Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Managing Director setting out progress to date and the proposed next steps.

(a)  that the progress achieved to date by three partner Councils working together to deliver shared services be noted and endorsed;

(b)  that the general principles for progressing the project in relation to the proposed lead, location and cost sharing proposals be approved;

(c)  that a phased approach to the development of ICT and Legal Shared Services be adopted with interim project support appointed to assist with the process and to help develop full business cases; and

(d)  that a post of Business and Legal Practice Manager be established in advance of the proposed shared legal service to assist with the transformation programme and development of the shared service.

By way of a report by the Managing Director (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet considered an update on the progress of the project to work in partnership with Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils to deliver shared services.

The Executive Leader explained that a number of general principles had emerged in discussion with partner Councils and that one of these involved the selection of a lead or host authority who would take responsibility for progressing the business case for each new shared service.  Whilst noting that Huntingdonshire had assumed the project lead for ICT, in the first instance, it was understood that this would not necessarily indicate the location of the service in the future.  This would be an operational decision having considered each business case and the strategic accommodation priorities of each Council.

Members received details of the current approach in terms of HR, accommodation capacity and the savings that it was envisaged would be achieved under the project and were assured that an evaluation process had been put in place by DCLG to ensure that the Transformation Challenge Grant Fund awarded to the authority would be used appropriately.  In this regard, the Managing Director undertook to forward a copy of the project management plan to Cabinet Members.

Having discussed the potential timescale for achievement of each shared service project, noted that the effective target date would be 1st April 2015 and welcomed the support of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well Being) for the recommendations in the report, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the progress achieved to date by three partner Councils working together to deliver shared services be noted and endorsed;

(b)  that the general principles for progressing the project in relation to the proposed lead, location and cost sharing proposals be approved;

(c)  that a phased approach to the development of ICT and Legal Shared Services be adopted with interim project support appointed to assist with the process and to help develop full business cases; and

(d)  that a post of Business and Legal Practice Manager be established in advance of the proposed shared legal service to assist with the transformation programme and development of the shared service.

To consider a report by the Managing Director setting out progress to date and the proposed next steps.

(Councillor J D Ablewhite, Executive Leader, was in attendance for the discussion on this item).

With the assistance of a report by the Managing Director (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Panel received an update on the progress which had been made by Huntingdonshire District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council to work in partnership to deliver shared services. The Executive Leader reminded Members that the shared service arrangement with Cambridge City Council for the delivery of CCTV had now come to fruition and successfully demonstrated that services could be delivered across local authorities. The current report set out proposals for a three council collaboration for the delivery of ICT and Legal Services that would deliver benefits to all partners and would have not affect the District Council’s sovereignty over its services. The Council had significant budgetary challenges to meet and sharing services with the Council’s strategic partners would deliver further efficiencies and protect the quality of frontline services.

The Corporate Director (Services) explained that progress to date had been positive and a number of general principles had been agreed, including a decision on the lead authorities for the delivery of ICT and Legal shared services. Members were advised that the partnership had been successful in achieving £0.5M from the Transformation Challenge Fund which would be used for overall project management / co-ordination and to fund interim and permanent support to ensure that the momentum of the partnership was maintained. Members conveyed their appreciation to those officers within the District Council who had been involved in the successful bid to the Transformation Challenge Fund.

With regard to the specific proposals regarding the provision of ICT and Legal services, Members were informed that it was proposed to adopt a phased approach to the development of these shared services and to appoint interim project support to assist with the process and develop a full business case. It was also proposed to appoint a Business and Legal Practice Manager to support the transformation programme, the delivery of early efficiencies and the move to shared service.

In considering the contents of the report, the Panel sought clarification as to whether the District Council had sufficient expertise to lead on the development of a shared ICT service. Members also examined the arrangements for the management and funding of the proposed Business and Legal Practice Manager and the Monitoring Officer role. With regard to the latter, they were informed that this role would continue to be retained in house by the Corporate Director (Services). In terms of the management of the arrangements, shared service legal agreements would be developed on a service-by-service basis and would incorporate performance measures. Once the interim project managers were in place, project plans with key timescales would start to be developed.

The arrangements for scrutinising the shared services had yet to be agreed, although there were a number of models that could be adopted. Consideration would also need to be given to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43