets

·  Communication and Engagement

In addition, there had been an urgent short-term project for the integration into the Council of the Highways Grounds Maintenance Service, which had now been completed.

The Director reported that each of the tasks in the Delivery Plan had been assigned a ‘RAG’ status as follows:

·  GREEN – Task on target for completion within project timescale

·  AMBER – Some non-critical milestones have slipped but Task still on target for completion within project timescale

·  RED – Critical milestones have slipped and Task will no longer be completed within project timescale

In the Plan there were 35 Tasks as follows: 5 Complete, 21 Green, 8 Amber and 1 Red. He commented that overall, good progress was being made in the delivery of the Plan at this stage. However there were a number of Amber Tasks where resource pressures had been identified and mitigating management action was being taken. There was one Task classed as Red, which related to the development of a new Ten Year Strategic Plan, as the work was being reprogrammed for completion after the conclusion of the Modernisation Project in Spring 2013.

Resolved – That the report be noted.