Agenda item

            The Director of Finance and Resources submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1       Relevant Background Information

1.1    Members will be aware that at its meeting in September 2013 the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agreed to join the Improvement and Efficiencies South East organisation (iESE), a social enterprise owned by local authorities in the South East of England which provides services and support to public sector bodies across the United Kingdom.  Given their experience and access to member peers it was agreed that they may be able to support the Council in the delivery of parts of the LGR programme.

12.2  iESE have spent some time in the Council meeting with officers and facilitating a few workshops and a number of pieces of work where they are able to support the Council have emerged.

1.3    The purpose of this report is to outline the relevant areas of work and seek approval from committee to proceed with the proposals as outlined.

2       Key Issues

2.1    The main areas of work that the Council is discussing with iESE  relate to Local Government Reform and the Council’s Efficiency Programme. A summary of the proposal is set out below. 

         Local Government Reform

2.2    Governance

         At its meeting on 13 December 2013 Committee agreed that IESE would support the organisation in the development of new decision making structures.  The initial pieces of work include;

·    A workshop with the Member Governance Steering Panel looking in more detail at the key governance issues, how they apply to the various models outlined in the Re-organisation Bill and how they would operate in practice.

·    Briefings with Party Groups on the various elements of any new governance structure including the out workings of the Governance Steering Panel.

·    A Report to Committee on the feedback from the various sessions including draft governance proposals for the new organisation.

         All sessions will be facilitated by iESE with input from Jonathan Huish and other member peers and will draw on examples from other areas.  In addition party groups will be able to draw on advice from the Member peer over and above the process outlined above.  This process has already begun with party group briefings being held week commencing 20th January 2014.

         Service Convergence

         iESE have also been discussing the support they could provide in developing our approach to extending the delivery of services to the areas currently in Lisburn and Castlereagh which will transfer to Belfast in May 2015.   In the first instance it is recommended that iESE facilitate a workshop for staff involved in service convergence in January to help develop the process in more detail.  Further support may also be required in the following areas;

·    Participation in the governance arrangements

·    Critical friend and quality assurance in the development and implementation of the methodology and guidance

·    Change management advice and support

·    Workshops and engagement with other stakeholders

         Efficiency

2.4    To help the Council secure efficiency savings over the next three years iESE will provide support to the Council to develop a 3 year efficiency programme which will identify the major areas for change, the approach to delivery and the business case for change. This work will include identifying areas for review where possible savings could be made; supporting the Council in the delivery of a number of front line services impacted on by the transferring areas of Lisburn and Castlereagh.  

         They will also undertake a review of procurement activities and spend and efficiency plans to identify:

·    Prioritisation of existing efficiency projects and rationalisation as appropriate to ensure that resources are focused on the major savings

·    A programme of efficiency and procurement targets with identified realisable savings over next 3 years

·    A plan to accelerate delivery of savings already identified

         Organisational Development Framework – Regional Work

2.5    iESE have also been commissioned by the DoE to provide support to Councils in implementing Local Government Reform specifically to address Organisational Design and Service Delivery.  The work includes:

·    establishing a ‘toolkit’ for a best practice approach to organisational design to include a set of core organisational design principles which will inform preparatory work and planning undertaken by Statutory Transition Committees and Shadow Councils for the establishment of new organisational structures and/or service delivery models;

·    taking account of the future role of Councils; the new performance management framework for local government; Councils’ governance arrangements; potential sector service delivery models (or other potential shared service models); and the emerging work on the organisational design best practice toolkit and principles develop model options for effective function and service delivery in the  11 new councils.

         The Council will participate in this programme with iESE ensuring that it complements the specific piece of work on Governance outlined above.

3       Resource Implications

3.1    iESE will provide their service at a rate of approximately £570 per day which represents a 10% discount to the Council. The Council will only pay for the days it uses.  All costs associated with this have been included in the previously agreed budgets for Local Government Reform and Invest to Save.

4       Equality and Good Relations Implications

         None.

5       Recommendations

5.1    Members are asked to agree the proposal for support from iESE as set out in the report.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.