Government Business Magazine 19.03

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 19.3

Business Information for Local and Central Government STREET MAINTENANCE

HOUSING

CIH 2012 Housing Heavyweights descend on Manchester for Chartered Institute of Housing Exhibition & Conference

YS A W L I RA ll-Party

A ntary e m a i Parl finds no Groupnative to alter Speed 2 High

LIVING STREETS

People care about the state of their streets says new research

GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY – Infosecurity exposes IT risks - Open Source ‘spot checks’ plus more

COMMENT

Comment

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

PENSIONED OFF OR ON? www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 19.3

Business Information for Local and Central Government STREET MAINTENANCE

HOUSING

CIH 2012 Housing Heavyweights descend on Manchester for Chartered Institute of Housing Exhibition & Conference

WAYS RAILl-P arty

Al entary Parliamfinds no Group ative to alternSpeed 2 High

LIVING STREETS

People care about the state of their streets says new research

GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY – Infosecurity exposes IT risks - Open Source ‘spot checks’ plus more

Now the elections have been and gone, local government employers and trade unions have brokered a deal to overhaul the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), including plans to ditch payments linked to final salary. GMB, Unison, Unite and The Local Government Association announced a settlement designed to ensure council staff retain a generous pension while the retirement plan remains sustainable over the long-term. It will be balloted by members over the coming months (see page 9).

The Chartered Institute of Housing exhibition and conference gets underway on June 12 in Manchester. Star of the show is George Clarke - architect and presenter of The Great British Property Scandal programmes which aired on Channel 4 in December and highlighted the problem of Britain’s one million empty homes. Clarke plans to use his appearance at the conference to task audience members with actively trying to take possession of empty homes, and to at least consider the options of refurbishment before there’s a blanket decision to demolish themw. He stated: “Elements of the building industry are in the dark ages. If we carry on the way we are, things aren’t going to change” - see page 59 for details In Government Technology, has the Open Source revolution finally gotten underway? Big savings have been revealed by Home Office IT architect Tariq Rashid, who says the procurement process is a big issue. “I’m particularly incensed about the mix of suppliers in government. Our European colleagues have much greater numbers of suppliers vying for business” he told the Open Government Summit in May. Since the Government launched its IT strategy in March 2011, £159m has been saved through spend controls and £64.2m from telecommunications networks budgets by applying better, common standards. According to Computer Weekly, some insiders have expressed concern about where the direction for the strategy implementation will come from - a number of the original strategy authors have left over the last 12 months.

The Open Data Institute will soon to open for business. Co-directed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt, the government has committed up to £10 million over five years to support it, with the aim is to ‘nuture’ new businesses that wish to exploit the government’s release of public data sets. Shadbolt said: “The UK is now a world leader in this area and the ODI will show how value can be generated from this as well as training a generation of data entrepreneurs.” The ODI is expected to be open for business by September 2012.

Until the next issue Danny Wright

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive 6 issues of Government Business magazine for £45 a year, please contact Public Sector Information, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Government Business website at:

Business Information for Local and Central Government

www.governmenttbusiness.co.uk | www.governmenttechnology.co.uk PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED

226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright ACTING EDITOR Angela Pisanu EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Lisa Harris PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Jacqueline Lawford WEB PRODUCTION Reiss Malone ADVERTISEMENT SALES Bernie Miller, Steve Day, Michael Kennedy, David Morgan, Julie Watson, Wendy O’Brien PUBLISHER Kelly Scott GROUP PUBLISHER Barry Doyle ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich, Lucy Carter, Charlotte Casey REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

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Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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47 ROAD MAINTENANCE

13 MONEY MATTERS

The three main themes of the recently published Pothole Review can all be addressed by best practice guides developed by the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA).

Public money is more important than ever and to manage it wisely, you need to have the right skills says Sumita Shah, technical manager, public sector, ICAEW.

55 FLEET MANAGEMENT Toby Poston of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association looks at contract hire and leasing as a way to cut costs in public sector fleet procurement and management.

19 ENERGY NEWS UK & Iceland to work closely on Energy related issues.

59 HOUSING

21 SUSTAINABILITY The BRE Trust is celebrating its tenth anniversary with the launch of a new three year thematic research programme called Future Cities, which looks at the range of challenges faced as people migrate to cities.

Taking place on 12-14 June in Manchester, the Housing 2012 exhibition and conference, organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing, will feature leaders within the housing world and innovators from outside of it.

25 FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

69 CONFERENCES & EVENTS Budgets and ROI are still at the top of everyone’s agenda. Any city destination chosen for a conference or event needs to deliver. This is where London can tick so many boxes - the most visited city in the world has an expanding choice of venues.

PLUS....... As procurement officers seek to derive more value, a new approach from the Meetings Industry Association members is to guarantee to deliver exactly what their clients want.

With government committed to reducing carbon emissions in its estate, at a time when funding streams are squeezed, how can organisations’ cost and prioritise energy projects effectively? Asks Alan Aldridge of ESTA.

31 FIRE SAFETY Every second that something continues to burn, the greater the cost in repair and recovery writes Chris Downing, UK extinguishing product manager for Siemens Building Technologies.

83 GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS Open Source saves a bundle for Home Office; Open Data Institute plans announced.

33 OFFICE FURNITURE A new guide from the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) aims to make life easier when specifying and tendering for contract furniture for their organisation.

89 IT SECURITY Cybercrime reportedly costs the world an amazing $380 billion a year. Cyberattacks, security budgets and BYOD were all in the spotlight at InfoSecurity Europe this April, which demonstrated new ways to protect organisations and IT users from the threat.

39 STREET MAINTENANCE People care about the state of their streets, according to a recent survey conducted by YouGov for Living Streets.

96 INSIGHT SHOW

43 TRANSPORT - RAIL NEWS All-Party Parliamentary Group finds no alternative to High Speed 2; Network Rail must improve or face penalty says ORR.

Government Business

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As part of Marketing Week Live, the Insight Show takes place at Olympia on June 27/28. Delegates and will discuss the latest methodologies and techniques to provide knowledge through insight.

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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EDUCATION

NEWS IN BRIEF Is et voluptatust esciistione por aliquis eum hictur Priority Schools Building Programme Waste fines reduced alictotatur?

Essincti most berchictam apedipi Fines for householders who make chooses 261 schools in needaut faccupiet mistakes over putting their bins out The government has revealed 261 schools in England will receive money from the Priority School Building Programme, aimed at rebuilding the schools in the most serious state of disrepair. The scheme replaces Labour’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, which was cancelled by Education Secretary Michael Gove. Hundreds of schools with building plans were disappointed by that move.

The Priority School Building Programme has a £2bn budget for work to be done over five years. The BSF programme had been expected to cost £55bn. Gove had described the BSF programme as wasteful and over-bureaucratic.

After scrapping it, he set up a review of all school building plans which produced a report in April 2011. The announcement had been delayed - schools had expected to hear last December whether their applications for rebuilding work under the new scheme had been successful. More than half of those which applied were unsuccessful, but the government says some will get work done through other maintenance funds. In a written statement to

the House of Commons, Gove said 42 schools were being prioritised because they were in greatest need. These were those in the worst condition or special schools, he said.

“In tackling the challenges we face on school building, I have been determined to use the capital funding at my disposal to best effect, seeking value for money and efficiency from every pound spent.”

The areas getting the highest numbers of applications approved include Nottinghamshire with 15 projects and Kent with 14. Birmingham had made 16 applications; six were approved.

Sandwell had made 17 applications; three were approved. Some areas have had just one project approved, while none of Bolton’s five applications were successful.

The Department for Education says work on the 42 schools being prioritised will be paid for out of its capital spending budget, including efficiency savings from ongoing BSF projects.

The other projects are to be funded through Private Finance Initiatives tinyurl.com/cqu3b5v

GB News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

for collection have been reduced.

Residents will no longer face charges of over £100 for overfilling their bins.

Under plans first announced in the waste review last year, fixed penalties have been reduced from £75-£110 to between £60 and £80. Early payers could get this reduced to £40.

WASTE REVIEW

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Interactive Communites map

Community and voluntary groups are being encouraged to showcase how they are driving improvements in local services on a new interactive map. The ‘Communities in Action’ map now up and running online highlights local projects that are making a real difference and keeping much-loved assets such as community pubs, local shops and post offices alive. tinyurl.com/cr9jptt

Tighter rules aim to stop ‘off payroll’ appointments

IFS says Councils face an uphill struggle to replace Council Tax Benefit Government plans to localise the help that low-income families receive with their council tax while cutting funding for it by 10 per cent leave local councils with a tough challenge to design replacement schemes, according to a new report by IFS researchers.

With 5.9 million recipients, Council Tax Benefit (CTB) is more widely claimed than any other means-tested benefit or tax credit. The UK government is proposing to abolish CTB across Britain from 2013–14 and give local authorities in England, and the Scottish and Welsh governments, grants to create their own systems for rebating council tax to low-income families – though pensioners in England will have to be fully protected. These grants will be based on 90 per cent of what would have been spent on CTB in each area. A new report, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and published by the IFS, examines the likely effects of this

policy and the options available to councils.

Stuart Adam, a senior research economist at the IFS co-author of the report, said: “Councils have little experience or expertise in designing means-tested support schemes and very little time to do it. The fact that they also need to make these schemes work alongside Universal Credit, which is being introduced from October 2013, makes an already difficult challenge truly formidable.”

A key finding of the report is that ‘Localisation will further the government’s aims of allowing support to vary in line with local priorities and strengthening councils’ incentives to promote employment and growth. But it will also give councils an incentive to discourage low-income families from living in the area’ READ THE IFS REPORT

tinyurl.com/cae8zf9

New tighter rules governing ‘off payroll’ appointments in central government will be brought in this year, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has announced. The action comes after a review of Government departments and their arm’s length bodies revealed that over 2,400 key public sector appointees have been engaged off payroll, in some cases for more than ten years.

Fraud figures revealed

The National Fraud Initiative 2010/11 has identified almost £229 million of fraud, overpayments and errors. This is made up of £139 million for 2010/11 plus £90 million of outcomes not previously reported.

Over the same time period, £47 million of fraud, overpayments and error were identified in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, raising the UK-wide total to £275 million.

NATIONAL FRAUD INITIATIVE

tinyurl.com/c6tb6mx

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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HOUSING

More cash announced to address empty properties problem Further cash has been announced for communities to help tackle the blight of empty properties and bring them back into use. Following bidding processes, 20 successful councils will each receive a slice

of £60 million to tackle clusters of empty homes, and voluntary and community groups across the country will receive over £25 million to tackle individual empty properties in their area, ensuring that another 5,600 empty homes are lived in once again.

The number of long term empty homes has fallen to the lowest level since 2004, but with 720,000 empty homes across England, there is still more to do. Previous announcements have seen £70 million allocated to bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing, the appointment of TV presenter George Clarke as an independent adviser to the government on empty homes, and plans brought forward to allow councils to charge extra council tax on properties vacant for two years or more through the Empty Homes Premium.

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell said: “The number of empty homes in this country is a national disgrace - for every two families that need a home there is one standing empty.

Empty homes bring down a neighbourhood and attract vandals and fly-tipping, as well as being a waste of much needed housing.

“I’m delighted to announce this funding boost that will allow councils and community groups to bring these houses back to life and offer families a chance of a stable and secure home.

HOUSING - CIH CONFERENCE see page 59

LGA Summit nets climate deal Homes, roads and parks could all be better protected from the effects of climate change after an agreement was struck between ministers and local government.

An agreement between Defra, the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Local Government Association (LGA) called for vital public services to be better protected and emergency planning and social care made more resilient after signing a joint statement showing their commitment to adapt the country to climate change. The agreement was reached at a Climate Summit hosted by the LGA. To support councils the LGA is developing a new initiative, Climate Local, to drive and champion council-led action on climate change in a way which will ensure local authorities can get the best results.

TO READ MORE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/cbuqnoo

PROCUREMENT

Procurement MoU includes push for professional qualifications A Memorandum of Understanding cementing closer working and enhancing Government purchasing capability has been signed between UK Government Procurement and The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS).

The new MoU will serve as a significant boost for the Government procurement profession with both organisations agreeing to combine resources on areas of common interest, including lobbying and representation in support of the transformation of EU Procurement rules; collaborative work to optimise training and other procurement capability improvement programmes both within GPS, and where appropriate across Government; exploring ways to increase the percentage of civil service procurement staff that are professionally qualified, and; promoting government procurement initiatives, best practice tools and techniques to non-Government bodies, with any resultant income invested to improve the capability of UK civil service procurement staff.

John Collington, the Government’s chief procurement officer and head of the Government Procurement Profession said: “Continuous professional development and improvement in capability sits at the heart of the Procurement Reform Strategy. Given the size of the prize from better management of total procurement spend, in support of the Government’s deficit reduction and growth

NEWS IN BRIEF

GB News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Low Carbon heating grants for social landlords

priorities, there is an opportunity to ensure the UK Civil Service procurement profession, through delivery, is valued and appreciated at the very highest levels of office, now and for the future. Therefore, our desire to work with CIPS on a range of mutually beneficial objectives will enable both organisations to support the enhancement and capability of the profession. I sincerely believe that this MoU will further strengthen our current relationship and we in Government Procurement look forward to working with David and his staff over the next 12 months at a very exciting time for public procurement.”

David Noble, chief executive officer at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply said: “The public sector and professional procurement of goods and services is a key focus for the institute and we’re committed to support this agreement. I believe that excellent practice at national, regional and local government levels will reduce spending and offer significant value-add to departments struggling with the challenges and pressures of today’s public sector world.”

David Noble will continue to sit on the Cabinet office Procurement Reform Board as a non-executive, in an advisory capacity.

READ MORE ABOUT PROCUREMENT www.cips.org

A £10 million scheme aimed at getting low carbon forms of heating into the homes of social housing tenants is open to applications Following the success of the first social landlord competition under the Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme last year, DECC has launched the second round. The amount of money available has increased from £3million to £10million, with more time for social landlords to apply.

Registered providers for social housing such as local authorities and social housing associations will be able to bid for up to around £175,000 each.

Vincent Wedlock-Ward MBE, project officer at Southern Housing Group (Isle of Wight Region), a previous social landlord competition winner, said: “We received £175,000 from DECC under last year’s RHPP scheme which helped us replace old storage heating with air source pumps for 40 householders living off the gas grid.”

TO READ MORE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/d8b5qnw

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GB News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

LGA research says taxpayer’s care bill could double by 2030 The cost of care for the country’s rapidlyageing population is set to almost double in a generation unless Government introduces reform, local government leaders have warned. New analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) shows taxpayers would have to pay an additional £12 billion every year to fund care for the elderly by 2030. Currently, the annual bill to taxpayers is £14.5 billion, but the new figures

show that this will increase by 84 per cent to £26.7 billion in less than 20 years. This would see an average additional annual bill of £79 million for every council responsible for providing adult services or a further £230 for every man, women and child in the country.

In addition, more than a quarter of a million people could be left having to pay for their care costs – which can run into tens of thousands of pounds annually – without any

support from the state. This is an increase of 106 per cent, from the current number of 128,000 to 264,000. The figures have prompted fears that, without Government action, councils will be left unable to provide anything except for care and waste services.

This could mean ‘discretionary public services’, such as public toilets, leisure centres and parks, coming increasingly under threat as councils are forced to divert funding.

PENSION REFORM

GMB, Unison, Unite and the LGA reach a deal on the way forward for public sector pensions overhaul Local government employers and trade unions have reached a deal to overhaul the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), including plans to ditch payments linked to final salary.

GMB, Unison and Unite and The Local Government Association have announced an effective settlement designed to ensure council staff retain a generous pension while the retirement plan remains sustainable over the long-term.

The main new provisions of the proposed scheme, which if approved through consultations, would be up and running from 2014, are: A Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) scheme using CPI as the revaluation factor (the current scheme is a final salary scheme); accrual rate would be 1/49th (the current scheme is 1/60th); no normal scheme pension age, instead each member’s Normal Pension Age (NPA) would be their State Pension Age (the current scheme has an NPA of 65); average member contributions to the scheme would be 6.5 per cent (same as the current scheme) with the rate determined on actual pay (the current scheme determines parttime contribution rates on full time equivalent pay); while there would be no change to average member contributions, the lowest paid would pay the same or less and the highest paid would pay higher contributions on a more progressive scale after tax relief; Members who have already or are considering opting out of the scheme could instead elect to pay half contributions for half the pension, while still retaining the full value of other benefits. This is known as the 50/50 option (the current scheme has no such flexible option).

For current scheme members, benefits for service prior to 1st April are protected, including remaining ‘Rule of 85’ protection. Protected past service continues to be based on final salary and current NPA. Where scheme members are outsourced they will be able to stay in the scheme on first and subsequent transfers (currently this is a choice for the new employer). All other terms remain as in the current scheme.

Brian Strutton, GMB national secretary for public services, said “GMB members in the local government pension scheme will be relieved that at long last the uncertainty is over and they are able to see the future proposals for their pension scheme.

Jointly negotiated by employers and unions and ratified by government, I believe the proposals strike a fair balance between all the conflicting interests we have had to take into account.

“Most importantly I believe the proposals lay the foundation for continued sustainability of the LGPS, which government’s original proposals would not have done. In reaching this deal there have had to be compromises that will affect individuals differently, that’s why, after a period of briefing and consultation, GMB will formally ballot members on this joint offer so that they can decide whether or not it is acceptable”.

Sir Merrick Cockell, LGA chairman, said “The LGA’s objective in this process has been to ensure that the LGPS continues to be sustainable into the future by developing a set of proposals that are affordable for employers and council taxpayers while being fair to members.

Our aim in reaching agreement on these proposals was to give employers the future cost stability they need. In my view employers

can be confident that these proposals coupled with forthcoming cost control mechanisms meet that aim. Along with the LGPS unions we shared the goal of encouraging existing members to stay within the scheme and new employees to join, these proposals are an example of us working together to achieve such shared goals.”

Heather Wakefield, UNISON National Secretary Local Government, Police and Justice Section, said “The negotiations over LGPS 2014 have been long and tough and have taken place in a demanding political and economic climate. The process has shown that UNISON, the LGA and the other local government unions can work productively together in the best interests of LGPS members and potential members.

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FINANCIAL TRAINING

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Money Matters

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Public money is more important than ever and to manage it wisely, you need to have the right skills in place, says Sumita Shah, technical manager, public sector, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Governments worldwide are responsible for the provision of public services and for spending and receiving public money.

Public sector spending alone represents a large proportion of spending for most major economies. In the UK, it is nearly 60% of GDP. Public sector departments in the UK are currently engaged in providing very challenging and very diverse programmes of change. Officials that work within these departments are accountable for ensuring that public business is conducted in accordance with the law and that proper standards are maintained for the use of public money. Financial management, skills and competencies in the public sector are, therefore, more important than ever.

We are currently dealing with the biggest economic crisis which is having, not just, a financial impact, but also a social and political impact. Over the last few years, governments around the world have become increasingly exposed to financial reporting fraud leaving them exposed to financial fragility and thus needing publically funded bail-outs and increased debt servicing costs.

The crisis, both economic and financial has led to a number of debates and discussions about financial reporting, auditing and the quality and reliability of the financial statements of governments around the world. One of the biggest weaknesses around the world has been the lack of proper accounting structures to manage public finances and in particular, the wide-spread (continued) use of cash-based accounts.

ACCOUNTANTS KEY ROLE At the heart of all of these debates is the accountancy profession. Accountants have a key role to play in helping to spread accounting standards, manage financial structures and to manage finances within organisations. The private and public sectors are inextricably linked and therefore cannot function or prosper without each other.

Many of the factors that affect the private sector also affect the public sector although possibly in different ways. Integrity in the business is all-important. And the need to achieve value from information systems and manage assets and liabilities is a key must. All of this needs great leadership.

Finance is an important aspect of the key business processes within any organisation.

The profession has a key role to play in steering the stewardship and accountability systems that ensure that governments are conducting their business in the public interest and in an ethical manner. They also make an important contribution to the corporate governance of public services and ensure that public bodies manage their performance and use their resources wisely and in the public interest. It is perhaps a little obvious then to suggest that you need people with financial mind-sets to manage, control and shape the finances and to achieve the necessary cost reductions.

Ironically however, given the key role that accountants have to play in the running of the country’s finances, it is only recently that the UK has had qualified accountants leading each of its key finance functions. Would this have happened in the private sector?

Over recent years, the public sector has been grappling with issues around convergence of accounting and auditing standards to international standards, public private partnerships and with the protection of the volumes of information that they inevitably have to manage.

With these changes, government departments are now able to consider the

balance sheet and implications of policy decisions. This allows policy-makers to fully consider the costs of their business decisions, and obtain reliable cost data on the outputs they deliver. Reliable financial reporting information is available, but do managers know how to make the most of this data in supporting business decisions?

The last year or so has also been an interesting one for financial reporting in the UK, with the publication of the Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) which marks the first step towards full public disclosure of the health of UK’s public finances. WGA represents a new policy tool to help the UK Government and policy makers manage national debt.

Looking at the figures contained in the WGA, it brings home the breadth and depth of public finances and more importantly the challenges the UK faces as a nation. And they highlight just how important transparent financial information is for decision making.

But, the benefits of WGA as a planning tool have yet to be realised within government.

ARE THE RIGHT SKILLS IN PLACE? Challenges facing government departments include how to implement and improve financial management while managing a E

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

13

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14

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

FINANCIAL TRAINING E cost-cutting exercise across the board.

The NAO highlighted in a recent report that although departments have managed to make cuts and achieve some savings, they will be unable to maintain this as most of these cuts were short-term measures. The NAO also suggested that departments were not well placed to make further changes as their planning was ‘not based on a strategic view’.

So, with all of these challenges in the current environment, does the UK have the right leadership, culture, skills and capabilities in place to take the UK through these times of austerity? Budget cuts will likely lead to reductions in staff, so what does the public sector need to do to get through these challenging times?

Good financial management and reporting have always been central to the effective and efficient delivery of public services – at a time of reduced public confidence in public spending – the accountancy profession has an important part to play in the improvement of financial discipline and to restoring credibility to government finances and taxpayers’ money. Indeed the need for accurate and timely financial reporting to aid decision making has never been greater.

This especially at a time when government needs to plan for a reduction in the resources available to support expenditure plans.

Departments will therefore need to assess their delivery objectives and make sure that the skills of their staff align with their needs.

LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE The public sector needs to develop its managers to lead, in a diverse and changing environment. Leadership and culture are derived from a clear tone from the top, perhaps starting at the boardroom with the Chair and the Non-Executive Directors (NEDs). Board members should be taking a keen interest in improving financial knowledge in current times.

Finance directors need to able to communicate, engage and build effective

relationships with board members to help build confidence in the ability of the finance function to contribute to board-level decision-making. A strong finance director should be able to demonstrate strong leadership and commitment to improving financial understanding at board level as well as within and across departments.

of the organisation as a whole.

ICAEW has consistently called for greater transparency, better management information, improved accountability, better risk management and governance and allround financial awareness. It now calls for better skills and capabilities in government.

There needs to be strong financial management, integrated with INTEGRATION performance reporting if Mechanisms need to be put government is to succeed in into place to facilitate, its policy-making, planning te a v ri The p integrate and enable and delivering policy the implementation objectives. The finance d public sectors n a of effective financial function should be at ly b a are inextric management within the heart of the policy, re fo re e th d the organisation. delivery and decisionn a d e link Finance needs to be making role – finance’s r o n o ti c n cannot fu embedded throughout role is not just to account t each department, not for money after it has rosper withou p restricted to just the been spent, it needs to be ” r each othe finance function. Integration involved with projects from will help to provide a better the beginning before funds basis for priorities to be set and are committed. Strong financial will improve the visibility of costs management needs leadership from against delivery of outputs and outcomes. the top. Changes in culture, integration and embedding of the finance function throughout PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS the organisation, and communication and AND DEVELOPMENTS engagement at all levels is a must. Accounting It is important that financial management standards need to be applied and the quality within public sector organisations is led by of information improved to ensure consistency a dedicated, qualified and skilled team of and transparency. Developing staff and individuals. Departments need to retain highenhancing their skills and qualifications will quality staff and ensure that they continue be absolutely necessary to enable them to to be trained and developed. Staff will need stay in tune with the current environment to continuously enhance their skills and and learn to do more with less. L competencies to enable them to deal with the changing environment. They will need FURTHER INFORMATION to learn to operate with fewer resources.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is a professional ACCOUNTING STANDARDS membership organisation, supporting Financial reporting standards need to be over 138,000 chartered accountants applied appropriately to ensure that there is around the world. ICAEW was granted a consistency and transparency. High quality Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1880, systems and processes need to generate giving its members the right to use the timely and relevant information for key designation ‘chartered accountant’. decision-makers to drive the performance www.icaew.com

Money Matters

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Bring Your Own Device – business advantage or mobile anarchy? asks Sonicwall The consumerisation of IT has forced IT professionals to adapt to new technologies they do not control. No longer do technology innovations come first to corporations, where IT was firmly in charge. This consumerization of IT (as well as the budgetary incentive of offsetting inventory costs) has led companies to establish “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) policies that enable employees to select their own personal mobile devices for use at work.

