Local Government Reform - Overview of The NI Experience Daniel McSorley Chief Executive, Omagh DC Interim Chief Executive, Strabane DC
Agenda
Background - the journey so far… Vision for Local Government Reform Reform Timetable & Implementation Arrangements Legislation – LG (Boundaries) Order & LG Reorganisation Bill Transfer of Functions Proposals for Councillor Severance Unresolved Issues Improvement, Collaboration & Efficiency (ICE) Conclusions
The Journey So Far….
Ministerial announcement – March 2008
PwC Economic Appraisal – October 2009
Local Government response to the 11 Council, Business Services Organisation (BSO) model based upon projected savings of £438m over 25 years
Local Government Proposals – ICE Programme
NI Executive Position re Local Government Reform – 14 June 2010 – timetable not achievable
NI Executive Programme for Government 2011-15 – new Councils to be introduced by 2015 with elections to Shadow Councils in 2014
Vision for LG Reform â€œâ€Ś a strong dynamic local government creating communities that are vibrant, healthy, prosperous, safe, sustainable and have the needs of all citizens at their core.â€? Arlene Foster, Minister for the Environment Central to this vision is the provision of high quality, efficient services that respond to the needs of people and continuously improve over time.
Reform Timetable March-May 2012
Local and Regional Implementation Structures established
June 2012
Local Government (Boundaries) Order approved by Assembly
Autumn 2012
Recommendations to Executive on Transferring Functions package
November 2012
LG (Reorganisation Bill) introduced into Assembly – estimate to complete process by mid 2013
December 2012
Pilot programmes start in new council districts
Early 2013
Introduction of Statutory Transition Committees
June 2014
Shadow Councils elected
April 2015
New Councils assume full responsibilities and functions are transferred
Implementation Arrangements
Political Reference Group
Local implementation: – VTCs, then STCs (2013), then Shadow Council (2014)
New Councils
LG (Boundaries) Order – June 2012 Reduction from 26 to 11 Councils
Transfer of Functions
Final package being reviewed 2008 package included:
Planning (DoE) Regeneration (DSD) Local economic development and tourism (DETI/DARD) Public realm functions of roads (DRD) Local sports facilities (DCAL) Rural development (DARD)
New statutory duty of Community Planning General Power of Competence
LG Reorganisation Bill
Executive agreement to final policy content (July 2012) Introduce to Assembly (Nov 2012) Key Proposals
New governance arrangements for councils
Alternative decision making structures Sharing of power and responsibility Checks and Balances Transparency
LG Reorganisation Bill
Key Proposals (cont’d)..
An ethical standards regime, including a mandatory Code of Conduct An updated service delivery & performance improvement regime Community Planning powers General power of competence Partnership Panel
Councillor Severance & Remuneration
Ministerial Statement to Assembly – July 2012 Proposals for a Councillor Severance Scheme Recognition for long-standing representatives Underpinned by a series of core principles Intention to establish an Independent Panel to conduct a review of councillors’ remuneration New system and allowances to be introduced for new councils in 2015
Key Unresolved Issues
Funding
NI Executive position that reform costs to be met by local government Transferring functions to be rates neutral at the point of transfer Rates convergence
Governance – respective roles/remit of Statutory Transition Committees and Shadow Councils
Local Government ICE Programme
Builds on collaborative successes Originated as a result of BSO proposal Now a local government led change and transformation programme Voluntary, flexible Not focussed on numbers or boundaries Business driven approach –
What is the best delivery model? Does the business case stack up? (both financial and non-financial considerations)
VISIONING 2-3 months to complete
ICE Support Guidance
Council Corporate Visioning Process
ICE – Service Review & Improvement Process (SRI) Where are we now?
