The member’s only portal is the secure performance networks website that contains everything members need to participate in performance networks. To gain access members must first register using their local government email address and then log in using this and a password.

If you have forgotten you log in details, please use the ‘Forgot your password’ link on the log in screen. If you are still having trouble accessing then portal please contact a member of Performance Networks staff on 0161 772 1810.

When you are registered on the Performance Networks portal you are assigned an access level (more information on access levels can be found in the next FAQ on this page) and are allocated access only to the service areas which APSE know you to be responsible for. If you cannot see certain elements of the portal, it is most likely because your authority is not registered for that service area and / or you do not have the required access permissions to view this area of the portal. For more information on this, or if you think you should be able to access a particular area of the portal, please contact a member of Performance Networks staff on 0161 772 1810.

To register for a new service area, please refer to the ‘Registering’ section of this FAQ document.

The new portal has a number of new features as well as the ability to restrict access to particular sections according to a user’s security level. There will be four levels of security; corporate contact, service contact, reports contact and data contact. The table below shows the features to which each security level will have access.

 
Reports contact* – this is a new contact level being introduced as part of this project. The reports contact will be service area specific, however there can be multiple reports contacts per service area for your authority. The reports contact will be able to access current and previous year’s reports for the service area(s) which they are authorised. They will not be able to see data templates nor the service profile tables. This level of access is aimed at those people in your authority who use the reports rather than submit data. 

Corporate contact – there is only one corporate contact per authority, this person will have unrestricted access to all areas of the portal for all service areas. If you have been sent this email directly from APSE then you are listed as the corporate contact for your authority.

Service contact – there are multiple service contacts per authority, one for each service area for which the authority is registered. This person will have unrestricted access to areas of the portal for service areas which fall under their remit; they will only see reports, data and other functionalities which are relevant to their service area(s).

Data contact* – there can be multiple data contacts per service area, this will allow multiple contacts to complete and submit data. Data contacts will generally be those whose primary responsibility is to complete and return the data to APSE, as such this security layer has access to the data templates and service profile tables, both of which are used to submit data. Data contacts will not have access to the ‘final reports’ (i.e.: Performance Report, Performance at a Glance, Direction of Travel etc.). Only the ‘Exclusion reports’ will be available at this level; this is to allow data contacts to review and amend data where necessary.

*Please note that as there can only be one service contact, if you would like a colleague to have full access to a particular service area, you can tick both the report contact and data contact boxes.

It is important to use your PIN when submitting data so that we can identify the file as belonging to your authority and read it straight in to the database without having to re-name it. If the file is not correctly named, you may experience difficulties when uploading it via the web site; as if another a file already exists with the same name, then the system will not accept the newer file and will give an error message telling you that the file already exists. With this in mind, we would advise you to follow the correct naming procedure as set out in the Instructions tab of your data template, and also to keep a copy of your data submission for reference.

Unique PINs are allocated to each authority upon registering for each benchmarking service. PINs are used to identify authorities in the performance reports. If you do not have any correspondence to hand that you can refer to, please contact the APSE office and request your PIN.

Authorities are able to opt out from disclosing their PIN and contact information in the performance reports. This will mean that nobody within your family group will be able to identify your local authority or make contact with you.

No, this three digit number is a separate number. Your PIN has a minimum of four or five digits, depending on the service.

We are able to accept data at any time, including data relating to previous benchmarking years. However, for inclusion in the final published reports data must be received by the publicised final deadline. Please check the Instructions tab on your template or refer to the performance networks website to find current deadline information.

The year 20 data templates are available for download from the members only portal.

Once you have logged in to the portal, you will see a series of options on the Homepage, click Data collection and then Data templates. From here you will see the full list service area icons. Click on the service area icon you require and you will see the data templates available for download. Simply click on the file you require to download. If you are downloading a data template which you intend to complete, we suggest that you save the file to your chosen location using your unique PIN code issued by APSE (prefixed by M- for management/statistical data or A- for accounting/financial data etc.).

So if your PIN is 2999 and you are working on the management data template, then you should save your data file as M-2999.

Data is collected by providing local authorities with data template(s). This is provided as an Excel spreadsheet. If you would like the template in an additional format please contact APSE on 0161 772 1810.