Think of BYOD as the second wave of the consumerisation of IT. The first wave came when businesses began to embrace social media and created corporate pages on Facebook, marketing tweets on Twitter and recruiting on LinkedIn. Other factors driving the BYOD policy trend are the vast attraction of consumers to mobile devices, younger workers who want to work with familiar devices, and claims that BYOD may boost productivity. Anyone who hopes BYOD is just a fad will likely be disappointed. Organisations may encourage employees to use personal devices for work because it reduces the number of devices they must purchase.

IT managers and corporate executives alike have to look both ways before crossing the mobile security street. Otherwise, they risk being hit by either the hard costs associated with cyber-attacks or the soft costs of lost productivity and efficiency when mobile security is TOO tight. The costs are real on both sides of the equation.

How then, can businesses cope with the new wave of BYOD mentality, without exposing the company to massive or catastrophic risk? The issue, according to SonicWALL, is not one of control but of vulnerability. Too often, the existing security solutions that businesses deploy focus on control and blocking access. This is ill-suited to the world of mobile devices that are used both inside

and outside the firewall… like using a sledgehammer to drive a small nail. Too much control creates a sluggish, underperforming network and slows business. What’s worse – it creates an army of angry employees all demanding immediate access to the applications and data they need.

By deploying new technology that provides 360-degree insight into who and what is accessing a network – on a comprehensive, real-time scale – IT managers can avoid anarchy.

Instead, they can allow their business to assess, react and make access decisions based on vulnerability. These emerging security and access technologies can now accelerate business agility and performance.

So, the average Joe and Jane will still have access to the network from their favorite device …but any malware, unwanted data or application will not. And everybody wins.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: +44 1932 573 900 uk@sonicwall.com www.sonicwall.com

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

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by Dicky Davies, business development director, Lowell Group According to Credit Action, the national money education charity, outstanding consumer debt stood at £1.457 trillion at the end of February 2012, which makes the average amount owed per UK adult £29,671. And it is not just money owed to banks, building societies, credit card and loan companies; a significant amount is also owed to public sector organisations.

Public sector consumer debt covers everything from income tax, council tax, benefit overpayments, student loans and child support payments through to parking fines, library fines and unpaid TV licence fees.

For example, according to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, there is some £3.8 billion in unpaid child maintenance, which has accumulated over the 18-year life of the Child Support Agency.

Last year, local authorities in England collected £21.9 billion in council taxes by the end of March 2011 out of £22.5 billion due, which is a 97.3% success rate and without doubt a good performance. But to put matters into perspective, that still left around £600 million council taxes unpaid.

In an effort to improve debt recovery performance, some Government departments and local authorities are already outsourcing elements of their debt collection to specialist agencies, typically on a conventional commission basis. In fact HM Revenue & Customs recently signed a well-publicised deal with a number of debt collection agencies to collect £1.5 billion of debt.

ALTERNATIVE RECOVERY OPTIONS But are public sector organisations considering all of their options…and how do they go about choosing the right partner? There are current restrictions on selling debt but there are other options available to public sector organisations looking to maximise their debt recovery, including ‘outsource to sell’ and ‘right to collect’ – both offering ways to enjoy many of the benefits associated with selling debts without the full commitment of a sale and now both offered by Lowell, the UK’s leading debt purchase specialist.

Anticipating that current restrictions on selling debt might be lifted within the foreseeable future, Lowell Group has recently launched a commission-based ‘outsource to sell’ debt recovery service specifically with the public sector in mind. Outsource to sell allows

organisations to outsource accounts for collection on a commission basis initially, with the option to sell them to Lowell at a later date. It’s a chance for organisations to benefit from Lowell’s particular skills in collections and customer management without committing to debt sale.

With ‘right to collect’ agreements, legal ownership of the debts stays with the original creditor with the ‘purchaser’ being granted a licence to collect for a set period of time. As with debt sale, the original creditor realises value for the debt immediately rather than relying on an uncertain income spread over several years, so it improves cashflow. Also, for the period of the agreement the ‘purchaser’

takes responsibility for managing all queries on the account thus removing the relationship management costs from the seller. At the same time, this frees up in-house resources to be used more productively, for example by focusing more on recovering performing debt.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER When choosing the right partner for your debt recovery three important things to consider are; how experienced the company is, how they access and use data and the efficiency and accuracy of their tracing.

Lowell Group ticks all of these boxes. Formed in 2004, we have a strong track record, nine million customer accounts and a host of bespoke technology developed in-house – including our in-house automated tracing tool.

The Group’s significant customer base provides access to unrivalled data – in fact, if we don’t already have a relationship with your customers it’s highly likely that we’ll have some knowledge of them. Our unrivalled in-house tracing tool has been developed to filter out as many inaccuracies held across credit reference bureaux as possible. A highly automated system, it combines complex logic with multiple data resources – both internal and external – to ensure ultimate confidence in the results.

This is better for your business, as the automation delivers quicker results, but also better for the customer as we are able to deliver more accurate results.

Debt collection is a sensitive business and Lowell adheres fully to the stringent regulations and standards that apply to collections and ‘treating customers fairly’.

Also, whilst we are not officially regulated by FSA, the clients we work with are so we aim to meet these standards across the board.

Written by Dickie Davies, Lowell Group

IMPROVING DEBT RECOVERY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Debt Recovery

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

ABOUT LOWELL GROUP Lowell Group is widely regarded as the UK’s leading debt purchasing specialist and takes pride in its close transparent relationship with clients, fair treatment of customers, ethical approach to collections and reputation for excellent service.

Headquartered in Leeds, the Group employs more than 500 people across three state-of-the-art offices in Leeds and Preston. For the last four years Lowell Group has been ranked number one in an index of all the leading credit management and debt collection businesses in Europe compiled by industry consultants OC&C. The index takes into account both past performance and future strategy. L FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0113 285 6612 betterresults@lowellgroup.co.uk www.lowell.co.uk

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

UK and Iceland sign up to work closely on energy related issues Electricity derived from geothermal energy deep within Iceland’s volcanoes could be on its way to the UK in the future under an agreement signed recently.

UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry and his Icelandic counterpart Oddný Harðardóttir signed a memorandum of understanding in Reykjavik paving the way for Britain and Iceland to work more closely on energy and energy-related issues. One of those is the laying of an undersea cable for power transmission from Iceland to the UK, according to a statement from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Hendry visited the Hellisheidi geothermal field, located on an active volcanic ridge in the southwest of the country. The Hellisheiði Power Station in the field started operating in 2006 as the second largest geothermal power station in the world and the largest in Iceland. The plant produces 303 MW of electricity and 133 MW of hot water. The target is for a capacity of 400 MW, which would make it the largest geothermal power station in the world in terms of installed capacity, according to Iceland government statistics.

Iceland has five major geothermal power plants producing nearly 27 per cent of the

country’s electricity. Hydro-power produces the rest except for 0.1 per cent coming from fossil fuels. Geothermal heat also meets the heating and hot water requirements of 87 per cent of all buildings in Iceland.

“Today’s agreement will help pave the way for a closer relationship with Iceland, which I hope can yield significant benefits for the UK, including the development of geothermal power, greater use of interconnectors to transport energy under the sea, and developing oil and gas resources,” he said.

“This sort of approach can both enhance our energy security and deliver low-carbon electricity in an affordable way.”

In particular, the two countries pledged to exchange information on the development of the deep geothermal sector in the UK, including in the supply of heat to district heating networks.

Both countries will work with their respective ministries involved in international development on renewable energy projects in developing countries with a special focus on east Africa.

There will also be more trading of information regarding the development of the oil and gas industries, including offshore drilling.

Draft Energy plans unveiled The government has introduced its draft Electricity Market Reform as part of the second session Energy Bill. This is intended to address concerns over capacity, which is predicted to drop by 20 per cent over the next decade, and allow for an expected doubling in demand for electricity by 2050.

It has previously been stated that £110 billion of investment is required to meet UK requirements. The Department of Energy and Climate Change said the bill has been introduced in draft form to allow pre-legislative scrutiny. One of the proposals is to create a strike price (fixed level) for electricity generators through implementing a Feed-in Tariff with Contracts for Difference. This will be a new system of low-carbon generation revenue support, the DECC said, encouraging more investment in clean energy and removing

exposure to electricity price volatility Consumers will be able to claw back money from generators if the market price is higher than the strike price. The first strike prices will be included within the delivery plan scheduled for publication in 2013, when the Energy Bill is expected to gain Royal Assent. A further element is the proposal to establish a capacity market in order to reduce the likelihood of blackouts.

Renewable Energy Forum director Dr John Constable said the ERM will load electricity bills with expensive subsidies aimed at forcing lowcarbon investment and meeting targets. “The government says that its policies will deliver stable electricity prices, but what they really mean is that subsidy costs will send UK bills sky high and keep them there, regardless of what happens in the world energy markets. That’s not the sort of stability the UK economy needs.”

Energy News

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

ESTA’s Energy manager of the year announced Matt Hastings, energy manager of the Eden Project in Cornwall, has been crowned ESTA Energy Manager of the Year at a special celebration dinner held at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, on 22 May. The award is made annually by the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) to a person who has: identified potential energy efficiency savings; developed policies and measures to improve energy performance; secured investment in time/money for projects; informed and motivated customers, colleagues and/or the supply chain; promoted technology innovation; and implemented policies and measures to improve energy performance.On receiving his award, Matt said: “I want Eden to set a standard which changes the industry. We have set the bar high, not in the name of social responsibility but in the name of common sense. I’m privileged to be surrounded by many amazing people who have helped along the way, without whom I would not have won this award.”

Hastings has overhauled Eden’s technical assets (BEMS, boilers, HWS, inverters, biomass, LEDs, etc) and played a leading role in the planning for a 4MWe, 3.5MWth deepgeothermal power project on the site.

His energy awareness campaigns within the Eden Project made the organisation’s dinner lady a star and saw the Operations Director don a green latex cat suit and take on the alter-ego of ‘Captain Kilowatt’.

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Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

FUTURE CITIES: THE NEED FOR NEW KNOWLEDGE The BRE Trust is celebrating its tenth anniversary with the launch of a new three year thematic research programme called Future Cities, which looks at the range of challenges faced as people migrate to cities.

The BRE Trust is the largest UK charity dedicated specifically to built environment research and education. Projects have ranged from a study of the real cost of poor housing to a series of reports on the performance of micro- wind turbines in urban environments. The research findings are published as authoritative construction industry guidance documents.

“Our new programme Future Cities will look at the range of challenges we face across the globe as more people migrate to cities,” says BRE’s director of knowledge exploitation, Deborah Pullen.

“By 2050, 70 per cent of the world’s population will be living in urban environments. While these are often creative and productive places, they can be vulnerable to climate change, infrastructure failure, health problems, congestion and crime. We need a range of new knowledge to support positive city living.”

Cities account for only two per cent of global land mass but consume approx 80 per cent of resources used. The current global population

is around 6 billion and is forecasted to rise to 8.3 billion by 2030. Its not just an issue for developing countries - cities will also grow in the developed world by around 6 per cent. In the UK our population will grow from 62.3 million to 75 million by 2030.

The growth of cities will put resource use in the built environment under stress: energy & carbon emissions, water availability, waste disposal & recycling, traffic, healthcare, logistics and infrastructure.

What will these cities need?

“Coordinated and consistent policy objectives, standards & codes of practice will be key to developing cities that meet the lifestyle and business needs of the people and communities that will inhabit these new spaces. In terms of technology we’ll be looking at delivery of digital services sustainably, technology that has optimised interoperability.

We will need integrated supply chains with products and services which are fit for purpose as well as an understanding of the social & physical interactions in cities” says Pullen.

“There are many up and coming E

Future Cities Under the Future Cities programme the research will focus on three main areas with the aim of generating new knowledge that will help deliver the right outcomes.

Energy Supply & demand Renewable source and main grid integration, Operational efficiency & interoperability, Metering– active feedback loops and data security Infrastructure Estate management, upgrade and resilience, Digital Systems integration, Modelling and monitoring of performance Wellbeing Support for ongoing wellbeing, Thermal comfort and air quality, Adaptability

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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SUSTAINABILITY E challenges facing those involved with the built environment” says chairman of the Trust Sir Neville Simms.

“The problems of an ageing population and increased demands on healthcare in the home, the energy inefficient buildings that we live and work in, the ageing infrastructure that we plug into for light, heat and power, none of which can be entirely solved by new buildings or even by new ways of building. Information technology, high speed broadband and remote sensors are going to give utility suppliers the ability to manipulate our appliances remotely to reduce energy consumption and give doctors the ability to monitor our heartbeats remotely. This will have a profound influence on the way we build and refurbish our environment and form communities of the future. These ideas need rigorous and robust science behind them and the BRE Trust Future Cities programme will ensure that the appropriate information, knowledge and tools are available.”

The BRE Trust programme will run for three years. It will receive £1.5M BRE Trust funding per annum with £2M+ leveraged funding (public and private). Over twenty partners are already engaged, attracting £1.2M additional funding and new partners still being sought.

The BRE Trust was set up in 2002 to advance built environment knowledge, innovation and communication for public benefit. Headed by Chairman Sir Neville Simms FREng, the Trust’s governing board of thirteen members currently comprises senior academics, CEOs and senior board members from a range of organisations – including CLG, Imperial College, Construction Skills, Birmingham University, International Power, Arup Foundation, M&S, WRAP, Wates, Travis Perkins and Barratt Developments.

The Trust uses profits generated by BRE Group companies to commission research projects into key issues facing the built environment sector. chairman of the BRE Trust Committee Professor John Burland explains: “The primary objective of the BRE Trust is to support the research that is vital to preserving and enhancing the built environment and the health, safety and wellbeing of all who live, work and relax in it. The BRE Trust-funded research ensures that industry has access to the peer-reviewed evidence-based information, knowledge and tools that it needs to ensure a healthy, safe and sustainable built environment.

It also ensures that there is up-to-date robust science behind current UK Government initiatives such as the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions through ‘The Green deal’ and Feed-in-tariffs scheme. L FURTHER INFORMATION If you would like to know more about the research programmes run by the BRE Trust please go to www.bretrust.org.uk or email futurecities@bre.co.uk

About the BRE Trust As well as running research programmes the Trust provides financial support to five University Centres of Excellence. These advance knowledge through research in the areas of Energy utilisation (Strathclyde University), Innovative construction materials (Bath University), Sustainable design of the built environment and Sustainable engineering (Cardiff University) and Fire safety engineering (Edinburgh University).

In addition, the Trust has supported more than 70 PhD students at these and other universities. The Trust’s other activities include the delivery of a free ‘Sustainability in action’ course to school children in support of the national curriculum. This is presented at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford and to date more than 5400 students from 235 schools have participated in the programme. In 2009 the Trust created the free, online sustainability journal, building4change.com, which now has more than 45,000 subscribers. It has also given financial support to two projects with a remit to generate knowledge on the best ways of sustainably refurbishing the UK’s existing homes – these are the BRE Victorian Terrace demonstration project and the National Refurbishment Centre.

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

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FACILITES FM - ENERGY MANAGEMENT REDUCTION

MAKING ENERGY REDUCTION PAY The Greening Government commitments supersceded the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) programme in April this year. These new targets included one of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent from a 2009-10 baseline. These savings are to be achieved from “the whole estate and business-related transport.”

Given how notoriously difficult it seems to be to cut transport emissions, it would not be surprising if the main area for savings were the buildings owned or tenanted by government departments. In addition, the central government office estate has to become ‘carbon neutral’ by next year – 2012.

A further 25 per cent on top of savings already achieved is no mean feat, especially given the restrictions on expenditure following the Comprehensive Spending Review. Yet there are a number of options open to the public sector that can achieve a return on investment of more than 30 per cent. Against that background, perhaps the targets are not unattainable after all.

SEEKING BEST VALUE The main options are to cut back on consumption or to invest in renewable energy. Much attention has been given recently to the possibilities of installing onsite renewables. The Feed In Tariffs (FITs) and now the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) offer participants grants or preferable rates in order to reduce the level of investment and decrease the payback period. While renewables are clearly going to form a significant part of our power supply over the coming years, does investment in these technologies today represent best value compared with, say, energy efficiency?

Well, FITs are based on a return on investment (ROI) of just eight per cent, or

RETURN ON TECHNOLOGIES Clearly, the payback on different measures will vary according to the complexity and size of the installation. Yet for some basic measures, like automatic Monitoring & Targeting (aM&T) – and without some form of monitoring and targeting system there is no real way to prioritise and measure improvements – payback can often be measured in months rather than years. Remember that by 2015, virtually all public buildings where the public has access will need annual assessments of energy performance which then have to be on public display in the form of Display Energy Certificates (DECs). Many of the newer aM&T systems can produce these certificates automatically, amortising the cost still further.

While there are a wide range of technologies available, some have fairly universal application. We all need lighting; indeed in many modern buildings lighting is one of the main electricity loads. Now while most organisations will by now have installed low energy lighting (in the form of compact fluorescents or high efficiency strip lighting) this can still involve waste of energy. Any light that is on unnecessarily is wasting money. The way to ensure that this does not happen is to have an effective system of control. Energy controls vary from simple on/off timeswitches, through presence detectors (for storage areas or intermittently used spaces for example) and daylight sensors to sophisticated zone controls integrated with a Building Energy Management System (BEMS). Once again payback and ROI will vary but there is plenty of evidence from real installations that a comprehensive control system can cut lighting energy by up to 30 per cent.

Another technology that has wide application is the inverter or variable speed drive (VSD). Conventional motors operate best when working flat out; as output is reduced, the efficiency of operation falls too. In fact, most systems involving motors are oversized at the outset to allow for changes in usage and loading over time. So the chances are that the motors in a host of items of equipment, E

Written by Alan Aldridge, executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA)

With government committed to reducing carbon emissions in its estate, at a time when funding streams are squeezed, how can organisations cost and prioritise energy projects effectively?

over 10 years to achieve a simple payback on investment. While the proposals for the RHI are slightly more generous with an ROI of around 12 per cent, you still will not see a return on the investment before 2020.

The comparison with energy efficiency technologies could not be more striking. ESTA members regularly report an ROI of more than 30 per cent on projects they are engaged in.

Facilities Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Any light that is on unnecessarily is wasting money. The way to ensure that this does not happen is to have an effective system of control. Energy controls vary from simple on/off timeswitches, through presence detectors.

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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MT Waste Management Limited Countrywide House, Unit 3 Kingston Business Park, Dunfermline Court, Kingston, Milton Keynes MK10 0BY Tel: 0845 643 5070 Fax: 0845 643 5080 Email: info@mtwaste.co.uk Web: www.mtwaste.co.uk

Delivering bespoke recycling and waste management solutions for your business.

MT Waste Management is one of the UK’s leading waste management services providers; a family owned business, our portfolio of services include: n Free waste audits n Waste reduction & handling equipment n Recycling of all waste streams n Legal compliance & Duty of Care n Management Information n Environmental & recycling reporting n We will reduce your costs n We will divert your waste from landfill – great for improving your CSR n We will recycle your waste n We will ensure your compliance and fulfil your duty of care.

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

Facilities Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

FM - ENERGY REDUCTION E from lifts to air conditioning fans to pumps, are not working as efficiently as they should.

VSDs tackle this problem by matching the motor energy consumption to output. Studies suggest that VSDs achieve simple payback between three to 12 months of installation and are capable of reducing motor energy consumption by up to 70 per cent (as well as improving the ‘fine control’ of motor load).

They can also ensure longer motor life.

PRESENTING THE CASE The finance departments of many organisations set a standard level of return which proposals must exceed before investment committees will consider them.

According to the Carbon Trust, the vast majority of large businesses have an Internal Rate of Return (see box) of under 30 per cent, although a number who were surveyed by the Trust actually approved investments with an IRR of just 12 per cent.

The Trust also calculated that most large organisations have the potential to save at least 15 per cent of their energy. The technologies that will allow them to achieve this typically have IRRs of 48 per cent. So these investments are likely to outperform most of those commonly approved. Yet they are often ignored or rejected. Why?

There seems to be a problem of perception amongst senior managers. The same Carbon Trust study interviewed a number of chief financial officers and found that attitudes to energy efficiency were subject to two questionable assumptions. First, most did not see energy as a ‘material cost’ despite the continuing impact on their operations from sharply rising and volatile prices (energy regulator Ofgem suggests that prices could rise by 40 per cent by the end of the decade).

The second reason was that most of them felt energy efficiency offered relatively low returns compared to other investment options. When asked to estimate the average IRR of a number of energy efficiency projects, almost two thirds (64 per cent) of the CFOs interviewed gave an average figure of just 20 per cent – way below the 48 per cent in the recommendations commonly offered by Carbon Trust advisers.

The moral is: you have to get your figures straight and be prepared to challenge misinformed assumptions about energy efficiency.

My bank account does not give me a 30 per cent rate of return on my investment – I don’t know of any that do. But energy efficiency will – and it continues to save money year on year. L

Financial metrics PAYBACK – the amount of time before the savings match the initial investment ROI – The return on investment is the benefit (return) divided by the cost of the investment. The result is expressed as a percentage.

IRR – The internal rate of return is the rate of growth a project is expected to generate. While the actual rate of return that a given project ends up generating will often differ from its estimated IRR, a project with a substantially higher IRR than other available options would still provide a much better chance of strong growth NPV – net present value compares the value of a pound spent today to what it would be worth in the future, taking inflation and project returns into account.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.esta.org.uk

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Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

IF ONLY I COULD get what I want... ...a video environment designed around MY needs.

You can! With partnership accreditation from the world’s top manufacturers, Saville designs and builds tailored video conferencing and telepresence rooms to your exact specifications. We also provide desktop and mobile solutions plus a complete range of managed services. If you’ve got questions about conferencing, Saville has all the answers.

Call us today and find out how easy it can all be.

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Power Protection Solutions for Mission Critical Applications Renewable Energy Systems Established in 1991 as SIEL UPS Systems Ltd, our recent change of name to SIEL Energy Systems reflects our expanded capability within the Renewable Energy Sector as well as our continued growth in our traditional specialist field of UPS Systems (UPS), Central Power Systems (CPS) and Static Transfer Switches (STS) for mission critical applications.

Supply, Installation & Maintenance: - Uninterruptible Power Systems: 500VA - 6MVA - Static Transfer Switches: 13Amps - 2000Amps - Central Power Systems: 2kVA - 200kVA - PV Inverters: 1kWp - 1MWp SIEL Energy Systems Ltd SIEL House, Draycott Business Park, Cam, Glos. GL11 5DQ Telephone: 0845 130 6118. Fax: 01453 899215 enquiries: sielenergy.co.uk www.sielenergy.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

FM NEWS

New facilities management event launched

by UBM to take place in October at Olympia Connecting professionals from across the facilities, estates and property management industry, The FM Event will launch this October at London’s Olympia (10 – 11 October 2012).

Produced by UBM Live in association with the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), The FM Event has been created to help address current issues developing within FM and shape the future of the profession. The event will draw together thought leaders to debate current issues such as sustainability, internationalisation and the progression of women within FM. Building upon the successes of Total Workplace Management which ran at London Olympia for seven years, The FM Event will focus on facilitated networking, increasing knowledge-sharing and making new business connections, the three top priorities identified by the senior FM community.

To facilitate this in 2012, UBM Live has invested in a high-level, peer-to-peer networking programme. There has also been further investment in to the production of free-to-attend conference-quality seminars that will compliment the new networking areas attracting this VIP FM audience.

BEG-Logo_LUXOMAT_CYMK_300_130608Page 1

02.11.2009

11:03:31

Mark Rimmer, event director for The FM Event said: “The FM Event will challenge conventional thinking on FM and pave the way for the future of the profession by bringing together the real pioneers of change in the sector.

