Allerdale Borough Council
Corporate Peer Challenge
Feedback from the peer challenge team
July 2012
05.07.12
www.local.gov.uk
The process & purpose of peer challenge
Peer challenges are improvement-focussed and
tailored to meet individual councils’ needs. They are
designed to complement and add value to a council’s
own performance and improvement focus. The
peers used their experience and knowledge of local
government to reflect on the information presented to
them by people they met, things they saw and
material that they read.
The peer challenge team
• Paul Warren – Chief Executive of Rochford District
Council
• Councillor David Ball – Ipswich Borough Council
• Angela Warburton – Assistant Chief Executive,
Corby Borough Council
• Paul Clarke – LGA Peer Challenge Manager
• Sue Avery – LGA Associate / Shadow
Scope and ‘brief’ for the peer challenge
•
You asked us to provide critical friend challenge
and peer feedback on your plans and proposals for
the future as set out in the Corporate Plan,
Improvement Plan and Reducing Spend proposals.
•
In doing this the peer team considered the critical
issues that provide reassurance about future
performance and the ability and capacity to deliver
future ambitions:
•
•
•
•
•
Priority setting
Financial planning and viability
Leadership
Governance
Capacity
www.local.gov.uk
Overall messages and impressions
• There is political and managerial awareness of the
challenges facing Allerdale and the commitment to
take action to ensure future financial viability.
• A good start towards meeting the challenges, having
already had a Transformation Programme in place
and a track record of delivering savings.
• A framework is in place for further improvement and
budget savings, i.e. Council Plan, Organisational
Improvement Plan, MTFS and Reducing Spend
Programme.
Overall messages and impressions
• Overall staff are supportive of the need for change and
direction of travel. But there are some mixed messages
about roles and responsibilities and capacity of the
organisation.
• The use of reserves has enabled an opportunity to plan
for the future. There now needs to be rapid progress
into delivering savings.
• We can see a willingness to challenge test and stretch
thinking and proposals, e.g. through a programme of
‘Resource Challenges’ and the Peer Challenge
process.
Overall messages and impressions
• Can the political ambitions and spending reductions
be delivered with the reduced organisational capacity
available?
Ambitions
Reducing
spend
Capacity
Plans and proposals for the future
• Despite the challenging financial outlook for local
government, the Council Plan reflects bold political
ambitions for Allerdale.
• There has been progress against plans to date with
identified savings against targets
• The Organisational Improvement Plan (OIP) contains
what we would expect to see such as workforce
development, culture change, and collaborative working.
• The Reducing Spend programme comprises several
different strands which are in line with what other
authorities are doing.
• You have identified a range of projects and programmes
to deliver the priorities.
Plans and proposals for the future
• We think there is too much going on. You need to
prioritise projects and programmes and clarify
sequencing, timing and interdependencies.
• We feel there is a risk the OIP and Reducing Spend
Programme lose importance by being subsumed into
Council Plan.
• Staff are the key resource to deliver your plans and
aspirations. Are you sure you will have the
organisational capacity and skills to deliver all of your
proposals?
• There appears to be a focus on planning and
process, not doing. ‘Plan less, do more’.
Plans and proposals for the future
• We saw limited evidence of a comprehensive and
consistent project and programme management
methodology and approach.
• Other opportunities for budget savings, efficiencies,
productivity and income generation – e.g. shared
services, agile working, procurement, sponsorship,
are all things that other authorities are considering.
• Need better financial information to inform plans and
decisions. You recognise this and are taking action.
• Revisit the project outline format to clearly
differentiate between an overall aim, a specific
project, and normal council business.
Suggestions to consider
• Review and re-assess the projects to ensure a clearly
prioritised and sequenced programme of activity to
deliver the Council Plan, OIP and Reducing Spend
Programme.
• Implement a new financial management system – up
to date and accurate information will be crucial.
• Link your capital strategy with assets and expedite the
planning process to realise proposals and resources.