Yes, we can send previous submissions electronically for any benchmarking service that your authority has previously participated in.

You should refer to the corresponding data guidance manual in the first instance as this provides guidance on completing the data template. Alternatively, please contact the APSE office on 0161 772 1810. There is free training available to all members, click here for more information.

The data template is protected to ensure data is only inputted into the correct cells. This message is displayed if you are trying to enter data into an incorrect cell.

Once you have completed the data template(s) please upload the completed data template online via the members only portal on the APSE website. Alternatively, you can send via email direct to [email protected].

All submitted data is error checked and undergoes a validation procedure. If your data is returned by the initial deadline set out on the Instructions tab of your template then you will also receive an exclusion report. This report shows your PI outputs in a basic format, with reference to those outputs which are not completed or lie outside the acceptable, pre-set parameters.

No, there is no online facility at present to store partially completed templates on the web server. After you have downloaded the file, save it to a location on your computer and then upload the completed file back to the Performance Networks website using the Upload Data function.

You are unable to change the font size or expand/decrease the column widths to make the file more user friendly and easy to read. This is because the file is write-protected to safeguard the calculations and thus the integrity of the database. You can however change the scale of the on screen view by selecting View/Zoom from the top tool bar. The recommended zoom ratio is 75%.

No, the data template has been set up so that you will be unable to use the cut and paste function. This is because the file is write-protected to safeguard the calculations and thus the integrity of the database. You should instead re-type the data into the correct cell.

Yes, you can make an educated approximation and we will accept data which has been calculated on a pro-rata basis. However, any data you submit should stand up to audit scrutiny and you should keep records of how/why you came to estimate/pro-rata at the data supplied. Performance Networks does operate a rigorous data validation process and the information which you supply could be subject to telephone or email scrutiny or a full on-site visit from an APSE approved Validator.

If you would like to discuss your data or an approximate calculation in detail, please contact a member of Performance Networks at the APSE office on 0161 772 1810.

No, the data files change on an annual basis – even if the files do look the same at a glance. Any new data submitted on an old data template file will not import correctly in to the current years database and may corrupt your submission.

No, you cannot link to an existing spreadsheet or change the format of the data template as the database is set up to read data and information only from the data template’s structure and format. You can use file links to bring the data into the template initially, but you must convert these links to actual hard data before submitting the final file.

Deadlines for data submissions vary according to service area. Please check the Instructions tab on your template or refer to the performance networks website to find current deadline information.

Yes, we can provide a list of all current members of performance networks. Please contact the APSE office on 0161 772 1810.

Please contact the APSE office on 0161 772 1810 to request this information.

Family groups is the standard comparator group system used by the APSE performance networks benchmarking model, comparing ‘like’ for like’ authorities. The ‘like-for-like’ system draws on factors such as local policy, demography and size and type of operation to form a series of driver scores.

The family groups are formed when participating authorities generate an overall key driver score within the same range.

Yes, APSE offers members the opportunity to create a free bespoke family group report from participating authorities. Please contact the APSE office for further information.

If you have participated before, your family group is shown on the top left hand side of every graph in your performance report and in the page header of your performance indicator standings report. Please note that each service area is assessed on a separate basis and so you will have a different family group for each service area/facility submission. If you do not have a report to hand and would like to know which family group you are in, please contact the APSE office.

Please go to the Adobe website and download the latest version of Adobe Reader. This is free, unrestricted software. If your IT policy prohibits you from downloading programs, then please contact a member of the admin team on 0161 772 1810 and request that the document is sent to you in a different format.

The top quartile scores are calculated by using the score that you would need to achieve a place in the top quarter of authorities.

All participating authorities will receive a performance report, performance indicator standings report, performance at a glance report, summary report, direction of travel report, and a case study booklet. In addition, those authorities who undertake customer satisfaction surveys will receive a summary of survey results.

Yes, please contact APSE for further information.

For all data submissions received by the first batch deadline, authorities will receive their performance and PI standing reports in October/November. Second batch reports, performance at a glance and direction of travel reports are issued in April. Summary reports are published after the end of the benchmarking year in May. Case study booklets are issued throughout the year.