“We have listened closely to the needs of our visitors to Total Workplace Management, conducting research among senior FMs from across the private and public sectors, including retail, healthcare, entertainment, transport, education and local councils. A key finding from both independent, post-show research and active discussions on social media, was the desire for facilitated networking whereby visitors can focus on specific discussions about vital issues with like-minded colleagues.”

To achieve this UBM is developing new, dedicated networking spaces on the show floor and inviting VIP delegates in tandem with industry bodies and associations to a series of breakfast briefings, round table discussion forums and open networking sessions. The FM Event will provide a successful business platform for the facilities management profession to increase their knowledge-base and establish new business relationships

Facilities Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

as well as the opportunity to check out the latest product and service innovations from the industry’s leading suppliers. Names already signed up for the show include Viridor, KONE plc, Office Depot, LTT Vending, Nationwide Gritting Services, Grundon Waste Management and Balcan Engineering.

Gareth Tancred, CEO of BIFM said: “For the profession to continue moving forward, FMs must keep talking and learning from one another. The FM Event will play a key role in this by facilitating a professional environment for FMs to share best practice, as well as keep abreast of the latest issues, trends and technologies facing our industry.”

The event is strategically positioned in London and will co-locate with Energy Solutions, Building Services - the CIBSE Conference & Exhibition and the inaugural Global Security Summit.

Also taking place at the event is the Innovation & Sustainability Awards, which aim to highlight sustainable products and services that support the effective and efficient management of a workplace.

For further information, visit the web site at www.thefmevent.com.

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Where cables can’t go…XPander can

ww.apollo-fire.co.uk

FULLY APPROVED CERTIFIED PRODUCT • Listed properties and architecturally sensitive buildings • Outbuildings, for example barns and conversions • Temporary structures such as show marquees • Annexes

XPander wireless fire detectors provide a reliable solution for buildings where cables are inappropriate. XPander uses tried and tested radio technology for two way communication.

XPander is an extension to XP95 or Discovery systems. By means of a simple interface on the loop, wireless detectors, call points, sounders and beacons can be added to the wired detection system.

Since the wireless interface is transparent to the control panel XPander is a fully addressable system – just wireless.

To find out more: www.apollo-fire.co.uk/xpander call us on: +44 (0)23 9249 2412 email us at: marketing@apollo-fire.co.uk

FIRE SAFETY

Fire Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

FIRE DETECTION - SUITED TO THE ENVIRONMENT?

Every second that something continues to burn, the greater the cost in repair and recovery.

Chris Downing, UK extinguishing product manager for the Siemens Building Technologies division, looks at why those in the public sector should ensure fire detection and extinguishing systems are suited to their environment to be at their most reliable, responsive and effective.

A robust fire detection system saves lives.

The sooner a fire can be detected, the sooner people can be evacuated. However, perhaps a bigger issue nowadays is avoiding false alarms and the alarm apathy they create. Further reliance is placed on the detection system when this controls an automatic extinguishing solution as unnecessary deployment can be costly, disruptive and environmentally unsound.

WHAT IS THE RISK? To ensure a fire system is best suited to the environment it is brought in to protect, what is likely to burn and what is going to be the signal that it is burning needs to be considered. Depending on the combustible, the fire’s ‘fingerprint’ could be heat, visible flames, smoke – of varying colours – or any combination of these, including carbon monoxide. Being on the lookout for this ‘fingerprint’ allows detectors to differentiate between normal fluctuations in the environment, e.g. rise in temperature and air flow, and the abnormal such as fire. This minimises false alarms without compromising on accuracy.

For example, the smoke given off by burning paper which may be a significant combustible in public sector offices, is almost invisible to the eye, whereas tyres give off black smoke and electronic components generally produce a whitish-

grey smoke. Knowing what combustion products will be generated means the detection can be tuned to the risk.

EFFECTIVE EXTINGUISHING While detection can mean the fire is readily identified, early deployment of an extinguishant can reduce the amount of fire damage and the consequences on business operations. Many sites will benefit from an extinguishing system using inert gases, such as pure nitrogen, which work well across a

in this case, with carbon dioxide perhaps being the most effective but with life safety implications that should not be ignored.

Siemens pioneered a mist enhanced gas system, part of the Sinorix range of solutions, which performs better than carbon dioxide and is human safe, making it ideal for such applications. In addition, this system is also suited to generator rooms and similar facilities to avoid the risks associated with CO2. It should therefore be considered for these important areas of public sector buildings.

For sites housing critical computer systems, fire safety systems can be further adapted to minimise damage. The noise created by a gas system discharging can impact modern hard drives, potentially interrupting the very business it was brought in to protect.

Siemens has therefore created the ‘Sinorix Silent Nozzle’, which enables effective extinguishing to be implemented, without the issues associated with today’s IT hardware.

Whether an inert gas, carbon dioxide, a watermist solution or chemical agent, customers base their choice on personal preferences, precedent and the past, their environmental attitude, available storage space, cylinder location, and, of course, cost.

Sadly such decisions are sometimes made on misinformation or outdated technology and this is where a trusted partner, with a broad technology portfolio, is invaluable.

With the public sector facing tight budgets,

The noise created by a gas system discharging can impact modern hard drives, interrupting the very business it was brought in to protect. range of applications. By displacing air, inert gases flush out a great deal of the smoke and other by-products of combustion (soot, acid gases etc.) so go further to protect the asset as well as aid post-fire recovery, which is crucial in helping minimise the impact of a fire on an organisation.

PROTECTION OF ASSETS Some sites require a more tailored approach.

For example, archives such as in libraries and other public buildings, which contain irreplaceable, high value material. Gaseous systems are the most suitable extinguishant

it can be hard to see the added value of operating an innovative, efficient system that will hopefully never have to be used.

But with statistics showing that 70 per cent of private sector businesses go into liquidation within three years of having a major fire, it is a clear risk with huge ramifications. By working in partnership with experts, public sector organisations can be sure to implement the most appropriate option to meet their individual needs L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.siemens.co.uk/buildingtechnologies

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

3 Office Furniture Installation 3 Office Furniture storage 3 Office Relocation 3 Full IT support services 3 Office Furniture reconfiguration 3 File Storage & Retrieval 3 Office Furniture Repairs 3 Office Furniture recycling & ethical disposal

Resource Furniture Services Ltd

Westminster Industrial Estate, 13 Westfield Street London SE18 5PH 020 8855 5055 email: services@rfsinstall.co.uk Contact: Jerry Dean or Nick Hawkins

www.rfsinstall.co.uk

FURNITURE SPECIFICATION

INTRODUCING FIRA SPECIFIER SERVICES

Office Furniture

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

A new guide from the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) aims to make life easier when specifying and tendering for contract furniture The Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) has received many comments from those within the furniture industry regarding the problems of selecting furniture for non-domestic settings. As a result, FIRA has developed a unique Specifiers’ Guide; a free, easy to use online portal that provides clear, concise and accurate information to support those specifying, developing or reviewing tenders for non-domestic and contract furniture.

Buying furniture for a non-domestic setting such as a hospital waiting area, an office or a restaurant is deceptively complex. A multitude of factors need to be taken into consideration to ensure suitability, from the performance of the supplier to that of the actual product. Compliance to relevant British, EU and ISO Standards can help to ensure that products are safe and fit for purpose. As these Standards are updated regularly, tenders for contract and non-domestic furniture can easily specify misleading or inappropriate standards and requirements. Consequently, this can lead to stretched time scales and communication issues between specifiers and their suppliers.

ACCURATE INFORMATION The new FIRA Specifiers’ Guide aims to combat this problem by providing clear, in various environments within the UK concise and accurate information on how non-domestic and contract market. This will to specify furniture, whilst highlighting the include furniture for hotels, offices, hospitals, aspects that need to be considered to ensure restaurants, prisons and much more. The that furniture is fit for the intended purpose. website will also provide up-to-date The Specifiers’ Guide consists of information on the most current a searchable online database Standards for typical items and technical specification of contract and none h T creation feature, which domestic furniture. will contain details of the Developing furniture Specifiers’ most commonly specified specification and a f o s Guide consist non-domestic and tender documents can ne contract furniture and time consuming searchable onli ical be their credentials. Users and confusing. n h c te d n will be able to pick the FIRA’s knowledge of database a tion current product that they want legislation, cification crea e sp to specify, select relevant standards and best feature criteria and then create a practice in the furniture technical specification PDF industry, combined which will list the standards that with its understanding of they need to specify for. This feature environmental and ergonomic will enable specifiers to find suitable issues, means that they are wellproducts more efficiently and effectively positioned to provide expert assistance. and be assured that the products meet The Guide provides information on all the ergonomic, fire safety and performance different certification and accreditation requirements which tenders specify. schemes associated with the UK market The free online guide offers up-to-date (in the first instance) e.g. the Furniture advice on how to specify furniture for use Industry Sustainability Programme, British

“

”

Furniture Contract Association (BCFA) Product Accreditation scheme, and FIRA Gold Certification Scheme for products and installation services. The information is kept up-to-date by FIRA, providing specifiers with the peace of mind that they have the most current information to specify products that are fully fit-for-purpose and certificated by a third party as appropriate.

The online guide is not just a handy tool for contract furniture specifiers; it is also an easy-to-use resource for anyone who develops, designs or manufactures furniture for non-domestic settings.

Furniture manufacturers will also be able to use the guide to gather information on the correct standards which they must fulfil in order to complete tenders, whilst keeping up-to-date with criteria which specifiers are looking for when selecting products.

This will lead to greater understanding of desired product characteristics and certification requirements. L FOR MORE INFORMATION The Specifiers’ Guide became available on 31st May for further information visit www.specifierservices.co.uk

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Demountable staging...

Simple and quick to build - only the deck panels weigh more than a bag of sugar, yet will take the weight of a 3m x 2.25m grand piano.

Heights up to 600mm (2ft) in increments of 50mm (6ins) are standard.

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Reversible panels measure 750mm (30ins) wide x 900mm (36ins) deep and fit onto supporting rails.

Classroom furniture... chair and desk Robust, stacking chair and tilt-adjustable desk. Chair can be supplied on a range of bases and beams. State-of-the-art plastics mouldings create durable, posturally correct and comfortable classroom solutions.

workstations For versatile and comfortable classrooms. Our unique saddle combines with a tilt-adjustable writing surface and either a fixed height or height-adjustable wheeled base (as shown).

tip ‘n’ store Perfect for the Refectory. Castors make wheeling units into position and into storage - safe, effortless and quick. Simply tip them onto their castors, queue them up and roll them to wherever they’re needed.

saddle For music rooms, labs, ICT suites, art studios... Anywhere where a healthy, alert, comfortable posture can be of benefit to the performance levels of your students.

For news and details... www.aalborgdk.com

The Aalborg range of furniture is available worldwide. Please contact us • To arrange a product demonstration • For detailed product information • For details of your nearest approved stockist.

T: +44 (0)7768 931016 or +44 (0)7800 912426 E: info@ah07.com www.ah07.com

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BACK PAIN: WHY CAN’T SOMETHING BE DONE ABOUT IT?

Office Furniture

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Why do so many office workers complain about back pain? They go home in pain, stay away from work, and sometimes need to have spinal operations at huge expense and many take months or years to recover. Why do we get back pain? And why isn’t something done about it?

A very few postural ergonomists have been telling us, warning us and showing us why for over 60 years. It was recognised in Sweden 60-70 years ago that we all sat too low at our desks and that both chairs and desks needed to be both higher and adjustable to suit individual stature.

Strange that the Swedish Police forces were the first to have been issued with correct chairs and desks. These were grown men, but like many officers under stress, they often sat at desks for very long hours, originally sitting in uncomfortable postures determined by bad chairs and desks. Furniture designed to look good and to last, but not to provide a good sitting position. This was before most of us even began to spend our leisure slouched in front of the TV and exercise less.

Furniture designers in the 1950s and 60s often used dimensional data provided by the American Henry Dreyfuss. All correct statistically, but illustrated in a manner which indicated an upright and flawed posture.

Nobody noticed that the 90/90 posture, which appeared alongside the dimensions, bears no relation to how our bodies actually work.

What about the angles? No understanding of how the ischia (bum bones) and hips interact to give either lordosis, the balanced curvature of the spine or kyphosis which is the slouched curvature of many. Most did not nor still understand that the hip joint only allows a curvature of 60 degrees, leaving the remaining 30 to be achieved by frontal compression of the lower three discs. The vital interaction between the Ischia and seat affects posture. Most office chairs are both of the wrong profile and too soggy.

UNDERSTANDING THE MESSAGE Well two notable persons did understand.

Dr Chresten Mandal a surgeon suffering himself from back pain, from Klampenborg, Copenhagen and Professor Dr Nigel Corlett from Nottingham University worked, lectured and wrote tirelessly from all parts of the world for over 50 years.

Meanwhile, designers and manufacturers understood less than half the message. They began to call new products ‘ergonomic’ without the faintest idea of what that

Incorrect posture

meant. Worse still, the Society of Ergonomics spawned ‘professors’ whose profession and training had covered many man/workplace relationships but infrequently that of posture. Several obtaining grants for often inconclusive short term research. Industrialists must begin to use universities with more understanding, and not be swayed by jargon.

OK, but most desks and chairs do comply with international standards, which are revised periodically. Most recently FIRA (Furniture Industry Research Association) recognised that because people were now on average taller than thirty years ago, the height of desks should be raised so that everyone could actually get their knees underneath.

In itself this recognition was thirty years too late and provided no recognition for the need to match the desk/chair relationship.

CHAIR/DESK RELATIONSHIP Those companies supplying the better and frequently very expensive chairs do spend time setting them up for customers, but often the very adjustments are so complex that staff are

Correct posture

perplexed and frequently fail to understand the range of adjustments and how they affect long term outcomes. So we adjust the chairs, but what about desks? In Scandinavia one very rarely sees fixed height desks and many with electric lifts enable users to either stand or to sit at work, a choice facilitating variation according to the task. Many also prefer use of height adjustable saddle stools which by encouraging an ‘open’ posture and a balanced stance, which also alleviate neck pain when used with computer screens set at eye level.

Some 40-60% of workplace absenteeism results from back pain, much of it results from sitting badly, often from an early age. Rotten school chairs have led to increasing distress in children as young as six or seven years. When the country needs money, we all need to have a balanced view and not waste it in hospital. L FOR MORE INFORMATION T: 07768 931016 or 07800 912426 E: info@ah07.com W: www.ah07.com

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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workplace solutions ◆ Furniture Solutions for Major Government Departments ◆ Design and Manufacture ◆ Renovation and Refurbishment ◆ Onsite Repairs and Maintenance ◆ Space Planning and Interior Design ◆ Change Management, Relocation and Churn ◆ Rental and Short Term Loan Arrangements ◆ Inhouse Reuse and Recycling Facilities

◆ Unique joint initiative between Amaryllis

and Ministry of Justice Prison Industries

◆ Remanufacturing and reusing surplus

furniture for public sector buyers

amaryllis group Amaryllis House, Montrose Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6TE Tel: 0844 800 6326 www: amaryllisgroup.com

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GREENER FURNITURE SOLUTIONS

Office Furniture

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Amaryllis is leading the field in developing innovative solutions for public sector buyers. As well as offering a wide range of office furniture solutions, the company has developed a variety of options such as rental, onsite repairs as well as renovation and reuse to maximise the useful life of customers’ furniture and equipment assets.

Reform is the brand name for a new initiative between the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and Amaryllis.

The venture offers buyers the opportunity to purchase office furniture remanufactured by prisoners - a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to purchasing new.

Items are condition-scored and catalogued to create a stock inventory, before being marketed, either in their current state or renovated to an ‘as new’ condition by prisoners at Kirkham. As many of the desks in stock consist of larger L-shaped workstations, prison workshops are remanufacturing these items into straight desks – a more popular alternative as facilities managers seek to maximise valuable floor space.

In a challenging financial climate, the new venture offers an effective route to market for buyers seeking to maximise workspaces while minimising expenditure and demonstrating commitment to ‘green’ initiatives. The project also creates extra purposeful work and skills development opportunities for prisoners - a key element in the Government’s Green Paper Breaking the Cycle: Effective Punishment, Rehabilitation and Sentencing of Offenders.

As demand increases, workshop capacity will be expanded to other prisons. Amaryllis is also working with NOMS to develop material reclamation and recycling facilities for items that are beyond economic repair - thereby helping create further opportunities for prisoner employment.

“This new joint venture demonstrates our commitment to work in partnership with our public sector clients,” explained David King, MBE, chief executive at Amaryllis.

“We are making a significant investment in this new initiative as it supplements our existing reuse and recycling activities.”

Amaryllis has led the field in the reuse of furniture and equipment having established a dedicated, specialist operation handling over 10,000 tonnes of items as far back as 2005. The company has received considerable acclaim for its activities having been a finalist

Unlike temporary solutions which can be expensive unless renting a product for all but a few days, Amaryllis’ green rental programme includes long term options inclusive of onsite service. at the Premises and Facilities Management Awards in 2005 for ‘Partners in Sustainability’ with the Department for Work and Pensions and winners in 2008 with British Airways.

Amaryllis is also offering an innovative rental programme. Unlike many temporary solutions which can be expensive unless renting a product for all but a few days, Amaryllis’ green rental programme includes long term options inclusive of onsite service.

“Our solutions are based on reusing redundant furniture and equipment,” explains Joanna Knight, sales and marketing director at Amaryllis, “Our environmental clearance and disposal business has actually

created our rental programme. We evaluate all products arriving at our recycling centre for reuse potential. Items may be renovated or completely remanufactured to create an ‘as new’ product.

Many clients are looking for temporary furniture solutions — from a few weeks up to a couple of years. We can offer a range of highly cost effective options and customers have the added benefit of knowing that the product is ‘green’ and will be reused and / or recycled at the end of the contract term.” L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.amaryllisgroup.com

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Urban Regeneration Urban Regeneration causes local authorities to turn to street furniture to enhance their open spaces.

Woodscape have been part of numerous schemes from the Blackpool Comedy Carpet to the Town Hall, Liverpool.

These schemes demonstrate their ability to achieve the overall aesthetic of a scheme whilst working within the constraints of budgetary requirements.

Woodscape continue to design and manufacture at their new premises in Blackburn, both standard and bespoke high quality exterior furniture and structures manufactured from Naturally Very Durable Hardwood, available with FSCÂŽ Chain of Custody Certification.

Our in house experts not only work with the world’s most robust timbers but also with materials such as Bronze, Stainless Steel, Duplex Steel and many more to achieve high quality and appealing products.

Woodscape Ltd 1 Sett End Road West Shadsworth Business Park Blackburn Lancashire BB1 2QJ Tel: 01254 685185 Fax: 01254 671237 Web: www.woodscape.co.uk Email: sales@woodscape.co.uk

Street Maintenance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

EXTERNAL WORKS

THE WORD ON THE STREETS

People care about the state of their streets - they are the one local service that everyone uses. The appearance of the local area is a major source of public concern in itself – as big a concern as terrorism, according to recent Keep Britain Tidy research – but also a barometer for other issues in a recent survey conducted by YouGov for Living Streets.

COMMON PROBLEMS Though everyone notices poorly kept streets – only 5 per cent of people surveyed did not notice any of the common problems cited on their local streets – we already know that obstructions and uneven pavements affect older and disabled people most acutely, while young people are disproportionately affected by the poor perceptions of personal safety which accompany run-down streets.

Strikingly, the YouGov figures show that 46 per cent of 18-24 year olds and 51 per cent of 25-34 year olds would walk more in their local area if the streets were safer and more attractive – following on from a recent ICM poll showing that 30 per cent of 18-24 year olds are deterred from walking by feeling unsafe on their streets.

Beyond the immediate value of safe, attractive, enjoyable streets, there are broader questions for the role of local authorities in providing place leadership. Street management can make or break a council’s reputation: as pointed out by the Local Government Association, residents’ satisfaction with street cleaning is a better predictor of overall satisfaction with the council than all other

Image: Living Streets / Kuljinder Pank

The state of our streets is a window on people’s relationships with a place. A third of British adults (34 per cent) agreed that they would walk more in their local area if the streets were kept in better condition, while more than a fifth (22 per cent) said that they would be likely to do more of their shopping locally.

Yet budgetary constraints are putting front line street scene services under increasing pressure, and Living Streets, the national charity that stands up for pedestrians, is launching a new programme of work to make the case that the state of our streets is now more important than ever. Living Streets, with mutual support from partners such as English Heritage and Civic Voice, has long campaigned for better designed streets, with more community involvement and less clutter.

With budgets stretched to the limit, Living Streets is also lobbying the Government to ensure that councils have the powers they need to keep streets up to scratch on a day to day basis, particularly to take decisive action on street works and obstructions in streets.

The charity is also publishing a State of our Streets policy and good practice paper to support councils in giving pedestrians a fair deal, making statutory budgets go further and working with communities to improve services.

More than half of full time students stated that they would walk more in their local area if streets were safer and more attractive but students were far more likely than average to ignore problems on streets rather than reporting them. universal council services put together. In the last of the Best Value Performance Indicator analyses conducted by the Government a few years ago, a third of people identified street and pavement repairs as the thing that ‘most needs improving’ in their area – more than the number citing crime or health.

According to LGInsight / Populus figures, four in ten people are actively dissatisfied with pavement maintenance in their area.

COUNTING THE COST The direct financial cost to councils of badly kept streets, meanwhile, is significant. To take one example, According to Freedom of Information data obtained by Guide Dogs and quoted in the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme’s recent Pothole Review, to which Living Streets contributed, British local highway authorities paid out over £106 million in compensation claims for trips and falls on footways between 2006 and 2010.

These figures did not include local authorities which did not respond or compensation

claims from that period which have not yet been settled, and it is estimated that the true figure for all British local authorities is likely to be closer to £300 million. Meanwhile, the Local Government Association has claimed that poor quality reinstatements of streets after utility companies carry out street works cost councils around £70 million a year.

With more than three quarters of short journeys under a mile made on foot according to the latest National Travel Survey figures, the quality of streets is everyone’s concern.

With budgets and public trust both under strain, councils will need to harness that concern in order to improve. Many have taken steps to improve reporting of problems: for example, Southampton City Council has incorporated the award-winning Fix My Streets online reporting system into its own website, making it easier for members of the public to submit reports, while the London Borough of Hillingdon has involved over 4600 people in its Street Champions scheme, looking out for issues. E

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Street Maintenance

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EXTERNAL WORKS

Image: Living Streets / Kuljinder Pank

E REPORTING PROBLEMS on streets rather than reporting them (29 However, reporting is only a small part of the per cent). Meanwhile, unemployed people issue. Living Streets’ YouGov poll revealed that were more than four times as likely as the most people were confident with reporting average to state that they might not report problems on streets, with council websites a problem on a street because they didn’t (41 per cent) or phone numbers (33 per cent) feel it was their job to do so (17 per cent). being the most popular methods.

It’s clear from this that while easy to use Far more significant was how and well-publicised methods of people felt about making a reporting problems on streets report. While a significant are important, they are not A look proportion (21 per cent) enough: people need to feel h at groups whic did note that they that their feedback is being ay m r o ct might not report a taken on board. This wellse c li b the pu problem because of worn principle is easier to d le have strugg not being sure how to state than to put into to do so, more (26 practice, but given their age with hints g n e per cent) stated that immediacy, street scene e th at the scale of they didn’t feel their issues are an ideal place ns council particularly to start. Stoke on Trent City communicatio encouraged them to Council, for example, decided e g challen report problems – and to place more trust in the public over a third (35 per cent) when they submitted reports of said that they might not report potholes, sending a maintenance crew problems because they didn’t feel it would straight out to address reported problems make a difference. Young people aged 18 to rather than scheduling an inspection first.

24 were by far the most likely to feel that In over 90 per cent of cases the public there was no point in reporting problems on report was accurate, allowing the council their streets, with 50 per cent giving this as a to save money and time on inspections reason why they might not report a problem. while responding to problems quickly.

