For this report the Public Policy Institute for Wales (PPIW) commissioned experts at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) to assess the feasibility of comparing the performance of Welsh, English and Scottish Councils.
Their report identifies a series of indicators that provide a basis for reliable comparisons of expenditure and performance at service level, and it outlines methods of taking account of issues such as deprivation and funding arrangements in order to ensure like-for-like comparisons.
The experts conclude that there is no reliable basis on which to compare overall council performance across the UK and recommend that this is an issue which audit bodies, local authority associations and governments should work together on in order to resolve.