County councils in Wales “provide limited information to help senior leaders understand the views of service users and whether councils are achieving their intended outcomes”, a report by the Auditor General has said.

Auditor General, Adrian Crompton, said that Audit Wales’ findings were “similar across most councils”, in that “few councils were putting service user perspective information at the core of their reporting and reports tended to focus on outputs rather than outcomes.”

He recommended all councils in Wales “strengthen the performance information on the perspective of service users and outcomes” and “strengthen data quality arrangements.”

“It is difficult to see how some councils are managing performance effectively if they do not report information on outcomes and the perspective of service users,” Mr Crompton said.

“I hoped to find a more positive picture than we did as the importance of understanding outcomes and the perspective of service users has been emphasised for years.

“These are arguably the most important aspects of a council’s performance management arrangements.

“This review casts doubt on whether councils have proper arrangements to secure economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the use of their resources.

“I expect to find an improved position when we follow up on our recommendations.”