A closer look at some groups which the public sector may have traditionally struggled A QUICK REACTION to engage with hints at the scale of the A key challenge for councils, particularly communications challenge facing councils. at the moment, is balancing the need to More than half of full time students stated react quickly and visibly in this way with that they would walk more in their local the benefits of longer-term, preventative area if streets were safer and more attractive maintenance, as highlighted in the Pothole (52 per cent) – but students were far more Review. This is where an awareness of likely than average to ignore problems streets as places for people, rather than

“

”

just corridors for cars, can help councils coordinate activity across departments and make statutory budgets go further towards improving streets, rather than just maintaining them. The London Borough of Hounslow has taken this approach to new levels, drawing on approaches developed by the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London to assess the characteristics of different parts of the street network and classify sections of road according to their role as ‘links’ to facilitate movement or ‘places’ to spend time.

The results are used to design management and maintenance regimes that meet local needs whilst being realistic to deliver.

The operational challenges that this area of work presents are considerable – but there are also opportunities. Notably, in light of the impact of street quality on people’s likelihood to engage in physical activity, there is the potential to link public health commissioning more closely with spending on streets when local authorities take on public health functions next year. Living Streets’ State of our Streets project will emphasise that this doesn’t need to mean grand schemes, but is just as much about working with communities to make statutory budgets go further and create safe, attractive, streets, where people want to walk.L ABOUT LIVING STREETS Living Streets is seeking case studies to inform its national lobbying work and a policy and good practice paper to be released later this year – councillors, and professionals are invited to contribute at www.livingstreets.org.uk/stateofourstreets

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RAIL

All-Party Parliamentary Group rules out upgrades to existing network, finds no alternative to High Speed 2 A report has concluded that High Speed 2 must be built, saying there is no alternative to constructing a domestic high speed line if the railway’s long-term capacity problems are to be solved.

The report is the result of a four-month inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for High Speed Rail. It has ruled out upgrades to the existing network, because they would not add enough capacity. The key problem is the West Coast Main Line, where operator London Midland is set to introduce some 110mph (176km/h) trains to provide some additional train paths in the short term.

Network Rail has also warned that the route from London Euston to Birmingham and Manchester is running out of space now, and there are fears that a major capacity crunch will strike long before the

first phase of HS2 is opened in 2026.

The report points out that growth in passenger demand is already running a decade ahead of predictions on many lines, and that the alternative upgrades which have been suggested by those groups opposing HS2 would do little to help commuter services or freight.

Eurotunnel is hoping to run trains carrying 4-metre high freight containers along the West Coast Main Line at least as far as the international rail freight terminal at Daventry within the next decade, and other freight customers are also expected to demand more West Coast paths in the years ahead.

Centro has said that HS2 could be the catalyst which creates 40,000 new jobs in the West Midlands alone. The report also warns that the risks of providing insufficient capacity

Views sought on South East franchise transport in London and the South of England.

Before we set the terms of the franchise and choose who will operate it, we want to hear a wide range of views on the services passengers want.”

“We are also seeking views on how to maximise the benefits of the Thameslink upgrade and how they should be shared between different communities along the line.

This consultation outlines a number of standards we expect any new operator to deliver as a matter of course, including improvements to stations, better ticket-buying facilities and passenger information and good levels of punctuality. But we also want passengers, and anyone else with an interest in improving the railways, to tell us about other ways in which they think services could be better.” The combined franchise is due to start in September 2013 and run for a minimum of seven years. The consultation commenced on 31 May 2012 and closes on 23 August 2012.

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers

Passengers across London, the South East, Sussex and the South Coast are being asked for their views to help shape a major new franchise for train services across their area, Rail Minister Theresa Villiers has announced. The franchise is expected to cover most of the existing First Capital Connect franchise, including the Thameslink line which is undergoing a £6 billion upgrade. Services currently run by Southern will be added to the new combined franchise from 2015. This would see a single train operator to take responsibility for all rail services from Brighton to King’s Lynn and Southampton to Ashford with London at the heart, creating the largest franchise in the UK rail market.

The consultation gives local communities across the areas covered by the new franchise a chance to say what train services they would like to see run by the winning operator. It also asks the views of potential bidders on how they will improve the experience of passengers. Villiers said: “This new franchise will be a key part of public

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Transport / Rail

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to cater for future demand are ‘severe’, and much more serious than doing too much.

The group’s co-chairman Graham Stringer said: “All the available evidence makes clear that the very running of railways is under threat as we fast approach total saturation on some of the major trunklines.

HS2 remains the only proper and practicable solution to creating sufficient longterm capacity for Britain’s railways.”

Anti-HS2 campaigners have remained unconvinced, claiming that there is more yet-unused capacity on the WCML, that growth in rail demand is attributable to recent rises in fuel prices, and that teleconferencing will make many business journeys unnecessary in years to come. www.hs2.org.uk

Record levels of rail journeys The number of rail passenger journeys across Great Britain has reached record levels according to new statistics published by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR).

The figures detail passenger rail journeys taking place within Great Britain from 199596 up to latest data for 2010-11, looking at travel within and between 11 government office regions (GORs) - East of England, East Midlands, London, North East, North West, Scotland, South East, South West, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.

The 2010-11 figures show that 1.16 bn rail journeys took place in Great Britain – up 8.9 per cent from 2009-10. 769.8 million rail journeys took place within individual GORs, an increase of 10.3 per cent compared with 200910, and there were 393.3 million rail journeys between GORs - up 6.3 per cent from 2009-10.

The total number of rail journeys for England was 1.05 bn - up 9.4 per cent on 2009-10.

London had more rail journeys than any other government region and 60.7 per cent of all rail journeys in Great Britain started and/or ended in London. There were 706.3 million journeys involving London, an 11.7 per cent increase on the previous year. There were 371.7 million journeys made within London - a 17.3 per cent increase on 2009-10.

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RAIL

Network Rail must improve or face penalty says ORR The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has told Network Rail to deliver better levels of punctuality for passengers on long distance train services, or face a substantial penalty.

Following an extensive investigation, the rail regulator has instructed Network Rail to deliver plans agreed with train operators for better levels of punctuality on long distance services in 2012-13, and speed-up further improvements towards meeting its committed punctuality target of 92 per cent in 2013-14.

If the company fails to deliver the 2013-14 target it will face a substantial financial penalty. The size of any financial penalty will reflect the extent of Network Rail’s failure to meet the commitment, increasing by £1.5 million per 0.1 percentage point it drops below the 92 per cent punctuality target.

MISSED COMMITMENTS While passengers are experiencing good levels of punctuality by historical standards – currently 89.2 per cent for long distance services - Network Rail committed to achieving more, and taxpayers and customers have paid the company to deliver. ORR’s investigation showed that the company struggled to cope with the challenges of reaching its long distance punctuality target. The rail regulator, while recognising the impact of issues such as cable theft, concluded that many of the

difficulties Network Rail has encountered, including problems with timetable planning and predicting and spotting equipment failures, are of the company’s own making.

More trains are running on the network but the company could have done more to deal with the risks to performance.

ORR chief executive, Richard Price, said: “Levels of punctuality on long distance rail services across Britain are good by historical standards but passengers should be experiencing even better levels of train performance, benefitting from the punctuality commitments which they and taxpayers have funded Network Rail to deliver.

“We will not allow Network Rail to rest at ‘good’ performance when the public have paid the company to achieve excellence. It is our duty as the regulator to push for improvements for passengers - and that is what we will do.”

When ORR sets Network Rail’s funding for the next five year period (2014-2019), it will take into account failure to deliver the outputs for which the company was paid in the current period. Additionally, ORR will consider, in its annual assessment of Network Rail’s financial performance, whether it should adjust its assessment of efficiency for a failure to deliver the commitments.

PRESSURE “Let me be clear, we expect Network Rail to hit their targets, and to achieve this by implementing sustainable improvements that really benefit passengers. In the last year, approximately 13.7 million passengers’ journeys on long distance trains were affected by late or cancelled trains – and this is unacceptable. That is why we are proposing a penalty which puts pressure on Network Rail to achieve its funded target – an incentive for the company to do everything it can to deliver improvements for passengers including reducing the number of long delays that impact so badly on rail users.

STATION IMPROVEMENTS Meanwhile, Network Rail has announced that carrying out a further £15m of improvements to stations across England including new and extended car parks, station redevelopments and new retail space. The schemes form the third and final wave of successful bids for a £100m station improvement fund launched in 2011 together with the Department for Transport and the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC). To be eligible, proposals must have a benefit to passengers and also reduce the overall public subsidy for rail by generating a financial return to the Department for Transport.

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Highways Management: Leading the move from price to cost In the past, the industry view of highway access covers and gratings was quite simple – they were simply there to fill a hole. Few specifications focused on their performance and often the only requirements were that they did not break under the weight of traffic and that they could be opened when required however infrequently This view has changed radically in recent years, however. Traffic intensity, speed and vehicle weight have risen, placing an increased emphasis on the durability and performance of access covers and gratings in the carriageway.

There is also a growing need for products to reflect the requirements of all stakeholders and allow for greater flexibility with regard to planned and reactive maintenance.

Specifications are also evolving with many now incorporating requirements for products that include features that can offer safer, more secure and more efficient operation.

Perhaps most importantly, there is now a growing understanding of the whole life costs and the need to reduce these, rather than focusing on the initial purchase cost of the product and how through correct product specification, selection, installation and maintenance costs can be reduced or avoided.

Through collaboration, cooperation

and innovation, the operational, regulatory and environmental needs of all stakeholders can be realised. It is this process which will promote the development and use of products incorporating features that will add to improvements in operator and public safety, asset security and durability.

Saint-Gobain PAM UK, an Associate Member of the Highways Term Maintenance Association (HTMA), has been considering all these factors and the real costs to maintaining a sustainable road network.

Manufactured in the UK and from 97 per cent recycled material, the latest ductile iron municipal castings offered

by Saint-Gobain PAM UK offer solutions that are highly durable and are designed to include as standard, features to reduce the risk of injury, theft premature failure and to increase road user safety.

Paul Thompson, marketing manger at Saint-Gobain PAM UK, stated: “SaintGobain PAM UK is committed to offering

products that will enable all organisations responsible for infrastructure maintenance, to achieve their regulatory, operational and environmental needs. Collaboration, communication and understanding of individual needs, is a simple process and the outcome is a focus on selecting products for their performance, and to improvements in operator and public safety, asset security and durability rather than simply price.”

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19/04/2012 17:27

ROAD MAINTENANCE

DELIVERING HIGH QUALITY ROAD MAINTENANCE

Transport / Road Maintenance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

The three main themes of the recently published Pothole Review include prevention is better than cure, get it right first time and clarity of communication. These can all be addressed by the availability of the suite of best practice guides being developed by the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) together with ADEPT reports Howard Robinson, RSTA chief executive The Pothole Review was undertaken by the Department for Transport’s Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP).

It was instigated following the devastating impact of three successive severe winters upon the road network which resulted in over 2.7 million potholes in 2010 and a cumulative repair bill of £1.3 billion.

The Review carried out a comprehensive examination of why potholes occur and how best to prevent them from occurring in the first place. Three key messages were determined: Prevention is better than cure – intervening at the right time will reduce the amount of potholes forming and prevent bigger problems later; Right first time – do it once and get it right, rather than face continuous bills. Guidance, knowledge and workmanship are the enablers to this, and; Clarity for the public – local highway authorities need to communicate to the public what is being done and how it is being done.

These key messages underline the Review’s 17 recommendations for improved highway

maintenance. The recommendations range from the need for long-term programmes of preventative maintenance work, the adoption of good asset management practice, the need to adopt and share best practice and the need to develop a national scheme to ensure the quality of workmanship and repairs. The recommendations aim to provide the basis for a more efficient approach to improved road maintenance.

Fundamental to achieving that approach is the availability of best practice guidance to ensure a quality of workmanship and the delivery of consistent maintenance solutions. In order to provide such guidance, the RSTA together with ADEPT have been developing a comprehensive suite of road surface treatments codes of practice.

The need for industry accepted codes of practice has been underlined by the change of highway authority service delivery through outsourcing and a diminution of in-house expertise that has resulted in a greater reliance on the expertise of the specialist road

surface treatment contractor. The new codes aim to share that expertise and experience.

The codes also reflect the increased emphasis on asset management. For if the best use of the road network is to be achieved in the most cost effective manner then there must be consistency of quality delivery that ensures that the installed solution is right first time.

Good asset management is based upon information and the codes will provide this for they address a major issue that was identified by the HMEP Pothole Review, that of a gap in knowledge.

Furthermore, there is no standard national policy for maintaining and repairing roads.

Local highway authorities adopt different approaches. The codes of practice will provide benchmarks of industry best practice that can be widely adopted and used.

CODES OF PRACTICE The codes of practice developed so far cover the following road surface treatments: Surface dressing, high friction surfacing, E

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www.denholm-transport.co.uk 48

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

ROAD MAINTENANCE E slurry surfacing, re-texturing, geosynthetics and steel meshes, velocity patching, thermal road repairs, in-situ recycling, crack and joint repair systems and preservation. In addition the following codes are in preparation: surface preservation systems and grouted macadams.

Each code examines the process and installation of the surface treatment. They set out of the responsibilities of client, contactor and installer concerning planning, co-ordination, health and safety and work execution. The codes make full reference to the relevant regulations, standards and training qualifications and, usefully, include pre-contract, onsite and post-contract check lists. Importantly, the codes have been industry developed and peer reviewed by ADEPT and are able to interact with CE marking and the National Highway Sector Schemes. As industry best practice, the codes form the basis of the RSTA workforce training programme.

Although these codes are voluntary rather than mandatory, their widespread adoption by clients and contractors can only be for the good of all concerned. Furthermore,

by being developed by industry they have innate flexibility which means that they can be altered quickly in response to new product or process developments or to meet new client requirements.

Road surface treatments that are properly specified, correctly designed and installed by a well trained and qualified workforce will work well and deliver the performance, service life and value for money expected by the client. The codes of practice aim to ensure consistency and efficiency of delivery that is right first time with zero remedial costs. Yes, prevention is better than cure.

Getting it right first time should be standard not a one-off. Plus, the availability of benchmarks of agreed industry best practice minimises the risk of confusion and enables clear communication.

The codes of practice from RSTA and ADEPT address the main themes of the HMEP Pothole Review and so forward the improvement of the road surface industry. L

“pTrahecticocedewsill

of marks provide bench st of industry be e an b practice that c d widely adopte and used”

FURTHER INFORMATION www.rsta-uk.org

Seminar to examine delivery of new Codes of Practice

Transport / Road Maintenance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

A free one-day industry seminar will examine whether the new suite of codes of practice developed by the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) and ADEPT can deliver on their promise to offer the roads industry technical guidance and benchmarks for best practice thereby ensuring the ‘get-it right first time’ approach advocated by the recent HMEP Review. The seminar will be held on Wednesday 3rd October at the Chester Racecourse, Chester. Hosted

by RSTA and ADEPT, it is aimed at local highway authority personnel and contractors.

Key speakers will examine the full range of the new codes of practice. For further information and registration visit: www.rsta-uk.org/calendar

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Geofirma Soils Engineering Coggeshall Road, Earls Colne, Essex, CO6 2JX Tel 01787 224532 Email soils@geofirma.co.uk www. Geofirma.co.uk

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Steve Dunn, general manager of Geofirma Soil Engineering, explains the soil stabilisation process, which can produce rapid improvements in site condition

Concern for the environment is becoming an increasing issue. However it can sometimes be difficult to reconcile environmental protection with commercial pressures. Therefore it is important that those responsible for the design, specification, construction and maintenance of roads and other wider projects are drawn to the opportunities to conserve and re-use materials. With the increasing cost of Landfill Tax and the environmental impact caused by the haulage of materials through the country the opportunities to use stabilisation are ever increasing.

Soil stabilisation has been used in engineering projects in the UK since the 1960s. No other process allows such a rapid improvement in site condition and foundation strength.

INCREASING SHEAR STRENGTH Stabilisation is the use of a binder to provide permanent physical and chemical alteration of soils to enhance their physical properties.

It can increase the shear strength and/or control the shrink-swell properties of a soil, thus improving the load-bearing capacity to support pavements and foundations. The process can be used to treat a wide range of materials from expansive clays to granular materials. Stabilisation can be achieved with a variety of binders including lime, cement, ash, as well as by-products such as blast furnace slag, lime-kiln dust and cement-kiln dust.

Once the binders have been added and the correct moisture content achieved the soil is given a high degree of compaction to promote further strength gain and long term durability.

Soils treated with binders can be designed to be stronger than conventional granular sub base or capping. This strength can be used to reduce the thickness of the foundation or the thickness of the subsequent layers.

Although the description above refers to soils the process can also be applied to the treatment of degraded existing surfacing which can be planed, lwwweft in-situ and then remixed with binders to provide a replacement pavement layer. This technique is known as road recycling.

Without the need to remove materials, many of today’s roads can be recycled quickly

and efficiently with minimum disruption to the existing road network, whilst reducing the risk of further damage to the already weak surrounding highways. Road recycling is also a method of dealing with tar-bound materials, which can be classified as a hazardous waste, without resorting to landfill.

Stabilisation is usually carried out in-situ by a cold recycling machine and can be used for the following applications: improving the bearing capacity of soils, granulating asphalt pavements, producing hydraulically bound

Bridges describe the situations in which soil modification and stabilisation can be used within earthworks, pavement foundations and pavement layers.

Proper design and testing is an important component of any stabilisation project This allows for the establishment of design criteria as well as the determination of the correct binder and mixture rate to be used to achieve the desired engineering properties.

The use of stabilisation techniques means that the existing materials on site can be

Written by Steve Dunn, general manager, Geofirma Soil Engineering

THE USE OF SOIL STABILISATION

Transport / Road Maintenance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

The use of stabilisation techniques means that the existing materials on site can be treated for a beneficial use, meaning that capping, subbase and roadbase pavement layers can all be designed and provided. foundation and roadbase layers, rehabilitating granular gravel roads, recycling damaged roads with cement, bitumen emulsion, foamed bitumen, or bitumen and cement.

Another method of soil treatment which is closely related to stabilisation is soil modification. Although some stabilisation inherently occurs in soil modification, the distinction is that soil modification is merely a means to reduce the moisture content of a soil to allow for its use within the requirements of the specification.

EXTENDED WORKING IN THE WET Modification using lime is without doubt the most effective way of drying a wet site and allows extended working in wet conditions and into the winter.

As all of these processes lead to little, or no, need for the removal and disposal of unsuitable soils or failed pavement and the import of quarried stone or surfacing materials.

The effects on the environment are greatly reduced as well as minimising the impact on the local population from construction traffic.

The Department of Transport Specification for Highway Works and various documents from the Design Manual for Roads and

treated for a beneficial use, meaning that capping, subbase and roadbase pavement layers can all be designed and provided.

It is only the quantity of binder required which is transported to the site, plus the overlying upper pavement materials. One 30 tonne load of binder can be used to treat approximately 500 cubic metres of soil which, if disposed of and a replacement imported, would result in 100 vehicle movements.

Stabilising soils with binders is now an extremely cost effective and environmentally sensitive method of converting poor quality or failed materials into a strong reliable replacement product. This enables pavements, embankments, reinforced earth structures, railways, bulk fill applications, housing and industrial units to be produced in areas where they were not previously economically viable. Many years of experience have proved the effectiveness of this method. This, combined with rising costs of conventional civil engineering, has transformed soil stabilisation into one of the most cost effective construction methods L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.geofirma.co.uk

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CLEVER CHEMISTRY SHAPES UP BRITAIN’S ROADS

Transport / Road Maintenance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

With poor quality roads and budgets for repair stretched, is there a cost-effective way of prolonging the life of asphalt? Dr David Needham from AkzoNobel Asphalt Applications, investigates Asphalt in the UK is an excellent product but can we make it even better? In most cases it has performed above and beyond the expectations that were placed upon it decades ago, but is there room for improvement?

Today we are witnessing a deteriorating quality of our roads as too much is being asked of the asphalt and budgets for replacement and repair are being increasingly stretched. Now, more than ever, asphalt must perform in the best way possible and cost effective additives have a big role to play; indeed one of the key conclusions from the government sponsored Potholes Review is that ‘Prevention is better than Cure.’

PROMOTION OF ADHESION Normally, the two main components of asphalt, bitumen and aggregate, like to stick together. However, there are occasions where the two lack affinity, leading to lower durability. Adhesion promoters have been successfully used for almost 50 years to overcome this problem. Boosting the performance of marginal materials serves a very useful purpose but adhesion promoters are now being increasingly used to improve the durability of asphalt even if there is no inherent adhesion problem.

They come in several forms and AkzoNobel specialises in the cationic surfactant type.

THE SURFACTANT BONDING EFFECT As the name implies, surfactants are ‘surface active’ which means they prefer to reside at a surface or interface. Surfactants are quite special molecules having one part that likes to be in an oily substance like bitumen (oleophilic) and another part that does not (oleophobic). In the case of nitrogenous, cationic surfactants, the oleophobic head group carries a positive charge which means it can bond to negative sites – such as those on an aggregate surface. The functionality then arises from a molecule that likes to be immersed in bitumen which is able to chemically bond to an aggregate surface – the adhesion effect.

THE KEY TO IMPROVING DURABILITY Strengthening the bond between bitumen and aggregate has an obvious effect on improving the durability of asphalt. The presence of cationic surfactant molecules at the interface means that bitumen is able to resist the effects of water for longer. Resisting water, which is ever present in the road

environment, is the key to improving durability.

Cationic surfactant adhesion promoters therefore offer the possibility of laying asphalt that will last longer in service; this, in turn, will lead to longer periods between repair and replacement and improved surface quality during service due to fewer potholes. They are easily added to bitumen prior to asphalt production at low dosage levels and can even be used in pothole repair asphalt to increase the performance of such systems.

COST VS. VALUE As often said, you don’t get something for nothing in this life, so adhesion promoters don’t come for free. But the initial cost is low when compared to the long term price of investment in asphalt and the benefits to be gained. Indeed, it can be demonstrated that the cost is off-set shortly after the expected asphalt lifetime. For example, the cost of using a cationic surfactant adhesion

its performance specifications which are now met through the widespread use of adhesion promoters. Clients are reaping the benefits with notable improvements in road quality over time – particularly important as we approach Euro 2012.

German practitioners are just realising they have durability issues in certain regions which are partly to do with materials; the introduction of additives is being thoroughly investigated and seriously considered. In fact the use of adhesion promoters is obligatory in some countries, notably Norway and Poland. Like others, the UK potentially has a lot to gain through a wider adoption of surfactant technology in asphalt.

LONG TERM EFFECT The long term effect of surfactant type adhesion promoters was investigated in Sweden in 2008. An AkzoNobel product was used during construction of the Linköping

Cationic surfactant adhesion promoters offer the possibility of laying asphalt that will last longer in service; this, in turn, will lead to longer periods between repair and improved surface quality during service due to fewer potholes. promoter in a road that is designed to last 15 years, or 180 months, is paid off once the road reaches 183 months – the initial outlay is written off thereafter.

The reality is that adhesion promoters can give rise to a greatly extended lifetime so the cost really does become insignificant to the end client. Additives such asthese have a great role to play in the search for enhanced performance; the initial cost is easily offset by the extra performance.

EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE The situation we have in the UK is not unique and is faced in other places around the world. The question is always how we can improve the performance of asphalt to get more value for money out of our roads. For many years, adhesion promoters have been routinely used in Scandinavian countries and without them the durability of their asphalt would be far below what is required.

During recent years, Poland has raised

airport runway back in 1992 and provided a model where performance over a 16 year period could be investigated. Comparison between performance test results on materials laid in 1992 with cores taken from the asphalt runway in 2008 demonstrated that the adhesion promoter was still providing the same enhanced resistance to moisture after 16 years in service which is still ongoing. These results provide clear evidence of the long term effectiveness that the industry requires.

The current challenges and demands being asked of asphalt roads in the UK, set against the monetary constraints we face, mean that solutions must be found to gain extra value for money. The use of some clever chemistry in the form of cationic adhesion promoters is one way that this can be achieved; in summary, “asphalt with a valuable longer lifetime at little initial extra cost.” L FOR MORE INFORMATION david.needham@akzonobel.com

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

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TRANSPORT - FLEET MANAGEMENT

THE LINE OF LEASE RESISTANCE FOR FLEETS

Transport / Fleet Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Toby Poston of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association looks at contract hire and leasing as a way to cut costs in public sector fleet procurement and management Cutting costs is the main focus for all fleet managers, especially those operating in the public sector, where the government’s austerity measures have resulted in some major budget cuts.

Some departments and agencies have been hit harder than others, but it is fair to say that finding more cost-effective ways of providing and operating fleet vehicles will be high up the agenda for them all.

