Government Business Volume 19.1

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 19.1

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Business Information for Local and Central Government MONEY MATTERS

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Failure to strengthen practices is not an option, says CIPFA

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

SCOTLAND

World class events for the winning years

TRANSPORT

ROAD MAINTENANCE The Great Pothole Review reveals the devastating impact of three successive severe winters

GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY

– IT security: The real threat of Cybercrime | Open Source consultation continues

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GET SET FOR ELECTIONS www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLuME 19.1

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Local government elections are fast approaching in May, and in 10 cities voters get the chance to decide whether they want an elected mayor (or not) in a referendum - except for in Liverpool that is. The council there decided to skip the mayoral referendum and go straight to voting a candidate in. So far, mayoral campaigner and journalist Liam Fogarty is the first to throw his hat into the ring - read all about it on page 7.

Business Information for Local and Central Government MONEY MATTERS

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

SCOTLAND World class events for the winning years

Failure to strengthen practices is not an option, says CIPFA

Three successive severe winters have resulted in over 2.7 million potholes with an estimated £11 billion repair bill. On page 19, the Road Surface Treatments Association looks at the gaps which must be filled if the condition of the road network is to be improved prior to the final DfT’s final report which is expected in March.

TRANSPORT

ROAD MAINTENANCE The Great Pothole Review reveals the devastating impact of three successive severe winters

GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY

– IT security: The real threat of Cybercrime | Open Source consultation continues

GB 19.1 Covers.indd 1

16/02/2012 09:41

The Public Sector Mapping Agreement reaches the 2000 member milestone. See how various public sector bodies have put it the ten year agreement to good use

The consultation follows an earlier investigation into open standards which the Cabinet Office ran between February and May last year, and which generated almost 1,000 responses online. This consulted on the definition of the term open standard, the open standards that should be a priority for government to consider, and whether particular standards should be mandated, recommended or avoided.

In November last year, the Cabinet Office then updated a Procurement Policy Note notice guidance regarding the survey, which states: “...The survey has provided a rich source of information, however it has also raised many questions that need to be investigated in more detail to ensure that the open standards policy is robust and delivers the outcomes Government is seeking to achieve in providing

Open Source Information Open Standards Consultation (closes May 2012) tinyurl.com/76sva3n Use of Open Standards when specifying ICT requirements (published January 2011, updated November 2011) tinyurl.com/7jxtrjn Government ICT Strategy (published March 2011) tinyurl.com/4mmtp7f Computer Weekly Story - Microsoft hustled UK retreat on open standards, says leaked report tinyurl.com/7ggw2bg

107 IdeNTITY FraUd

The days of external simplex threats have now given way to multi-faceted attack vectors from outside and inside the organisation says John Walker of ISACA

Cabinet office consults on open Standards The Cabinet Office is calling on the technology community to give their views on what open source and open standards means for government IT. Called ‘Open Standards: Open Opportunities, flexibility and efficiency in government IT’, the consultation aims to define open standards for software interoperability, data and document formats in government IT. It comes nearly a year after the government published its ICT strategy (30 March 2011), which outlined government’s commitment to create a common IT infrastructure based on compulsory open standards.

Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister, said: “We are committed to implementing open standards and want to create a level playing field for open source and proprietary software.

Open standards for software and systems will reduce costs and enable us to provide better public services.

www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

85 IT SeCUrITY

83GIS

GT News

For the latest Public Sector IT and Computing news please visit

is a growing problem. Kate Beddington-Brown of CIFAS discusses ther impact of identity fraud and advocates data sharing to beat data breaches.

better services for less cost...”

Gary Gavigan, Chair of the Open Source Consortium, which lobbies government on open software use, said: “We were concerned that [the] Cabinet Office inexplicably withdrew the first ever govt definition of an open standard. At last they’ve published consultation on a new definition.”

Gavigan continued: “First off, credit where credit is due. The government is proposing royalty free open standards. Their definition is about as good as it can get. Unfortunately it restricts itself to seeking views on the definition of an open standard”

departmental purchasing decision.”

In January, Computer Weekly’s Mark Ballard filed a story that claimed the government withdrew its open standards policy after lobbying from Microsoft and the Business Softare Alliance.

The Cabinet Office responded in a written statement: “No lobbying has taken place that has affected our approach in creating an Open Standards definition that works for government.”

mISSed oPPorTUNITY “For the first time ever reference is made to the wider context for open standards in the economy. Which is a good thing. Unfortunately the consultation fails to take the next step and address the systemic role that public sector ICT plays in the economy. Instead, missing a strategic opportunity, it leaves public sector ICT positioned as a

New director general for Intellect

25 years of Socitm To mark the first 25 years of Socitm, Bob Griffith, a founder member of the Society, has produced a document detailing its history. It covers the many events of the last 25 years, and explains how and why the Society developed.

To read more PLeaSe VISIT... tinyurl.com/77e9rcg

Intellect the trade association for the UK’s technology sector has announced that Julian David will its next director general, succeeding John Higgins, who has been director general since Intellect’s formation in 2002 and is moving to Brussels to lead DigitalEurope. David brings a wealth of business experience from across the technology industry. He has acted as a consultant to large and small companies and previously held senior posts with IBM. To read more PLeaSe VISIT...

tinyurl.com/7l779kl

In technology, the open source debate moves forward slowly. The Cabinet Office has opened a second consultation which aims to define open standards for software interoperability, data and document formats in government IT. This follows a previous attempt to define the standards last year, which, claimed the Cabinet Office, needed to be investigated in more detail. In January, Computer Weekly filed a story that claimed the government withdrew its open standards policy after lobbying from Microsoft and the Business Software Alliance. The Cabinet Office responded in a written statement: “No lobbying has taken place that has affected our approach in creating an open standards definition that works for government.”

Read the details on page 77.

On page 107, Kate Beddington-Brown of CIFAS notes that almost 65 per cent of data breaches come from the public sector. Whether the private sector is better at covering them up or not is anyones guess, but steps have to be taken to reduce occurances on both sides.

Danny Wright

Volume 19.1 | GoVerNmeNT BUSINeSS maGaZINe

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 ASSISTANT EDITOR Michael Lyons PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Jacqueline Lawford WEB PRODUCTION Reiss Malone ADVERTISEMENT SALES Bernie Miller, Steve Day, Michael Kennedy, Jane Fraser, 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

© 2012 Public Sector Information Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1362 - 2541

Volume 19.01 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS 07 GB NEWS 13 MONEY MATTERS CIPFA underlines the importance of strong financial management in government

19 ROAD MAINTENANCE Howard Robinson, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association, explains how best to address the problems caused by potholes

29 RAIL Reaction both for and against a national high speed rail network, High Speed 2, revealed that the subject remains both emotive and divisive

33 PARKING Abdul Traore reports details of the British Parking Association’s redeveloped Model Contract for Parking plus a look at car park maintenance - necessary to reduce the risk of unforeseen claims

39 FACILITIES MANAGEMENT A preview to MAINTEC, the industrial maintenance and asset management show taking place at the NEC plus environmental bulding event Ecobuild, taking palce at the ExCel, London.

The British Security Industry Association discusses how security technology can help cut utility costs, plus a look at fire safety and street design

63 FRANCHISING

A look at the world of franchising and the up and coming events of interest to those looking to start a franchise business

67 TRANSLATION Geoffrey Bowden of the Association of Translation Companies gives a point-bypoint guide for those tasked with buying translations for their organisation

69 CONFERENCES & EVENTS Taking place on March 6-8 at ExCel, International Confex connects organisers with a range of venues, plus a look at Scotland as a conference destination

Government Business

77 GT NEWS The Public Sector Mapping Agreement gets it’s 2000th member plus more consultation on the way forward for Open Source software use

85 IT SECURITY Understanding the very real nature of the latest cyberthreats - Professor John Walker, London Chapter, ISACA Security Advisory Group, explains

89 DATA CENTRE WORLD Over 140 data centre vendors, resellers and equipment suppliers will showcase solutions at the Data Centre World, held at London’s Olympia

Contents

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

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

95 SERVICE DESK & IT SUPPORT SHOW The Service Desk & IT Support Show will be returning to Earls Court on April 24-25, and promises to be one of the biggest and best ever

101 GARTNER SYMPOSIUM Last years’ Gartner Symposium/ITxpo featured over 500 major technology vendors. This years’ plan is already taking shape.

103 CUSTOMER SERVICE Innovators show how to make public service contact centres a great place to work. Professional Planning Forum director Paul Smedley reports.

107 IDENTITY FRAUD CIFAS members have reported fraud savings of £4 billion through the use of its National Fraud Database. Kate Beddington-Brown discusses the impact of identity fraud

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

05

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

NEWS IN BRIEF

City deal hastens Liverpool’s Liam Fogarty’s campaign site Mayoral decision www.amayorforliverpool.org Liverpool City Council’s decision to bypass the referendum and elect a mayor will see the voting take place on May 3 alongside local government elections. The mayor will take up his or her responsibilities on 7 May. The vote follows the negotiation of a new ‘city deal’ with central government, which sees new powers devolved to the city, and the creation of a single investment fund of new and existing public and private money, initially worth £130 million.

The vote to change the constitution took place at an extraordinary council meeting, and was passed by 62 votes to three with 14 abstentions.

A formal notice of election is expected no later than Tuesday March 27, and nominations will close at noon on Wednesday, April 4.

The elected mayor will select their cabinet from the city’s 90 councillors. Responsibilities will include the establishment of the first Mayoral Development Corporation outside London, supported by a Local Finance for Growth package.

The mayor will also act as the chair of a new investment board which would bring together all of the city’s assets such as land, commercial and residential buildings including assets formerly owned by the North West Development Agency (NWDA).

Electing a mayor is an option that has been open to Liverpool City Council since the Local Government Act 2000. The ‘city deal’ made it a priority, according to the council.

Liam Fogarty, chair of independent campaign amayorforliverpool.org, stated: “Though voters in 10 other cities will take part in mayoral referendums on May 3, councillors voted 62-3 to abandon our promised referendum and go straight to a mayoral contest”.

Cash for cities to boost adult skills £4.5 million of funding has been announced for England’s biggest cities and colleges to work together to boost adult skills. The City Skills Fund will be available to the eight core cities in England, plus London, and their surrounding local enterprise partnership (LEP) areas. As well as London, each of the eight core cities in England will receive around £500,000 to address skills priorities across their regions. It aims to help LEPs work with local colleges and independent providers to improve the provision of skills needed by local employers.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/7psh3a2

“The scrapping of our referendum was a slap in the face for local democracy in Liverpool. But it’s time to embrace the mayoral system we’ve spent years arguing for.”

Fogarty, a freelance journalist and broadcaster, has spent more than 20 years with the BBC TV and BBC Radio as an editor, producer and news correspondent. He now runs an independent media production company and lectures in journalism at the University of Central Lancashire.

Fogarty is expected to stand. He added: “Campaigning for an elected mayor, I’m constantly being asked if I’d stand for the office myself. It’s only fair to make things clear ahead of May’s referendum. Yes, I’d love the job.” “...If I were running for Liverpool mayor..”

Read screenwriter and producer Phil Redmond’s article in the Guardian - tinyurl.com/7uhba7a

WASTE MANAGEMENT

£250m fund for a return to weekly waste collection A fund to help support councils deliver weekly bin collections for residents is now open.

In September last year the government announced its intention to introduce a support scheme for councils that retain or reinstate weekly residual waste and recycling services.

Ministers believe that waste services have become too complex, leaving residents anxious about following the rules and possible penalties. Further, they should focus on three things: better weekly collections, better contracts and better use of innovative ideas or technology that help residents to recycle more and do their bit for the environment.

However, Bristol city council has said the £250 million weekly waste fund is ‘unfair’, claiming that the scheme only rewards poor performing local authorities who have failed to take the necessary

GB News

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

steps to manage their waste sustainably.