ICE Self-Assessment Tool
Define what ICE will look like at the local level Strategically align with council’s overall priorities & ambitions Create shared understanding with key stakeholders
Outputs to include:
Corporate Plan & Objectives Performance Measurements 4 yr Improvement & Efficiency Plan Annual Efficiency Statements
Draft ICE Excellence Model (self-assessment)
Element
Developing
House in Order
•No evidence of a vision, mission and set of values •No evidence of corporate governance •No evidence of external engagement •No evidence of leadership involvement to motivate and support staff •No evidence of a leadership development programme
•Limited evidence of a vision, mission and set of values •Limited evidence of elected member involvement in the development of the vision, mission and set of values •Limited evidence of external engagement/ consultation •Limited evidence of corporate governance •Limited evidence of leadership involvement to motivate and support staff •Limited evidence of a leadership development programme
•Evidence of a vision, mission and set of values that are predominantly inward/council focused •Evidence that the mission, vision and set of values are documented in the Corporate Plan •Evidence of member involvement in the development of the vision, mission and set of values •Evidence of a structured approach to corporate governance •Evidence that leaders engage and consult with key stakeholders •Evidence of leadership involvement to motivate and support staff •Evidence of a structured leadership development programme that is regularly reviewed and updated
Strategy
•No evidence of corporate planning •No evidence of corporate performance management
• Limited evidence of corporate planning • Limited evidence of corporate performance management •Limited evidence that plans are developed, reviewed and regularly updated •Limited evidence of positive outcomes which are linked to citizen needs and expectations
•Evidence that a structured approach to corporate planning is As previous plus: in place with corporate plans linked to all service plans, •Evidence of community based planning based on citizen budgets and resource plans needs and expectations •Evidence of a structured approach to performance •Evidence of improvement, collaboration and efficiency management aligned to the council’s corporate planning •Evidence of effective deployment of community based plans cycle and a high success of implementation •Evidence that plans are developed, reviewed and regularly •Evidence of effective community based performance updated management with measurement of results, benchmarking •Evidence of positive outcomes linked to citizen needs and and publication expectations •Evidence of positive community based outcomes linked to citizen and community needs and expectations
As previous plus: •Evidence of a place-based planning approach clearly based on citizen needs and expectations •Evidence that the council has a strong focus on improvement, collaboration and efficiency •Evidence of effective deployment of place-based plans and a high success of implementation •Evidence of effective place-based performance management with measurement of results, benchmarking and publication •Evidence of positive place-based outcomes linked to citizen and community needs and expectations
People (Members & Officers)
•No evidence of alignment of structures to needs nor regular review •No evidence of documented skills/capacity or talent management strategy •No evidence of documented staff /member policies •Evidence of low engagement, motivation and satisfaction; no engagement in improvement initiatives •No evidence of structured performance management approach
•Some evidence that structures are reviewed on an ad hoc basis with limited alignment to needs •Evidence of limited skills/capacity and talent management strategy with efforts primarily reactive/ad hoc •Evidence of limited HR policies •Evidence of varying engagement, motivation and satisfaction across the organisation; limited engagement in improvement initiatives •Evidence of limited performance management approach
•Evidence that structures are aligned to council needs with regular review •Evidence of council wide skills/capacity and talent management strategy aligned to internal rather than citizen/place needs •Evidence of documented HR policies •Evidence of medium levels of engagement, motivation and satisfaction; some engagement in improvement initiatives on an ad hoc basis •Evidence of structured performance management approach in place linked to corporate planning
As previous plus: •Evidence that structures aligned to collaborative efforts •Evidence of effective skill/capacity development and talent management aligned to collaborative efforts •Evidence of high engagement, motivation and satisfaction levels; majority are engaged improvement initiatives •Evidence of effective, documented performance management approach in operation including measurement of collaborative efforts
As previous plus: •Evidence that structures clearly aligned to identified place needs •Evidence of effective skill/capacity development across organisations linked to place needs •Evidence of HR policies consistent across partner organisation where possible •Evidence of effective, documented performance management approach in operation across place-based stakeholders
Ways of working (Processes)
•No evidence of documented processes
•Limited evidence of documentation of processes and no evidence of structured regular review in place
•Evidence that most processes are documented, aligned to council needs and reviewed though a focus on internal processes only •Limited evidence of documented, connected processes with partners
As previous plus: •Evidence that processes are documented and aligned to council and collaborative service needs with regular review •Evidence of significant documented process connections with council partners
As previous plus: •Evidence that process are documented, reviewed and clearly aligned to citizen needs and corporate objectives (may have external standards e.g. ISO) •Evidence of documented process connections across council and with external place-based partners
Resources
•No evidence of effective financial management/cost effectiveness •Evidence of high cost of procurement •No evidence of effective resource management (asset, ICT, information etc) or resource sharing •Evidence of poor audit results
