Growing and Sustaining the Enterprise – the Case of Northern Ireland 2009 Shared Services in the Public Sector Summit Growing and Sustaining the Enterprise – the Case of Northern Ireland Bruce Robinson Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service 18 June 2009

Northern Ireland Context Population: 1.7 million 11 Government Departments, 25,000 civil servants Devolved Executive and Assembly since May 2007

Delivery timetable 8 major programmes across 11 departments in a phased approach over a three year period Centre for Applied Learning Records NI HR Connect Account NI Network NI IT Assist Workplace 2010 NI Direct Oct ‘06Mar ‘07Oct ‘07 Mar ‘08Oct ‘08Mar ‘09 Oct ‘09 Mar ‘10

Results & Achievements NI Direct (partnership) –Single number 101 launched for anchor tenants –Flooding Incident Line –NI Direct website Centre for Applied Learning (in-house) –Course prices reduced by 20% –Staff satisfaction up to 99.4% & training attendance up by 32% –UK-wide Civil Service award for HR, Learning & Development IT Assist (in-house) –Supporting 18,500 users –Reduced IT cost per user from £1500 to £1200, aiming for £1000. Compares to £1800 under GB public sector Flex framework –Engaged with Gartner on benchmarking for business case & on potential areas for service improvement Network NI (managed service provider) –Over 250 sites networked

Results & Achievements Records NI (managed service provider) –Rolled out to all departments, 16,000 users; over 6 million documents stored –HP Award for Excellence in Information Management HR Connect (outsourced) –Payroll and Absence Management service live in November 2008 –All modules live e.g. external recruitment & performance management –20,000 calls & 11,500 s a month Account NI (in-house) –Servicing 9 departments (final two in July 2009) –Enabling Faster Closing –Issued over 38,000 purchase orders & paid 90,000 invoices – over £1.5 billion Workplace (PFI) –2 pathfinder buildings –On hold due to financing challenges – planning in place to revive

Communications ‘Changing for the Better’ Different audiences: –Ministers –Staff –Internal stakeholders –External stakeholders Message regularly delivered Multiple channels, levels & approaches as visualisation

Changing Culture NICS character & collective mindset: Playing to the strengths: –Public service ethos –Peer pressure Overcoming the weaknesses: –Legitimising challenge –Sustained commitment –Processes vs. outcomes Culture change only after behaviours have shifted – staff need to see improvements through the change

Customers & Stakeholders Citizens – new phase Ministers – Programme for Government Staff Internal stakeholders: –Departments –Trade Unions –Independent Board Members External stakeholders: –Wider public sector –Private sector –Media

Commitment & Collaboration Leadership – creating the environment, pushing the pace, leading by example Building and managing new relationships and partnerships e.g. with private sector consortia Aligning budgetary responsibilities with Reform Agenda – Department of Finance & Personnel role

Current & Future Challenges Embedding the changes – culture of continuous improvement Realising the benefits – structured approach & monitoring Integrating the shared services – establishing a single Shared Services Organisation Citizen-facing reform – Single point of contact & ‘one and done’ for citizens through NI Direct programme: ‘101’ &

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