CIPFA Annual Conference

1
CIPFA Annual Conference Exhibition 2007Modern
Public Services.Are we there yet?

• Workshop 6SHARED SERVICES
• Presentation by Andrew Gardiner
• Director of Resources
• Adur District Council

2
Workshop 6 Shared ServicesOutline

• Context
• What has Adur DC done so far?
• What have we achieved?
• Adur Worthing Partnership Strategy
• The search for savings / efficiencies?
• What went well!
• What didnt go so smoothly!
• Developing strategies and business cases
• Key questions you should be asking?
• Summing up and Conclusions

3
Workshop 6 Shared ServicesContext

• Local Government Bill / White Paper
• Political expectations
• Medium Term Financial Plan
• Impact of years of economies
• Comprehensive Spending Review 07
• 10 cash reduction over three years
• Operating in a Capped Council Tax scenario
• Audit Commission Advice Common Themes
• Yet - great expectations of councils from public
  in terms of service delivery and cost (council
  tax)

4
Workshop 6 Shared Services What has Adur DC
done so far?

• PAWS Vehicle Workshop Shared Depot
• AWS Integrated Recycling and Waste Collection
• WBC Joint Working
• Tourism
• Foreshore Management
• Building Control
• Adur/Worthing Merger Debate 2005
• Adur/Worthing Partnership Strategy 2007
• CenSus
• ICT Network and Infrastructure
• Joint ICT Operations
• Joint Revenues Service

5
Achievements - CenSus
6
Achievements Adur Worthing
7
Workshop 6 Shared Services Adur Worthing
Partnership Strategy

• High Level Business Case (March 2007) - What did
  it say?
• Confirmed October 2006 outline case
• Explore fully shared services
• Deliver with a single officer structure
• Research the business case
• Set up appointment of consultants
• Set up appointments of senior staff
• Identified unresolved issues for further
  investigation
• Overall Officer Structure and Service Blocks
• Governance
• HR equalisation
• Financial arrangements
• Recognises complexity of implementation

8
Workshop 6 Shared Services Adur Worthing
Partnership Strategy

• Strategic Recommendations - March 2007
• April-July 2007 more detailed work and response
  to comments received
• Phased implementation July 07 Apr 10
• Joint Senior Officer Structure by April 08
• Shared Service programme Apr 08 Apr 10
• Adur to consider change to Leader and Cabinet
  Worthing to review its arrangements
• Joint Committees
• Strategic
• Operational
• Joint Overview and Scrutiny
• Both to consider four yearly elections

9
The search for savings/efficiencies?For a single
council
- Very little scope
- Severely limited opportunities
- Limited opportunities restructure etc
- Some scope - new systems/outsourcing
- New systems, revised service specification
The Customers
10
The search for savings/efficiencies?Councils in
partnership
Merger
Some sharing
Real potential
Real potential
Even better unit costs
The Customers
11
Workshop 6 Shared ServicesWhat went well!

• Regular Communication with Members
• Continuation of Simultaneous Executive Meetings
• Partnership Management Board
• Officer workshops
• Member workshops
• External Assistance from IDeA SECE
• Peer support for Members
• Staff Briefings and Consultation
• Consultants (Capita) selected as critical
  friend
• Draft business case Consultants draft handed
  over 1st February 2007

12
Workshop 6 Shared Services What didnt go so
smoothly!

• Preparation of Business Case
• Identification of medium to long-term gains
• Resourcing the process
• Diversion of time from day job
• Governance Democratic and Financial
• Accountability and Shared Budgets
• Approval of Budgets and Authority to spend
• Too long lead in time and payback
• Certainty of commitment
• A difficult choice for Members

13
Workshop 6 Shared ServicesDeveloping
strategies and business cases

• Long Track Record
• PAWS ? AWS ? Joint Working ? JAWS
• Adur and Worthing Partnership Strategy
• CenSus Partnership
• South East Centre of Excellence provided
• High Level Business Case template
• Detailed Business Case template
• Broader toolsets and approaches?

14
Workshop 6 Shared Services Key questions you
should be asking?

• Demonstrating the Business Case
• Resourcing the programme
• Capacity to Deliver
• Have you got commitment
• Political
• Staff
• Ensure appropriate form of Governance
• Accountability
• Cost Allocations

15
Workshop 6 Shared ServicesSumming Up
Conclusions

• We have to be serious about the challenges
• Expectations need to be realistic e.g. time
• Improving protecting services is key
• It is worth the effort to see if it can help us
  square the circle
• Joint officer structure is a separate project to
  find efficiencies in the fixed cost areas
• Is there an alternative?
• These issues will not go away
• If we do not take a shared approach we will have
  to find efficiencies that will inevitably be
  closer to the customer

16
Workshop 6 Shared Services

• Questions Discussion
• Thank you for your attention
• Andrew Gardiner
• Director of Resources
• Adur District Council