Performance and Statistics
Annual Self Assessment 2025-26
This is Pembrokeshire County Council’s fifth annual self-assessment as required under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021. The Act introduced performance requirements for local authorities and central to this is a duty to report annually on performance through a process of self-assessment. The Act requires each council in Wales to keep under review, through self-assessment, the extent to which it is meeting the ‘performance requirements’, which is the extent to which:
- It is exercising its functions effectively
- It is using its resources economically, efficiently, and effectively
- Its governance is effective for securing the above
A self-assessment report must be produced in respect of each financial year and published as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of the financial year on which it is reporting. As such this is the Council’s self-assessment report for the 2025-26 financial year.
The report sets out the Council’s conclusions on the extent to which it has met the performance requirements during that financial year, and any actions it intends to take, or has already taken, to increase the extent to which it is meeting the performance requirements.
To provide a clear structure and focus, our self-assessment report is aligned to and designed around the Council’s statutory Well-being Objectives which are set out in the Corporate Strategy 2025-2030, as approved by Council in March 2025. These are
- WBO1 Our Future – enabling the best start in life for our children and young people, equipping them with skills for the future.
- WBO2 Our Place – prosperous places, with clean, safe and sustainable environments, where people can live well and thrive.
- WBO3 Our Community – caring for people, and enabling active, resourceful and connected communities.
- WBO4 Our Council – a financially sustainable, well-governed Council, with a workforce equipped to support the people we serve.
In addition, a final section covers key corporate or organisational priorities not covered under the Well-being Objectives listed above.
Self-assessment is an evidence-based analysis, understanding what a range of quantitative and qualitative information at the Council’s disposal reveals about how it is exercising its functions, using its resources and governing itself. We have asked ourselves 3 key questions to assess performance under each sub-theme. These are:
- How well are we doing? (Assessing current performance using both qualitative and quantitative information.)
- How do we know? (Providing appropriate evidence to demonstrate the above.)
- What can we do better and how? (Identifying forward looking improvement actions.)
The self-assessment draws on a range of internal and external sources, ensuring a broad evidence base to inform the actions the Council will take to increase the extent to which it is meeting the performance requirements in future. Below are a range of examples of the type of information we have drawn on as an evidence base:
- Service plan self-assessment sections
- External regulatory reports
- External service reviews
- Panel Performance Assessment (PPA)
- Corporate Performance Scorecard
- Citizen engagement and consultation exercises
- Annual Governance Statement
- Budget outturn report
- Other statutory reports e.g. Director of Social Services Annual Report