With an estimated 260,000 vehicles, including 80,000 commercial vehicles, there are significant opportunities for saving government money. One of the best ways of cutting costs is to buy in fleet services, by leasing vehicles and getting outside specialists to run them for you. This approach has been taken by many private sector companies over the last ten years, and the range of fleet services on offer has grown.

As well as the traditional contract hire deal where a leasing company provides finance and takes responsibility for servicing and maintaining it, modern providers will also offer services including roadside assistance, relief vehicles, daily vehicle rental and accident management. They can also provide driver services, helping people to book MOTs and repairs, arrange tyre and windscreen replacements and even order their next car.

Many will provide expert consultancy advice to help organisations to meet their fleet duty of care requirements (vehicle audits, driving licence checks, etc) or environmental targets.

Although there have been a number of major exceptions, up until recently the public sector has been perceived as reluctant to consider outsourcing their fleet finance or management.

In the past this may have been down to the hugely bureaucratic and expensive process of preparing and running government tenders. It is estimated that some fleet tender processes cost upwards of £25,000 and can take over six months to complete.

FRAMEWORK AGREEMENTS Things have recently become a lot easier, thanks to the introduction of a number of government procurement frameworks that enable organisations to leverage the bulk purchasing power of the public sector while using a simpler and standardised approach. Typically these deals last three to four years, they include pre-agreed terms and conditions and have six to eight prevetted suppliers listed. By simplifying the procurement of fleet services, the government has also made it easier for leasing and fleet management companies to enter the market.

There are a variety of frameworks covering fleet management, vehicle funding, vehicle leasing and rental. Since May 2010, all central government departments, non-departmental public bodies, agencies and arms-length bodies have been required to buy from centrallysourced contracts and framework agreements.

BIG SAVINGS The Environment Agency claims to be saving nearly £300,000 over the four years to 2015 after adopting a single agreement for the provision of lease cars; the servicing,

maintenance and repair of vans; and incident management and insurance services. It now has much better management information and reporting, updated driver packs and improved online communications.

The Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation, the UK’s largest public sector buying organisation, uses vehicle leasing and purchasing frameworks to provide vehicles to a range of local authorities, schools, colleges, universities and emergency services.

It provides a fleet portal which pulls live pricing information from each of the vehicle leasing companies based on specific search criteria and returns quotes within five seconds. Compared to the traditional method of contacting each supplier individually by telephone or email for a quote, the portal reduces the time taken to gather, compare and select quotes from days to seconds.

The grey fleet, where employees use their own vehicles for work purposes, is one of the greatest challenges facing public sector fleet managers at the moment. Grey fleet drivers do an estimated 1.4 billion miles a year at an average of 40-50p per mile.

Reducing this reliance on the grey fleet has risen up the agenda as employers become more aware of the duty of care owed to their employees driving at work. Around one in three road accidents involve a vehicle being driven for work. In financial terms this is costing UK industry over £2.5 billion each year, but it is the human cost that is most frightening – around 200 work-related deaths or serious injuries every week.

The arrival of new corporate manslaughter legislation and a tighter focus on the application of health and safety regulations has shown that the government is also cracking down in this area. Its Fleet Management framework suggests that public sector employers should use fleet vehicles instead of grey fleet to minimise duty of care risks and monitor carbon emissions more closely.

The vehicle leasing industry also takes its duty of care to its customers seriously.

All BVRLA members are quality assured and operate under a code of conduct. This reassures potential customers that they are dealing with a reputable company that will offer the highest levels of service, backed up by the association’s conciliation service. L ABOUT THE BVRLA Established in 1967, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is the trade body for the leasing and rental of cars and commercial vehicles. For further information visit www.bvrla.co.uk

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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FLEET MANAGEMENT

John Webb, principal consultant, Lex Autolease and former head of fleet, HMRC Commercial Directorate, explains how organisations of all sizes can realise significant cost savings by following a systematic approach based on proven best practice techniques.

With public finances under pressure for the foreseeable future, the drive for cost savings is relentless. Central government departments and local government bodies will now be focussing on the 2013 Comprehensive Spending Review and identifying the areas for making savings. Non-core activities will be especially targeted for savings as the government seeks to ensure that frontline services are protected. Capital for outright purchase is in short supply. One typically high area of expenditure is car and van fleets.

Public sector fleets should start by carrying out a baseline analysis of the whole life costs of current provision. This should include Outright purchase price or rental costs, Disallowable VAT, Class 1 NIC, Tax or VAT position, Insurance (or claim averages if self insured), Fuel, and Daily rental, accident, cash allowances and down time.

If fleet is managed by an in-house team then the cost of these staff, office space, IT etc, should also be factored in as this goes towards the delivery of the service as they will be involved in ordering vehicles and ensuring that the vehicles and drivers are legally compliant.

The principles of whole life costs apply equally to leasing. You will be surprised at what a whole life cost analysis reveals as a cheaper monthly rental doesn’t necessarily mean that a vehicle will be the cheapest option. It’s possible that two cars with identical pause prices will have very different

rentals and massively different whole life costs.

The concept of whole life costs has been around for many years and covered in the HMT Green Book (Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government) and HMT Orange Book (Management of Risk) when referring to procurement decisions. Furthermore, whole life costing is a fundamental principle of CIPS procurement strategies - for good reason. In the private sector whole life costs are increasingly dictating fleet decisions, yet the public sector has been slow to fully embrace whole life costing in fleet decisions. Increasing reliance on government frameworks may have something to do with this as the frameworks focus on commodity costs and don’t consider the indirect costs of buying or leasing a vehicle. While public sector fleets benefit from generous discounts for vehicle purchase, the in-life management of vehicles and disposal are rarely fully taken into account in the lifecycle of vehicles. Poor management of vehicles can lead to vehicles realising a fraction of what they should fetch in the market.

The baseline analysis of the fleet costs will not only allow organisations to identify the correct choices, it may also force consideration of the funding for vehicles. When capital is freely available and the organisation has trained resources to manage the fleet, outright purchase can be the best mechanism for the organisation. However, this is rarely the

Written by John Webb, Lex Autolease

DELIVERING COST BENEFITS THROUGH FLEET BEST PRACTICE

Transport / Fleet Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

case in these troubled times and leasing can provide an alternative source of funding that takes into account manufacturer discount terms. This provides finance officers with budgetary control and, should the organisation wish to move all vehicles to leasing, a cash injection from sale and leaseback. The leasing provider can also deliver professional inhouse management from cradle to grave.

The choice of funding and the choice of vehicle will dictate ongoing whole life costs – in particular fuel consumption. This in turn will influence CO2 emissions which will be another important organisational objective.

The decision to buy or lease will also open up consideration of ancillary services such as accident management or duty of care (e.g. licence checking, risk assessment) are delivered. If these services are delivered by an in-house team they should be considered in the unit cost of providing the vehicle.

In conclusion, an analysis of the current whole-life fleet costs will provide an accurate view and enable well-informed decisions about efficiency savings from non-core activities. This can provide ‘more for less’ and avoid the political impact of cuts to frontline services. L FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0844 824 0705 publicsectorsales@lexautolease.co.uk www.lexautolease.co.uk/PublicSector

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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c M exh u om an ib s a e ch iti t an es on the d te S c se r 1 ta ih e 2- nd 14 C th 2 Ju 2 ne

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CIH 2012 PREVIEW

Housing

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

across the city of Manchester before the end of this year, is to show that it is possible to ‘mix higher value sites with lower value sites and get the whole lot developed’.

If the initial project is a success – and Sir Richard reckons the signs are encouraging – the Greater Manchester local authorities will do the same thing on a Manchester larger scale. “Instead of 250 g in rk o w Council is units, we’ll add at least Bank one nought onto that. with the Co-op rs to We need to go through e d and other len the pilot and scale up.” ge a g rt o m Manchester Council p lo e v de t is also working with the a d e im a products Co-op Bank and other rs in lenders to develop mortgage first-time buye products aimed at firstthe city time buyers in the city. ‘We’re doing innovative things in this city to both increase supply, and also increase the ability of people to access that supply when it’s there,’ sums up Sir Richard.

‘The sort of things that are being said at a national level about using available land and working with pension funds, they are things that we are already doing.

I think we are probably ahead of that game – but of course, in Manchester we always think we’re ahead of the game.”

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council will present ‘The Politics of Housing’ at CIH 2012

“

”

A NEW HOME FOR HOUSING 2012 Taking place on 12-14 June in Manchester, the Housing 2012 exhibition and conference, organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing, will feature leaders within the housing world and innovators from outside of it. Housing sector heavyweights will deliver a packed conference programme.

The CIH Annual Conference is the largest single gathering of senior housing professionals in the calendar, featuring over 40 interactive sessions designed to provoke debate and generate solutions to the key issues facing the housing sector.

The panel will feature over 100 speakers drawn from government, leaders from within the housing world and innovators from outside of it.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council for the last 15 years, will address the conference during a session entitled ‘The politics of housing’. Sir Richard will use this as an opportunity to explain how others can push housing further up their local political agendas, and also influence national policies, drawing on his experience driving housing development in the city of Manchester and also the work 10 Greater Manchester local authorities are doing to deliver affordable homes across the region.

He stated: “We need to ensure a supply of housing – that’s everything from affordable housing for low income families to executive housing, and everything in between.”

GREATER MANCHESTER PILOT A group of local authorities have begun the Greater Manchester pilot, in which they are working with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to provide affordable homes for first-time buyers.

“The pension fund provides development finance and we provide land – the Homes and Communities Agency will provide some of its land as well” says Sir Richard.

At the CIH Conference the local authority leader will explain how the land is effectively an equity investment, meaning that firsttime buyers are able to access homes at a cheaper price. When the first-time buyer decides to sell the property, a “percentage of that sale price will revert to the council to pay for the land element of it”, he says.

Sir Richard continued: “So there is clearly a risk, because if the values go down, we don’t get the full value back.’ Should the land increase in value, the money will be reinvested into more new housing: “It’s a model where we can recycle that value”.

The aim of the 250-home pilot scheme, which is expected to begin on five sites

TACKLING EMPTY HOMES The Great British Property Scandal programmes which aired on Channel 4 in December highlighted the problem of Britain’s one million empty homes. The programmes presenter George Clarke will be speaking in “Future Forward” in the Exchange Auditorium on Thursday at 3:00pm.

The Great British Property Scandal campaign aims to put a stop to demolition unless it is ‘categorically proven’ that demolishing homes is necessary to an area, and has community support. The campaign is also pushing for is the creation of a national low cost loan fund, which people who want to bring an empty home back into use will be able to access.

Clarke, an Architect by trade, stated: “The main aim when we launched the campaign was to raise awareness as to what was going on in the housing industry. I don’t think even people who knew about empty homes really understood the scale of the problem.”

“The main thing I’m going to be talking about is my own personal view of the state of housing in Britain, and how I think the industry should revolutionise itself,’ he says.

“Elements of the building industry are in the dark ages. If we carry on the way we are, things aren’t going to change.’

There is a follow-up series to The Great British Property Scandal, which is planned to air later in the year and aims to show what the campaign has managed to achieve. Clarke met with housing minister Grant Shapps and communities minister Andrew Stunell in order to discuss the campaign. “They have been E

Volume 19.3 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

CIH 2012 PREVIEW

Housing

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

transform their organisation over the next 10 years, and an appreciation of possible tensions in the previously homogenous sector, and ways to deal with them.

It will be presented by Fiona Millar, journalist, campaigner for education and former Government advisor; Keith Exford, chief executive, Affinity Sutton Group; and Ed Mayo, secretary general, Co-operatives UK.

George Clarke will look at adressing the problem of empty homes at the CIH conference

WELFARE REFORM Despite being described as one of the biggest threats to households, housing management and housing providers, radical welfare reform is well underway. What might we encounter during the next 12 months? What chance remains to influence this and what should organisations be doing to prepare? This session will feature Lord Freud, minister for Welfare Reform, and Julia Unwin, chief executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Clarke plans to use his appearance at the conference to task audience members with actively trying to take possession of empty homes, and to at least consider the options of refurbishment before there’s a blanket decision to demolish homes.

E open to suggestions about how we might do this”, says Clarke, although he added: “The proof is going to be whether they act.”

Clarke plans to use his appearance at the conference to task audience members with actively trying to take possession of empty homes, and to at least consider the options of refurbishment before there’s a blanket decision to demolish homes. He will take the opportunity to celebrate the “good developments” he’s seen, but also expects to deliver some tough messages.

IS HOUSING MANAGEMENT DEAD? Session presenter Matthew Taylor, CEO of RSA, once said that housing was one of the great unreformed public services and didn’t have a vision for the future. A lot has changed since then, so has Matthew changed his view or was he right? This session examines how housing management could change for the better in the coming years, and will provide a sense of how housing services are perceived by people outside of the profession.

The session will also feature Abigail Davies, assistant director of policy and practice, CIH, and Carol Matthews, chief executive, Riverside INVESTMENT STRATEGY INTERVIEW: FUNDING FOR HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS With a plethora of investment models and new ways of funding available, these daily interviews will thrash out the benefits and

shortfalls of the most interesting options.

The ideas and views expressed in these sessions will be published after conference.

The session will be presented by Steve Coleman, Independent consultant and partner, Direction Home Group and will be chaired by Paul Beardmore, director of housing, Manchester City Council HOUSING’S POSITIVE INTERVENTION INTO FAMILY LIFE Last August the Prime Minister made a commitment to turn around the lives of 120,000 of the UK’s most troubled families within the course of this parliament.

This session will examine the role and remit of housing organisations, and look at emerging delivery models such as place-based commissioning.

Described as “one of Britain’s least conventional civil servants”, the session will be led by Louise Casey, director General, Troubled Families Programme, DCLG. TO PROFIT OR NOT TO PROFIT? As for-profit providers start to operate in the affordable housing sector and the traditional sector becomes increasingly diverse, what can we learn from other sectors who have been through this? Can we have a private ethos in non-profit organisations?

Attendees to this session will gain a sense of the possible drivers and opportunities to

AUSTERITY VS. INVESTMENT Should we sort out our economic woes with a return to large-scale public investment or do we need greater austerity? A tough debate to challenge the sector’s thinking as we get ready for the next spending review will feature Allister Heath, editor, City AM; James Meadway, senior economist, New Economics Foundation, and will be chaired by Kate Davies, chief executive, Notting Hill Housing Group.

THE GREEN ROOM The Green Room will be situated in the centre of the exhibition hall and will be the place to discover the latest sustainable solutions. Get your questions answered by experts in the field in the one-to-one consultation area, explore and discuss the latest issues in the networking zone and learn from organisations leading the way in sustainability with a range of presentations.

GALA DINNER To celebrate the conference’s new venue, a black tie charity gala dinner is being held for delegates and exhibitors on the evening of Monday 11th June in the Alexandra Suite at the Midland Hotel.

The dinner will set the scene for the conference ahead whilst providing a platform for the key people in housing.

Jon Snow of Channel 4 news will be challenging the sector to raise its profile both politically and in the media.

With a conference line-up that includes Grant Shapps, Minister of Housing and Local Government, as well as over 100 leaders within the housing world, CIH Housing 2012 is set to wow when it opens the doors of Manchester Central on Tuesday 12th June. L FURTHER INFORMATION For full programme and to register for the event, visit www.cihhousing.com

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Please visit us at Housing 2012 Exhibition and Conference Manchester 12th - 14th June

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

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The company is backed by the most experienced team in the business, and its manufacturing base is one of the most advanced in the UK, producing over 30,000 cabinets a week.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.magnettrade.co.uk/ contractkitchensolutions

Spirotech showcases latest additions at CIH Housing Exhibition Leading dirt separation and de-aeration company Spirotech will be showcasing a range of exciting and innovative products at the CIH Housing exhibition (Stand number E40) Spirotech’s latest addition – the recently launched, new generation dirt separation product, the SpiroTrap MB3 – will be on display on the Spirotech stand.

This powerful and high performance dirt separator features the very latest patent pending intelligent magnetic field booster technology. The SpiroTrap MB3 also offers the unique Spirotube feature for non-magnetic dirt separation, the easy to drain valve, easy mount swivel action, and it offers even greater capacity.

Spirotech is also showcasing a selection of recent introductions to its UK portfolio, including the new SpiroPlus chemicals range and

the Spirotech Flush Connector.

The SpiroTech flush connector can simply be connected to the SpiroTrap MB3 and is compatible with all good powerflush units. It is also perfect for use with the six strong SpiroPlus system cleaning and protection chemicals range.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0208 451 3344 info@spirotech.co.uk www.spirotech.co.uk

Duffells is a dedicated trade only supplier of locks, security and ironmongery products. Its range extends to over 12,000 different products, encompassing all aspects of industry. Particular attention has been given to UPVC repair products, with Duffells holding the most extensive range of multipoint locks and associated products in the UK. Duffell’s newly formed key accounts team has been created specifically to fulfil its customers’ needs within the social housing sector by providing solutions to all their responsive repair, voids and planned maintenance requirements.

The company’s business model has been designed to offer a unique service proposition with expert assistance and problem solving at the forefront. It has increased its hours of business to reflect those of our customers,

Housing

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

with next day delivery on orders placed prior to 6pm daily and a Saturday service providing deliveries the following Monday.

With 50 years of experience, Duffells is ideally placed to offer the most comprehensive technical support service, be it via the telephone, through its range of extensive catalogues or its newly released e-commerce site.

Duffells will quickly become your supplier of choice and the last word when considering locks, security and ironmongery.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0208 662 4032 keyaccounts@duffells.co.uk

Investigating new ways to deliver the Green Deal Gentoo is about improving something it calls ‘the art of living’ beyond imagination, by investing in people, the planet and property.

A profit for purpose organisation, the Group’s whole ethos is about believing nothing is impossible. It aims to inspire and empower people by finding disruptive ways to challenge conventions, even if this means sometimes shaking things up a bit.

The Group aims to make our society a better place to live in and to make a real difference to the way people live their life. It wants to inspire and empower everyone that is touched by Gentoo to focus on what is important in life, and live their lives to the maximum of their own potential.

Why don’t you come along and meet the Gentoo Team at exhibition stand E 22 at this year’s CIH conference, Manchester Central on

the 12-14 June 2012?

By investigating ways to deliver the Green Deal, enhancing and keeping communities safe with Streetwise, and enabling home ownership through the Genie product, Gentoo’s exhibition this year aims to show that by challenging conventions you can make a positive difference.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.gentoogroup.com

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Magical combination of ‘aesthetics’ & ‘cost saving’

Jotun is a trusted brand for international projects such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the world’s largest liner“Queen Mary 2”

TH 12-14 JUNE

Jotun Protects Property

IN WE BELIEVE AT GENTOO D LE AL C VE WE’ SOMETHING

Magical combination of ‘aesthetics’ & ‘cost savings’

F LIVING’ ‘THE ART O ING OUR MONEY

VEST MEANS IS IN THE WHAT THAT OPERTY AND PR OPLE, THERS O WISELY IN PE F O E LIVES ENHANCE TH .

AN C E PLANET TO W VER AND WHERE WHENEVER

Never before has a paint brand been able to deliver great savings without compromising on quality, look and feel.

Jotun paints products have the longest lifecycles to deliver high cost saves.

Our recent project Grodians in Lerwick, Shetland consisting of 34 new build social houses for Hjaltland Housing Association is based on the home zone concept.

Vibrant colours and low carbon footprint helped the project be short listed for the RIAS Andrew Doolan ‘Best Building in Scotland’ award.

Notes:

COME AND VIS IT STAND E22 AT THIS YEAR’S CIH CONFERENCE , MANCHESTER CENTRAL ON THE 12-14th JUNE, TO SE E HOW GENT OO HAS IMPROVED THE ART OF LIVING FO R KATE, DAVID & LORR IE AND MR & MRS TA TTERS.

DUATION KATE - GRA WARMING IE - HOUSE RR DAVID & LO th BIRTHDAY 80 TTERS MR & MRS TA

To see what Jotun Paints can do for you call 01724 400 123 or email deco.uk@jotun.co.uk

oup.com

www.gentoogr Jotun.com

ALLERGY FREE PAINT

A Cost to

Effective way

Re-use Rainwater

Rainstream: domestic rainwater harvesting systems

www.norsegroup.co.uk

• Helps achieve compliance with SUR1 and WAT1 & 2 of the Code for Sustainable Homes • Reduces domestic mains water usage by up to 50% (can be used for toilet flushing, washing machines and garden irrigation) • Mains water back-up • Available as a gravity fed or pressurised system

* Solution featured is Rainstream Home XL

• Tested to withstand the water table at a burial depth of up to 6 metres (0.6 bar of pressure) • Comes pre-assembled, ready for quick installation

property design • sustainable development • facilities management • contract services

For more info visit www.rainstream.co.uk or email bp.promotions@polypipe.com

690 PP ABG Rainstream Ad Government Business 86x125 AW v2.indd 1

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

Come and visit us at the conference Stand G36. For more information please contact:Tracy Vozza 07786 171373

20/04/2012 17:13

Increased visibility of energy consumption with Ewgeco monitors Founded in 2006, Ewgeco is now at the forefront of the energy display market, helping customers understand their energy consumption and encouraging behaviour changes to reduce their emissions and cut energy bills.

With increasing energy bills, householders are seeking to reduce costs and Ewgeco can make a real difference. In an independent study, Ewgeco has been proven to save users an average of 27 per cent on household bills. That’s the equivalent of saving over £245 per year on each utility.

Multi award-winning and patented, Ewgeco specialises in the design and manufacture of unique real-time energy monitors, bringing consumption data out of the utility cupboard and into the sight of users, giving them control.

Ewgeco has been praised for its unique ability to monitor

three utilities per system (any combination of electricity, water, gas and micro-renewables), its engaging traffic light system which makes energy consumption easy to understand, as well as detailed graphical analysis of historical data available through the ‘MyEwgeco’ data portal.

Ewgeco monitors are currently being rolled out in businesses, educational facilities, and housing developments and associations across the UK, making a lasting impact on the finances and carbon footprint of their clients FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0131 331 5445 info@ewgeco.com

Aesthetics and savings from Jotun Paints Jotun is a trusted brand for international prestigious projects, including the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the world’s largest liner, the Queen Mary 2.

With its range of DemiDekk which is specifically formulated for deep penetration into wood, the company seeks to provide long lasting exterior protection up to 12 years, helping to bring down maintenance costs and extend the life cycle of the surface.

Jotun’s SENS range meets all current environmental standards, including those set out by the Swan and Euro Flower labels.

SENS is the only paint that fulfills the NAAF (Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association).

Maintenance manager for Lochfield Park Housing Association, Allan Doherty,

said:“It was the fact that SENS is water-based and has no odour, plus the lowest rate of VOC emissions of any other comparable paint on the market, that was so appealing. There were no fumes, no disruption and the quality of the paint and the workmanship is apparent to everyone who visits and works in our offices.”

Jotun strives to continuously exceed its customers’ expectations by creating products with superior technology to beautify and protect surfaces.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)1724 400 000 deco.uk@jotun.co.uk

Ground-breaking dirt separator from Spirotech Boiler and system protection specialist, Spirotech, is renowned for its high performance and energy efficient air and dirt separation products, including the new generation SpiroTrap MB3.

Spirotech has broken new ground with the introduction of the SpiroTrap MB3 earlier this year. The SpiroTrap MB3 is a powerful, high performance dirt separator, featuring the very latest patent pending, intelligent magnetic field booster technology. It is the successor to the acclaimed SpiroTrap MB2.

Spirotech’s impressive portfolio also includes the new SpiroPlus chemicals range and the Spirotech Flush Connector, providing a total solution to system needs. The SpiroTech flush connector can simply be connected to the SpiroTrap MB3 and is compatible with all good powerflush units. It is also perfect for use with the SpiroPlus range.

Spirotech is committed to

Housing

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

ensuring its range meets and exceeds the market’s expectations; its products are specified and installed worldwide in domestic HVAC installations and process environments.

In addition to its innovative product portfolio, Spirotech takes great pride in its exemplary customer service and research techniques.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0208 4513344 www.spirotech.co.uk

Neon Secure Access - door entry as it should be Neon Secure Access is exhibiting its range of vandal resistant door entry systems which come with a three year manufacturers warranty.

For organisations that are upgrading or installing new door entry systems on a tight budget, it is well worth visiting the Neon stand.

Cost reductions on system upgrades are already being achieved, as the Neon system can utilise many existing types and makes of door entry handset.

