Tag: dave green

Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 31/1/2011 Part 15 – Strategic Change Programme update (continued)

Cllr Davies continued by asking why the PACSPE (project 24) was only realising £200,000/year of savings? Mr. Green said that was very unfair. Cllr Davies said the EVR had happened with the privatisation. Ian Coleman said there had been a reduction in the saving being of the EVR. Also certain areas had been taken out … Continue reading “Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 31/1/2011 Part 15 – Strategic Change Programme update (continued)”

Cllr Davies continued by asking why the PACSPE (project 24) was only realising £200,000/year of savings?

Mr. Green said that was very unfair. Cllr Davies said the EVR had happened with the privatisation. Ian Coleman said there had been a reduction in the saving being of the EVR. Also certain areas had been taken out of the project’s scope reducing the saving.

Cllr Davies asked if the numbers relate to the outsourcing only? Mr. Green said they were making the savings now. Cllr Davies said what about the services not affected by outsourcing?

Cllr Gilchrist said that they welcome the progress report. He said the confidence in the office in delivering the projects is to be noted. He thanked the Cabinet Member for his attendance. Cllr Green said in a humourous way “God bless you, guv’nor” followed by saying he had a choice of attending either this or his daughter’s birthday.

The Council Excellence committee then went on to consider a report on performance management by the Interim Head of Corporate Planning, Engagement and Communications. Cllr Gilchrist said (in reference to Eric Pickles) that he was shocked when the saw the detail of which targets had been removed on the Department for Communities and Local Government website.

Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 31/1/2011 Part 14 – Strategic Change Programme update (continued)

Dave Green replied that he did have a list of assets that were subject to Cabinet agreeing on their disposal. He could supply the list. Cllr Gilchrist requested that he email it to all members. Cllr Keeley mentioned the community centres. Cllr Davies mentioned Westminster House and asked about in Appendix B what the difference between projects one and 44 was? Ian Coleman answered that one referred to savings on all contracts whereas the contract review was reviewing the fifty largest contracts.

Cllr Davies asked for the list of 50 largest contracts. Ian Coleman agreed to send it to him.

Cllr Davies said about street lighting (project 25) that he understood about the dimming, but often the request was for lighting in streets to be brighter and that it had community safety implications.

Mr. Green said it was a modest saving with a pilot of 216 lights in New Brighton. The results would be known about March/april and would form part of a report to Cabinet on the pilot. There was the possibility under invest to save to roll it out across the authority. It would depend on the wattage before it was started though. In the pilot areas some had been turned up as well as dimmed. Cllr Davies said they had to balance energy savings with community safety.

Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 31/1/2011 Part 13 – Strategic Change Programme update (continued)

Mr. Green continued by saying there was a mechanism for collecting ideas and passing on the information to a Project Manager to expand the program. He said they were happy to “pinch anybody’s ideas”. He said they would also look at what other local authorities were doing.

Cllr Brighouse thanked Mr. Green for his reply and said he felt they didn’t need consultants. With all the innovation and ideas he felt it was pointless to employ consultants.

Cllr Green said this was very true and that he had an anathema to consultants. However, where there isn’t the capacity or the pace he was not completely averse to them. They could deploy skilled people. One area of challenge was the top fifty contracts. He mentioned capacity as being a limiting factor. Mr. Green said that they really have an extra cautious approach. Cllr Green said originally it had just been the top 25 contracts, now since he intervened it was the top fifty. If a saving couldn’t be found here he would find it somewhat strange. He then went on to talk about administration processes, internal communication, petty cash and paper time sheets.

Cllr Davies referred to the appendices, specifically item 19 (Disposal of Assets). He asked what it referred to?

Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 31/1/2011 Part 12 – Strategic Change Programme update (continued)

Cllr Green continued with saying that any ideas that staff on higher education courses had got through their studies or wanted them to evaluate was part of the change programme. He said they were keen to reward people, but there had to be a balance between control and creativity. The creativity had to be to a purpose which was to drive forward and reduce costs. Whether officers challenge other officers was a question for them to answer.

The Strategic Change Board had looked into capacity and challenged projects that had no firm benefits. The gate system was in place with projects signed off by the Director of Finance, Chief Officers and programme officers who had done a first-rate job. Cllr Green said they had brought rigour to the system and support in areas that lack capacity. He then asked Mr. Green “Do we challenge you enough?”

Mr. Green said the analysts analyse all ideas and there were some emerging ideas. Some projects had been stretched to take on board staff. Young people and graduates had suggested nine potential projects. The most favourable one being a change in the approach to non-fixed assets such as bikes, tables, chairs etc. This had been though of by those studying and would come to the meeting on Friday. He said they mustn’t have a scattergun approach, much must give each idea careful consideration.

Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 31/1/2011 Part 10 – Strategic Change Programme update (continued)

Cllr Green continued that that DASS was learning a lesson in how they needed to speak to people earlier enough. Communication was important. Mike was the project manager and could provide added reassurance. He was confident the program had not improperly added undue haste to the timescale. They had to make sure the changes were sustainable.

Previously projects had been thrown over the fence and it was up to someone else to get on with it. It was right to proceed with the process. The benefits were financial and cultural. He was confident, the key thing was proper project review. Lessons would be learnt and these should be put in a common area so other people can learn. It was a continuous improvement cycle. There would be “bumps in the road”.

Cllr Green said “to be honest, as I always am, I think the process is really, really good”. He said he hoped the change and project management would have the opportunity to broaden their knowledge.

Mr. Green said he would give councillors some comfort. The improved project management skills had been signed off on 9th December 2010. The projects were developing no reports or problems. They were being signed off and constantly reviewed.