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Professional Services Efficiency ProjectA presentation by Verity Smith
An overview of the progress of the Consultancy Value Programme in Gloucestershire County Council and the South West Regional Professional Services Project
BackgroundThe original promise of the Conservative Government was to make savings by cutting costly IT projects and consultants while protecting frontline services.
The COINS data released last month outlined that the Government spends £1.8bn per year on Consultancy services, up by £0.3bn from the year before.
This is a high spend and high risk category, Central Government has already been brought into line with the National Audit Office’s programme, Local Government is next on the agenda.
There is no doubt, however, that consultants are often key within our authorities, holding important posts integral to organisational and service delivery. We have to get the procurement of these individuals right.
What are the aims?Our goal is to deliver cashable savings through implementing and embedding best value procurement of consultancy, interim and temporary staff across Gloucestershire County Council and the wider SW IEP area, using tools provided by the OGC.
To help achieve this, the OGC and Local Government have collectively established a Local Government Professional Services Group (LGPSG), the purpose of which is to take initiatives and lessons from the central government implementation group and to identify and implement efficiency opportunities within the Local Government sector.
Gloucestershire County Council is piloting the project on behalf of the LGPSG, and leading the implementation of this in the South West.
SavingsPredicted £1.2million efficiency savings year on year for the first 3 years in Gloucestershire, this is 29% of our yearly spend. Predicted savings of up to £15million in the South West Region from the Councils already on board:
• Gloucestershire – Project Lead• Wiltshire• Swindon• Bournemouth• Mid-Devon• Dorset• Poole• Stroud
Councils currently considering participation include: Plymouth, West Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset.
We are confident about these figures having reviewed spend and saving figures from Central Government Departments who have already implemented the programme.
Additional Benefits
Risk Aversion
Reputational risk
Legal
From scope-creep and contractual issues
Higher Quality and More Appropriate Contracts
A More Robust Procurement Process
More Valuable and Cleaner M.I.
More Effective Workforce Planning and Skills Gap Analysis
Implementation
We have a suite of toolkits available to help with the implementation of CVP, written by both the South West Project Manager and the OGC.
These are based around a 19-step project designed by the National Audit Office, which has already been successfully implemented in Central Government.
There is no doubt that this is both a large project and a difficult change management programme, which needs to be supported at the highest level in Authorities to ensure Council-wide best-practice and compliance. However, there is significant opportunity to make great efficiency savings, implement a new best-practice approach, develop better risk and contract management and place your Authority at the forefront of this national work.
Additional Areas
Temporary Staff Demand Management
– a helpful guide has been produced by the OGC looking at Demand Management in the already mature market of Local Government Temps. GCC are now piloting a new approach to temps Demand Management and helping shape further guidance on this.
Interims
- a grey area currently, guidance awaited from the OGC and LGPSG. IVP is in the pipeline and closely follows the CVP structure. Gloucestershire and most other Councils participating are including Interims in their CVP.
Key progress so far
Developed Audit Plan and Toolkits, based on the OGC’s guidance and past work, to fit in with the Local Government’s more devolved purchasing of consultants
Completed Baseline R.A.G. (Red, Amber, Green) Audit status in Gloucestershire
Written and published Category Strategy for both Consultants and Interims
Set up S.W. Project Working Group (Chaired by Project Manager) gained buy-in from numerous other Councils in the S.W. Region
Rolled out training, guidance and continued support to other S.W. Authorities
Developed M.I. plan and liaised with HR to discuss skills gap analysis and workforce planning
Written guidance on contract writing, single tendering, implementation of the project, options paper on benefits and a case study
Created online forum to share knowledge and best-practice (IDEA, CoP website)
Written training module for Council wide deploy
Designed a new Business Case gateway process and forms
South West RIEPFunded Regional Project Manager until September 2010
Coordinating approach
Supporting approval, base-lining and regional implementation
The Regional Program
Regional Training, Monitoring and Benefits Reporting
Development of a Regional Database
Development of Regional Frameworks
The National Program
This model is now being copied in the WM and EM regions, with funding from their RIEP for Project Managers
CVP is likely to become a Best Practice procurement approach
What’s next? Gloucestershire County Council have implemented the full Consultancy Value Programme, and have Business Cases in place for each new procurement of Consultants and Interims, putting a more stringent process and better management of external workforce in place.
The other Councils in the S.W. region who are on board have started moving towards this goal with support from the GCC Project Manager.
GCC are now looking at the more mature area of Temps, and are involved in piloting Temps Demand Management work for the LGPSG and OGC.
The Project is only funded until Sept 2010, currently.
How to get in touch
If you would like to know more please get in touch:
Regional Project Manager, South West - Verity Smith
Tel: 07899 077414
Email: [email protected]
Or
Bryony Atkinson, Category Manager at the OGC on 0207 271 2667
Any Questions?
