1. An update on reform
TAG June 2012

2. An update on RPA November ‘11: April ‘12: June ‘12: Next steps:
Executive commitment to 11 Councils in Programme for Government - Shadow Councils 2014; New Councils 2015
April ‘12:
Establishment of RTC and RTOB
Proposed supporting project teams/working groups
Local Voluntary Transition Committees
June ‘12:
Boundaries legislation approved by NI Assembly
Transferring functions suite still uncertain
Proposed addition of Community Planning and Wellbeing powers
Bid for funding in June spending round
Next steps:
Local VTC and TMT meetings plus preparatory work at local level
Transferring functions suite to be finalised (mid 2013)
Reorganisation legislation to be approved (mid 2013)
Statutory TCs (mid 2013)
Shadow Councils (2014)
New Councils (2015)

3. The ICE Programme Evolution Benefits to date Aligning with RPA
From BSO alternative to driver of cultural change to transformation vehicle
Envisaged as long-term programme
Benefits to date
Improvements (e.g. animal welfare, joint advertising)
A more collaborative culture (e.g. People and OD strategy, joint stationery procurement)
Efficiencies of c. £55m in last 2 years (based on RPI and adjusted to reflect increased fixed costs)
Aligning with RPA
Reviews of Customer Facing Services through SRI process can drive shape of local government
Drive to avoid duplicating structures and efforts
Workstreams
Customer facing services
Support Services
Human Resources
Information Technology
Procurement

4. Customer Facing Services
Customer facing services presents the largest opportunity in the ICE programme
Net cost of Customer Facing Services of c.£450m/annum (09/10)
Against total net cost of c.£530m/annum for the sector as a whole
Approximately 84% of council budgets spent on customer facing services
Size of the prize
Opportunities for improvement (e.g. increase revenue, improve customer service, improve quality standards) and collaboration (e.g. sharing learning, resources, posts and processes)
Opportunities to reduce net cost: conservative estimates of up to £290m over 25 years

5. How to get there
Use of Service Review and Improvement (SRI) process developed under the ICE programme
Simple, structures approach designed to help sector design future services
Encourages sector-owned change and a culture of continuous improvement
Design services once, with local tailoring, rather than 11 or 26 ways
Encourages consideration of ‘fit’ with new and transferring functions and other existing Council functions

6. Progress to date SRI process developed and agreed
SRI process used to develop approach to animal welfare functions – rather than design 26 ways
Regional pilot of SRI process with Environmental Health
Initial discussions with other key services with a view to creating a rolling programme of reviews using SRI process

7. The way forward Progress the current Environmental Health pilot
Seek further key services to conduct reviews using the SRI process
Engage with key stakeholders
Update and improve the SRI process
Seek to develop meaningful performance indicators across the sector
Consider how to better integrate with existing services
Consider how to ‘plug-in’ with transferring functions groups
Provides a model to drive transformation
Reporting back – end of financial year

8. What we need from you Take up the challenge
If anyone is best placed to review your service it should be you
Commitment to engage in SRI process
Think the unthinkable – be radical
If we do what we’ve always done, we’ll get what we’ve always got!
Start the debate
Provoke and encourage new thinking
Find ideas and share them
Constructively challenge
Locally and regionally
Be champions and ambassadors for change in our services

9. Conclusions
There is significant opportunity – how much we achieve depends on how far we reach
Opportunity exists for sector-led service design
“We must think and act not only for the moment but for our time. I am reminded of the great French Marshal Lyautey, who once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow-growing and would not reach maturity for a hundred years. The Marshal replied, In that case, there is no time to lose, plant it this afternoon”
John. F. Kennedy

10. Questions?