The city had been hoping that the fund would support weekly nappy collections and a waste reduction incentive scheme. In a letter to Eric Pickles, Bristol councillor Gary Hopkins, who is responsible for waste services, said the criteria for the fund penalised the council for providing an “effective and efficient refuse collection and recycling service”.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/6ssaznb

£23.7 million Coastal Communities Fund announced A new fund to help support much loved seaside towns create new jobs and prosperity has been announced by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander.

The £23.7million Coastal Communities Fund has been created to provide struggling coastal communities all across the country with money to support new opportunities. Seaside groups could use the money to start programmes that can deliver skills training, offer apprenticeships to school leavers, create new workspaces or support small-scale transport improvements.

Successful applicants can expect to get a grant of between £50,000 and £2million.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Seaside towns and coastal communities have huge potential for economic growth that we simply can’t afford to waste - this fund can make all the difference to these places we all know and love.

This is a great opportunity for long overlooked seaside towns, large and small, to grab a chance to grow through imaginative and innovative projects that create skilled workers, and provide year round jobs.”

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/8xe63r2

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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NEWS IN BRIEF

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT... www.sustrans.org.uk

More cash for cycling projects

Public Sector Efficiency Expo

The government has committed £15m of additional funding to local cycle projects.

Local transport minister Norman Baker has announced £8m would be invested in projects to enhance cycle routes across England. This is to be led by the charity Sustrans. A further £7m will be allocated through the Cycle Rail Working Group to improve integration between cycling and rail at stations. Baker said: “If we are serious about reducing carbon, then we need to get more people walking and cycling. But we must do it in a way that boosts the economy. I want this fund to support projects that create growth and tackle climate change by cutting our carbon emissions”.

Public Sector Efficiency Expo is a free to attend, one-day conference and exhibition dedicated to helping the public sector deliver efficiencies.

GB News

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

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PORTAS HIGH STREET REVIEW

Portas Pilots bidding competition launched The Government has announced a competition to choose 12 towns to become ‘Portas Pilots’ and test the implementation of Mary Portas’ High Streets Review recommendations.

The winning bidders will each be awarded a share of £1 million to help implement their proposed blueprints by testing out the concept of Town Teams.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has offered the cash incentive to those towns that come up with the best high street blueprints that fulfil the first and last recommendations of Mary Portas’ High Streets Review, commissioned by the Prime Minister and published before Christmas.

The Portas Review was an independent review into the future of UK high streets

by Mary Portas and was published on 13 December last year. Portas made recommendations on what can be done by government, local authorities and business to help high streets deliver something new.

“I am thrilled that now there is an opportunity to turn my recommendations into reality by giving communities across the country the opportunity to come forward with their vision for breathing new life into their locality,” said Mary Portas. “I want the first 12 Town Teams to challenge the old ways of working, experiment, take risks and reaffirm their place at the heart of a community.”

The Portas Pilot towns will each create a ‘Town Team’ to implement their proposals. A Town Team will be made up figures from the local community, including the council, local landlords, shopkeepers and the local MP. “I want to see how these Town Teams plan to try new things, experiment and ensure that their high streets and parades become the destinations that local people want to be. We want to learn their lessons and help communities across the

country breathe new life into their own towns,” said Shapps.

The recommendations of the Portas Review aim to get town centres running like businesses, by strengthening the management of high streets through new ‘Town Teams’ and by developing the Business Improvement District (BID) model and encouraging new markets.

The review also looked at the business rate system and how it could better support small businesses and independent retailers and how to encourage affordable town centre car parking and other opportunities to remove red tape on the high street. Grant Shapps will give the full government response to the review by the spring.

THE PORTAS REVIEW An independent review into the future of our High Streets, published in December 2011.

tinyurl.com/6rd8x42

APPOINTMENTS Holdstock named LGA comms director David Holdstock has been appointed as the new director of communications at the Local Government Association.

He was previously head of corporate communications at Hillingdon Council.

Announcing the appointment, LGA Chairman Sir Merrick Cockell said: “David joins the LGA at an important time for councils, which are transforming the way they deliver vital services to local people while managing sizeable cuts to their budgets. His challenge is not just to improve the way the LGA communicates with its members and stakeholders, but also the way councils communicate with residents. As the outstanding candidate among a very strong shortlist I am confident he will rise to the challenge.”

Prior to his six years at Hillingdon, Holdstock worked as head of corporate comms at Slough Borough Council for five years. Before that, he was a senior PR officer at the Met Police where he worked for 13 years.

Follow David Holdstock on twitter - @davidhold

Government Business

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

09

RECRUITMENT

NEWS IN BRIEF

New LGA report shows the benefits of recruiting graduates The graduate recruitment programme used by councils has the potential to drive up standards in town halls even further if take-up increases, according to new report from the Local Government Association (LGA).

The study, produced with Solace Enterprises and iMPOWER, finds that hiring more university leavers in the Local Government National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) will lead to greater development and innovation.

In the long term, it will also reduce staffing costs, when compared to bringing workers in from elsewhere, according to the report.

The scheme is highly regarded, featuring within the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and the Guardian 300, and has also proved successful in bringing more women into councils.

Oldham Council employed four graduates over a three-year period. They worked right across the organisation, on areas including waste, elderly care, customer services, delivered a wide range of projects, and identified significant savings for the council.

Carolyn Downs, Chief Executive of the Local Government Association, said: “Given the unprecedented cuts of 28 per cent which councils face, it is understandable that recruitment in the short term may have been reduced. However, in the medium to long term, there is a strong case for graduate recruitment, as studies show that they

GB News

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

£500m Growing Places fund allocated to LEPs

can generate three times their salary.”

Downs continued: “I’m urging councils and their leaders with a sense of ambition and purpose to get in contact with the LGA before 16 April in order to get involved with the programme. To counter concerns about the financial climate in the short term, we’re looking into a series of options, such as private sector placements, to assist with the funding of the scheme, and look forward to the opportunity to discuss these with councils.”

The report proposes a series of options to consider, including placements funded by the private sector to reduce salary cost to the host local authority. Also being considered is a shorter scheme that would allow councils to take in graduates for shorter periods at a lower cost.

Ministers have confirmed the allocation of the £500 milllion Growing Places Fund, designed to boost economic growth by getting the required infrastructure built to enable the creation of new homes and jobs and to get stalled projects moving again. The funding has been allocated to the country’s 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships who will now decide what to prioritise locally. The fund can be used to establish revolving funds to take forward a range of projects that can help boost economic growth, as Local Enterprise Partnerships offer funding to developers, but also secure a return on that investment.

In addition, Housing Minister Grant Shapps confirmed cash for 353 councils, who will receive a share of £432million New Homes Bonus funding after delivering 159,000 homes last year - and from a second round of payments for homes built the year before. This year’s payment includes the first premium for affordable homes, which totals £20 million.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: “The Growing Places Fund will unlock further sites for development, creating new jobs in those areas, while the New Homes Bonus recognises the efforts that have been made over the last year to deliver thousands of new homes and bring empty properties back into use.”

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

VIEW THE REPORT: New directions

tinyurl.com/7paphtb

for the National Graduate Development Programme for local government tinyurl.com/7c5xww4

Broadband getting faster says Ofcom

COUNCIL TAX

Council tax freeze takeup latest As of early February, over 200 councils have signalled they intend to take up DCLG’s council tax freeze offer, Eric Pickles has confirmed.

The government has set aside up to £675 million for local authorities in England to help keep council tax down. Last year’s freeze saved households up to an estimated £72 on a Band D bill, and this year’s freeze could potentially do the same.

Seven authorities have indicated they will cut council tax in cash terms - Hammersmith and Fulham, South Oxfordshire, Stratford-onAvon, Tendring, Windsor and Maidenhead, Stratford-on-Avon, South Holland and the Greater London Authority.

Local Government Minister Bob Neill

has now written to council leaders urging all councils to sign up to the freeze offer as “an act of public service that local residents will greatly appreciate”.

The Government has set aside up to £675 million for local authorities in England to help keep council tax down. Last year’s freeze saved households up to an estimated £72 on a Band D bill, and this year’s freeze could potentially do the same.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

The list of councils intending to take part in the Government’s 2012-13 £675 million council tax freeze initiative is available here tinyurl.com/7tlzbu8

UK consumers are achieving 22 per cent faster broadband speeds at home than they were 12 months ago, new Ofcom research reveals. In November 2011, the average actual UK residential broadband speed was 7.6Mbit/s, compared with 6.2Mbit/s in November/December 2010, and 6.8Mbit/s in May 2011. This increase was mainly as a result of consumers moving onto higher speed packages, says the regulator.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/839olde

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE

NEWS IN BRIEF

PFI equity investment - public sector paying over the odds according to NAO report A new National Audit Office report raises concern that the public sector is paying more than it should for equity investment.

Banks or bondholders provide around 90 per cent of the project funding for a PFI project on the condition that the remaining money is provided by the investors as risk capital or equity, which will be lost first if the project runs into difficulty.

The risks the investors bear are mainly the costs of bidding; that their contractors may fail to perform; or that other project costs the investors bear the risk for will be higher than envisaged. However, the investors limit their risk by passing it to their contractors.

In addition, the government is a very safe credit risk and many projects such as hospitals and schools are repeat projects.

The Treasury and departments to date have relied on competition to secure efficient pricing of the contract but have not gathered systematic information to prove the pricing of equity is optimal.

The NAO report identifies three potential inefficiencies in the pricing of equity. These are the time and costs of bidding; minimum rates set by investors, which sometimes do not reflect the actual risks the project will face; and bank requirements.

New finance training directory

The report concludes that in general, public sector authorities have not been equipped with the skills and information required to challenge investors’ proposed returns rigorously. The NAO shows how further analysis during the bidding process would help authorities to assess the reasonableness of the investor returns.

As an illustration, the NAO estimates that around 1.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent of the annual service payments in three projects it analysed were difficult to explain in terms of the main risks investors said they were bearing.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, stated: “PFI projects benefit from secure cash flow from the public sector. Public sector authorities should have clear evidence they are paying a fair price for private sector funding, and risk equity in particular, considering the stable environment that PFI generally provides.

“The Chancellor plans to reform the PFI model. The Treasury review should give closer scrutiny to the returns investors are getting from PFI projects and take account of the areas we have identified where there is scope for savings.”

DOWNLOAD THE FULL NAO REPORT

Equity investment in privately financed projects - tinyurl.com/73v2khs

News

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

CIPFA’s Training and Development Directory for 2012 details the wealth of courses and conferences across the UK up to July and beyond. This directory is packed with short courses, accredited training programmes, professional qualifications and conferences ranging from audit to health, accountancy to children’s services.

DOWNLOAD THE DIRECTORY

tinyurl.com/7elwvmt

Government departments less well placed to deliver next round of cuts, warns NAO An initial report by the National Audit Office on progress by central government departments in reducing costs has concluded that departments took effective action in 2010-11, cutting spending in real terms by 2.3 per cent or £7.9 billion, compared with 2009-10. However, the report warns that departments are less wellplaced to make the long-term changes needed to achieve the further 19 per cent over the four years to 2014-15, as required by the spending review.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

tinyurl.com/7zsb9w3

HOUSING REVENUE

Housing Revenue - CIPFA urges local authorities to be prepared CIPFA is urging local authorities to ensure that they are prepared following the publication of the final debt determination for the housing revenue account.

Councils now know how much debt they will take on when the new arrangements come into effect and CIPFA is urging local authorities to ensure that they are prepared. The new self-financing arrangements will come into effect on 1 April 2012, which leaves only two months for authorities to finalise viable HRA business plans to deal with the debt which they will take on.

This absence of formal guidance and regulation, whilst welcomed by many, could leave authorities exposed to the risks associated with such an extensive and radical change.

