The Audit Commission and six other inspectorates are jointly developing Comprehensive Area Assessments (CAA). These are intended to be more outcome-focused, proportionate and risk-based than the current Comprehensive Performance Assessments. CAAs are currently under development and will be introduced from April 2009. Each area’s CAA will have four elements:

• an assessment of the risks to outcomes being delivered in areas (including LAA targets) and the effectiveness of their management
• a scored use of resources judgement for each local authority in the partnership
• an annual scored direction of travel judgement for the local authority
• publication of performance data for the area against the set of national indicators, including the 6 cultural indicators.

Detailed methodology for CAA is expected to be published in the summer of 2008.

Back