COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, July 08, 2013

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To ask the Manager to present a report on the quality assurance measures in place with respect to public realm work activities? 

REPLY:

The re-organisation of the Environmental Services front line staff also addressed an inconsistency in supervisory levels that had been present under the previous arrangements. The re-organisation and balancing of supervisory staff now enables far closer scrutiny to be applied to the work being undertaken and to the quality and standards being achieved.

The Schedule Management System enables senior and line managers to set the level of service, frequency and programme of work to be followed. Line mangers then assign particular jobs to individual Supervisors who are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that those jobs are carried out in the right manner and to the required standard. The normal course of the supervisory role involves works assessment and planning, Health & Safety assessment, work practice supervision and works completion & standards confirmations. These roles are met through inspections at work sites before, during and after works during which quality and standard of work should be addressed.

A reporting system was put in place during 2012 that requires supervisory staff to submit daily reports on work programmes to line managers. This system is currently undergoing further development with a view to enabling improved verification of standards across the work programme.

As advised in previous replies, the transitional phase of the re-organisation includes a broad ranging review of approaches to work, work practices, efficiencies and standards. This review is currently under way.