Alison Scott, CIPFA Assistant Director for Local Government, commented: “Everything is now in place for the start of self-financing at the end of March. This is a massive change for local authority housing and offers a unique opportunity for authorities to develop

financial strategies to meet the future housing needs of tenants and communities” Recognising the potential need for additional support during this transition, CIPFA’s Housing Network has developed an information hub for HRA self-financing which provides guidance including events, case studies and briefings.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT

The Housing Revenue Account Self-financing Determinations - tinyurl.com/6vmhbpc

Environmental tax reform study European governments could simultaneously reduce income tax, increase innovation and cut pollution by introducing well-targeted environmental taxes and recycling the revenues back into the economy. This was one of the findings from a pair of reports on environmental tax reform (ETR) published by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The first report ‘Environmental tax reform in Europe: implications for income distribution’ finds that although ETR tend to improve incomes across society, they can have mild regressive impacts in that richer households gain more than poorer ones. Care is therefore needed to design ETRs in ways that ensure that certain groups are able to benefit equally.

The second report, ‘Environmental tax reform in Europe: opportunities for ecoinnovation’ finds that environmental policy instruments are frequently characterised as obstacles to economic activity but can serve as catalysts for creativity.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/7oan2bn

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Money Matters

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

Recognising the value of outsourced collections The public sector has long been adept at outsourcing. It recognises that working with trusted partners can deliver impressive results where everybody wins - especially the publics they serve. One of the less wellpublicised but most effective of these outsourced services is debt collection.

Local Authorities were among the first to trial the use of outsourced collectors, initially to work on ‘sundry debt’ portfolios such as rents on councilowned garages or outstanding library fees, which although individually are comparatively small scale, when seen as a whole can amount to many hundreds of thousands of pounds. Today, collections are outsourced not just by Local Authorities, but also some of the largest parts of national government, notably Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise as well as organisations such as the DVLA and Companies House.

Although very different in scale, each shares a common rationale and objective: the need to recover money vital to the public purse. They also share a common belief in the value of working with professional businesses that have specific expertise, and specific skill-sets, that are geared to what is a challenging and often sensitive issue.

One of the principal benefits of working with an external collections partner is that it frees internal credit management

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teams to work in areas where there own skills can be seen to add more value. It also enables them to benefit from the very latest collections methods, techniques and innovations without themselves having to find additional resource or the budget to invest in the latest technology.

But there is also a very practical reason for outsourcing collections: customers are inclined to see an approach from an external third-party as somehow more ‘serious’ than requests for payment from the original creditor. In the customer’s mind, the gravity has been escalated to a higher level, and an external collector has the ability to escalate the process still further, perhaps even to the point of litigation and enforcement.

Trust is of course the essential ingredient for any outsourced relationship to work, and this is especially true of debt collection. The debt collection agency is working on your behalf, in direct contact with your customers, and so ensuring those customers are treated fairly – with respect and courtesy – is paramount. It is, after all, your reputation that you are placing in their hands. Demonstrating compliance with industry standards and codes is one thing; working with an agency that genuinely wants to help your customers out of debt is quite another.

But a successful partnership needs to demonstrate more than trust: it must also be proven to work, to deliver tangible value for (public) money. This means working with an agency that can ‘flex’ with your requirements, that truly understands your needs and the challenges faced by your customers so that they can find workable solutions. Sometimes that means being different; doing things differently in order to satisfy all parties.

Those who have worked with external agencies before, value those agencies that share in the risk and reward. For those that have yet to fully engage, a new opportunity awaits.

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

ICM Institute of Credit Management

For further details please contact ICM Learning & Development on 01780 722907 or visit www.icm.org.uk/learning&development

22/12/11 09:41:16

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

HANGING IN THE BALANCE Good financial management is key at a national level as well as at an organisational level, as shown by the crisis in the Eurozone that has sent shock waves across the developed world. Never before has the level of sovereign debt been under such scrutiny. Ian Ball, head of the International Federation of Accountants, stated that the crisis is a result of the “woeful accounting, auditing, and financial management practices by governments”.

“The problem is that governments do not have enough capital. But it is worse than that – most governments do not even know what their capital is, because their archaic budgetary and accounting practices do not actually know what their balance sheets look like.”

In the UK we do have a general government balance sheet, which puts us significantly in advance of not only our European neighbours but the world, too. The recent publication of the first ever Whole of Government Account marks a significant achievement for the UK and the beginning of the step change required in the development of policy based on long

term fiscal sustainability. HM Treasury is to be congratulated on the publication and thoroughly deserved the recent award for the best contribution to the profession presented to it at the Government Finance Professionalism annual conference.

The UK Whole of Government Accounts is the widest consolidation in scope in the world, having the broadest definition of general government, including local as well as central government. Only Australia and New Zealand have attempted something similar but they do not include local government.

For the first time we have a complete picture of public sector assets and liabilities (including contingent liabilities), and a consolidated set of accounts that has been subject to audit review. The WGA does have a qualified audit opinion, so the data does have limitations, but we are world leaders in preparing and publishing the information.

One qualification covers the boundary of what is considered ‘general government’ Almost 1500 bodies from central government, local government, health and public corporations are included as part of the consolidation. However, the Bank of England is not included in the WGA boundary.

Plans are in place to

consolidate this fully. Also the support government has given to high street banks including Northern Rock, Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Bradford and Bingley is shown as an investment (even though in the case of Northern Rock we, the state, owned 88 per cent of the shares). The ‘temporary’ nature of the support was cited as the reason for this treatment. Given the sale of Northern Rock to the Virgin Group, this appears to be the correct assumption.

WGA goes some way to addressing the concern that governments do not know what their balance sheet looks like. Although WGA may at first look like uncomfortable reading, as it shows the public sector has net liabilities that will need to be funded in the future, we need to remember that governments can guarantee future revenue flows through the right to levy taxation – an option not available to the private sector.

THE HIGHLIGHTS? Broadly, these remain the same as the unaudited version of WGA that was published earlier this year to accompany the first Office for Budget Responsibility’s report on long term fiscal sustainability. Government holds significant value of assets, but surprisingly the value of property plant and equipment held by local government E

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Written by Manj Kalar, technical manager for Central Government, CIPFA

Failing to strengthen financial management in government is not an option says Manj Kalar, technical manager for Central Government, CIPFA

Money Matters

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

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Money Matters Written by Dicky Davies, business development director, Lowell Group

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

DEBT RECOVERY

IMPROVING DEBT RECOVERY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

The public sector’s record on collecting debt is relatively good but could it be better? Could a different approach to debt collection strengthen the finances of public sector organisations and possibly even offset the effects of spending cuts on frontline services?

There is certainly a wide range of public sector debt to tackle – 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.

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 per cent success rate and without doubt a good performance. But to put matters into perspective, that still left around £600 million of 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 wellpublicised deal with a number of debt collection agencies to collect £1.5billion of debt.

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.

OUTSOURCE TO SELL Anticipating that current restrictions on selling debt might be lifted within the foreseeable future, Lowell Group recently launched a commission-based ‘outsource to sell’ debt recovery service specifically with the public sector in mind. The service allows organisations to outsource accounts for collection on a commission basis initially, with

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

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.

RIGHT TO COLLECT With these 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.

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. It was originated in 2004, has a strong track record, eight million customer accounts and a host of bespoke technology developed in-house – including its 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 the customers it’s highly likely that we’ll have some knowledge of them. We also offer an unrivalled in-house automated tracing tool.

Developed to cross check and filter out as many data inaccuracies as possible, Lowell’s highly automated system combines complex logic with multiple data resources – both internal and external – to ensure ultimate confidence in the results. This is better for a 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.

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

Headquartered in Leeds, the group employs more than 500 people across three stateof-the-art offices in Leeds and Preston.

For the last three years Lowell Group has been ranked number one in an index of all the leading credit management and debt collection businesses in the UK compiled by industry consultants OC&C. The index takes into account both past performance and future strategy. L FOR MORE INFORMATION 0113 2856612 betterresults@lowellgroup.co.uk www.lowell.co.uk

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT E is almost 50 per cent of the total. Given that the highest value assets are held by the Ministry of Defence, the traditional view was that central government held the majority of general government assets. But this is not the case.

This will change again when local government begins using the same basis of measuring highways infrastructure assets (the road network) as that which is used by central government. Under International Financial Reporting Standards, both measurement options are allowed. So it is not ‘wrong’ that different sectors have different approaches in their own accounts. However, in a consolidated set of accounts the basis for measurement should the same. The current estimate is that measuring the local highways assets on a depreciated replacement cost basis would result in an increase in the assets values of over £200bn. CIPFA is working with various stakeholders to achieve this consistent approach. But to do this properly will take time.

The pension data highlights a liability of £1133 billion. Indeed this has been subject to significant media attention and that was even before the publication of the Hutton Report and subsequent government plans for pension reform. The OBR report acknowledges the figure is significantly (over £331bn) higher than a year earlier. Although £260bn “has nothing to with the changes in the size of prospective pension payments; instead it “reflects a fall in the discount rate”.

It is worth noting that the figure will decrease by approx £300bn due to the move from using RPI to using CPI to calculate pension uprating. Capital liabilities arising from Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts were around £40 billion. The value for money that PFI provides has been under scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee. In its recent report it challenged the value for money assessment for PFI schemes. In the calculations the taxation income from the private sector has been overestimated as many of the companies were based overseas.

There are over £100 billion in provisions for future costs that are expected (but not certain) to arise, the bulk of these potential nuclear decommissioning costs. There are over £200 billion of quantifiable contingent liabilities. These are costs that could arise in the future but the probability of this happening is assessed as less than 50 per cent.

None of this should be of any surprise to informed readers. This information has always been publicly available in individual public sector organisations’ own audited accounts, accessible from their respective websites. That is not to say that previously we did not have a balance sheet – we also have National Accounts that are prepared by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). These are based on the European System of National Accounts (ESA95), which is designed to aid consistency and comparability across EU nations.

Money Matters

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

Given that the highest value assets are held by the Ministry of Defence, the traditional view was that central government held the majority of general government assets. But this is not the case.

However, there are significant differences between ESA95 and IFRS. Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) – the difference between public sector’s liabilities and liquid financial assets – was £906 billion at March 2011. This figure is not as complete as the WGA equivalent (which for example also includes debt from PFI arrangements): at March 2010 PSND under WGA was £1.2 trillion, whereas under National Accounts this was £760 billion.

So how will the publication of the WGA help?

The data will help in making medium term forecasts on whether the UK public finances are sustainable over the long term. Long term fiscal sustainability has been defined as “the ability of an entity to meet service delivery and financial commitments now and in the future”.

The OBR’s March report highlighted the difficulties in achieving this, pointing out that in the absence of offsetting tax increases or spending cuts, the analysis points to the PSND being on an ‘unsustainable upward trajectory’.

This is primarily due to pressures of an ageing population. Spending cuts and tax increases were included in the Budget, but we cannot be complacent; in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook report in November 2011, the OBR noted that without the additional measures included in the Autumn Statement, the government would have missed its target in respect of PSND. To manage our way out of this ‘wicked issue’ (an issue that is so difficult that it cannot be resolved by traditional means), the challenge to governments to demonstrate leadership has been made. In our prospectus ‘Fixing the Foundations’, CIPFA has called upon the leaders to work collaboratively with us, as the leading accountancy institute specialising in public sector financial management, to achieve a global step change in financial management in governments.

The UK Government recognises that it needs to further strengthen financial management in government and is working

on embedding the ‘Managing Taxpayers Money Wisely: A Commitment to Action’ agenda. This was launched by HMT and endorsed by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and is part of the wider Finance Transformation Programme.