•Limited evidence of financial management/cost effectiveness •Evidence of structured financial management/cost •Evidence of medium/high cost of procurement, with management within council linked to corporate planning no/little collaborative procurement •Evidence of medium cost of procurement, with limited •Limited evidence of ad hoc resource management (asset, ICT, collaborative procurement information etc) or resource sharing •Evidence of effective resource management (asset, ICT, •Evidence of audit results showing significant room for information etc) or resource sharing improvement •Evidence of good audit results
As previous plus: As previous plus: •Evidence of reducing cost of procurement, including through •Evidence of effective place-based financial management collaborative procurement •Evidence of low cost of procurement, including collaborative •Evidence of sharing of resources (asset, ICT, information etc) and place-based procurement across councils •Evidence of sharing of resources (asset, ICT, information etc) •Evidence of strong audit results across partners including place-based •Evidence of excellence audit results
Collaboration and Partnership
•No evidence of collaboration outside of statutory requirements
•Evidence of limited, ad hoc collaboration with other councils •Evidence of limited consultative collaboration with statutory, voluntary & community sector partners
•Evidence of voluntary collaborative approaches (including pilot projects) with other councils / partners in the delivery of customer facing or back office services
As previous plus: •Evidence of collaboration within the new governance structures in several customer facing and/or back office services (e.g. ICT, legal, procurement, refuse collection) •Evidence of council’s ability to identify related improvements and efficiencies
As previous plus: •Evidence of collaboration with councils / stakeholders in the provision of all or majority of services on offer within the new governance framework. •Evidence of council’s ability to pass related efficiencies onto the ratepayer
Place Shaping
•No evidence of customer engagement •No evidence of measuring customer satisfaction •No community plan •Services delivered centrally: minimal local variance throughout the council area •No integration of customer needs / aspirations with the corporate plan
•Local data gathering limited to use of citizen / community satisfaction surveys •Limited evidence of integration of customer needs / aspirations with the corporate plan •No community plan
•Evidence of wider application of citizen engagement techniques including citizen & place surveys / focus groups •Evidence of integration of customer needs / aspirations in corporate planning and service delivery •Evidence of community plan initiation and stakeholder engagement
As previous plus: •Community planning partnership in place and/or introduction of thematic partnerships •Evidence of voluntary engagement with other service providers •Evidence of council’s adoption of local area working approaches, including neighbourhood managed areas (without budget) •Evidence of limited community involvement in council service delivery
As previous plus: •Neighbourhood managed areas allocated devolved budgets •Evidence of localised neighbourhood area plans linked to community plan •Evidence of extensive community involvement in service planning and delivery •Evidence of extensive engagement with other service providers (possibly on a statutory basis)
Leadership
(Political & Organisational)
Starting out
Effectivecollaborator
Excellence of Place
As previous plus: As previous plus: •Evidence that the council’s mission, vision and set of values •Evidence that the council’s mission, vision and set of values incorporate a community planning/partnership focus have a place-based focus •Evidence that leaders actively engage and consult with •Evidence that leaders actively engage and consult with other citizens, partners and other stakeholders on a regular basis sectors •Evidence that the council coordinates its consultation •Evidence that the council reviews the cost effectiveness of its activities across services and has a range of ways to engage consultation and can demonstrate where the results of and consult with key stakeholders consultation have been used for place-based service planning •Evidence that members and senior officers take ownership, and delivery. ensuring that the mission, vision and values of the council are cascaded down the organisation and translate into meaningful actions, plans and effective outcomes
Timeline
Service level review
Stage 1 Getting Organised
ICE Phase
• Understand Service Levels, Activities, Volumes & Costs • Group together discrete & comparable ‘Blocks’ of Service • Define Vision for specified Service
Stage 2 Current Position Stage 3 Assess Performance
Assess
SERVICE REVIEWS 1-2 months to complete followed by annual review
Outline Framework for Service Review & Improvement
Stage 4 Identify Alternatives
Design
• Confirm requirement for Service & if services Mandatory / Discretionary • Performance Measures & Targets
• Research Good Practices • Benchmark Performance Vs Leading Practice for Cost & Service (both Public & Private) • Against defined scope of work identify options for In- House with Improvements Vs • Collaboration / Shared Service (Identify Partners -feeding into ICE Governance arrangements) Vs In-House Bids. Identify capability of potential Providers in the market.
Internal Shared External • Single model / combination of Service Delivery Models
Review
Operate
• Continually Evaluate, Review & Manage Performance
Audit Performance
• Evaluate Alternative Models to deliver defined service level requirement
Stage 6 Deliver Service
ICE Regional Governance Framework Collaboration Options forHR, Procurement, asset management, IS, Environmental Health etc
• Agree Preferred Delivery Option
• Develop Implementation Plan to Improve Internally, Partner or Select Public or Private Service Provider
Stage 7 Review
• Assess Performance Vs Target
Alternative Delivery Models • Procured Services - Outsource or
Stage 5 Preferred Option
Annual Benchmarking Data
• Execute Implementation Plan for delivery of Service
Incorporating regional & subregional solutions
Used initially for design of new Animal Welfare Service ICE Customer Facing Services Workstream working with Environmental Health Will be important for service redesign in new councils and integration of transferring functions
Conclusion
Local Government Reform (RPA) Programme reestablished Key issues yet to be resolved, including funding All 26 councils have signed up to ICE Programme Good progress being made – but a longer term programme of transformational change well beyond RPA project Important to ensure that this work is aligned to RPA and that impetus and progress achieved not lost due to RPA commitments