Benchmarking services and Best Value

The new government’s policy decisions to date leave no doubt that difficult financial times will be experienced by the UK public sector over the next few years. These challenges should be a major spur to all public sector organisations to commit to ICT-enabled transformation of services. In turn this will place the ICT service under an even sharper focus. It will also put even greater pressure on the rest of the organisation to use ICT services much more effectively to achieve such a transformation.

“Council of the Future”

An efficient modern ICT service is at the core of the “Council of the Future” which we see as one that is focused on the customer, self service, and where information is the key council asset available as required by staff working flexibly. Adopting the principles of the “The Council of the Future” is the only way the ICT service (and the council) can meet their financial pressures and yet still satisfy customer demands.

Now in its tenth year Socitm’s ICT benchmarking service, jointly provided by Socitm Consulting and Socitm Insight, will help you meet the challenges that you face. We will also help improve your contribution to your organisation's performance and efficiency gains. Some 257 public sector organisations (including over 55% of local government) have benefited from such studies, many on an annual basis:

• Understand the strengths of your service 
• Discuss it with experts 
• Identify efficiency options 
• Ensure independent validation 
• Build the right improvement plans 
• Compare your service with peers

Major extensions to ICT service benchmarking

Although benchmarking the ICT service continues to be the core of our benchmarking services we also recognise that the effective use of ICT by business managers to deliver services requires a more formal assessment than in the past if transformational changes are to be achieved. ICT is now a part of every business manager's remit. Recognising this Socitm has now extended its benchmarking services to include:

• environmental impact of ICT on the organisation 
• information management 
• project and programme management 
• flexible working 
• business continuity 
• business transformation.

Our benchmarking services in 2010 include:

• Benchmarking the ICT service in London. The next London study (Group 50) commences with a launch workshop at 10-3.15pm on the 21st April 2010 at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 
• Benchmarking the ICT service across the UK (1). The next UK-wide study (Group 51) commences with a launch workshop at 10-3.15pm on 10th May 2010 in central Birmingham. Note this study includes councils and other organisations in the South West 
• Benchmarking the ICT service - partnerships and outsourcing. The launch workshop for the next study (Group 52) is at 10-3.15pm on 23rd July 2010 in central Birmingham 
• Benchmarking the ICT service across the UK (2). The second UK-wide study for 2008 (Group 53) commences with a launch workshop at 10-3.15pm on 14th September 2010 in central Birmingham
• Benchmarking single organisations - a customised service for individual organisations requiring a personalised and immediate comparative performance assessment against peer organisations held in our benchmarking database is available upon request.

To discuss your benchmarking requirements, contact roland.waterhouse@socitmconsulting.co.uk or telephone 0845 450 0904.

Best Value