Managing taxpayers Money Wisely identifies four areas of development where the public sector can improve financial management. These are: Leadership – driving better performance from the top; Cost Conscious Culture – so every decision is based on informal financial assessment; Professionalism – so that all public servants have financial awareness; and Expert Central Functions – providing the strategy to work towards common goals.

HMT with the Head of Government Finance Profession is working on making this a reality. As we see from the OBR report doing nothing is not an option. The level of cuts that have to be implemented whilst managing the ever increasing demands on public services will require strong leadership and good financial management skills. This is an opportunity for accountants from across the public sector to step up to the challenge and support the business of government to make the difficult choices that lie ahead.

For all our futures, and the future of the generations to come, failure is not an option.

ABOUT CIPFA CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, is the professional body for people in public finance. Our 14,000 members work throughout the public services, in national audit agencies, in major accountancy firms, and in other bodies where public money needs to be effectively and efficiently managed. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.cipfa.org.uk

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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ROAD MAINTENANCE

Transport

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

MIND THE GAP The progress report of the pothole review being undertaken by the DfT’s Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP) has identified many gaps in the knowledge and practice on how best to address the growing problem of potholes.

These are gaps that must be filled if the condition of our road network is to be improved, explains Howard Robinson, chief executive of the Road Surface Treatments Association The DfT’s HMEP review follows the devastating impact of three successive severe winters which resulted in over 2.7 million potholes and added to the estimated £11 billion repair bill. The review proposes a full examination of why potholes occur, how best to avoid them appearing and how best to fix them. The progress report was published in December. It collates the findings of the initial phase of work that includes a study of existing guidance and consultation with key stakeholders including industry, user groups and local highway authorities. The review’s final report is due to be published in March.

On a policy level, the progress report has found there is undue focus on principal roads to the detriment of non-principal roads.

Previously, the National Indicators (NI) 168 and 169 were used to report on the condition of all classified roads. The indicators were used by central government to monitor the performance of local authorities via Comprehensive Area Assessment. However, the national indicators and assessment were abolished in October 2010. Local authorities continue to assess the condition of their road network via a traffic speed survey using vehicles fitted with ‘scanner’ equipment. The data is collected on the same basis as the former NI 168 and 169 under an arrangement called the Single Data List which is then released for the DfT. Despite this, there is no national quantitative survey undertaken that specifically measures the number of potholes on the local road network. Indeed, the report finds that there is no national standard definition of a pothole let alone a national mechanism for their numeric calculation. E

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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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)

• 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?

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LOW RAINFALL LEADS TO DROUGHT DAMAGED PAVEMENTS Although you might not think it true, rainfall in the UK over the past couple of years has been unusually low, with 950.5mm in 2010 and 1166.2mm in 2011 compared with 1337.3mm in 2000 and 1283.7mm in 20021. These recent drier years have resulted in drought damage to highways across the UK. Drought damage can cause sometimes dangerous undulating vertical alignment, isolated humps, transverse/longitudinal cracks and general deterioration to pavements. Local authorities in the most affected areas of the UK such as the East of England, have called on the government to provide funding to help repair millions of pounds worth of damage to roads caused by the on-going drought conditions.

To discuss your specific drought damage issues or any other asphalt reinforcement requirements, call Asphalt Reinforcement Services today on 01525 722204 or log onto www.asphaltrs.co.uk

YOUR PARTNERS IN ASPHALT REINFORCEMENT DESIGNED TO EXTEND PAVEMENT LIFE data from www.metoffice.gov.uk

1

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

ROAD MAINTENANCE E LACK OF NATIONAL POLICY This lack of a standardised, national policy is underlined by the many different approaches taken by local authorities when it comes to identifying, recording and repairing potholes.

For although the ADEPT report ‘Pothole Repair Techniques for Local Highways’ offers a process for right first time pothole repairs it does not include a specification or cover the use of alternative materials and techniques. There is also a need for local

rather than been designed and constructed to specific standards. This compromises the network’s resilience to severe weather damage. In addition, it found that there is no nationally recognised best practice guide for road maintenance and repair.

These findings have focused on a number of gaps that need to be addressed such as the need for local authority guidance on how to improve the resilience of the road network, the lack of a national definition of a pothole

The progress report has found that the vast majority of the local road network consists of roads which have evolved rather than been designed and constructed to specific standards. This compromises the network’s resilience to severe weather damage. authorities to adopt a preventative approach to maintenance over the whole life of a road and so minimise the potential for potholes.

This is understood by some forward thinking councils but unfortunately not by all.

On a practical level, the progress report has found that the vast majority of the local road network consists of roads which have evolved

and coherent database and the need for a common approach to pothole inspection and repair. The provision of recognised codes of practice that all local authorities and their contractors sign-up to would do much to fill this void. They should identify the range of pothole solutions that are available, provide information on their minimum service life

Transport

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

and address the issue as to why some local authorities choose the lowest cost, quick fix rather than the best long-term solution and why they are reluctant to consider innovative road surface treatments. The Review should also address the fact that the continuity of best practice can be affected when local authority Managing Agent Contracts (MACs) change hands. Driven by short-term commercial imperatives rather than long-term technical performance, different contractors can take a different view when choosing maintenancesolutions.

WORKFORCE SKILLS A further gap that needs to be addressed, and one for which the Review has yet to demonstrate a real appreciation, is that of workforce skills. The operatives engaged in pothole repair are often low skilled and working relatively autonomously with little control. This means that work practices can often be very different from the application guidance and the resultant repair can be poor. It is important that contractor operatives should be fully trained and qualified to ensure that they apply the correct work practices. Operatives must have minimum NVQs and CSCS skill cards proving competence and knowledge.

As the industry focus for the road surface treatments sector, the RSTA is working E

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

The pot-hole debate rumbles on and not much changes – don’t waste precious budget on quick temporary fixes, go for the permanent solution from Star Uretech Ltd Uretech RRS originated as the surfacing element of RMC’s Readyraise Manhole System but is now available as a stand-alone material consisting of a design blend of aggregate bound with the same polyurea resin system used for HFS high-friction surfacing (BBA Certificate No: 11/H177). Cold-applied, thermo-set, excellent moisture tolerance and lowtemperature cure; it provides the permanent solution.

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Nip in the air?

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Concrete repair – RonaBond HB40 Ultra Rapid can be used down to 2°C Floor repair – RonaFloor Repair 1 Hour can be used down to -10°C Screed – RonaScreed Mortar and RonaScreed Concrete can be used at temperatures as low as freezing point Highway maintenance/road repair – RonaRoad EcoPatch Pothole Repair can be used at temperatures as low as -25°C RonaRoad Manhole Mortar and RonaRoad Manhole Concrete can be used down to -10°C

For more information about these or other Ronacrete products e: tech@ronacrete.co.uk t: 01279 638700 www.ronacrete.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

ROAD MAINTENANCE E closely with the DfT/HMEP project team and all other stakeholders in developing and forwarding the necessary code of practice. The association is also working with organisations such as ADEPT and CSkills to ensure easy availability of best practice guidance and training

to the industry portfolio of guidance and technical knowledge. Meanwhile, an important objective of the RSTA is the continued improvement in the competence of the road surfacing industry’s workforce.

To facilitate this, RSTA provides full support and advice on all aspects of training and

The DfT/HMEP review has identified many gaps in the prevention, management and repair of potholes. It is hoped that the involvement of central and local government, industry and other key stakeholders will develop of code of practice that will do much to address the need for consistency and the delivery of best practice. and so help plug the gaps that have been identified by the HMEP review With ADEPT, RSTA has developed a number of ADEPT endorsed codes of practice for a wide range of road surface treatments. The codes have been developed to ensure greater consistency of delivery, improved guarantee of first time success and zero remedial costs.

They codes provide a significant contribution

has developed a comprehensive training programme that is being further developed in conjunction with CSkills. RTSA courses meet the requirements of Sector Scheme 13, BBA HAPAS and the RSTA/ADEPT Codes of Practices as proof of continued professional development upon successful achievement of the RSTA Silver Certificate, the only certificate of competence and a mandatory requirement su b D 24 mis ead th sio lin Fe n o e br f a for ua b ry str 20 act 12 s:

Call for Papers

10th Annual Transport Practitioners Meeting

17th - 18th July 2012, John Moores University, Liverpool You are invited to submit an abstract on one of the following topics: • Role of Transport in Climate Change Strategies

• Localism & Transport - LEPS

• Sustainable Urban Transport Best Practice

• Contribution of Transport to Regeneration & Economic Development

• Smarter Choices - Preaching to the Unconverted

• Correlating Transport Co-Benefits with Health & Social Inclusion

• Managing Demand

• Accessibility & Connectivity

• Travel Behaviour

• Streets, Places & the New Urbanism

• Achieving Political Buy-In

• Land Use & Transport Interaction

• Funding, Prioritisation & Delivery Low Value, High Impact Measures

• Transport & New Technologies

• Charging & Taxation

• Marketing & Communications

• Transport Appraisal & Investment Decision-Making - Time for a Change?

• Transport Safety & Road-User Psychology

SPREADING BEST PRACTICE The work of the RSTA is recognised by HMEP and will be examined as part of the next phase of the Review which will consider how existing best practice guidance can be consolidated and promoted for widespread use by local highway authorities. Other issues to be considered in the next phase include how best to forward collaboration between councils so that the knowledge and experience of those local authorities demonstrating innovative and successful techniques in preventing as well as managing and repairing potholes is available to all.

The DfT/HMEP review has identified many gaps in the prevention, management and repair of potholes. It is hoped that the involvement of central and local government, industry and other key stakeholders will develop of code of practice that will do much to address the need for consistency and the delivery of best practice. Minding and filling the gaps concerning pothole repair will offer local highway authorities considerable cost savings and performance benefits. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.rsta-uk.org

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for NHSS13 for surface dressing, slurry/microsurfacing and velocity patching, retexturing and geosythetics and steel meshes.

• Bus, Road & Rail - Projects, Funding and Pricing

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• Transport Governance & Institutions

Transport

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

Education and Research Services Ltd

ROAD MARKING, REPAIRS AND JOINTING 01626 331 771 | www.lmshighways.co.uk

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

NOW THE SNOW HAS GONE....

PERMANENT POTHOLE REPAIR

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

SURFACE DRESSING

VALUE ENGINEERED ASSET MANAGEMENT A series of hard winters are stretching resources to breaking point and a scatter gun approach to pothole patching is no longer sustainable, argues Total Bitumen’s Rick Ashton Diminished budgets mean the entire highways management supply chain is now being challenged like never before. Best value, sustainability and innovation are being driven by austerity measures and pragmatic clients.

Total Bitumen identified these challenges some time ago, through market analysis and a need to innovate their product portfolio in response to the new commercial and technical challenges the industry was beginning to face.

Highways asset managers are tasked with maintaining the network above intervention level for skid resistance in an ever increasingly litigious society. These economic drivers bring a trend towards premium surface dressings to restore performance in areas previously considered for thin surfacing.

There is also a perception some thin surfacing applications aren’t lasting as long as originally anticipated, sometimes through misguided material design but also through inappropriate applications. These products can be enhanced or maintained through a planned surface treatment programme throughout the materials life cycle.

HARSH WEATHER A series of hard winters are stretching resources to breaking point and a scatter gun approach to pothole patching is no longer sustainable.

Rick Ashton, Total Bitumen’s market development manager says: “A lot of the network is evolved construction rather than scientifically designed and the key to avoiding uncontrollable depreciation of the assets is intervention at key points in time.”

Surface dressing installed at key points throughout a pavement’s life cycle with diligence and correct design procedures can seal the surface, restore skid resistance, and inhibit the formation of potholes before more expensive deeper and obtrusive repair work is required.

Ashton comments: “It is the intervention level at the correct point which is critical.”

“This should be before structural failure as a planned preventative maintenance treatment not as a quick remedy to cover serious fatigue issues.”