Benchmarking meetings are held twice a year for each benchmarking service and provide an excellent opportunity to showcase best performers, share information and encourage greater networking with peers in a facilitated environment.

If your authority has an ‘all services’ membership, authorities can sign up for additional benchmarking services, at no additional cost. For more information, please contact the APSE office.

Yes, you can register up to 15 facilities per applicable service area. To register additional facilities, please contact the APSE office. Additional facilities beyond this can be registered, although this may incur a charge.

All authorities who submit data by the first batch deadline of the current benchmarking year are automatically considered in the performance awards.

APSE automatically sends a list of contacts to the Performance Networks main contact during the annual renewal period, for new contacts to be added or contact details to be amended. Alternatively, please complete the form entitled update my details or contact a member of Performance Networks at the APSE office on 0161 772 1810.

At present, Performance Networks operates a database system where only one contact for each service area is possible. APSE does however maintain a large database of contacts who regularly receive information relative to specific interests and service areas. If you would like to be added to an APSE mailing list, please contact a member of the admin team on 0161 772 1810 and request a data capture form.

If you are uploading a file from a network drive, this will takes longer than a file which has been saved to the hard drive of your PC. Try cancelling the action and the copying the file to the local drive of your computer and then uploading it from that location to the site.

If you have successfully uploaded a data submission, then you will receive a message telling you that the upload has been successful and you will also receive an email to this end. If you have not received this message and / or email or are unsure whether it was successful, then please contact APSE on 0161 772 1810.

If you think that the relevant data/information will be available to you before the data return deadline, then please keep hold of your file and then submit it when it is fully complete. If the relevant data/information will not be available until after the return deadline has already passed, then please do submit your incomplete data file. The missing data can be emailed to APSE once it is available.

If you have minor additions to add to your data submission, please email your additional data directly to APSE referencing the appropriate range code where applicable. However, if there is a substantial amount of additional data then please re-submit your revised file via email to APSE or using the Performance Networks portal’s upload feature. Please note that you should not upload a partially completed file to add to your existing file, as the second file will overwrite the first.

As Performance Networks is a practitioner-led model, members are encouraged to participate in to the process. APSE has a number of different avenues available to members wishing to do this. Members are able to attend bi-annual working group meetings for their service area of interest. An annual working seminar and awards is also held in December, which gives members the opportunity to feed in to the Performance Networks process. Alternately, you can email your feedback / suggestion to [email protected].

If a staff member is due to leave / has left the organisation, please email [email protected] with their name and email address asking for their portal access to be discontinued. Alternatively, you can contact a member of the Performance Networks team on 0161 772 1810.

No, any data submissions you upload are stored on a secure server that is not accessible from the Performance Networks website.

All Performance Networks data and information is copyrighted and subject to confidentiality restrictions. APSE Performance Networks™ is also a registered trademark.
APSE has a comprehensive document which details the Terms and Conditions of Performance Networks Membership. Please contact Debbie Johns at the APSE office if you have any queries regarding confidentiality or copyright.

Contact details for each family group are displayed at the start of the Performance Reports. If your Performance Report does not contain any contact details then this is because a member of your group has opted to remain anonymous. If this is the case, or if you would like to network with other similar authorities who are a member of Performance Networks, then please contact a member of Performance Networks at the APSE office.

Networking events are also available for members to attend. Quarterly Advisory Group Meetings are held for each service area, with a service specific benchmarking meeting in the afternoon. An annual working seminar and awards is also held in December, which gives members the opportunity to network with other authorities involved in the Performance Networks process.

Please download the relevant customer satisfaction survey form for your service area and print the required number of copies. Guidance on sample sizes and how to complete the surveys is included in the Reference Manual in section 3.2.

Once you have collected all the completed and returned forms, you should post them to:

APSE will process the forms on your behalf, free of charge and will provide you with both an individual and comparative analysis of the data. Please note that if you would like to add any additional questions or amend the survey format in any way, then you should contact APSE on 0161 772 1810. The Customer Satisfaction Surveys are now available in an electronic format - APSE can send you a link to an online version of the form to allow you to distribute this via your website and social media platforms. For more information, please contact APSE on 0161 772 1810.