High quality and volume of speech is a Neon trademark.

Fully portable convenience can be added by installing the optional telephone interface.

This links the door entry facility to any existing BT phone or DECT cordless phone - ideal for residents with mobility issues.

For partially sighted and blind users, the “DDA Auto Call” facility on digital panels makes using the system as easy as using any normal telephone. The “Soft-Close” feature prevents door banging problems usually experienced when doors utilise

Mag-Lock type locking. And for sheltered housing schemes the “Call Divert” facility means residents will never miss a visitor when joining in social functions in the communal lounge.

Neon provides a full service to assist specifiers, architects, local authorities, housing associations, M & E consultants, etc with product selection including site surveys to ensure best value when replacing/ upgrading existing systems..

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 520 2345 enquiries@neonsecureaccess.co.uk www.neonsecureaccess.co.uk

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk Speedy Housing

QL Housing • QL Financials QL Business Intelligence QL Personnel/Payroll

Ad_86x125_vAW.pdf

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For information on the complete QL Product Suite call 02476 323723 or visit us on Stand D57 at CIH Annual Conference & Exhibition, Manchester Central, 12-14 June 2012 www.aareon.co.uk

Insulate against rising energy prices with Wetherby Building Systems Wetherby Building Systems specialises in the design, sales and distribution of external wall insulation (EWI) systems.

Since the company was formed in 1998, it has developed a range of systems based on the four main insulants used for external wall insulation – mineral fibre, polyisocyanurate, phenolic and polystyrene – and has the most comprehensive range of products available in this market sector.

Following the introduction of CESP, Wetherby has forged close links with clients and energy companies where qualifying areas are being treated with external wall insulation.

CESP will continue until October 2012 when the Green Deal is launched to further expand and fund external wall insulation for solid wall properties.

Wetherby is working closely with DECC, OFGEM, EST and other government agencies to implement this scheme. It will be at the forefront in helping

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homeowners, local authorities and landlords insulate against rising energy prices, creating homes which are warmer and cheaper to run, whilst at the same time reducing carbon emissions into the environment.

With over 20 years’ experience in external wall insulation, a dedicated technical helpline, a ten-strong team of technical sales managers, and a nationwide network of approved installers, Wetherby is well equipped to advise on all aspects of external wall insulation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01942 717100 info@wbs-ltd.co.uk www.wbs-ltd.co.uk

Equipment hire and services for the housing and construction market

Tree and landscape management for public spaces by AEMG

Leading equipment hire and services provider Speedy understands that housing is more than just ‘bricks and mortar’. You must be confident that your suppliers won’t let you and your tenants down.

Speedy has a wealth of experience supplying products and solutions to the housing and construction markets, with a customer portfolio ranging from the UK’s biggest housing providers through to more niche solutions.

Speedy provides reliable, safe equipment – with £45m invested in new equipment each year, the company’s fleet is the most up to date in the industry.

Why not contact Speedy about your ideas for the proposed ‘Tenant’s Own Repair Scheme’?

The company offers a wide range of equipment, from standard items, such as tools, lifting, access, heating, aircon,

Acorn Environmental Management Group (AEMG) provides tree and landscape management and consultancy services. These include tree maintenance and planting services, tree surveys and inspections, hard and soft landscaping, and invasive weed control.

The company’s services are focused on the local authority, housing and highways sectors and it has developed a unique partnering approach, adapting its services to suit specific requirements Acorn Environmental is a

power generators, events equipment, lighting and fencing, to more specialist items, such as the latest CCTV site security, powered access, and waste and fuel management.

Speedy also offers training services, Tool Box Talks, Statutory Compliance Inspections and can even test, repair, inspect and maintain your own equipment.

With over 325 depots and 1,200 delivery vehicles, your delivery will never be far away.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 601 5129 www.speedyservices. com/housing housing@speedyservices.com

Property services to meet public sector needs The Norse Group brings together facilities management provider Norse Commercial Services and property consultancy NPS. The group’s combined turnover is in excess of £200 million and it now provides employment for 10,000 people nationwide.

The Group specialises in providing a full range of design, technical and property management consultancy services to housing associations, local authorities and other clients engaged with managing property assets and delivering capital investment programmes.

It is experienced in housing design and future proofing of independent living and extra care facilities. The Group’s multidiscipline capabilities allows its solutions to be fully coherent and its extensive resources provide assured and tested deliverability.

The Norse Group is able to offer the full one-stop shop

approach as its planning consultants can identify land and buildings for social housing too.

It can also assist local authorities by forming joint venture operations to run efficient housing maintenance and capital works programmes.

The Group’s other services include planned preventative maintenance, response maintenance, modernisation, and estate management, including grounds maintenance, to local authority, housing association and individual building stock.

The Norse Group undertakes a great deal of disabled adaptations from minor items such as handrails to full wet rooms for disabled tenants.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.norsegroup.co.uk

Housing

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

customer focused organisation providing excellent service levels through highly trained personnel who are committed to providing the best at all times, delighting its customers and stakeholders.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 093 3898 e mail: mail@aemg.co.uk web:www.aemg.co.uk

Software designed to meet the needs of the social housing sector Aareon UK Limited is a software company providing housing and financial management solutions to the social housing sector.

The company is the leading European housing IT provider, with over nine million units of stock managed on its software throughout Europe.

As a profitable, growing and innovative organisation, Aareon sets the standard for business processes in the housing sector.

QL is a truly integrated and highly functional software solution designed specifically to meet the needs of social housing providers.

Easy to implement, use and run, QL makes your staff’s job easier whilst streamlining your processes and giving you the information you need to make the right decision at the right time.

QL’s flexible modular structure allows you to choose the elements you need to manage your business, whatever your structure, shape and size.

The core modules are: QL Housing; QL Financials; QL Personnel/Payroll; and QL Business Intelligence.

Within the core modules, QL offers customer relationship management, rent accounting, waiting lists and void management, and reactive

repairs and planned maintenance.

Modules also include mobile working for repairs, arrears and estate management, task centre alerts, estate management and ASB, as well as iHousing – web integration for tenants and business partners.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 02476 323723 emma.page@aareon.com www.aareon.co.uk

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inspiring location

inspiring venue

inspiring rooms

inspiring events

Delivering event excellence in the heart of Westminster Venue

Service

Food

AV

2012

Event Top 20 Venues 2011

Venue Verdict Gold Standard Award 2011

M&IT Industry Awards, Gold Award Winner 2012 (in-house caterers, Kudos)

In-house AV team of the year finalists 2011

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

DESTINATION LONDON

EVERYONE’S LOVING LONDON With the global economic climate still fragile, budgets and ROI are still at the top of everyone’s agenda. Any city destination chosen for a conference or event needs to deliver. This is where London can tick so many boxes - the most visited city in the world has an expanding choice of venues

Author Samuel Johnson’s observation in 1777 still resonates in London over 200 years later: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

It is one to which a certain other 21st century Mr Johnson will no doubt testify.

But what is the secret to London’s allure that has spanned centuries and continues to excite visitors and residents alike?

Whether a born and bred Cockney, an adopted advocate, a serial Londoner or a first-timer; London promises a unique experience with every visit. And that’s thanks to its relentless ability to reinvent itself generation after generation whilst remaining true to its spell-binding history: a fascinating juxtaposition of a city at the forefront of innovation and design yet still peppered with rich culture and heritage.

With a recent injection of investment owing

to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer in what has just been crowned the best city on the planet and is already the most visited city in the world, there really isn’t a better time to visit the capital of cool.

WORLD CAPITAL OF BUSINESS As the world capital of business, London is consistently one of the world’s leading event destinations attracting more event delegates than any other city on the planet, with the South East in particular providing good demographics for attracting visitors to events - both consumer and B2B. London is consistently voted the world’s leading business destination, with over seven million business travellers visiting each year.

London will of course remain a great city to visit in 2013 and beyond – with magnificent hotels and more than 1,000 truly unique events venues ready to welcome and host

events, including the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which will welcome visitors from 2013 onwards. With conference venues from the traditional and historical to the modern and funky; the corporate and ceremonious to the unique and quirky, London offers 500 inspirational settings including 16 major exhibition centres such as ICC London ExCeL and the Barbican, and unique spaces such as Wembley Stadium, The O2 Arena and Historic Royal Palace the Tower of London.

Regeneration on a grand scale has taken place throughout London as we approach the Olympic Games this summer. Mass investment has been driven into the city as a result of the trust placed on its shoulders to deliver the greatest show on the planet.

The city is seeing over £11 billion worth of amelioration projects such as the regeneration of London’s East End; the enhancement of its transport infrastructure and the E

Olympic Village, London

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Corporate & Social Events for up to 300 guests in North West London

• Onsite parking • Special accommodation rates • Leisure facilities • Early booking discounts • Competitively priced packages

www.crownmoranhotel.com 020 8452 4175 | crowncb@moranhotels.com 178by125_270412.pdf

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Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 3ED

DESTINATION LONDON E development of new hotels and attractions.

With that size of economic investment comes a long-term confidence in a city, one which business visitors and event organisers will benefit from both in the run up to, during and after the Olympic Games. The opening of these great new venues will provide fantastic opportunities for the events industry to harness exposure to new audiences and capitalise on a changing industry backdrop.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be the perfect location for a raft of event activity.

Following the Games this summer, there will be seven new hospitality areas within the Olympic Park including the ArcelorMittal Orbit – the tallest sculpture in the UK – which will be able to host 200 guests for a reception with fabulous views across the stadium; the Aquatics Centre and the Velodrome will also become key venues for gala events, and the Multiuse Arena which is known as the ‘Copper Box’ will become London’s third biggest indoor arena. The south end of the park will also offer temporary exhibition and conference venue space as well as the actual stadium.

With over £6 billion of investment into the city’s transport infrastructure ahead of the Games this summer, the benefits from new lines and faster services will continue to be felt, providing super-fast connectivity that spreads right across London. Further developments planned for the city include the major Crossrail development by 2018, which will link east to west to dramatically reduce journey times, mean London’s connectivity has never been better.

London boasts a triple ‘A’ rating – Accessibility, Affordability and Acceptability. With the global economic climate still fragile, budgets and ROI are still at the top of every business’s agenda and any city destination chosen for a conference or event needs to deliver. This is where London can tick so many boxes.

London has capacity to cater for the most intimate meeting to the largest congress, with options to suit every price range. With over 100,000 rooms including a raft of budget hotels, hostels and university accommodation available, the city is well equipped to host groups on a slightly tighter budget.

CENTRE OF TALENT AND CREATIVITY London’s strength with the events sector lies in its world-class variety, when business travellers choose London they are choosing a world-class city which delivers on experience and on value for money. More than 50 major international communities have made the UK capital their home. In London you can hear more than 300 different languages spoken in the city. This remarkable diversity makes London an ideal destination for every business, every event and every delegate.

With the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games just around the corner, the theme of people competing, working together and achieving greatness is not just one which remains exclusive to London’s sports offer–

New London venues expected in 2013

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are a key milestone for London with the development and regeneration they have created – the next chapter for London from 2013 onwards is going to be one of the most exciting too. The following developments are planned:

Art’otel Hoxton

Planning is underway for a new Art’otel London Hoxton - the first London venture from the group – for an 18-storey building, due for completion in 2013, which will include 350 hotel rooms and public areas including a gallery space, arthouse cinema, spa and restaurant on the double height top floor. www.artotels.com/londonhoxton

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Post-games, organisers can make use of the brand new Olympic venues by booking their next conference in the Velodrome or the Olympic Stadium. In addition, the legacy of 2012 will leave a raft of new sporting spaces, a business hub and brand new visitor attractions including the revived canals and waterways of the River Lea and one of the largest urban parks created in Europe for more than 150 years. www.londonlegacy.co.uk

Shard London Bridge

The London skyline is set to be transformed with the addition of a brand new, dynamic architectural landmark, The Shard. Once complete, The Shard will be the tallest building in Western Europe, providing a vertical city of high quality offices, top restaurants and a 5-star Shangri La hotel. The building will be topped by London’s tallest observation tower with breath taking 360 degree views of the city.

Set to open in 2013, the luxury hotel will offer 195 rooms as well as a number of meetings facilities for event organisers in a prime location at London Bridge. www.shardlondonbridge.com

Greenwich

Approval has been given for a 452-bedroom hotel with a green “living roof” on the Greenwich Peninsula. The luxury hotel, which will have a ballroom, special events space, restaurant, meeting rooms and health spa, is being developed by 02 arena owner AEG. The hotel, which will feature a sky-bar and executive lounge overlooking the Thames, will incorporate solar panels as part of the roof.

it’s also very much at the heart of London’s London is luckily enough to be home for business and meetings ethos too. When it some of the biggest technology companies comes to cities which inspire, London still and providers in the world. Our conference remains a number one global venues and hotels are equipped destination. It’s a city which with the latest technology and is constantly changing as the next Olympic host city a When and pushing boundaries, of course there is a real f o d re ti and offers an inspiring drive to make London is n a m platform for events the most innovative d re ti is e h London, and venues which and multimedia rich in are sure to motivate city in the world. life; for there is f o delegates and business fe li t a London all th visitors - so they too can LEADING VISITOR achieve their very best.

DESTINATION can afford A city with business It’s not hard to see why n, Samuel Johnso in its DNA, London has London has just been 1777 long provided inspiration named the best city in the to some of history’s most world - with a plethora of eminent scientists, mathematicians, attractions, iconic sights, historical engineers, artists and athletes. More venues and a calendar of year-round worldthan half of the UK’s top 100 listed class events, London has all of the ingredients companies (the FTSE 100) and over 100 to give every trip and event the “wow-factor”. of Europe’s 500 largest companies are But all this fun doesn’t have to come at a price. headquartered in central London – so it’s A major benefit of London’s cultural offering also a globally recognised hub of business. is that many of the events, museums and E

“

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Delivering Professional Training to the Private and Public Sector Industries Pass Training Consultancy Ltd has a team of professionals with a combined experience in excess of 30 years. Our qualifications and training lifecycle knowledge is extensive, offering a wide range of developmental and people management skills. Demand for parking specific qualifications is growing as more come to us for a cost effective solution.

Current courses offered are: • Conflict Management • Welcome Host Training • Welcome All Disability Awareness • Customer Care Training • Notice Processing 1916-01 • Civil Enforcement Officers 1950-02 • Appraisal Training • Fire Safety Training • Manual Handling Training • Supervisory Training • Parking Shop Training • Car Park Officer Training • CCTV Enforcement Officers 1950-02 • Basic Deaf Awareness • Basic British Sign Language • First Aid at Work 3 Days (FAW) • 1 Day Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

• 1/2 Day AED Defribrillator & Emergency Oxygen • Care of Children First Aid • In Case of Emergency (‘ICES’) We can also develop your employees professional qualifications. In particular, there is currently a lot of interest in the 1916 Level 3 notice processing qualification, as well as 1950 for Civil Enforcement officers. Even with the current economic climate, the development of staff is crucial at all levels.

Using nationally accredited courses to up-skill your team is a fantastic way to increase their knowledge, productivity, morale and provide them with a lifetime qualification. Why not contact us for a cost effective, robust solution that meets your organizational needs?

CALL US NOW ON

0843 2895581 info@passtraining.co.uk

DESTINATION LONDON E galleries in the capital are free – which is a huge cost saving to any delegate and a perfect way to compliment any business programme.

Around every corner of London visitors will find new and exciting options – it’s a city of choice, with a dazzling array of music, theatre and museums. One evening business visitors could be listening to the latest opera at the Royal Opera House and the next they could be sitting in the legendary Dover Street Jazz Café, drifting away to the hushed sounds of a mellow saxophone.

Wherever you are in London, the city exudes an irrefutable, local charm. With 33 distinctive and diverse boroughs offering their own little slice of London, there really is no better place to be exposed to such a melting pot of cultures, traditions and customs. From the ‘Cockney Pride’ of London’s East End to the pomp and ceremony of London’s Royal Family; from Michelinstarred restaurants with zest and finesse to London’s bustling markets offering the finest cuts of meat to authentic street food; from the bright lights and buzz of Theatreland to the calm and respite of London’s hidden sanctuaries such as Wimbledon Village, London life is utterly compelling providing a local ambience around every corner.

Complimenting this local flavour is the vast choice that London offers its visitors: the city boasts more than 40,000 shops including

Wembley Stadium

Europe’s largest shopping centre, Westfield Stratford City, 48 Michelin-starred restaurants, more than 6,000 restaurants offering menus from 70 major country cuisines, 300 museums and galleries (17 of which offer free entry), 150 theatres, 147 parks, more than 10,000 bars and clubs and four World Heritage sites (Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Maritime Greenwich and the Houses of Parliament).

London also has a huge amount of green spaces including more than 600 garden squares, 148 parks and gardens, 122 heaths, commons and greens, 16 city farms, eight Royal Parks and one historic battlefield. It is one of the greenest capitals in the world.

As London prepares for its Olympic host city

VERSATILE RIVERSIDE VENUE With its central riverside location, close to the political heart of London, Southbank Centre offers an ideal venue for your next event, whether it’s a meeting for 20 or a conference for 2000.

Photo © Morley von Sternberg

www.southbankcentre.co.uk/venuehire events@southbankcentre.co.uk Telephone 020 7921 0702

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

status, it continues with business as usual, hosting world-class events and conferences from all over the globe, however there is no doubt that the Olympic Games have created a sense of excitement and ambition not seen in London for generations. Even for a majestic city like London that rarely stands still, the number of new openings, refurbishments and regeneration projects are truly astounding - there really has never been a better time to consider bringing conference and business events into the UK’s capital L FURTHER INFORMATION For more information visit: visitlondon.com/business

Coin Street Conference Centre: invest in a local London community Coin Street Community Builders is a social enterprise and a leader in community regeneration.

At the Coin Street Conference Centre on London’s South Bank, five minutes’ walk from Waterloo station, a range of high profile cross-political party events have been held.

From the launch of the Big Society to the EU Volunteering road show organised by the Cabinet Office, the company is experienced in hosting events with government ministers, party leaders and foreign dignitaries.

All revenue generated from venue hire goes back into the local area, so each booking is a real investment in the community.

The flexible venue features 10 meeting spaces that are suitable for six delegates up to 250. It has sustainable features - the carbon footprint is 44 per cent below the good practice figure, and the roof terrace has spectacular

views of the London skyline.

Confirm your meeting by 30 June and quote ‘GBMAGMAY12’ to receive 25 per cent off venue hire plus a choice of one of the following complimentary additions - either pastries on arrival, orange juice with lunch, an AV package (including projector, screen, two flipcharts, microphones and a lectern) or discount vouchers for delegates to use at Gabriel’s and Oxo Tower Wharf retail units.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 020 7021 1650 coinstreetconferencecentre.org

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The North’s largest events & exhibition venue

Located at The Trafford Centre Britain’s most successful shopping and leisure destination • second largest exhibition space outside London • 28,000 square metres of versatile space • free on-site parking for 3,000 cars • over 200 shops in The Trafford Centre • over 60 restaurants, bars & cafés on the doorstep • exciting leisure facilities at Trafford Quays Leisure Village • immediate access to M60 • excellent public transport links • 4 hotels within one-mile radius

Talk to the team to discover how EventCity can meet your commercial objectives

For further information call 0161 870 9800 or email info@eventcity.co.uk

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

GETTING MORE VALUE FROM VENUES

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Public sector budgets for meetings, conferences and promotional events have been squeezed.

As procurement officers seek to derive more value from their budgets, a new approach from the Meetings Industry Association members is to guarantee to deliver exactly what their clients want.

Faced with the challenge of ferocious meeting and event budget cuts from both the private and public sector, the UK’s venues have faced a stark future; survival or ruin.

The days when their clients were happy to sign off expenditure without question of its relevance are over, every penny has become accountable and there is determination to optimise every minute of venue hire time.

For some, the solution has been to do the same but make it cheaper. The problem is that charging less money to make the same mistakes is an unsustainable approach.

It cannot go on indefinitely and does not satisfy the growing demands of procurement officers seeking to derive increased value

from their meetings and events spend.

Another group, working collectively through one of the industry’s trade associations, mia, have found a more realistic solution; to guarantee they will deliver what their clients want.

Those that take a keen interest in the fortunes of the meetings and events industry will be familiar with AIM, the accreditation that works as an assurance of excellence for event buyers in very much the same way that AA rosettes do for hotel standards. AIM is designed to tick all the procurement boxes and raise standards across the sector.

Amy Clear, conference and events manager for the Boarding School Association

says, “We always have to check that the venues we use are properly managed and now we know about AIM, we find it really helpful as it does the job for us.”

SPENDING BUDGETS WISELY Although it was launched before the worldwide recession, increasingly venues have realised that in today’s business world, survival depends on whether or not you make a difference. For good reason, ‘adding value’ has become a modern business cliché and through AIM, venues have found a way to make life easier for their clients, while giving them a reason to feel instant trust in the services they deliver. On the flipside, buyers E

Woodland Grange

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welcome to our

www.bangor.ac.uk/conferences

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I want to offer our thanks to you for handling all our Conference requirements.

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Located between the sea and Snowdonia, Bangor is an inspiring destination, a world away but so easy to reach. Our superb location is matched by an inspired selection of venues. They lend themselves perfectly to every kind of conference, function, banquet, exhibition or event, be it for 6 or 600.

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Technical Services

Our AV Services team offers the full range of assistance for conferences, meetings and events. This includes – free WiFi, video and audio equipment, PA systems, screens and monitors. In addition, photocopier accounts can be arranged, as can email access through temporary logins.

Catering To You We’re confident we have some of the most delightful and unusual venues the UK can offer and we’re pleased to say that most of it comes with outstanding views as standard.

Our venues can be hired for residential conferences, day meetings, training days, lectures, product launches, drinks receptions, exhibitions, alumni gatherings or weddings.

The University’s meeting rooms are available to all, including community groups and businesses, the public and private sector - to name but a few. In total there are over 40 meeting rooms with capacities from 6 to 600.

Organising an event can be stressful and we offer our administration services to help ease the workload. With a team of dedicated event planners at your disposal, nothing is too much trouble. We have worked with national organisations to arrange and support fund raising events, formal conferences, dinners and concerts and helped our customers to enjoy memorable wedding receptions and society functions.

North West Wales is an inspiring destination and offers an experience unlike any other.

There are beaches, castles, rugged mountains and the superb scenery of the Snowdonia National Park, with activities like mountain biking and climbing. Let the dramatic scenery inspire you while our facilities impress you, we have everything you need to ensure your time with us is memorable.

Accommodation “Food@Bangor” endeavours to offer exceptional quality and value for money throughout our range of menus. Proud of serving local, home made produce and achieving the highest customer service levels, you won’t be disappointed with your stay.

We offer a wide selection of menus from simple refreshments, to a working lunch, a more formal two or three course buffet, or an evening gala dinner. Our catering services are also available outside the University as part of our event management service.

Conferences@Bangor

Idwal Building | Ffriddoedd Rd Bangor | Gwynedd | LL57 2GP

Our 4 star campus accommodation has excellent views of the mountains of Snowdonia and the Menai Straits. The accommodation packages offer individuals and groups high quality catering and accommodation in single, en-suite rooms.

We offer bed and breakfast, room only, self catering or fully catered accommodation for conferences, individuals and small groups.

Telephone (01248) 388088 Fax (01248) 388822 conferences@bangor.ac.uk

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

76 Portland Place

For good reason, ‘adding value’ has become a modern business cliché and through AIM, venues have found a way to make life easier for their clients, while giving them a reason to feel instant trust in the services they deliver.

E have learned that at AIM venues they can feel confident their reduced budget is being spent wisely; more are insisting on AIM and as a result, more venues are seeking accreditation.

VIRTUOUS CIRCLE In 2011, the industry saw substantial increases in the number of venues with AIM, which at its AGM in March 2012, the mia cited as being in excess of 500 and is forecast to grow beyond 600 by the end of the year. It’s a forecast that could turn out to be somewhat modest. The potential that AIM offers venues as they compete to attract buyers, has now caught the attention of long established hotel groups. The likes of InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG), Jurys Inn and Park Plaza have bought in to the AIM vision and now have either all or a large section of their UK and Ireland properties promoting achievement of AIM. The result of this - AIM venues attracts buyers, buyers attract AIM venues – the virtuous circle is that in the future more venues will realise they need AIM and more buyers will only do business with AIM venues.

