Agenda item
SCRUTINY SPOTLIGHT
Councillor Alibor Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Resources, will attend with Mr Chris Naylor, Corporate Director Resources, to report on the work of the Resources Directorate.
Minutes:
Councillor Alibor Chaudhury, Cabinet Member for Resources, supported by Mr Chris Naylor Corporate Director Resources gave a presentation on the key issues, achievements and challenges arising from the Resources portfolio.
Councillor Chaudhury began by highlighting the ICT plans allaying some of the concerns around this project. (This would be considered in detail during the presentation). The aim of which was to secure a high quality IT service whilst safeguarding local employment and staff opportunities.
Mr Naylor gave a detailed presentation reviewing the first 3 years of the Resources directorate. This focused on its structure role and aims including the following points.
- Key goals: to better align the 4 services areas (Finance, ICT, Procurement, Human Resources) to provide joined up services and eradicate unnecessary duplication.
- Greater emphasis on delivery with less time on process.
- Key Improvements
- 89.5 % of customer enquiries resolved at the first point of contact.
- Only organisation in Country to achieve 100% on all 60 indicators in the Customer Service Excellence Awards.
- New on-line services for Council Tax and Parking permits.
- Efficiencies
- Departmental reduction in Service Heads.
- Introduction of e-payments systems – Requisition to Pay (RP2).
- HR improvements delivering significant savings.
- Customer satisfaction levels up.
- Reduction in employment of agency staff.
- 22% of top earners BME, up from 15% in 2006/07.
- London living wage implemented across entire workforce.
- Continuing commitment to local suppliers.
Mr Naylor referred to the savings challenges up to 2014/15. Further savings would be realised by modernising the IT, HR and finance practices at least cost and risk. The service was currently procuring a strategic resources partner to assist with delivering such improvements and to secure long term benefits and learning opportunities for staff.
In relation to the staffing implications, the changes would honour the Council’s social objectives in relation to the workforce alongside delivering better services.
Mr Naylor outlined the timetable for the ICT project. The Council was currently undertaking a competitive dialogue to find a partner to facilitate the plans with an Executive decision planned for the start of 2012. Staff and trade unions were fully engaged and frequently consulted.
The Committee then asked a number of questions about the plans which focused on the following issues:
- The external partner. The need for an expert partner in assessing the bids to secure best option possible.
- The procurement process. The mechanisms for securing best deal. The timetable. Resource’s role in this.
- Worries that the improvements may be finance driven. That they were merely a response to the budgetary pressures. Why weren’t they embarked on sooner?
- Reasons why the trade unions were so concerned about the ICT plans. How would their concerns be allayed?
- Request that the Committee receive a proper presentation on the ICT proposals to facilitate its input in due course.
Mr Naylor then responded to each point highlighting the following:
Resources were working closely with Legal Services and relevant Council Officers to scrutinise the ICT plans and bids etc to ensure they were legal and secured the aims. The plans would also be submitted to the key governance boards (Competition, Transformation, Asset Management Board) established to scrutinise such proposals robustly, maximising quality and value for money. These boards were chaired by the relevant Service Heads, not the Corporate Director for Resources. The plans would also be subjected to the Council’s Tollgate process to provide an additional level of scrutiny.
Mr Naylor also outlined the timetable for the ICT project having recently received the initial expressions of interests. The evaluation and short listing would take place shortly with the assessment process progressing into Autumn and Christmas 2011.
It was also noted that the improvement agenda commenced several years ago and was partly initiated by the Council’s Information Strategy. The plans predated the ‘financial crises’ and were driven by the need to improve services not solely by savings. For example a better IT system would help all services Council wide. Officers engaged frequently with the Trade Unions to consult their views on any staff implications. It was appreciated that their aim was to secure jobs and conditions during this process.
Councillor Choudhury echoed this latter point from an Executive perspective. The Cabinet continuously engaged with the Trade unions (regarding the ICT plans) and there was a positive relationship between them. As indicated above, an Executive decision would be sought in the new year regarding the ICT plans and would be submitted to scrutiny as part of the normal scrutiny process.
The Chair thanked Councillor Choudhury and Mr Naylor for their presentation.