Council
Plan
What we will deliver
OIP
How we will deliver
Reducing
Spend
Programme
/ MTFS
What we will spend and
save by delivery
The peer team considered the critical areas that
provide reassurance about future performance and
the ability and capacity to deliver future ambitions:
•
•
•
•
•
Priority setting
Financial planning and viability
Leadership
Governance
Capacity
Priority setting
• Clear priorities in the Council Plan that have been shaped
by the political leadership and consultation with citizens.
• The Council’s priorities have been communicated
internally and are well understood by all levels of the
organisation.
• The priorities are driving service managers to find new
targeted partnerships, new sources of funding and new
ways of working.
• Little evidence of systematic and regular citizen
engagement and collating customer intelligence to inform
priorities. Is the ‘customer at the heart of everything we
do’?
• Is the Council clear on the non-priorities?
Financial planning and viability
• MTFS sets out a balanced budget until 2014/15.
• Budget Review Group has acknowledged the need to
develop a 10 year financial plan in the light of the LGA’s
recent profiling.
• You have acknowledged the need to do more on
ensuring financial modelling and assumptions are robust.
• Recent appointment of interim Corporate Director has
added financial management capacity.
• Recognised that in year budget monitoring, management
and planning needs to improve and put in place a
mechanism to do this – e.g. Budget Review Group.
Better quality financial management information to
enable this.
Leadership
• There is drive and commitment from the political leadership
which is recognised across the organisation.
• In moving forward you will need to ensure that there is a
clarity of leadership and management roles, responsibilities
and relationships.
• You have recognised there is a need for appropriate
challenge by doing a review of Overview and Scrutiny.
• You need to improve both internal and external
communication about future plans and ambitions. You have
started to do this.
• Engage early and regularly with partners to ensure there is a
shared ambition so that they work with you to deliver the
priorities. Are appropriate frameworks in place to help this?
• It is important that leadership maintain a clear focus on the
key priorities
Governance and decision-making
• You are looking to improve and develop governance
and decision-making arrangements – e.g. work on
O&S, Constitution review group, member development
• You are using internal and external challenge to test
and reality check thinking and proposals – e.g.
Resource Challenges, Budget Review Group and
Peer Challenge.
• Given large external contracts, financial unknowns
and ambitions stay focussed on rigorous risk
management – ensure a clear indication of probability
and impact.
• To maximise benefits of any future shared services
arrangements, ensure effective governance.
Capacity
• You have started to change the shape, size and skills of the
future organisation to deliver budget reductions.
• Will the proposed structures enable the capacity to deliver
all plans and priorities? Does ‘form follow function’?
• The OIP provides the framework for organisational
development. But implementing the plan needs
prioritisation and sequencing.
• New and developing locality approach to utilise the capacity
of others to deliver.
• Development programme for service managers well
received. Targeted development activity for members,
managers and staff will be important as you move forward.
• Recognition that the Capital strategy linked with assets and
planning will help to deliver long-term ambitions.
Suggestions and ideas to consider
• Develop and strengthen approach to partnership working and
relationship building to help deliver priorities, e.g. with:
– 3rd sector
– business sector
– health partners
consider doing this through development of a relationship
management framework, facilitated activity days, business
breakfasts. Good collaboration is built on good relationships.
• Consider the visibility and profile of the council through signage
and branding.
• Consider sponsorship opportunities as a means of income
generation.
Suggestions and ideas to consider
• Revisit the project outline format to clearly differentiate between
an overall aim, a specific project, and normal council business
• Link management development and delivery of projects.
• Communicate progress and achievements as well as next
steps.
• Would IIP help implementation of OIP?
• Celebrate success and recognise achievements
• Continue to learn from other places. Many councils are doing
what you are looking to do.
• Further strengthen working relationships with contractors and
knowledge of contracts e.g. invite them to staff briefings.
Consider other external speakers too.
• Introduce measures that can help test the customer experience,
e.g. mystery shopping, online focus groups, etc.
Next steps and contact details
Paul Clarke
LGA Peer Challenge Manager
Paul.clarke2@local.gov.uk