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, comments, “We’re seeing unprecedented interest in AIM from all types of venues,

whether they’re independents or groups, hotels or purpose built conference centres, sports stadia or academic venues. Buyers need AIM because they need to know they are getting the most from their budgets and their event will be a success. Venues need AIM because they need to be able to demonstrate they can achieve the standards buyers want.”

VISITENGLAND’S AIM STRATEGY Professional event organisers are not alone in their enthusiasm for AIM. VisitEngland’s chief executive, James Berresford, who, recognising the importance of business tourism to the UK economy and job creation, is seeking to ensure all English meetings and event facilities, products and services continue to meet market demands. In his strategy document, ‘VisitEngland’s Business Tourism Action Plan’, Berresford cited the growth of AIM as an important element of his strategy, and is working with the ‘mia Destinations Group’, in order to further the growth of the accreditation scheme, thereby raising the industry’s competitive status on an international level.

Along with VisitEngland, AIM has received widespread endorsement from other major tourism bodies such as Visit Wales, MPI UK

& Ireland, ABPCO (Association of British Professional Conference Organisers), as well as 29 of the country’s regional destinations.

BUYER POWER Few would argue, that in terms of the UK business tourism industry, AIM has been a welcome addition, the uptake by venues has been fast and the major players in the industry have given the accreditation their full backing.

AIM has encouraged venues to take a second look at how they run their business, enabling them to make efficiency improvements, increase staff motivation and raise standards considerably. The question, for Longhurst, is ‘are buyers buying in to the AIM proposition?’, “Having the promotion and supplier sectors of the industry supporting AIM is massive boon; it has put the focus on service, making the industry more competitive, but it’s only half the job. The power to make a difference really lies with the buyer and we are encouraged by the response from professional event organisers, who have certainly taken note. There are now enough AIM venues of all kinds to offer genuine choice, this is the message we bring to buyers; AIM raises standards, increases value for money, protects jobs and attract investment.” comments Jane Longhurst, “Furthermore, with advanced venue search technology we can now ensure finding the perfect AIM venue is simple.

AIM VENUE FINDING To ensure event organisers can easily find AIM venues that have all the facilities and services they need for their event, a free to use venue search and automated enquiry tool is available online on the AIM website. E

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS E To use the search tool buyers fill in and submit a simple online form, providing full contact details and information on the type of event they are organising, including desired location. The search results returned include only venues and destinations that have achieved AIM and can meet the requirements of the brief. Each venue that meets the requirements receives a copy of the brief and has the opportunity to respond with a competitive proposal.

Not surprisingly, the search facility is popular with buyers, as it enables them to very quickly find a venue that meets all their event requirements and, through its AIM standard, offers guarantees of excellence. Sali Gray of The Business Advancement Consultancy comments, “When one of my clients asked me to arrange accommodation, in a geographic area which I was unfamiliar with, I spent fruitless hours surfing the internet. I then remembered the mia and was delighted to see that you now offer a venue finding service. I completed the requirement form and was introduced to a selection of firstclass venues. After much deliberation, (they were all lovely) I made a booking with one of them. Congratulations to you, on this brilliant system, which has saved me so much time.”

These professional event buyers use AIM because they know the stringent grading criteria an AIM venue has achieved means they can be confident their event is in the hands of hard working, well trained, highly motivated people, and all their needs will be met with the minimum of fuss. Furthermore, it enables them to achieve the most from their budgets, with no unforeseen or ‘hidden’ costs. L FURTHER INFORMATION To find an AIM venue visit www.aimaccredited.co.uk

The Virtues of AIM - Accredited in Meetings If you see a venue is boasting the AIM standard, you can feel confident the venue has provided tangible evidence that it commits to a stringent set of industry best practice principles, while demonstrating a clear understanding of corporate events.

To buyers, AIM means they can find venues they can instantly trust.

Choosing an AIM venue, is choosing a venue that has committed to doing business better, it’s protecting your budget and a major boost to ensuring your event is a success.

Venues that have achieved AIM deliver guaranteed results through: Value for Money - With transparent pricing and billing, efficient operations and commitment to best practice codes of conduct, AIM venues deliver quality at a benchmarked price Saves Time – AIM ticks all of your procurement boxes so you don’t have to worry Removes Risks – Rest assured your meeting is being managed by experienced event professionals High Standards – Only venues with high standards can achieve AIM and each is encouraged to seek continuous improvement

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Better Service – Compliance with AIM changes the service culture in a venue, helping ensure it exceeds expectations Meetings Code - All AIM venues have integrity, they abide by the Meetings CODE which demands consistency, openness, decency and ethics AIM Higher Along with the standard Entry level of AIM, there are two ‘Higher’ levels, Silver and Gold, demonstrating compliance with a more stringent set of criteria. Venues wishing to ‘AIM Higher’ complete a ten section self-assessment, produce a portfolio of evidence in support of their application and receive a visit from an independent assessor who determines whether the venue is worthy of the accreditation and whether AIM Silver or AIM Gold should be awarded.

The Perfect Event The support of an AIM venue increases your options. You will spend less time worrying about the venue capabilities and more time on the event’s content, theme and promotion.

With venue excellence assured, AIM gives you time to create the perfect event.

Crown Plaza Leeds

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THE PLACE TO MEET

east malling conference centre

Located in 200 hectares of orchards in the heart of Kent, the East Malling Conference Centre is a wonderful place to escape to for any size conference, meeting or event.

At the Crowne Plaza Leeds we want you to have the time to make your event a success.

That means leaving us to do all the hard work so you don’t have to. Our conference and events team are on hand to deliver a successful event for you, from the right room layout and food and beverage choices to the technology to make a great impression. Our service guarantee is your assurance of dedicated service and a commitment to Meeting Success.

All inclusive rates you can afford Versatile rooms suitable for 2-200 delegates Full AV package included in rates FREE Wi-Fi On-site catering providing freshly prepared daily menus FREE parking for 200 cars Dedicated events team Team building activities 3 miles from Junction 4, M20

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HINSLEY HALL Hinsley Hall offers a comfortable, cost effective venue suitable for a variety of different requirements • 52 Refurbished en-suite rooms • Various Conference & Training Rooms to cater for groups from 2 - 90 • Ample free Parking •Good Food & Hospitality For info visit www.hinsley-hall.co.uk or contact Hinsley Hall, 62 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 2BX Tel: 0113 261 8000 • Fax: 0113 224 2406 e-mail: info@hinsley-hall.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

For flexible meeting facilities, the latest technology and a guaranteed ‘can do’ service promise. The Academy at Holiday Inn Guildford provides a modern, purpose built conference centre accommodating up to 180 delegates.

With 168 spacious bedrooms, Spirit Health & Leisure Club, restaurant, lounge bar and complimentary onsite car parking your assured a fantastic stay at The Holiday Inn Guildford.

Call now to book!

Sharon Power Director of Sales Holiday Inn Guildford Egerton Road, Guildford, Surrey. GU2 7XZ Mobile: + 44 (0) 7736 746107 E-mail: sharon.power@ihg.com

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CO

meetings-leedscp@ihg.com www.cpleedshotel.co.uk

Maidstone, Kent, ME19 6BJ T • 01732 523781 F • 01732 849067 E • emcentre@emr.ac.uk

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The Team that likes to say YES! East Malling Conference Centre,

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Meetings Show UK forms advisory board ahead of inaugural July event The Meetings Show UK has revealed details of its Advisory Board, which includes industry experts from around the world.

Paul Kennedy MBE, strategic advisor to The Meetings Show UK and chairman of the Advisory Board explains: “Credibility and expertise were the two most important words used as we drew up our shortlist for the Advisory Board and Educational Panel.

It is vital we bring together a group of respected industry leaders who act for the benefit of exhibitors and visitors - seeking ways to deliver the best possible show for all involved. We are delighted to have brought together so many highly respected individuals and look forward to an inaugural meeting that truly sees the brightest stars in the industry working towards a common goal.”

The Advisory Board will meet several times a year both in person and virtually, bringing together their wealth of experience, ideas and strategic understanding of the meetings industry. In addition, an education panel chaired by Sally Greenhill of The Right Solution is due to be announced shortly.

CPL Events (Portugal), executive director

and Advisory Board member Linda Pereira comments: “I know first-hand how important and impacting it is to have meeting industry professionals on an advisory board. The fact that hands on professionals are directly involved in crafting the show is in itself a guarantee that it will be tailored to today’s industry needs and will also address specifically exhibitor and visitor needs.”

Kerrin MacPhie, director of sales, ACC Liverpool comments: “We are delighted that the UK meetings industry will benefit from a new hosted buyer led show. Centaur has the opportunity to deliver an uncompromising hosted buyer proposition which ticks all of our boxes in terms of showcasing both Liverpool and ACC Liverpool’s product to quality buyers.”

Paul Simpson, managing director of Visit Manchester comments: “Meetings and events are integral to Manchester’s success as a city.

I am thrilled to have been invited to join the Advisory Board for The Meetings Show UK.”

Advisory Board

Conferences & Events

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Paul Kennedy MBE, strategic advisor to the Meetings Show UK / chairman Centaur Travel Group Sally Greenhill, managing director, The Right Solution Jane Longhurst, chief executive, Meetings Industry Association Linda Pereira, executive director, CPL Events (Portugal) Christian Mutschlechner, director, Vienna Convention Bureau Peter Ducker, executive director, HBAA Carole McKellar, executive director, Europe, Helms Briscoe Fiona Chappell, director, business development - Europe, Melbourne Convention and Visitor Bureau Ian Taylor, commercial director, Marketing Birmingham Tracy Halliwell, director of business tourism/major events, London and Partners Paul Simpson, director, Visit Manchester

The Meetings Show UK’s inaugural event Kerrin MacPhie, director of sales, will take place during week commencing ACC 1/4 Liverpool Education Business magazine AD-13/4/12_Layout 1 13/04/2012 10:09 Page 1 8th July, 2013 at Olympia, London.

Have you discovered Manchester’s

yet?

King’s House Conference Centre is steadily becoming one of Manchester’s premier mediumsized versatile conference venues. In these challenging economic times, spend taxpayers’ money wisely and hold your conference with us. Situated in the south of the city centre, we have excellent public transport links and ample discounted local parking.

Our air conditioned Auditorium is perfect for day conferences for up to 350, as well as shorter presentations for up to 650, exhibitions, product launches, exams and much more. We have a large stage, stage lighting, professional PA system, 5000 lumens HD LCD projector and a ten metre wide projection wall backdrop.

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There are seven other conference and meeting rooms, ideal for catering, exhibitions and breakout space from larger events, or as stand-alone rooms for smaller events.

We regularly host government departments and other public sector bodies. We would be delighted to work with you in making your event a great success.

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Visit us at the SDI Conference 2012; 19-20 June; Staverton Park, Daventry

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OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

NEWS IN BRIEF

Tariq Rashid reveals big savings on open source border control system The Home Office has saved £10m by running a key messaging infrastructure on open source software. The system, which is part of international border control, previously cost £12m over five years, a figure that reduced to £2m over the same period.

Speaking at the Open Government Summit in London, Home Office IT architect Tariq Rashid said: “We moved from a traditional expensive product to something based on JBoss (an open spource architecture)”.

Rashid claimed another department saved £400m by moving to open source software. He stated: “There’s a fear in government that by using open source we will expose ourselves and have to open up our systems, which is not the case.”

Rashid went on to suggest some of the reasons why uptake is so low in the UK government, which, he said, include: a lack of open architecture which has precluded choice; a lack of open source skills and myths around security.

The procurement process is also a big issue, he said: “I’m particularly incensed about the mix of suppliers in government.

Our European colleagues have much greater

Met Office Red Hat backbone Open source has become critical to the operations of the Met Office with Linux used in the organisation for a decade. The government agency said the use of open source is critical to its operations. “Open source and Red Hat is the backbone of our operation capability,” said Graham Mallin, head of IT infrastructure at the Met Office. Speaking at the Open Gov Summit, Mallin said the agency has used Linux for 10 years.

numbers of suppliers vying for business.

“It’s not a toy, the best open source has been around for a decade,” he said, adding that about 80 per cent of websites use open source, as does NASA. “Over the last year we’ve started to point our fingers less at the market and more at ourselves. As customers you get what you deserve,” said Rashid.

But central spending controls in the Cabinet Office are pushing open source more onto the agenda: “The Home Office has pushed back on projects not using open source.”

Using spot checks as a means of encouraging departments to incorporate open source in their IT plans was another method being considered.

Rashid praised government IT security authority CESG’s recent announcement that open source was no more or less secure than proprietary software. “But a number of colleagues are not yet on the same page with that,” he added.

The consultation on open standards in Government ends on 4 June.

Government Technology

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

US Survey shows high Bring your Own Device uptake A survey of the networking priorities of 130 US hospitals found that about 85 per cent support the use of personal devices like iPads and smartphones at work. The survey, performed by Aruba Networks, focused mainly on network issues and showed varying levels of access to business apps through employees’ devices. tinyurl.com/6sxbj82

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

opengov.zaizi.com

Nine council sites upgraded after Socitm review A series of reviews of Socitm Insight’s Better connected 2012 ratings, part of the annual process following publication of results on March 1, has led to nine councils achieving improved overall ratings for their websites. Staffordshire County Council’s result has been amended as a result of the review to make it a top ranking, four star site. tinyurl.com/d5e4bsb

Tariq Rashid

EU to improve open source exchange The European Commission wants to improve its free and open-source software repository system using an enhanced metadata specification meant to help EU countries exchange more information about their free and open-source software projects.

European public administrations are encouraged to share and reuse free and open software through a federation of software collaboration platforms aimed at increasing visibility of open-source projects available in European countries. The Commission’s Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations (ISA) Programme was established to support that effort and gave a presentation in May on how to improve use of the repositories, which are called “forges.”

The ISA plans to improve how national opensource repositories are linked, the organisation said on Joinup, the Commission portal for reuse of open-source software. Currently, there is information about software projects available on Joinup, but only three elements are listed: name, description and URL. The plan is to eventually automatically incorporate the version of the software release, related software and the geographic region in which the software can be used among other parameters, according to the presentation documents.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/cwqboqj

Police IT joins forces in £2.3m Capita deal Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire look set to become the first police forces in the UK to share a common back office under a collaborative agreement with supplier Capita. The new shared system, Origin, will be delivered under a contract worth £2.3m over five years.

Origin will merge the current three force HR systems into one.

READ THE STORY HERE...

tinyurl.com/cfl2gg4

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OPEN DATA

Tim Berners-Lee and Nigel Shadbolt head up Open Data Institute to focus on stimulating business growth The Government has published plans to establish an Open Data Institute in London.

The Open Data Institute (ODI – theodi.org), the first of its kind in the world, will become the ‘go to’ venue for those seeking to create new products, entrepreneurial opportunities and economic growth from Open Data.

The initial focus will be on nurturing new businesses exploiting Open Data for economic growth. Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude said: “Our aim is to make the UK an international role model in exploiting the potential of open data to generate new businesses and stimulate growth.

“The Open Data Institute is a big step towards this. Establishing a centre of excellence and expertise in the heart of technology start-ups will support the very best UK talents to innovate and drive value from the data this government is opening up.”

Co-directed by Professor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Professor Nigel Shadbolt, the ODI will be based in Shoreditch, East London. First announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in November last year and developed with help from the Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org), the government has committed up to £10 million over five years to support the ODI. Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: “Data

on areas like procurement, the quality of care homes and crime rates are already being used to provide innovative new services. Now, the Open Data institute will support businesses that want to use data in imaginative new ways for everyone’s benefit.”

Tim Berners-Lee said: “The Institute will connect together lots of people excited about Open Data. Those who produce it with those who want to put it to use in all sorts of fields and every kind of industry.”

The ODI will also engage with developers and the public sector to support the entire

supply chain and build sustainability.

Nigel Shadbolt said: “The UK is now a world leader in this area and the ODI will show how value can be generated from this as well as training a generation of data entrepreneurs.”

The ODI is expected to be open for business by September 2012. It will draw on complementary sources and users of data - businesses, the public sector, academia and overseas interests – to support greater cooperation between them.

Government Technology

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

VIEW THE PLAN tinyurl.com/ck7vuqo

Heather Savory chosen to chair the Open Data User Group The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, has appointed Heather Savory as the chair of the Open Data User Group (ODUG). Savory’s experience includes stints as head of metrics and benchmarking for the Office of Government Computing and head of regulatory flow at BIS. Maude describes her as having a background in “hightechnology businesses and strong strategic and governance experience of central government, entrepreneurial businesses and consulting. As chair of the Open Data User Group, with her wide knowledge of the collection and use of data across the public and private sectors, Heather Savory will act as the expert customer, advising the Government’s Data Strategy Board on what data should be released free at the point of use and for re-use.”

IT STRATEGY

CLOUD COMPUTING

IT Strategy makes savings Cloudstore v.2 launched but concerns raised over next implementation steps Since its IT strategy was launched in March 2011, ICT spend has decreased by £159m through spend controls and £64.2m from telecommunications networks budgets by applying better, common standards for the PSN, said the department in its review: One Year On: Implementing the Government ICT Strategy.

The Cabinet Office estimates a further £150m in savings in 2012/13 by creating a common infrastructure environment.

The strategy also announced a G-Hosting framework, intended to support more complex hosting requirements and expected to go live in the coming weeks. T But in order for the strategy to succeed, the document said the next three years will need to see sustained effort to implement the strategy in full.

According to Computer Weekly, some government insiders

have expressed concern about where the direction for the strategy implementation will come from as a number of the original strategy authors have left over the last 12 months.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude stated: “A number of significant successes have been chalked up, including the launch of the Public Services Network frameworks; the launch of the Government Digital Service; and the creation of the CloudStore. These are still early days for implementation, but progress has been good.”

Over the next year the government will publish a revised set of ICT strategy metrics, set out the ‘Right to Data’ White Paper and establish a Digital Strategy.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE tinyurl.com/cg7yukx

The government has launched a new version of its cloud app marketplace Cloudstore.

Among new features of the portal are; an improved search engine that allows free form search alongside the ability to filter on G-Cloud attributes, viewing of supplier service definitions, terms and conditions, rate cards (where applicable) and other useful documents and comparison of services and standard configuration prices side by side. On the supplier side it adds; the ability to make changes to a user’s CloudStore entry directly (subject to G-Cloud

programme approval), a more open and fairer marketplace through side by side service comparisons as well as quicker and easier payments.

While the update was built on proprietary software which is the foundation of E-Marketplace, it still remained committed to using open source in future versions. Government chief information officer Andy Nelson said: “Using cloud solutions that have been assured and accredited will almost always be less expensive, and we will only pay for what we use.” gcloud.civilservice.gov.uk

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Peter Gradwell, founder and managing director of Gradwell, discusses how the public and private sectors are being held back by unreliable broadband connections and explains how the costly problem can be overcome Figures published by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in February gave a balanced outlook of good news and bad news for the UK. The good news was that the majority of small businesses feel confident enough to not just consolidate their position, but to expand and grow. The bad news, however, is that there are still several blockades on their road to success. The stagnated economy is, obviously, the largest of those obstacles, but the surprise was that large number of businesses said sub-par broadband was a major threat to their future successes – and it is holding the public sector back as well.

A continuing lack of up-to-date broadband coverage and sluggish speeds are hampering the recovery of the UK’s economy and the success of business in both the public and private sectors. I would actually go one step further and suggest that inadequate broadband is not just preventing the economy from growing further, but is it also impacting on its ability to continue as it is now.

IMPACT OF BROADBAND PROBLEMS My company, Gradwell, recently conducted research into the impact of broadband problems on business across the country. The results were quite shocking. They revealed that firms are seeing their broadband service fail, on average, once a month. This in turn has a direct and significant impact on their bottom line, with these failures costing cities at least £1 million a day. Much of the issue here stems from the fact that a huge amount of business is conducted over broadband designed for residential use, with no back-up plan for dealing with the inevitable ‘down-time’ that a low-grade line will bring. While I wasn’t surprised by the regularity with which connections are failing businesses, I was shocked by the lack of strategic planning for dealing with what is clearly an ongoing problem.

The main issue is people placing their entire operation on just one line. One problem with that and your entire operation has a problem. Thinking ahead and investing in more reliable services is really quite straightforward and not very costly for the budget-conscious public sector – certainly

not £1 million a day. For example, EFM (Ethernet in the First Mile) services provide in-built failover systems to keep users online when problems occur. There may only be one connection, but that connection is business grade and is made up of two or four pairs of bonded wires, meaning that one line can fail, leaving several more to keep you online.

BACKUP SERVICE However, a second service serving as a backup is always recommended and mobile technology is making this easier to implement than ever before. Many high-end routers are now coming with 3G failover systems, so you can access the internet through a wireless mobile connection should your wired connection fail. Smartphone and tablet users are used to using dual-connection devices, utilising a mix of WiFi and 3G, so that attitude can easily be transferred to the office. And with 4G on the horizon, promising speeds between 25Mbps and 50Mbps, having a high-speed mobile network acting as a reliable backup to your fixed connection could soon become a reality.

Written by Peter Gradwell, managing director, Gradwell

WHAT GOOD IS HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND IF YOU CAN’T USE IT?

Telecoms

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Interestingly, much of the talk coming from the media and politicians around business broadband is purely about speed. This is largely driven by the Coalition’s plans to invest in superfast broadband infrastructure and Ofcom’s upcoming auction of the high-speed 4G spectrum. However, why would you rely on 200Mbps broadband, if you can only get it 20 per cent of the time? Great speeds, yes, but only when it is working. On a day-to-day basis, those who responded to our survey placed a greater importance on reliability than speed – with over 63 per cent citing a reliable connection as being of most value to their business. This compares to 22 per cent who would prioritise a fast connection.

While discussions of digital infrastructure improvement in the UK revolve primarily around the ‘need for speed’, reliability is equally, if not more important for businesses – particularly in the public sector where efficiency goals are being constantly increased, meaning downtime is now more costly than ever. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.gradwell.com/broadband

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INFOSECURITY EUROPE REVIEW

IT Security

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

IT SECURITY BUDGETS REMAIN INTACT Cybercrime reportedly costs the world an amazing $380 billion a year. Cyberattacks, security budgets and BYOD were all in the spotlight at InfoSecurity Europe this April, which demonstrated new ways to protect organisations and IT users from the threat.

The 17th Infosecurity Europe, which spanned three days in late April, witnessed a revolution taking place in the security space, with most CSOs and CISOs reporting that their IT security budgets, even in the cash-strapped public sector, remaining relatively intact. The show had an increase in attendance with 12,959 visitors attending the show compared to 10,482 in 2011. This underlines the importance that information security has to all sectors of the economy.

But against the backdrop of cybercrime reportedly costing the world an amazing $380 billion a year, says Neelie Kroes, the European Commission vice-president, this is still not enough to protect IT users and citizens.

In her keynote speech at the event, Kroes said that since everyone uses computers, cyberattacks can affect everyone, meaning

that cybersecurity is no longer the domain of national security authorities and needs a comprehensive solution that involves governments, businesses and individuals.

To assist in this regard, she explained that the European Commission will present a plan - a European strategy for Internet security - in the third quarter of this year.

The plan will be based around five key areas. Firstly, there is a need to build a network to respond to cyberthreats and share that information - EU member countries will be asked to guarantee their minimum capabilities to respond adequately to threats, as well as sharing critical information in a secure and confidential manner.

Secondly, says Kroes, there needs to be a governance structure with member countries being required to establish competent authorities to centralise information and create regional forums to support collaboration with the private sector.

Kroes added that the third aim of the strategy plan will be to improve security at every point in the supply chain. The fourth aim will centre on the creation of vibrant IT security market. The fifth prong of the EC’s strategy, she explained, is that Internet security is not a Europe-only problem, but an international one, meaning that everyone must be involved in the creation of a more secure Internet.

Despite the underlying theme this year being about the increasing trend towards BYOD (bring-your-own-device) into the workplace, Simon Wise, deputy head of the Ministry of Defence’s global operations security centre, effectively vetoed the idea as far as Government agencies in the security sector.

At the MoD, he said in an Infosecurity Europe round table session: “We have a bring you own policy and it’s simple: Don’t!”

The key risk with BYOD, he told delegates, is the fact that unauthorised devices pose a serious threat to the rest of the E

Large organisations are more visible to attackers, which increases the likelihood of an attack on their systems. They also have more staff-which may explain why small businesses report fewer breaches than larger ones.

