Agenda item

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 measures for performance management reporting. Members requested that they were involved in the development of the Scrutiny arrangements in due course.

In response to a number of questions by a Member of the Panel, the Executive Leader outlined the reasons for deciding not to pursue an agreement with Local Government Shared Services for the provision of Legal and ICT Services. He also advised that training for project managers was currently being undertaken internally to develop project management skills in-house and Improvement and Efficiency South East, who had significant experience and expertise in transformation and projects, was also providing assistance.  It was unlikely that this level of expertise could have been obtained from the County Council. In terms of the potential for further devolution of powers from Central Government and the impact that sharing services at this stage might have upon the establishment of any future Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership, the Executive Leader stressed that such unknown factors had not been taken into account in the preparation of the current report and that the Government was encouraging Councils to enter into shared services agreements as evidenced by the Transformation Challenge Fund grant.

The Panel discussed with the Executive Leader and the Corporate Director (Services) the importance of engaging with staff and carrying them with the Council on this journey. Having been informed that the new Senior Management Team had been tasked with dealing with the issues raised within the recent Employee Opinion survey, the Corporate Director (Services) explained that communication planning would be a key part of the development of shared services and that there was a detailed communications plan in place for this purpose. Members were also advised that affected staff had already been briefed prior to the dispatch of papers for the Panel meeting and the issue of a recent press release.

Having welcomed the overall direction of travel and the need to maintain momentum moving forward, it was

RESOLVED

that the recommendations to the Cabinet, as set out in the report now submitted, be endorsed.