“Simply allowing roads to disintegrate to reconstruction stage is like driving a car around without changing the oil occasionally – I would rather buy oil than engines!”

DURABLE SURFACE TREATMENTS The implementation of Sector Scheme 13, RSTA Codes of Conduct, Road note 39, and most importantly, trained competent personnel involved in the installation of the products, are the real foundations of durable sustainable surface treatments CE Marking by 2013 is the next step on the road to ensuring fitness for purpose of the systems.

Polymerisation of the binders used in the treatments has enhanced the systems performance dramatically in recent years and has significantly reduced the levels of premature failures in surface dressings.

Binder performance in traditional bitumous emulsion is limited by visco-elastic and thermoplastic properties. Adding polymers to the bitumen system significantly enhances the performance of these materials Total Bitumen’s Emulsis range incorporates specific polymer levels and performance enhancing additives developed to answer the modern challenges the supply chain is now faced with.

The Emulsis range incorporates three performance levels tailored to specific applications and budgets. L FOR MORE INFORMATION Rick Ashton MIAT Tel: 0771 445 2174 Richard.ashton@total.co.uk www.bitumen.total.com

Rick Ashton, Total Bitumen’s market development manager says: “A lot of the network is evolved construction rather than scientifically designed and the key to avoiding uncontrollable depreciation of the assets is intervention at key points in time.”

Road Maintenance

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

The Emulsis Range

The enhanced adhesive elastic behaviour of Emulsis is demonstrated.

Clients install the product best suited to their end use in terms of value engineering, site stresses, historical wear and previous failure modes, balancing unit cost against the expected life cycle. The correct “horse for the course” is what underpins the range, states Rick Ashton.

Emulsis behaves in a more elastic manner than traditional grade emulsions. The polymer modification levels in the range give clear benefits in terms flexibility and resistance to extremes of temperature.

This makes the product less likely be brittle at low temperature or less likely to “black up” chippings at high ambient temperatures, reducing risk to the client and increasing safety for the travelling public.

Traditional site practice is to spray emulsions in the temperature range 8090ºC. This involves having to reheat the emulsion during the shift to maintain spraying temperature and achieve a satisfactory viscosity for adequate spread rates and aggregate wetting.

This reheating delays the surfacing operations increasing downtime as the surfacing crew wait for emulsion. Ultimately this affects how many m² of carriageway per shift a crew can surface dress.

Emulsis drops the working temperature range to 65ºC giving a greater working temperature window and potentially more m² surfaced per shift. A dressing season is brief – typically 90 days during the mid summer. This saving in man hours can give substantial benefits to the contractor & client with typical time savings of 45 – 65 hours per tanker in a season. Effectively an extra weeks surfacing added to a typical crew’s season.

Total Bitumen has produced models to demonstrate the typical savings in heating fuel and CO2 reduction with the Emulsis product range.

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

PumpManager

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Same Day Express Delivery Service

Overnight Pallets and Storage Hi-Speed Services Ltd are celebrating 25 years this year in offering first class services to all our customers old and new. With a full range of vehicles including Motor cycles, Small vans, Mid size vans, Luton Box, 7.5 ton lorries, 18 ton lorries and Articulated lorries, we cover every vehicle requirement to anywhere in the UK, Europe and Worldwide. Also specialising in security deliveries, using the most enviromental vehicles, I.S.O.accredited, nothing is to much trouble, aswell as offering a next day pallet service for less urgent deliveries saving our customers costs.

Our company has been built around customer service and we will adapt to any situation to make sure you the customer are 100% completely satisfied. The vehicles we operate are chosen for their least CO 2 emissions and we are fully committed to helping the environment as much as possible. With offices based in the South and Midlands, we can react to urgent requests very quickly.

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26

SOUTHERN OFFICE Tel: 0800 0199033 Email: southern@hispeed.co.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

www.hispeed.co.uk

ROAD MAINTENANCE

CAPITAL FUNDING

Plans to devolve transport capital funding to local bodies Local communities and businesses could be given control of decisions and budgets for major local transport schemes in their areas, under proposals released for consultation by Transport Secretary Justine Greening.

The new system could potentially see decisions on capital funding for local schemes – including new local roads, public transport schemes, better pedestrian routes, and new local rail stations – devolved to democratically accountable local transport bodies.

Currently central government must approve all schemes over £5m. The government is proposing that from 2015 local transport bodies will be able to decide for themselves how to spend their money on priorities best suited to their local needs without Whitehall approval.

Greening said: “We want a system that is much more responsive to local needs and it makes good sense to give local residents and passengers a greater say in the transport infrastructure that they rely on so much. “These proposals could hand real power to communities so they can make locally accountable decisions on what transport improvements are

needed in their area. This is a key plank to our localism agenda.”

The primary role of local transport bodies – involving both Local Enterprise Partnerships and local authorities – would be to agree, manage and oversee the delivery of a prioritised programme of transport schemes from 2015 onwards.

The Department for Transport is spending around £1.7bn on local transport projects between 2011 and 2015. This latest consultation proposes the allocation of funding to local transport bodies by formula rather than a competitive bidding process.

In return for devolution, the bodies would need to assure the government of governance and financial management arrangements, accountability for decisions and achieving value for money. It proposes that local transport bodies decide and agree their prioritised programme of schemes by next April 2013. The Department proposes to publish a range of indicative allocations per individual Local Enterprise Partnership area by August 2012.

Cutting red tape to tackle road works disruption

Transport

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

Plans to axe red tape for councils wanting to put in place schemes to tackle disruptive road works have been published

by Regional and Local Transport Minister Norman Baker.

Street works permit schemes give councils more power to co-ordinate works and once in place both utility companies and local authorities must abide by strict conditions including time limits, co-ordination or the amount of road space to be left available to road users. Anyone who breaks the terms of their permit or works without a permit could be prosecuted and face a fine of up to £5,000.

The proposals would remove that requirement and give councils more flexibility in putting the schemes in place.

“Councils should be spending their time improving the lives of their local residents not being bogged down by unnecessary bureaucracy,” Baker says. “That is why I am proposing that local councils should be able to put in place permit schemes to improve the co-ordination of works on their roads. I hope that this will encourage more councils to develop permit schemes and make use of them to help reduce disruption and frustration for the travelling public.”

Under the plans, councils will still need to comply with the law on the penalties and requirements they can impose on utility companies when operating a permit scheme.

The consultation on ‘permit schemes’ runs until April 13.

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Delivering sustainable infrastructure solutions throughout the UK. • Highway maintenance • Highway construction • Drainage solutions

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Tel: 01530 510066 Email: bardon.contracting@aggregate.com www.aggregate.com

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

The Technical Recruitment Specialists

n IRSE Signalling Design Engineer to undertake detailed design for trackside projects - Birmingham - c£300pd n IRSE Lead Signalling Design Engineer Detailed design and independent checking of design details. - Birmingham - c£380pd n Telecoms Project Engineer with experience of working as a CRE. London - c£400pd n Senior Project Manager - (Rail & Civil) Steel & Architectural metal work background - London - up to £65k + package n Cost Engineer - (Rail & Civil) - Assess and Analyse the cost status of works. Major Infrastructure experience. London - c£350-£400pd n Planning Manager - (Signalling) - Manage and

support existing planning team for large Signalling projects. Birmingham / Derby - up to £85k + package n Quantity Surveyor (Rail) - Must be degree qualified with rail experience - Chippenham £300 per day n IRSE Signalling Design Verifier to lead a a signalling application engineer team. - Birmingham - up to £65k + package n Control Centre Duty Manager DLR To manage a team of train controllers on shift basis- East London £56k + package n Estimator (Rail & Civil) - Platform extension project - London - up to £50k + package n Signalling Engineer- IRSE licensed as either Point Fitter, Maintainer, Maintenance Tester or Maintainer Fault Finder- London £Neg - contract

Please contact our Reading office on 01189 550600.

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Client base >> Eurostar International ltd >> Thalys International Scrl >> SNCF >> Department for Transport Key Partners >> Atos Origin >> Resarail 2000 GEIE >> Wragge and Company >> Davidson & Shingleton

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

MANAGED SERVICE SOLUTIONS

RMF is a leading provider of railway reservation based international settlement and clearing services, providing sophisticated revenue and cost allocation, including business critical managent information.

RAIL

Transport

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

FEELINGS MIXED AS HS2 GETS GREEN LIGHT

With 54,909 responses from individuals, businesses and organisations across the country, the government’s consultation on high speed rail was one of the largest ever undertaken by the Department for Transport. Reaction, both for and against a national high speed rail network, High Speed 2, clearly revealed that the subject remains both emotive and divisive Since becoming Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening says she has considered all aspects of the consultation proposals and the evidence arising from both consultation responses and further work undertaken or commissioned by the department and HS2 Ltd. “I have decided Britain should embark upon the most significant transport infrastructure project since the building of the motorways by supporting the development and delivery of a new national high speed rail network,” Greening said.

“By following in the footsteps of the 19th century railway pioneers, the government is signalling its commitment to providing 21st century infrastructure and connections – laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable economic growth.

“High Speed 2 (HS2) is a scheme to deliver hugely enhanced rail capacity and connectivity between Britain’s ”The HS2 Y major conurbations. It is the largest transport infrastructure network will h investment in the UK for , hig provide direct speed a generation, and, with the exception of High capacity, high ndon, Lo Speed 1 (HS1), is the first links between , Leeds major new railway line m a h Birming since the Victorian era. er, with and Manchest ations in “The HS2 Y network will provide direct, high intermediate st nds and capacity, high speed links the East Midla ire” between London, Birmingham, South Yorksh Leeds and Manchester, with intermediate stations in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. There will also be direct links to Heathrow Airport and to the Continent via the HS1 line. It will form a foundation for a potentially wider high speed network in years to come.

“HS2 will be built in two phases to ensure that the benefits of high speed rail are realised at the earliest possible opportunity.

The line from London to the West Midlands and the connection to HS1 are expected to open in 2026, followed, in 2032-33, by the onward legs to Manchester and Leeds and the connection to Heathrow.

The capital cost at 2011 prices of building the complete Y network is £32.7 billion. At present values, it will generate benefits of up to £47 billion and fare revenues of up to £34 billion over a 60-year period. E

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

Vehicle CCTV and Journey Recorder

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

RAIL

E “The benefits of HS2 will extend beyond the network itself; links to current lines will enable direct trains to run to cities such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh and, with long-distance services transferring to the new network, space will be freed up for new commuter, regional and freight services on other lines, opening up new opportunities for Britain’s existing railways. Links to key urban transport networks, such as Crossrail, will help to spread the benefits further still.

“HS2 is entirely consistent with the Government’s objectives for carbon emissions. Electrified rail is a comparatively low-carbon mode of transport, especially with the continued decarbonisation of the grid. Speed increases power consumption, but also makes HS2 more attractive to those currently flying or driving. The faster journeys on HS2 – Edinburgh and Glasgow will be just 3.5 hours from London – could transfer around 4.5 million journeys per

as far as possible, both for the benefit of those enjoying our beautiful countryside today and for future generations.

“People living along the line of route highlighted particular concerns and provided constructive and thoughtful comments about the London to West Midlands route proposed at consultation. Following careful study by my engineers I can announce a package of alterations to further reduce the route’s impacts. The changes mean that more than half the route will now be mitigated by tunnel or cutting and there will also be a reduction in the impacts on people and communities, ancient woodlands and important heritage sites.

THE CHANGES INCLUDE: n a longer, continuous tunnel from Little Missenden to the M25 through the Chilterns; n a new 2.75 mile (4.4 km) bored tunnel along the Northolt Corridor to entirely avoid

Electrified rail is a comparatively low-carbon mode of transport, especially with the continued decarbonisation of the grid. Speed increases power consumption, but also makes HS2 more attractive to those currently flying or driving. year who might otherwise have travelled by air and nine million from the roads.

