Corporate performance 2025-2026
Corporate delivery plan 2026-2026
This section of the report provides a high-level performance summary of the council’s annual Corporate Delivery Plan 2025-2026. Our annual corporate delivery plan sets out the council’s key deliverables, actions and performance indicators for the 12-month period. This section considers the extent to which our wider corporate actions and priorities have been achieved to demonstrate our commitment to ongoing and continuous improvement across the organisation.
This is in addition to the statutory and self-imposed performance indicators and delivery already outlined in this report.
The seven themes of the council’s Corporate Delivery Plan 2025-2026 are:
- Our services
- Our organisation
- Our people and communities
- Our place
- Our economy
- Our planet
- Compassionate city
Corporate Delivery Plan 2025-2026 performance overview
The overview is a snapshot of the council’s overall performance in relation to the actions and indicators outlined within our Corporate Delivery Plan 2025-2026. The plan included 103 performance indicators and 221 actions.
| Corporate delivery plan 2025-2026 performance indicators (103) | Corporate delivery plan 2025-2026 actions (221) |
|---|---|
| 81 performance indicators on or exceeded target 4 performance indicators slightly adrift of target 8 performance indicators adrift of target 7 performance indicators with data not yet available 3 performance indicators with no target set | 168 actions on achieved or completed 41 actions partially achieved 12 actions not achieved |
The plan included 324 performance indicators and actions. Of these:
- 76.8 per cent were achieved, completed, on target or exceeded target
- 13.9 per cent were partially achieved or slightly adrift of target (between 1 per cent and 5 per cent)
- 6.2 per cent were not achieved or adrift of target (by 5 per cent or more)
- data is not currently available for 2.2 per cent of indicators
- no targets were set for 0.9 per cent
Corporate Delivery Plan thematic review
A high-level review of our corporate performance is presented per theme.
Our services
| Performance indicators on target for our services | Actions on track for our services |
|---|---|
| 41.7 per cent (5) on target or exceeded target 16.7 per cent (2) slightly adrift of target 33.3 per cent (4) adrift of target 8.3 per cent (1) data not yet available | 73.7 per cent (14) achieved or completed 10.5 per cent (2) partially achieved 15.8 (3) not achieved |
Our people and communities
| Performance indicators on target for our people and communities | Actions on track for our people and communities |
|---|---|
| 100 per cent (16) on target or exceeded target | 96 per cent (23) achieved or completed |
Our place
| Performance indicators on target for our services | Actions on track for our services |
|---|---|
| 90 per cent (9) on target or exceeded target 10 per cent (1) adrift of target | 87.9 per cent (29) achieved or completed 12.1 per cent (4) partially achieved |
Our planet
| Performance indicators on target for our planet | Actions on track for our planet |
|---|---|
| 81.3 per cent (13) on target or exceeded target 12.5 per cent (2) slightly adrift of target 6.3 per cent (1) adrift of target | 65.9 per cent (27) achieved or completed 26.8 per cent (11) partially achieved 7.3 per cent (3) not achieved |
Our economy
| Performance indicators on target for our economy | Actions on track for our economy |
|---|---|
| 85.7 per cent (12) on target or exceeded target 14.3 per cent (2) slightly adrift of target | 100 per cent (21) achieved or completed |
Compassionate city
| Performance indicators on target for compassionate city | Actions on track for compassionate city |
|---|---|
| 92.9 per cent (5) on target or exceeded target 7.1 per cent (1) data not yet available | 88.9 per cent (16) achieved or completed 5.6 per cent (1) partially achieved 5.6 (1) not achieved |
Our organisation
| Performance indicators on target for our organisation | Actions on track for our organisation |
|---|---|
| 61.9 per cent (13) on target or exceeded target 23.8 per cent (5) data not yet available 14.3 per cent (3) had no target set | 58.5 per cent (38) achieved or completed 33.8 per cent (22) partially achieved 7.7 per cent (5) not achieved |
Performance benchmarking – staff attendance and service availability
Our staff are our greatest asset in ensuring service continuity and availability as well as the delivery of our corporate objectives. Councils’ individual remits and staffing profiles vary which can impact absence levels and should be considered when comparing performance.
Average number of absent days due to sickness for full time equivalent footnote 6 staff in each council between 2021 and 2025
Our performance in relation to the other councils is set out in this table:
| Council area or organisation | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 | 2025-2026 target | 2025-2026 actual (footnote 7) | Trend since baseline year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 16.3 | 17.1 | 17 | 14.58 | 14.58 | 15.29 (footnote 8) | Not available |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 19.7 | 13.3 | 13.57 | 14.31 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon | 20.5 | 19.9 | 18.81 | 20.37 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Ards and North Down | 14.2 | 15.7 | 16.4 | 14.70 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 19.2 | 17 | 18.06 | 15.02 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Derry City and Strabane | 16.8 | 16.5 | 18.7 | 18.20 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 13.1 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 18.60 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | 13.6 | 15.8 | 18.37 | 15.30 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Mid and East Antrim | 15.2 | 17.9 | 17.04 | 17.11 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Mid Ulster | 12.1 | 13.1 | 13.22 | 15.38 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 20.7 | 23.3 | 23.86 | 21.53 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Total yearly average number of sickness absent days in Northern Ireland | 16.5 | 16.5 | 17.07 | 16.83 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Through the Belfast Agenda, we're committed to making Belfast a place where everyone experiences good health and wellbeing. This commitment is as valid for our own staff as it is for the communities we serve. Just over 50 per cent our employees are Belfast ratepayers so our Health and Wellbeing Strategy, has the potential to have a positive impact, across the city and contribute to the delivery of the Belfast Agenda goals for improved health throughout Belfast.
The general levels of sickness absence in the council during 2025-2026 and the reasons for absence match the wider national trend. While some impacts of COVID-19 remain evident, sickness absence correlates with an ageing population, poorer overall health, and ongoing NHS waiting list pressures (footnote 9).
Sickness absence was 4.87 per cent more than the target for the year. There was a slight increase in sickness absence of 0.71 days from 14.58 days in 2024-2025 to 15.29 days in 2025-2026. An increased number of staff had no sickness absence this year (43.3 per cent), compared to last year (42.68 per cent). Depression, anxiety, stress and musculo-skeletal conditions are the two main reasons for absence.
With this in mind, the Health and Wellbeing programme offered a range of health initiatives delivering 92 events during 2025-2026 attended by 1,606 staff, including:
- alcohol, drugs and gambling awareness
- suicide awareness and prevention
- awareness of stress and mental health, grief and loss as well as menopause.
Footnotes
Footnote 6 All council data was obtained from the NIAO Local Government Auditor Report 2023, 2017-2018 to 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Data for 2023-2024 onwards is obtained directly from the NIAO.
Footnote 7 Council data for 2025-2026 is not available from the NIAO until autumn 2027.
Footnote 8 Absence rates: Quarter 4 2025-2026 report to Audit and Risk Panel on 9 June 2026.
Footnote 9 UUEPC Sickness Absence: Lessons for Northern Ireland Businesses and Managers (link opens in new window) published by Ulster University, December 2023
