Minimum Contract Level Support Programme Shared Leadership and Governance Michael Gray, LSIS Adviser, December 2011 1

Outcomes You will develop your understanding of key collaborative governance, leadership and management issues You will have an opportunity to reflect on the key issues for you and your organisation First bullet: this picks up particularly on the key points 1 - collaborative issues – need to bear that in mind; rather than individual providers: ‘how does the partnership (even if that means just a lead provider and a subcontractor) govern itself (strategic issues), provide leadership, manage the processes and day-to-day (the nuts and bolts; the stuff of operations manuals) 2 – the three components of governance (especially if really collaborative as in a holding company, managing agent or other overarching body), leadership, management Second: questions to participants so they reflect on their structures and the reality 2

Introduce yourselves Given numbers so far, we could do this using voice? Can we relate this to a partnership? Sussing one another out? Pack leader? Dog eat dog (sorry, not serious) 3

Overview of Models of Governance Colleges – merging and acquiring: varying types and with greater freedom over their articles and instruments Lead provider with subcontractor(s): little sharing Consortia: loose, cooperative, tight Managing agent: no direct delivery Social enterprise: social objectives, surpluses re- invested, not driven by shareholder and/or owner profit Mixed models: for example, profit-making ITP working in consortium with charity or local authority Have still left this in to provide an overview; Notes: Colleges – merging and acquiring: varying types and with greater freedom over their articles and instruments: say a bit more about new freedoms and also that ITPs may be merging and acquiring; jury out on financial benefits but can benefit learners and ‘rescue’ organisations failing financially or in quality Lead provider with subcontractor(s): little sharing: worth mentioning that there is a lot of this around; some management still has to be shared – e.g. data Consortia: loose, cooperative, tight: different types with either contractual or non-contractual arrangements; we are concerned with contractual. Managing agent: no direct delivery: e.g. SWATpro; set up separate company Social enterprise: social objectives, surpluses re- invested, not driven by shareholder and/or owner profit: many providers already do this in part, even if they are profit-driven; not a form of governance! Does imply a definite style of leadership Mixed models: for example, profit-making ITP working in consortium with charity or LA: examples?

Poll: how do you describe your partnership? Merged organisations Lead provider with subcontractor(s): little sharing Consortia: loose, cooperative, tight Managing agent: no direct delivery Social enterprise: social objectives, surpluses re- invested, not driven by shareholder and/or owner profit Mixed models: for example, profit-making ITP working in consortium with charity Not in partnership Do we still need this? I think it’s worth doing a quick poll to get some feel for participants’ contexts

Management Leadership Governance

What does governance do? Oversees direction Defines the vision or mission Takes overall responsibility for performance – learner and financial Takes responsibility for broader performance issues: how the partnership benefits employers and the community Oversees resource allocation Protects the values and the reputation of the partnership Listed Who does these things? Which people? See next slide Mention code of conduct

Where does governance happen? In each of these models: who, when, where, how? Colleges Lead provider with subcontractor(s) Consortia Managing agent Social enterprise Mixed models Question to everyone!

Governance challenges for partnerships How compatible are the partners? How compatible are your vision(s) and strategies? How unique is each partner? Do they want to maintain an identity as a separate provider? Where does accountability lie for failure or success? How does the partnership drive change – to fit government and funding policy, and to take advantage of the market? We may get other issues coming up

Leadership Challenges for the Partnership How similar or different is your style of leadership? Or are there as many styles as partners? Is the difference or the similarity a disadvantage or a benefit? Does leadership inspire commitment, to the individual provider and/or to the partnership? Who’s in charge? Team type issues but across providers in the partnership – remember we use partnership in a very broad sense: from one lead provider with subcontractors in another region who have little relationship with one another, to a fully-fledged ‘marriage’ . We may get more issues: will be interesting to ask here

Management – nuts and bolts Just some of: Setting up and running systems Designing and running processes Marketing and communicating Registering learners Dealing with awarding bodies Contracting Auditing Stuff we get bogged down in

What have you seen work well? Successful practice in: Governance Leadership AI approach The interactive flipchart List of tips and ideas to take away We better have a few ready ourselves!!

Questions and comments Firstly on governance issues, then leadership. 13

Questions to ask yourself Have you reviewed your partnership – where do governance, leadership and management happen? Is this the best for you and your learners and employers? If not, what do you do, or ask others to do? Questions to ask yourself – deliberately towards end of seminar as a wrap-up

Resources Support for Collaborative Contracting Case Studies Toolkits: Managing Risk Partnership Planning and Working Shared Leadership and Governance Shared Services Sub-contracting Quality Management Annual planning and operations cycle http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=MCLsupport

Wrapping Up We’ll send you evaluation form and a link to the recording Slides from the seminar will be on the Excellence Gateway You may be be interested in further support from the LSIS MCL Support Programme. A range of resources are available on the Excellence Gateway site www.excellencegateway.org.uk/MCLsupport  Further web seminar events are planned,  you can find details and registration on events.lsis.org.uk/Pages/Event/Stage1/Events.aspx If you would like to talk to an MCL Partnership Adviser please send an e-mail to mclsp@lsis.org.uk