HS2 will also create more rail capacity on existing conventional speed lines for freight – removing lorries from our busy trunk roads. HS2 is therefore an important part of transport’s low-carbon future.

“In securing these benefits for our country, I am committed to developing a network with the lowest feasible impacts on local communities and the natural environment. I have been mindful that we must safeguard the natural environment

major works to the Chilterns Line and impacts on local communities in the Ruislip area; n a longer green tunnel past Chipping Warden and Aston Le Walls, and to curve the route to avoid a cluster of important heritage sites around Edgcote; and, n a longer green tunnel to significantly reduce impacts around Wendover, and an extension to the green tunnel at South Heath.

“The revised route offers considerable improvements to communities, with the number of dwellings at risk of land take almost halving and the number experiencing

Transport

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

increased noise levels reducing by a third.

Despite these improvements to limit the negative impacts of the line, HS2 will inevitably affect some homeowners, communities and businesses. To help those affected, we will bring in a package of measures, which are over and above what affected homeowners are already entitled to under law. These include: n a streamlined purchase scheme to simplify the statutory blight process for property owners; n a sale and rent back scheme to give homeowners within the safeguarded area more flexibility; n a streamlined small claims scheme for construction damage which will allow individuals and businesses who are entitled to compensation under existing law to claim it more quickly and simply; n a package of measures to reinforce confidence in properties above tunnels.

Homeowners will be offered before and after surveys, a thorough assessment of the impact of similar tunnels, an explanation of the measures that will be taken to prevent perceptible vibration impacts, financial compensation for the compulsory purchase of subsoil, and a legally binding promise that HS2 will be permanently responsible for resolving any related settlement or subsidence issues; and, n a refreshed hardship-based property purchase scheme.

“Finally, we will work constructively with local authorities along the line of route to minimise the negative consequences of HS2 and maximise the benefits.”

The Department of Transport has published a series of supporting documents which set out in further detail the basis on which the minister reached her decisions. L FOR MORE INFORMATION This material is available at www.dft.gov.uk/highspeedrail

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

Sunken Road Slabs?

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

Electro-Hydraulic Hybrid Commercial lifts n Lift Capacity: 25000kg (25 Tonne) – 55000kg (55 Tonne) n Runway Length: From 7000mm – 15000mm n Collapsed Height: 360mm (25 Tonne) – 390mm (55 Tonne) n Maximum Freedom of movement for the operator n Galavanised wash bay version available n Add all the benefits of a space saving Scissor lift but the access capabilities of a 4 post lift.

1090 Brake Tester ATF VOSA Approved As part of the continual improvement of Bradbury equipment’s products, Bradbury are pleased to announce the VOSA ATF approval of their popular 1090 Commercial Brake Tester Any proposed future ATF Lane will only be able to use an ATF approved Brake Tester.

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PARKING

A Model Contract

Abdul Traore reports details of the British Parking Association’s redeveloped Model Contract for Parking With pressure on local authorities to deliver a consistently high level of services to local people and with ever tighter budgets and increasing costs, the need to effectively manage both time and resources has never been more crucial. Service providers, such as enforcement contractors, are expected to deliver a quality performance and one thing that can assist in ensuring that best practice and performance measures are in place and are monitored is the British Parking Association’s Model Contract for Parking.

Originally developed in response to a perceived demand for a standardised contractual framework to be used by local authorities for outsourcing Decriminalised Parking Enforcement contracts, the Model Contract first launched in the summer of 2004 and was made available to all local authorities under a cost effective licensing regime.

The contract has now been redeveloped and updated and has been designed for use by all organisations that appoint service providers to manage their parking and associated services, including healthcare and higher education facilities, shopping centres, airports and railway stations.

CONSULTATION The 2012 version has been through a process of consultation. The BPA, government, local contractors and service providers have all worked together on the project and amendments have been assimilated into the finished product. This has been recommended by the Transport Select Committee and is also included in the Statutory Guidance.

The contract assists organisations in easing their workload by reducing the time spent designing and preparing contracts. It also helps to improve the level of service delivered by these organisations by providing a standard template for the procurement of services.

Best practice is encouraged by ensuring that performance is measured on the quality of service provided to ease negotiations for both supplier and service provider.

The contract is based on five principles - a partnering approach that is founded on openness and trust; a sharing of risk which is allocated to whichever party is best able to manage it; performance-related payments that are directly linked to actual measurement of performance through key performance indicators; incentives for service providers to seek out innovative ways of reducing target costs; and employing the right calibre of staff who are motivated, well trained and suitably remunerated.

QUALITY BASED ENFORCEMENT Austen Hunter, BPA council member and Head of Transport Operations at Brighton and Hove City Council says: “The BPA Model Contract has proved invaluable in helping us to demonstrate a real, practical commitment to quality based enforcement services. We are often asked about the nature of our contract and the key drivers.

The Model Contract represents best practice and gives credibility to our message of a progressive, customer-driven service.”

The BPA Model Contract is an important document as it makes public procurement more straightforward and better value for money, as well as heading off adverse media scrutiny on parking related issues. Chris Galbraith, Dept. for Regional Development in Northern Ireland adds “The BPA Model Contract provided an excellent framework

Transport

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

for the first ever decriminalised parking enforcement contract in Northern Ireland in 2006. Due to the extensive geographical spread and the broad range of functions covered, it is a particularly complex contract, valued at over £8m per year. With the experience we have gained over the last four years and the ever-evolving nature of our service, we again hope to make use of the BPA Model Contract when our current contract expires this year”.

The contract can be provided both as a paper copy and in PDF format which also includes a user guide, a series of schedules and a template invitation to tender (ITT).

The cost is £500 for BPA members (£950 for non-members) for each year the contract is in use. For example, for a three year contract, BPA members would pay £500 x 3 = £1,500.

Income generated is reinvested in updating and refining the contract from time to time. L FURTHER INFORMATION Abdul Traore adbul.t@britishparking.co.uk Tel: 01444 447310 www.britishparking.co.uk/ Library/Model-Contract

The contract assists organisations in easing their workload by reducing the time spent designing and preparing contracts. It also helps to improve the level of service delivered by these organisations, by providing a standard template for the procurement of services.

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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In an ever more demanding world, Variable Message Signs Limited combines innovation, experience and technology in strategic, rail and urban driver information systems.

Our road traffic product range covers applications in the strategic , urban, and traffic management equipment sectors.

We offer a full range of services to suit individual client requirements’ from design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of LED driver information systems. These include fully UTMC compliant car park guidance systems, vehicle activated speed and warning signs and full matrix dual colour advance warning and information signs.

Our range of car park guidance and information signs advise drivers where the car parks are within a town or city centre, local hospital or school site, within a shopping centre or multi storey car park.

The signs will advise on the number of spaces left within each car park or area, providing information and choice for drivers entering the town or site, and via our TRAMS car park management software package, the operator has control over all the listed car parks, the number of displayed / available spaces as well as providing various management reports and helps reduce emissions by keeping traffic moving and avoiding queuing. By adding a two line of fifteen character display within the car park guidance sign, clients can enhance their system and have the capability of adding ‘free text’ information to visitors entering the site.

Our Safewatch range of vehicle activated speed and warning signs help provide road & pedestrian safety, by advising and reinforcing the speed limits and other hazards, such as pedestrian crossings, side roads, tight bends etc and other hazards such as, car park entrances and exits, The unique environment of roads adjacent to and within schools, universities and hospitals specifically, our Safewatch range can be programmed to suit varying local and site conditions, by advising permitted speed or alternatively they can display a pictogram i.e.: children crossing etc. Our Safewatch range of signs can also be fitted with four corner

conspicuity lanterns for added presence.

The Safewatch range is always evolving to suit client’s demands. Our latest evolution of ultra slim signs are lightweight and will fit unobtrusively into the most sensitive of areas. The light sensor adjusts to ambient light levels, reducing LED output at night to maintain contrast. This stops the sign dazzling oncoming vehicles. Dimming the sign also cuts unwanted light pollution.

With many of our Safety and Warning signs we can supply them with alternatives to conventional mains power where the level of usage is comparatively low or due to location the cost of installing mains power is prohibitive. Typically these alternatives are Wind and/or Solar power either singly or in combination.

Applying Technology in Transportation has always been at the forefront of everything Variable Message Signs Limited manufacture, from standard to bespoke LED signage products.

Pegasus our new range of urban dual colour full matrix signs are the latest product to be designed and built with this philosophy. The sign’s attractive and slim design is especially suited to today’s urban streetscape, where it will deliver driver and pedestrian information. The sign is offered in three sizes, with high resolution matrix areas suitable for the display of four lines of text with character heights of 160mm, 100mm, and 50mm. All variants are capable of displaying combined text and pictogram information and employ a dual-coloured, amber and red, matrix.

A special feature of the new sign system is the ability to mount it in a landscape or portrait format, with five mounting options for landscape fixing and three for portrait fixing, making it a very flexible range of signs for use around schools, universities and hospitals as well as in town and city centres etc.

Variable Message Signs Limited is an ISO9001 2000, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 Quality Company and are members of the British Parking Association (BPA). For a no-obligation quotation, site survey or a general discussion regarding your requirements, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Glynn J Hutton, Sales Manager on 07717 783134 / 0191 423 7070, ghutton@vmslimited.co.uk or visit our website www.vmslimited.co.uk for our range of products and services.

Variable Message Signs Limited Unit 1, Monkton Business Park North, Mill Lane, Hebburn, Tyne & Wear NE31 2JZ T 0191 423 7070 F 0191 423 7071 E ghutton@vmslimited.co.uk W www.vmslimited.co.uk

PARKING

A LIFE CARE PLAN FOR CAR PARKS

Structural safety and integrity in car parks is of paramount importance. Proper upkeep and maintenance of a car park facility is a potentially huge undertaking but is necessary to reduce the risk of unforeseen claims, says the British Parking Association A car park contains a number of risks to the people that use them, whether inside their cars or walking to and from their vehicle. Multi-storey car parks increases these risks, as does equipment – lights, signage, stairs doors, raised bollards and barriers – which can all potentially have an impact and cause injury to people.

Every car park owner/operator has a duty of care to maintain the building in a safe condition for those persons in or about it whether lawfully or otherwise. This requirement also extends to the immediate perimeter of the building to protect people from falling concrete, or from vehicles which may accidentally fail the restraint barriers. This is a requirement of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 and the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984.

The BPA Structures and Asset Management Special Interest Group has prepared a simple guide and checklist intended to make it easier for everyone to get involved in proper and appropriate life-care planning.

Too many owners and operators do not have a life-care plan for their car parks and many do not even know what the term means or that it can apply to simple (retaining) structures in surface level car parks as well as large multi-storey buildings.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH Life-care is a strategic and managed approach to the inspection, maintenance

and management of parking structures and a life-care plan is an active document which should be updated periodically. It may vary from a single document to several files, depending upon the age, complexity and condition of the car park. Relevant extracts from the life-care plan may also be incorporated into the Health and Safety File.

Preparing and implementing a life-care plan enables the owner/operator to plan and set aside sufficient funds to maintain a car park in a safe condition and demonstrate that legal obligations are being taken seriously.

MAINTENANCE The BPA is concerned that Britain’s many aging car parks are properly serviced and maintained and one of its key lobbying objectives for 2012 is a desire to see a greater emphasis on the need to ensure that parking structures are properly inspected and maintained.

Owners and operators should be encouraged to have a financial mechanism in place to fund routine structural assessments, life-care planning and essential maintenance.

Funds should be made available by owners and operators to provide for regular safety and structural inspections which will identify defects and prompt repairs to minimise the risk of structural failure.

Although insurance is readily available to cover normal everyday risks whilst a car

Transport

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

park is in use, it will not cover neglect and failure to comply with statutory obligations.