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INFOSECURITY EUROPE REVIEW requests made to the ICO (Information E network – which in the MoD’s case Commissioner’s Office) has revealed involves around 750,000 IP-enabled devices. that 35 per cent ICO complaints now Wise revealed that the MoD deals with centre on personal data disclosure.

200 different firm’s IT systems, of which From an FOI request, IT security specialist it has 20 main suppliers. As a result, he Axway found that during the first three says, its suppliers need to be more honest months of 2012, the ICO had received 1,002 about their position in the market, rather complaints. This, the data security specialist than claiming they have a `magic box’ says, has raised concerns over the disclosure solution to cybersecurity requirements. of personal data or breaches of the DPA: Wise’s caution is backed up by the an average of eight breaches per day. results of a joint survey between Axway also discovered that, since being PricewaterhouseCoopers and the formed in 1984 as the Data Protection organisers of Infosecurity Registrar, the Government’s data Europe, which found that security regulator has received a one in seven large ta With Big Da total of 26,227 data protection organisations has t n e m complaints, which resulted in been hacked in the e g a n ma the regulator serving just 14 last year – and p e e k to monetary penalties totalling with 20 per cent continuing ake at £1.17 million in fines. w a of organisations s IO C y n a m The monetary penalties spending less than urity just one per cent of night, data sec unt imposed by the ICO, mo however, pale in significance their IT budget on will be of para e when the indirect costs information security. th in concern are considered - especially Researchers as the cost of data breaches found that as a result, future have risen 70 per cent over the the number of large last five years, the firm claims. organisations being hacked As a result of its research, Axway is calling into is at a record high, with the overall for a major rethink on how data is protected cost of security breaches to UK PLC measured when it comes to Data Protection Act well into the billions of pounds mark a year. penalties and ICO intervention. Axway claims The survey – which took in responses from a that, with Big Data management continuing total of 447 UK organisations – found that 70 to keep many CIOs and CISOs awake at per cent of large organisations have detected night, data security will be of paramount significant attempts to break into their concern in the future - regardless of current networks over the last year – a record high.

ICO enforceable legislation. In view of this, On average, each large organisation the firm adds that it is key for organisations suffered 54 significant attacks by an to ensure their data is as secure as possible. unauthorised outsider during 2011 - twice John Thielens, Axway’s chief security the level in 2010 - whilst 15 per cent of officer, said that information needs large organisations had their networks to be securely managed to prevent successfully penetrated by hackers. the data breaches that continue to be headline news around the world.

RISK OF BEING HACKED “The threat of ICO intervention should According to Chris Potter, a PwC not be the business driver. It’s not surprising information security partner, the UK that the public is alarmed. Restoring public is under relentless cyber attack and confidence with absolute visibility and hacking is a rising risk to businesses. concentrating on protecting their data, “The number of security breaches large no matter where it lives, is paramount organisations are experiencing has rocketed in today’s world,” he explained. and as a result, the cost to UK plc of security breaches is running into billions TABLET DEVELOPMENTS every year. Since most businesses now Over at Cryptzone, the data security firm says share data with their business partners that the increasing use of tablet computers across the supply chain, these numbers by members of staff has been behind are startling and make uncomfortable the vendor’s development of the latest reading for business leaders,” he said. version of its NETconsent Compliance Suite, “Large organisations are more visible to which supports a wide range of portable attackers, which increases the likelihood of an devices, including tablet computers. attack on their IT systems. They also have more The software is billed as ensuring staff and more staff-related breaches which that employees are aware of policies, may explain why small businesses report are educated on the reasons why they fewer breaches than larger ones,” he added. are important and tested to see if they Potter went on to say that it is also understand their responsibilities. true that small businesses tend to have Dominic Saunders, Cryptzone’s vice less mature controls, and so may not president for the NETconsent Business Unit, detect the more sophisticated attacks. said that, although many organisations A major set of FOI (Freedom of Information)

“

”

IT Security

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

have persisted in their refusal to allow employees to use some mobile devices for work, they are set to become commonplace in the business environment, just as with previous innovations.

Security policies and systems, he explained, need to catch up fast as a new generation of workers demand the ability to take advantage of the personal and business value such devices offer.

Rob Rachwald, security director with fellow data security specialist Imperva, meanwhile, said that organisations need to understand that the threats landscape has significantly changed over the last few years, as witnessed by the rise in political hacktivism.

HACK OF THE DECADE This, he says, is what makes the Sony data security hack of spring 2011 so significant – arguably the most significant in the last ten years – meaning that that it will go down in the IT history books as being the most significant external hack of the last decade.

The reason, he says, is that the Sony breach marked one of the first times that a major company was seriously compromised by a group of external hackers. The Sony saga, he claims, showed hackers that they could seriously hurt a company on several levels if they put their mind to it.

ISACA, the not-for-profit IT security association which now has more than 95,000 members around the world, officially launched vesion 5 of its COBIT governance and management framework.

The COBIT 5 framework – which is available from the Association as a free download at www.isaca.org/cobit - provides globally accepted principles, practices, analytical tools and models designed to help business and IT leaders maximise trust in, and value from, their enterprise’s information and technology assets.

This update is the result of a fouryear initiative led by a global task force and has been reviewed by more than 95 experts worldwide. To date, more than 16,000 professionals have pre-registered to receive a copy.

“The advance interest in COBIT 5 has been overwhelming. It is clear that enterprises everywhere are aggressively seeking guidance on how to manage and ensure value from the growing mountain of information and increasingly complex technologies they are grappling with,” said Derek Oliver, Ph.D., CISA, CISM, CRISC, CITP, FBCS, FISM, MInstISP, and co-chair of the COBIT 5 Task Force.

“Information is the currency of the 21st century, and COBIT helps enterprises effectively govern and manage this critical asset,” he added. L FURTHER INFORMATION Infosecurity Europe 2013 takes place at Earls Court, London from 23-25th April.

Visit www.infosec.co.uk for further information.

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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Since 2002, the company has provided solutions for storage in the form of software and hardware for hard drive data erasure and testing. With an emphasis on enterprise level data erasure delivered onsite in the office or in the data center, Tabernus sets the benchmark for software and hardware development focused on certified end of life data elimination.

The CommunicationsElectronics Security Group (CESG) which is part of the UK government communications headquarters, has certified the latest version of Tabernus’ data erasure software, Enterprise Erase v5.3.

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Mobile working in Local Government Seminar Certification is awarded when software has met all of the criteria for secure erasure of magnetic media in accordance with HMG Infosec standards.

After independent testing carried out by QinetiQ, a British global defence technology company under contract to CESG, the latest version of Tabernus has been formally certified for government use, to securely erase protectivelymarked data and added to the CESG Directory of Infosec Assured Products.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 689 1350 uksales@tabernus.com www.tabernusuk.co.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

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SERVICE DESKS

ATTENDANCE UP AT SERVICE DESK & IT SUPPORT SHOW The two-day show attracted 4,495 ITSM and IT support professionals from the UK and Europe Diversified Business Communications UK has reported a sizeable 13 per cent increase in visitors at the 2012 Service Desk & IT Support Show. The two-day show at Earls Court, London, attracted 4,495 ITSM and IT support professionals from thousands of leading UK and European business organisations over 24-25 April 2012. Whilst this was the 18th annual Service Desk & IT Support Show, it was the first to be hosted by its new owner Diversified Business Communications.

“We really couldn’t have wished for a better event,” comments Diversified UK’s managing director Carsten Holm. “Integrating established shows and their teams into a new company is always a huge challenge – or it is supposed to be. But on this occasion, the integration of Service Desk & IT Support Show has been virtually seamless.”

“The reaction to the show this year has

numbers aside, it was also the quality of the visitors that impressed countless exhibitors. As a result, an incredible 72 per cent of exhibitors have already rebooked for next year’s show.

“We’ve been exhibiting at the Service Desk & IT Support Show for six years but over the last year the event has really come into its own,” says Koby Amedume, marketing director at Kaseya International. “The quality of the attendees and the conversations we are still having has made the investment worthwhile.”

“It was a fantastic event,” says Tessa Troubridge, managing director of the Service Desk Institute. “We had a fabulous two days of extremely engaging conversations with both new and existing customers alike.

Everyone we spoke to had visited the show for a specific purpose and there was a real sense of focus and drive from this year’s visitors.”

Like many exhibitors, Sunrise Software’s on

Given the growing prevalence of social media and the use of user-owned devices within today’s businesses, both ‘mobile’ and ‘social’ featured prominently throughout the event. been incredible,” says event manager Laura Venables. “Visitors gathered in their thousands and the ‘buzz’ on the show floor was unmistakable! The Service Desk & IT Support Show truly is the biggest and best platform for uniting this industry and this year there was a genuine sense of one community coming together to connect, support, share and learn from each other. From visitors to exhibitors, from sponsors to speakers, everybody gained real value from being involved and we’re delighted that it was a complete success.”

stand trainers were busy throughout the twoday show hosting product demonstrations to a “knowledgeable audience” of attendees: “We felt there was a real energy at the show this year. A knowledgeable, informed audience was well served by an enthusiastic vendor community that worked tirelessly to make the event succeed, both individually and collectively,” says sales director Geoff Rees.

Alemba Limited was equally upbeat, having enjoyed a “very successful show,” praising its “vibrant, exciting and buzzing atmosphere.”

VISITORS THAT MATTER Firmly established as the UK’s leading event for IT service and support professionals, this year’s Service Desk & IT Support Show (SITS) was packed with thousands of highly-focused and informed visitors looking to source the latest solutions from some of this industry’s leading specialist vendors, integrators, consultancies and service providers. Visitor

SOCIAL MEDIA Given the growing prevalence of social media and the use of user-owned devices (BYOD) within today’s businesses, both ‘mobile’ and ‘social’ featured prominently in conversations throughout the event. From the event’s first breakfast briefing – ‘Empowering People on the Move’ – which was based on exclusive White Paper findings by Cherwell Software

Service Desks

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

and the Service Desk Institute (SDI), to the record-breaking 1,000 plus #SDITS12 Tweets being splashed across the Hornbill Service Management sponsored Twitter screens, this year’s show was very much a forum for an exchange of thought-provoking ideas on the future role of the traditional IT service desk.

“New trends are affecting IT service delivery all the time – from users wanting to bring in their own devices through to demands for support over multiple channels, the service desk is faced with challenges and opportunities around delivering value.

Looking at the process layer helps ITSM meet these evolving needs head on both now and in the future,” commented Frederic Richer, EMEA marketing director, Serena Software (sponsor of the event’s three seminar theatres). “During this year’s Service Desk & IT Support Show we have seen a huge amount of interest in how organisations can apply best practices around management and building better processes.

The event itself continues to grow in importance as IT organisations consider how to manage and orchestrate their IT resources across operations, development and support.”

SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S CHALLENGES Whilst new products and software applications remained a practical draw for many visitors, the show content – including keynotes (in association with Ovum), seminars, breakfast briefings, and roundtable discussions – offered a host of aspirational solutions to the key issues and challenges affecting today’s ITSM and IT support community.

Notable highlights for 2012 included ServiceNow’s Chris Dancy discussing emerging technologies in Cloud and mobility; a popular BACK2ITSM presentation and podcast discussion promoting the principle of shared practice, presented by Roy Illsley from Ovum; and IT support consultant Noel Bruton talking about new support methods for BYOD. “The UK’s IT user support industry needs the Service Desk & IT Support Show to be successful, as the annual event has always been at the heart of this industry. It always delivers and this year was no exception,” comments Bruton. “As a speaker, I was gratified to see all my presentations packed to the doors. It was also good to see how some of the vendors are now seriously innovating – I suspect that Diversified may have on its hands a show to take the UK’s IT user support industry into a new era.”

“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the industry – you’ll never know everything,” adds visitor Nina Pink, IT service manager at Dairy Crest. “The show is a great forum to pick up hints and tips on how to continue improving the services our customers expect.”

The Service Desk & IT Support Show returns to Earls Court on 23-24 April 2013. For more information visit the event website. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.servicedeskshow.com

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YOU SPEND TOO MUCH ON SOFTWARE. IT’S A FACT. Most organizations over-spend on software by around 20%. They buy too much, purchase through the wrong agreements, fail to re-harvest existing licenses and that's without even considering the cost of compliance issues.

License Manager from License Dashboard is the key to reducing software spend and risk simultaneously. Track all software installations and license entitlements in a single interface, and create Effective Licensing Position (ELP) statements on-demand.

If you have projects you are struggling to fund - License Manager could help you identify the cost savings you need to get IT initiatives back on track.

FIND OUT MORE

To learn more about how License Manager can help you, contact our team of license management experts today:

t: +44 845 265 1217 (UK/International) e: info@licensedashboard.com

t: 1-855-773-3404 (US & Canada) w: www.licensedashboard.com

Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/LDLtd

Š Copyright 2012 License Dashboard Limited. License Dashboard Limited - Blenheim House - York Road - Pocklington - York - YO42 1NS - UK t: +44 845 265 1217 (UK/International) - t: 1-855-773-3404 (US & Canada) e: info@licensedashboard.com - w: www.licensedashboard.com License Dashboard Limited is a trading subsidiary of the Blenheim Group. License Dashboard Limited is a company registered in England and Wales, with company number 06599902 and VAT number GB 755 3490 15.

SOFTWARE LICENSING

KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR SOFTWARE LICENSING

Software Licensing

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Last year license management and software asset management solutions developer License Dashboard presented the Cabinet Office with a proposal to save £50 million across UK Government through better software management. It’s an impressive figure, but what’s behind it and how can organisations in the public sector really make substantial savings on their software expenditure?

Public sector organisations are rightly concerned with the issue of software license compliance – ensuring that the organisation is not using more software than it is legally entitled to. It goes without saying that government bodies are expected to lead the way in practising good IT governance and meeting legal obligations surrounding software installations and licensing.

But focusing purely on compliance risks not addressing several areas of proactive license management where money can actually be saved, thus helping organisations achieve targeted budget cuts or freeing up funds to be invested in other projects.

So where do these savings come from?

According to research conducted by License Dashboard (which has conducted hundreds of software license reviews), the average organisation typically overspends on software by 20 per cent each year. This overspend is a result of a variety of missed opportunities, including failing to re-harvest unused applications on the network; buying outside of best-deal volume licensing agreements, unauthorised purchasing outside of central procurement, failing to review support agreements prior to renewal.

BIG SAVINGS Analyst firms agree: Gartner states that an organisation investing in an IT Asset Management system (of which software license management is a critical component) can expect to save up to 35 per cent of its overall IT spend in the first 12 months.

In terms of proactive license management, the main cause for the failures outlined above is simple: lack of visibility. If you don’t know there are applications sat on PCs but not being used; how can you reclaim them?

If you don’t know what volume licensing agreements are in place or on offer, how can you take advantage of them? If you don’t know what your current usage of a particular application is, how can you be sure next year’s support and maintenance contract is accurate? You get the picture.

Answering the questions above requires the combination of two data sets. First is an accurate inventory of all the software in use across the network. There is no shortage of inventory (sometimes called ‘discovery’)

solutions on the market, but some are better than others. Ideally, an inventory solution should be capable of monitoring software usage as well as installation information, as the usage information can be put to good use when it comes to re-harvesting licenses or identifying where applications should be uninstalled. It is not uncommon to need more than one inventory solution – using one solution for the Windows estate and another specialist tool for other platforms or to track high-value complex environments, such as Oracle and IBM. The second data set is a comprehensive and accurate repository of all the software licenses held by the organisation. Ideally, this should not be a ‘dumb’ database, but an intelligent license management application

TIP OF THE ICEBERG Creating an ELP is vital; but for organisations that really want to reap the benefits of full Software Asset Management (SAM), it’s the first step.

In any organisation, there is typically a disconnect between those that want access to software, those that control the deployment of applications, and those that procure/pay for software licenses.

This inevitably leads to cost-inefficiencies and over-spend, as departments fail to redeploy the software entitlements they already have, to substantiate a legitimate need for the software being requested and getting the best price once it has actually been decided that a new software license is indeed required.

Creating an Effective Licensing Platform is vital; but for organisations that really want to reap the benefits of full Software Asset Management, it’s the first step. that supports all different license metrics, automatically validates licenses against a catalogue of vendor products, automatically applies upgrade and downgrade rights, and more. Solutions like License Manager 5 from License Dashboard are designed to automate up to 80 per cent of license management tasks, not only dramatically speeding up the process but also minimising the risks of human error while simultaneously optimising the value of each and every license.

These two data sets then need to be reconciled to establish an Effective Licensing Position (ELP), which shows exactly where the organisation has risk (i.e. might be underlicensed) and where it has opportunities to save money as outlined in the examples above. Normally this kind of number-crunching might take a skilled license auditor days or weeks to achieve. With solutions like License Manager 5 from License Dashboard, this can be done in a matter of hours, reducing the cost of creating the ELP and further increasing the return on investment realised through better software license management.

To address these issues, License Dashboard created SAM Portal, a new concept that gives all the stakeholders involved in managing the software lifecycle a single platform to work from.

Users can request software deployments, software managers can approve or deny the requests, desktop support can initiate the deployment of applications and procurement can be sure that they are not buying new software licenses when existing ones can be re-harvested.

Analysts Gartner suggests that the majority of organisations are over-subscribed on as much as 60 per cent of their software portfolio. Add to that the McKinsey research that states that organisations now spend over 30 per cent of their total IT budget on software and it’s not difficult to see where the License Dashboard proposed saving of £50m for improved license management comes from. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.licensedashboard.com

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Market Research

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THE INSIGHT SHOW

BALANCING THE RATIONAL WITH THE EMOTIONAL

As part of Marketing Week Live, the Insight Show takes place at Olympia on June 27/28 and will bring together experts from the market research industry to discuss the latest methodologies and techniques to provide knowledge through insight

Market research is proving its worth in a climate where buying behaviours are radically shifting in line with both technological change and a financial climate of economic austerity. Savvy marketers and researchers do well to keep apace of the top-level practitioners in this sector, many of whom will be sharing examples of their most recent and innovative work at The Insight Show at Marketing Week Live, Europe’s largest dedicated market research event.

Throughout 27th and 28th June 2012, experts from across all areas of the market research industry descend on the Grand Hall at Olympia. A range of high-calibre providers will be on hand to showcase examples of their work and discuss cutting edge ideas and real-life implementations.

SIX DEDICATED MARKETING EVENTS Marketing Week Live continues to provide a 360-degree solution for all the marketing community’s research needs. The event brings together the Insight Show with six other dedicated marketing exhibitions, and provides a comprehensive survey of sector expertise in online marketing, data marketing, ‘Live’ marketing, loyalty marketing, promotional merchandise and in-store marketing.

Insight specialists returning to the event this

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.3

Case study-rich workshops provide a valuable opportunity to hear from leading global businesses and at the same time, interact, debate, question and network with truly inspiring marketing minds. year include BuzzBack, which seeks to improve the value of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The research specialist will be highlighting the development of its suite of qualitative techniques embedded within quantitative research. Balancing the rational and the emotional is an enduring theme for Buzzback. “I am particularly excited by our ‘blobs’ tool,” comments Martin Oxley, managing director. “This is our latest qualitative tool designed to help reveal, among other things, unarticulated needs.”

Emotion is hot on the agenda of cultural insight specialist Flamingo. It will be demonstrating the importance of realtime reporting and giving visitors to its stand a taste of the immersive methods it employs to powerful effect with clients including M&S, Sony and BBC Worldwide.

“What makes us different is that we place

a huge emphasis on cultural understanding, everything from what habits and rituals different people in the world have to demographics and social change,” says, David Burrows, managing partner at cultural insight specialist Flamingo. ”This is all relevant for understanding how brands can connect with people.”

Joining the slew of high-calibre experts, Illuminas is keen to discuss its MBC (Menu Based Conjoint) - a new conjoint method designed to take account of some of the more complex real life purchase decisions that consumers face today.

INTERACTIVE CONFERENCE SESSIONS At the thought-leading Insight Show Conference, the most influential brands will lead interactive sessions. These case study-rich workshops provide a valuable opportunity E

INSIGHT SHOW “Now, customers are being led more by E to hear from leading global businesses what other customers say and, therefore, your and at the same time, interact, end user should play a major part in driving debate, question and network with and determining your direction.” Kent’s truly inspiring marketing minds. session ‘Making the most of your Voice of The Blue + Price Promise, an example of the Customer Programme’ will inform visitors applying behavioural economics into the on its recent learnings. She reveals how, as a marketing insight process, is referenced in a result of implementing this programme, Veolia valuable session from Marcus Taylor, head of Water has verified theories, got a insight at EDF Energy. “There is lot of heads up on unknown issues, consumer insight work into how improved training analysis, people want energy companies teams, to be more open and offer er empowered id v ro p s developed quicker more flexibility with their e ti li ti U problem solving and pricing,” comments s eolia Water ha V got happier customers.

Taylor. “This is a good example where insight d cutting edge se u has helped EDF Energy ng the BRAND & methods to bri and CONSUMER develop the product r se lo c INSIGHT along those lines.” r e m o cust Back on the main ness move the busi exhibition floor, this GETTING CLOSER WITH year’s Insight Show THE CUSTOMER forward presents new and Another utilities provider, Veolia engaging attractions to Water, has used cutting edge visitors. A ‘Brand & Consumer insight methods to bring the customer Insight Lab’ is designed for brand owners closer and move the business forward. The and client side users of market research. The ‘Voice of the Customer Programme’ is Veolia new area will feature an exciting range of Water’s approach to putting customers full service, boutique and specialist research at the heart of its business. “In the olden agencies. Here you will find gateways into days it would be called customer research a wealth of research areas including brand or market research,” says Morag Kent, health and strategy; consumer insight and marketing manager at Veolia Water.

“

”

loyalty; packaging design; semiotic analysis; ethnography; sensory research; on-line cultural analysis; NPD, marketing ROI and co-creation.

A dedicated new area for the 2012 event, ‘Shopper Insights’, is strategically positioned between the Insight Show and sister show the In-Store Show. The new area will feature specialist exhibitors that provide insight and research into shopper behaviour within the retail environment. They will focus on insight into how consumers interact with in-store marketing, and P-O-P branding, via various methodologies such as eye tracking and biometric research.

Market Research

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT – www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL CONTACT BASES With brands and businesses crossing continents in everything they do, the Insight Show works to deliver expertise on an international scale. Go Global is intended as a resource for visitors to start building an international contact base. Here is the place to meet a full range of suppliers from around the world. These companies will help deliver targeted research findings and understandings from global audiences. L FURTHER INFORMATION The Insight Show, part of Marketing Week Live takes place at 27 – 28th June 2012, register to attend free at www.insightshow.co.uk

Creative solutions to get you closer to your communities Insight and communications agency Tribe listens, thinks, creates and delivers. The company provides a full service, integrated and multi-channel approach to campaigns, projects and programmes that gets you closer to your customers, employees and communities.

Tribe engages, inspires and empowers – capturing and retaining audience attention, bringing subjects and issues to life, and providing the knowledge and resources needed to shift attitudes, change behaviour and make a difference.

Its insight-led creative solutions help you achieve a deeper understanding, build better relationships, innovate and create higher value for your products, services and teams.

Through social marketing programmes, employee engagement, stakeholder relations and community impact programmes, Tribe unifies

purpose, pride and passion to achieve measurable success.

The company has captured hearts and minds in multiple service delivery areas at national and local levels, including health, education, economic development, housing, social services, children’s services, environment, leisure, diversity and inclusion – with particular skill in working with ‘hard to reach’ groups and tackling inequalities.

Contact Tribe to hear how it can support your programme and help make a positive difference.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 4379340 georgina@tribecomms.com www.tribecomms.com

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Advertisers Index

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ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service 4Imprint Aalborg Aareon UK Acorn Environmental AET Flexible Space AGA Group Akzo Nobel Alcoa Fastening Systems Amaryllis Apollo Fire Detectors Asckey Data Services ASL Holdings Atkore Autron Azur Solar Systems Bafe Bangor Beg Best Companies BJ Enclosures Burnt Tree Ceme Conference Centre Cenpart Cherwell Church House Coin Street Consilium Technology Cost Saving Technology Crown Moran Hotel Crowne Plaza Leeds Cyclerax DACS Electrical Denholm Transport Diskeeper

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11 34, 35 66, 67 67 22 12 52, 53 45 36, 37 30 84 20 24 22 19 24 76 29 98 14 54 78 48 82 68 73 92 27 70 80 40 44 48 4

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