Innovation and Improvement through Collaboration: a CFOs Perspective

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Innovation and Improvement through Collaboration
a CFOs Perspective
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Innovation and Improvement through Collaboration
a CFOs Perspective

• Grahame Lucas, Head of  Financial Services,
• Worcester City Council

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CIPFA 2009Innovation Improvement through
Collaboration a CFOs Perspective Grahame
Lucas, Head of Financial Services,Worcester
City Council SDCT Vice President
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Overview

• Our experience at Worcester
• Key drivers for change
• Lessons learned
• Looking forward

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Our experience at Worcester

• Partnerships in place
• 2002 shared services journey begins
• 2005 Worcestershire Hub
• 2007 Revenues and Benefits
• 2008 Mouchel review County/City shared service
  for back office functions
• 2009 Building Control
• 2010 Museums, Youth Community
• Plus work in progress on enhanced 2 tier

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Key drivers for change

• Gershon efficiency
• The unitary debate joined up working
• In practice why shared services?
• Improved quality of service to customers
• Performance indicators others measuring us
• Efficiency agenda Gershon
• Reduction in costs budget driven
• Critical mass for transformation investment

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Lessons learned

• It takes time casualties along the way
• Early political buy in / ownership
• Why are we doing this?
• be clear about decision criteria early on
• Business case (outline verses detailed?)
• Start project management early
• Strong leadership challenge, transformation,
  delivery
• Capacity to deliver skills and resources
• Combine external challenge internal skills
• Residual overheads support share hosting
• What is left back at the ranch to act as client?

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Lessons learned

• Clarity of outcomes quality, performance, cost
• Robust agreement covering
• Governance, members, accountability, scrutiny
• Role of host authority management / admin
• Monitoring reporting regularly and consistently
• Admission of new members (if you are successful!)
• Termination / withdrawal (if you fail?)
• Risk management, HS, Business continuity
• Sharing arrangements costs, risks, savings

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The way forward

• The only show in town a threat or solution?
• Sustainability of districts over the next five
  years
• 2011-12 public sector cuts
• Unitary?
• Management, admin delivery PLUS democracy
• Shared Services or the like?
• Unify management, admin delivery
• Protects delivery of services
• Maintains local democratic structures

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The way forward

• Shared services threat or solution?
• Dont build an argument for Unitary solution
• This should be about
• Sustainable services to residents
• Sustaining District decision making influence
• Maintaining local democratic / political
  structure
• It should not be about
• protecting organisational structures

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Questions