Insurance companies have the right to withdraw cover or raise premiums if they are being exposed to unnecessary risks.

Having a life-care plan in place is considered to be an acceptable way of limiting the exposure to risk and subsequent claims.

LIFE-CARE PLAN Structural safety and the appreciation of the benefit of having a life-care plan is an integral part of the BPA’s Safer Parking Scheme and the guidelines for the scheme contains important information which the Award holder should be aware of.

In addition to ‘Safe and Sound - A guide to Life-care Plans for Park Mark award holders’, the BPA has also produced three Parking Practice Notes for members, to assist them in effectively maintaining their car parks. L

Further information

PPN 6 Life-care Plans for Parking Structures

PPN 17 Asset Management and Maintenance of Parking Structures

PPN30 Liability for Car Park Maintenance Readers of Government Business can obtain their free electronic copies of these publications by emailing dave.s@britishparking.co.uk and stating which title you require.

Car park refurbishment, systems and support VolkerLaser is an award winning specialist contractor providing multi-layered solutions for multi-storey car parks.

From isolated repairs to total refurbishment, the company’s team of directly-employed specialists offers a wide spectrum of services to improve, revitalise and protect car parks.

The VolkerLaser service includes waterproofing, concrete repairs, façade treatments, high performance flooring and basement works.

Alongside its established skills in car park refurbishment it also provides bespoke parking systems and support. As an exclusive supplier of some of the industry’s best parking products, it can deliver dependable, integrated systems that bring measurable benefits to any parking operations.

Among its services, VolkerLaser provides customer friendly pay on foot and pay and display systems, bay monitoring systems, variable messaging signage and a range of electronic and physical security solutions.

These include include Digital CCTV and Access Control systems together with automated barriers, gates, road blockers and pedestrian turnstiles.

VolkerLaser’s expert knowledge of legislative requirements, innovative technologies and proven systems ensures a comprehensive service from consultation, assessment and specification, through to completion of the finished project.

VolkerLaser is part of VolkerWessels UK – a financially strong multi-disciplinary contracting group with annual turnover of approximately £525 million, some 2,100 staff and a renowned construction and engineering skillset.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 223 London Road, Worcester, WR2 2JG Tel: 01905 361 700 Fax: 01905 352060 enquiries@volkerlaser.co.uk | www.volkerlaser.co.uk

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

Fast solution for on-thespot road defect repair The Nu-phalt repair process is cost effective, permanent, seamless, faster, safer and more sustainable.

A typical repair can be completed in 20 minutes; all equipment is contained in a single vehicle, enabling two operators to repair the defect quickly and efficiently.

Nu-Phalt’s unique thermal heaters deliver a firsttime pothole repair.

With over five years’ experience the company’s customers have proven the system’s suitability for highways, utilities, retail and the export industry. Road defects suitable for the Nu-phalt process are potholes, joint failures, utility tracks, metal work, cracks and crazing to footpaths.

Jetpatcher has recently been added to the Nu-Phalt Group offering a wider highways service, supporting both urban (Nu-Phalt) and rural (Jetpatcher) requirements.

The Complete Urban & Rural Solution for Road Repairs

Through Jetpatcher the company is able to offer over 25 years build experience with more than 596 units sold throughout the world. The process involves clearing the pothole / defect by compressed air, tack coating, filling the pothole with a mixture of aggregate and bitumen and finally covering the mix with a thin layer of pure aggregate.

Jetpatcher is a cost effective rural facility offering a fast, efficient and sustainable solution facility.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 08442 571570 enquiries@nuphalt.com www.nuphalt.com

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For further information contact your local Tennants depot:

Manchester: 0161 205 4454 Leeds: 01924 474 447 Midlands: 0121 557 9751

South: 01708 860 075 Scotland: 01698 717 900 Belfast: 02890 455 135

Or contact us on 08442 571570 or email enquiries@nuphalt.com enquiries@jetpatcheruk.com

36

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

www.greenoxadblue.co.uk

® AdBlue is a registered trademark of the Verband der Automobilindustrie eV (VDA) ® Greenox is a licensed trademark of Tennants Distribution in the UK and Ireland

INTERTRAFFIC AMSTERDAM

Traffic Innovations Smart and innovative thinking will be rewarded at the world’s largest trade fair for the infrastructure, ITS traffic management, safety and parking sectors. On March 2730, the winners of the 2012 Intertraffic Innovation Awards will be revealed Intertraffic Amsterdam 2012 will feature over 850 exhibitors from around the world, displaying products and solutions in 10 halls on an area of approximately 56,000 m² at the RAI Convention Centre. Visitors can gear up for the largest sector overview of innovations, network gatherings and learning opportunities.

The Intertraffic exhibition programme is segmented into five themes: Infrastructure, ITS traffic management, safety, parking, and smart mobility. The Innovation Awards share these themes.

INNOVATION AWARDS An international jury has meticulously studied the candidates and after detailed analysis and intense deliberation has shortlisted 14 final entries. Sectoral awards will be presented in five categories.

ITS TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SHORTLIST Peek Traffic Solutions, ImFlow (The Netherlands) ImFlow is a policy-based adaptive urban traffic control system that is easy to configure and builds directly on the policies of a city. Its real-time adaptive algorithm automatically translates the configured policies into optimal flow.

Andrews & Wykeham, High Security RFID Windscreen Label (UK) A windscreen label combining highsecurity e-beam holography with enhanced performance long-range UHF RFID. Trinité Automation, SCM (The Netherlands) SCM is a distributed approach for simple and understandable overview of hundreds of traffic-related network scenarios. By dividing an area into subnetworks and defining situations, through the use of SCM, different road authorities are able to manage a traffic network together.

PARKING SHORTLIST SCANACAR, SCANaCAR Scanscooter (The Netherlands) Enforcement of parking regulation on a scooter. Reliable scans of 600-1,200 cars an hour, regardless of how they are parked (left or right) of the Scanscooter. The solution is ideal for enforcement in inner cities and more spacious areas, as well as for immediate follow-up by parking attendant who remains visible and accessible to the public.

INFRASTRUCTURE SHORTLIST Langmatz GmbH, Bluemove light pole (Germany) This e-mobility charging point is installed directly onto a lighting system, the result being no brickwork or additional housing is required.

The system contains intelligence to connect to an outside charging Car Parking Technologies, ”The pole management system SmartGuide (New and is able to manage Zealand) c ffi Intertra the light on-off settings Wireless Parking Guidance e m ram g ro p n where needed. system that requires no io it ib h ex e v fi data cabling, in doing to in d te n is segme Trysil Maskin A/S, reducing installation cture, so Trafficprinter costs. Each bay is emes: infrastru th (Norway) agement, additionally monitored ITS traffic man Trafficprinter is a using infrared technology , and from g in rk a p truck-mounted printer beneath the vehicle , ty fe sa for thermoplastic paint. for greater accuracy than “ y it il b o m smart The automated system traditional overhead ultrasonic is able to print all kind of systems. Signs are also wireless symbols and signs onto the road. to reduce deployment costs.

W.D.M. Limited, TM2 (United Kingdom) The TM2 mini texture meter is an alternative to the traditional volumetric ‘patch’ test.

It measures in real-time the road profile transversely over a 100mm width to provide Sensor Measured Texture Depth (SMTD) and Mean Profile Depth (MPD) over 1m, 10m and 50m averages.

SAFETY SHORTLIST Olvia, ARENA Multitarget (Russia) ARENA MT simultaneously monitors up to four lanes of traffic in both directions and measures the speed of all vehicles in the control zone. Enforcement images of the violators and their numberplates are captured automatically.

Transport

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

Kapsch TrafficCom AG, IDS ACC – Automatic Camera (Austria) With ACC, Automatic Incident Detection (AID) specialists at Kapsch have introduced a new and easy way of calibrating on-highway cameras (tunnels, open road tolling, etc) for Kapsch’s Incident Detection System.

Neurosoft, NeuroCar RedLight (Poland) NeuroCar RedLight is a cost-effective and easily deployed computer-based system incorporating intelligent algorithms, image and video processing for automatic detection and identification of red-light running offences.

SMART MOBILITY SHORTLIST DTV Consultants, From5to4 (The Netherlands) From5to4 is the mobility ‘game’ that stimulates employees to commute one working day in a smart way. By travelling and working more smartly, employees secure points.

Trinité Automation, TrafficLink 2.0 (The Netherlands) This system allows different suppliers to work together and enables automatic tuning between different road authorities.

Innovative software combines different types of measuring systems and is able to control all kinds of roadside systems regardless of their supplier.

Intav, RevoLUXion (Italy) Rotating beacon with mechanical device moving a reflector around a bright source of three LEDs offers high-performance technology and is available at a much reduced price than Xenon-based beacons.

ABOUT INTERTRAFFIC Intertraffic is the world’s largest trade event for infrastructure, ITS traffic management, safety and parking, providing a comprehensive overview of the very latest products, services and total solutions offered by suppliers. It also showcases the latest trends and developments.

Intertraffic is intended for policymakers, specialists and operational personnel from government authorities, engineering consultancies, and the industry at large. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.intertraffic.com

Intertraffic is the world’s largest trade event for infrastructure, ITS traffic management, safety and parking.

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

37

A value driven approach to delivering integrated FM services

An integrated approach Norland acts as a single-source provider for essential building services to enable a facility and its occupants to function effectively. Operating across a single brand, Norland offers a wide range of disciplines encompassing all aspects of facilities outsourcing, delivered through an integrated management system and common information platform.

All work is controlled by a management team which is empowered and accountable for the success of the contract and the performance of the workforce. Norland’s proven and dependable processes streamline the different disciplines to provide clients with a unified approach to managing every aspect of buildings and their services, without the rigidness of a self-delivery model.

Norland is one of the leading companies on the Government Procurement Service FM framework agreement, which has been designed to provide the full range of hard FM services to the health sector.

Norland Managed Services Ltd City Bridge House 57 Southwark Street London SE1 1RU t: 020 7871 9100 f: 020 7871 9101 e: info@norlandmanagedservices.co.uk w: www.norlandmanagedservices.co.uk Local support offices throughout the UK and Ireland.

For further information please contact John Maidment at our London head office.

Exceptional Service, Exceptional People

MAINTEC SHOW PREVIEW

INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE AND ASSET MANAGEMENT SHOWCASE GEARS UP

Facilities Management

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

Now in its 37th year, easyFairs MAINTEC – the only UK show dedicated to the industrial maintenance and asset management sectors – returns to Birmingham’s NEC between February 28 and March 1, 2012 to showcase the very latest technologies in the sector More than 1,700 chief maintenance officers, engineering and plant managers – many from UK blue chips like Astra Zeneca, BAE Systems, NHS Trust, Royal Mail and Walkers Crisps – attended the 2011 show to get their hands on the latest kit and talk to the developers making advances in condition monitoring, asset management and hazard detection.

The 2012 show will once again play host to all the major players within the sector such as Fluke (UK), Idhammer Systems, and Panasonic UK, as well as smaller growing companies such as 2011 debutants Business Development Strategic Maintenance. easyFairs UK, managing director Matt Benyon, said: “Maintec is the perfect platform for both large and small companies to showcase their latest maintenance and engineering offerings to key decision makers within the industry, as well as visitors wanting to witness first hand the very best in maintenance technology”.

Exhibitors and visitors will get all the benefits of the easyFairs approach to trade shows, including convenient

HAZEX, in association with Hazardous Engineering Solutions. The new area is being introduced at the show for the first time to reflect the growing responsibilities of engineering professionals and the increased legislation governing the health and safety of industrial, commercial and government sites and facilities.

HAZEX will offer visitors the opportunity to discover the latest products, legislation, case studies and techniques applicable to engineers working within hazardous areas and handling hazardous materials.

