Value from radical transformation - grasping the nettle
As a result of the severe financial cutbacks prompted by the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), many, if not most, public sector organisations are embarking on major transformation in the way that they deliver services. Yet the track record of such ambitious programmes in the public sector is poor as organisations struggle with issues of leadership, capacity and methodology. Here is one approach that is working.
Managing major change
The Comprehensive Spending Review on 20 October heralds major reductions in block grants from central government, compounding the problems of frozen council tax and salaries, demographic pressures and potentially spiralling energy costs. How to cope? Many local public services are tackling radical programmes of change, but how well are they managing that task?
Process re-design
Making processes fit for purpose in the council of the future is not easy, but we have developed a highly structured approach which ensures that we take account of all the factors:
Our web services
We have the skills and the tools to help you achieve a website that delivers for your council - that is a website that gives real value in terms of the services it delivers to your customers and the savings it makes for the council. We cover all that is needed, summarised below:
Processes re-defined
Most processes in councils have developed over the years for delivery by traditional means - by members of staff, using paper-based systems to deliver a service. These are inefficient and out-dated, error-prone, and not customer-friendly. They have no place in the council of the future.
Customer-centric view of the Council of the Future
Putting the customer at the heart of your strategy for becoming the Council of the Future is absolutely vital.
Learning
In an effort to make “Learning” more focused on the specific needs of our membership, we have reviewed our course offerings and launched a completely new programme for the next 12 months. The new programme offers a wider range of course, at more locations, and with more detail provided on each, to help you judge better who to nominate for the course, and the likely benefits to be achieved from it.
Change management
"Techniques and methods of managing change – impacting on attitudes, cultures, behaviours, practices, processes and working methods"
Social Services system replacement and business process re-engineering
The project issues
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (WMBC) was rated 'poor' in its CPA in 2003, with Social Services being particularly referenced along with some other areas of the Council's work. At the time, the Council was already part way through a procurement process to replace its legacy mainframe-based client index system, seeking to obtain a system which would better serve the needs of practitioners and managers in their day to day work.