SKILLS-BUILDING FEATURES AT MAINTEC MAINTEC 2012 will provide maintenance and health & safety professionals with a valuable opportunity to be challenged and brush up on their skills at this year’s show. From interactive hands-on challenges to personalised advice clinics, strategic workshops and insightful presentations, the event provides the visitors the chance to immerse themselves within

Maintec is the perfect platform for both large and small companies to showcase their latest maintenance and engineering offerings to key decision makers within the industry. and cost-effective all-inclusive stand packages and free learnShops™ that focus on practical knowledge sharing and cover the latest trends, issues and technological developments.

The show also has the support of key sector organisations, including the British Compressed Air Society, the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing, the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers, Institute of Asset Management, the Facilities Management Association, United Kingdom Thermography Association and The Institute of Engineering and Technology.

MAINTEC 2012 will also house a new specialist hazardous area event called

the industry and learn something new.

MAINTEC has once again teamed up with leading health and safety training provider RRC to provide state of the art training. RRC’s computerised Stop the Hazard Game will highlight the importance of health and safety and why it should not be overlooked by getting visitors to identify and prevent hazards in a working scenario.

Also at the show will be maintenance recruitment specialists, Probe Recruitment, who will be running the ‘Job Shop’ at this year’s MAINTEC. The show floor feature will include a personalised CV Clinic and Interview Clinic to help visitors improve the skills needed to take that

all important next step in their career.

Elsewhere, the latest maintenance ideas will be pitched to industry expert ‘Lions’ at a Dragons’ Den-inspired contest, in which suppliers will demonstrate their products and be judged by the panel and the audience, who will vote for the best product at the end.

Also making a return to MAINTEC will be the ‘Leak Detection Challenge’ which will be staged on the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) stand demonstrating a mix of detection solutions. BCAS experts will provide an on-the-spot estimate of what leakages are likely to be currently costing visitors. There will also be Compressed Air Advice Clinics for visitors with any compressed air queries.

The Grand Prix experience competition will also be taking place where visitors get the chance to test their driving ability in an F1 car and simulator with prizes each day for the fastest lap.

Furthermore, MAINTEC 2012 will include a programme of learnShops, free to attend for visitors. There will be around 30 learnShops seminars running over the three days, with speakers from major brands such as Siemens, Schaeffler and Britvic, all revealing their secrets to help those visiting succeed in 2012. Value driven maintenance experts, Mainnovation, will also be hosting a brand new free ‘maintenance business experience’ workshop on the second day of the event, which will enable visitors to learn how to take their maintenance strategy to the next level and improve business efficiency.

MAINTEC 2012 takes place from Tuesday, February 28 to Thursday, March 1, 2012 at the NEC, Birmingham.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.easyFairs.com/maintec MAINTEC 2012 LEARNSHOPS PROGRAMME MAINTEC 2012 will include a programme of learnShops which are free to attend for visitors. These independent seminars and case studies are selected to provide inspiration and practical guidance on maintenance and asset management. E

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

Helping you Maintain a Safe Environment for All At Circuit Electrical Testing, our business is all about making sure your electrical portable appliances and installations are safe – giving you the confidence to carry on with your own business. We also offer extended testing services covering emergency lighting, fire alarms and fire extinguishers, in line with the requirements of British Standards.

We operate nationwide, employing suitably qualified staff using the latest available technology, with a firm focus on flexibility, customer service and quality.

We provide the following services within Circuit Electrical Testing’s Nationwide network > > > > >

PAT Testing Fixed Wire Testing Emergency Light Testing Fire Alarm Maintenance Fire Extinguisher Maintenance

For a free, no obligation quote, call us now free on 0800 007 5422 or email: quoteme@circuitelectricaltesting.com

www.circuitelectricaltesting.com

AVOID THIS! ELIMINATE SLIPPERY FLOORS!

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SLIPSTOP (European) Ltd. P.O Box 7404, Coalville LE67 4ZS ENGLAND Tel.: 01530 813 500, Fax: 01530 813 400 Email: slipstop@slipstop.co.uk Website: http://www.slipstop.com

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

MAINTEC SHOW PREVIEW Day 1 February 28th

Day 2 February 29th

Day 3 March 3rd

LEARNSHOPS 1

LEARNSHOPS 1

LEARNSHOPS 1

10:45 – 11:15

10:45 – 11:15

11:40 – 12:10

11:40 – 12:10

10:45 – 11:15

Maximising plant efficiency not breakdown efficiency – Ian Pledger, Schaffler

11:40 – 12:10

Maintaining Safely – Simon Hatson, Britvic

12:35 – 13:05

Reduce your asset downtime by 10% with IBM Maximo – Keith Bostock, SRO Solutions

13:30 – 14:00

Wireless Systems in Hazardous Areas – A Maintenance Tool or For Serious Process Control?

David Stefanowicz, ECA Wireless Systems & Hazardous Areas

14:25 – 14:55

CompEx Training David Bromyard, John Hemy Systems Limited/CompEx Management Committee

15:20 – 15:50

ATEX - Legal Requirements and Maintenance Issues

LEARNSHOPS 2

11:05 – 11:35

Practical Applications in ATEX – Declan Barry, Explosion Hazards Ltd

12:00 – 12:30

Bridging the maintenance skills gap - three options – Lee Weatherly, Midland Group Training Services

12:55 – 13:25

Successful Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) – Simon Mills, AV Technology Ltd

13:50 – 14:20

Safety critical systems and asset protection – Ron Bell, Engineering Safety Consultants

14:45 – 15:15

The economic benefit of implementing a successful Condition Monitoring strategy

Maintaining Optimal Performance in Power Generating Plant – Robin Buller, KRR ProStream Health & Safety Update - Corporate Manslaughter to Coronation St – David Bibby BSc (Hons) PhD, RSA Engineering

12:35 – 13:05

How AE based Condition Monitoring can be easier and quicker than Vibration – Trevor J Holroyd, Kittiwake Holroyd Limited

13:30 – 14:00

The trials and tribulations of enterprise mobility – Iain MacLachlan, TotalMobile

14:25 – 14:55

Repair and maintenance of electrical machines, focusing on EX Environments – Matt Brown, Quartzelec Ltd

15:20 – 15:50

IECEx Scheme for Certification of Personal Competence.

LEARNSHOPS 2

11:05 – 11:35

Remote Visual Inspection – Paul Sacker, Crimson Industrial Vision

12:00 – 12:30

Demystifying the spectrum: How does the vibration spectrum indicate fault conditions – Dean Whittle, Reliability Maintenance Solutions Ltd

12:55 – 13:25

The Value of Customer Service to your Maintenance operations – Graeme Coyne, Siemens

Facilities Management

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

Health & Safety: Why we should walk the walk not just talk the talk.

– Ian Dormer, Rosh Engineering Ltd. On-line Partial Discharge Case Studies for Cables, Switchgear, Generators, Motors and Transformers – Dr Lee Renforth, High Voltage Partial Discharge Ltd

12:30 – 13:00

Firewater the biggest threat to Business Continuity – Brian Back, Environmental Innovations

13:20 – 14:20 Lions’s Lair to be confirmed

LEARNSHOPS 2

11:00 – 11:30

LifeView a new approach to Condition Monitoring of Rotating Electrical Machines – Dr. Bernhard Fruth, Quartzelec Ltd

11:50 – 12:20

The Benefits of Low Power Radio Technology in Hazardous Environments – Brian Back, Environmental Innovations

12:45 – 13:15

Introducing a Plant Condition Monitoring regime is as easy as ABC – Ian Pledger, Schaffler, Ian Taylor, Schaffler

13:30 – 14:00

Hand Arm Vibration - The dangers and how to prevent it...

For further seminar information visit www.easyFairs.com/maintec

13:40 – 14:20

Practical methods for saving and recovering energy – Grant Bailey, Thermal Energy International suppliers of the GEM Product

14:45 – 15:15

Customer Case Study - Why measure Overall Equipment Effectiveness?

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

A complete project management service to help you move premises, including:

Hydro Cleansing work closely with facilities and property management companies. Completing works ranging from flood remediation, stack pipe clearing, through to hydro vacuum excavation, we have consistently delivered a vital support function to industry leaders avoiding significant costs, and consequential impacts to the hosted businesses.

• Finding new premises • Lease negotition • Arranging fit-out contracts • Planning stakeholder communications • Coordinating the move etc.

We work with clients to identify key environmental risks to a building or estate and generate a platform of planned and responsive works.

The key for Hydro Cleansing, is to be able to respond, first time, with exactly what is required to deliver the desired outcome for clients.

Dependable care for your workplace & employees

Tel 01483 760 800 Fax 08707 62 32 52 Email info@workplacemoves.co.uk

HCL House, Beddington Farm Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 4XB

www.workplacemoves.co.uk

0800 740 8888

Hipley House, Hipley Street, Woking, Surrey, GU22 9LQ

www.hydro-cleansing.com

Workplace Moves is ‘a trading name’ of Facilities & Move Management Ltd

www.compair.com

Trust CompAir to deliver peace of mind.

Genuine parts, genuine service, genuine support.

CompAir's comprehensive aftermarket programmes ensure optimal performance of your compressed air system 365 days of the year.

• ASSURE™ extended warranties and technical support • Genuine, quality spare parts where and when you need them

• Rapid response from highly qualified local engineers CompAir – truly intelligent air technology

Telephone +44 (0) 1527 838404 Facsimile +44 (0) 1527 527229 sales@compair.com A Gardner Denver Company

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42

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

Gardner Denver Ltd, Claybrook Drive, Washford Industrial Estate, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 0DS

8/2/12 09:56:14

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

MACS EU management consultancy & solutions

First class support for building managers

MACS EU, an experienced consultancy organisation works closely with partners such as IBM, ClickSoftware and CiM within the European markets, focusing on facilities management, computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS), enterprise asset management (EAM),Integrated Workplace Management system(IWMS),IT service management (ITSM),IT asset management (ITAM) and software asset management (SAM).

MACS EU Limited, MACS BV Netherlands, MACS GmbH Germany and MACS BVBA Belgium are part of the MACS holding company. The MACS holding company, established in 1998, employs staff in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom.

MACS EU has the strength and ability to assist management in defining implementation objectives that are relevant to success of the business.

MACS will set and identify performance measurement parameters that support achievement of these objectives.

This is the ethos and cornerstone of PBL’s business model and success to date, offering full integrated packages of services which facilitate all aspects of running and maintaining your properties and estates.

In appreciating financial constraints alongside statutory and regulatory requirements PBL Facilities offers a tailored cost effective solution to help you maintain your building and stay compliant.

Even with a comprehensive maintenance schedule, breakdowns happen. Each one could have an effect on your businesses productivity or have health and safety implication to your workforce and the public.

PBL offers a rapid response service to ensure that any emergencies you may have are dealt with quickly and efficiently by the appropriate tradesmen.

PBL also caters for any planned works you may require.

These include minor internal fabric alterations and repairs, office reshuffles, replacement

In assembling engineering data, there is dedication to careful research and attention to detail.

All technical staff of MACS EU qualified as professional engineers or technicians and are experienced in process, manufacturing, enterprise asset management, facilities management and IT asset and service management.

MACS EU provides solutions to the following productsIBM TRIRIGA, IBM Maximo Asset Management, IBM Tivoli Asset Management for IT, IBM Tivoli Service Request Manager, scheduling software (ClickSoftware) for optimised scheduling, and Mobile Solutions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: +44 (0)20 8432 7432 harsha.rangappa@macs.eu www.macseu.co.uk

Generation launches BetaGuard Advance Guardrail System We provide best practice collective protection, but without the manual handling problems associated with current industry practice.

The BetaGuard® Advance Guardrail System simplifies tower erection by eliminating the need for both horizontal and diagonal braces, reducing the main components to a total of three.

Structural safety is also improved with the bracing integrated into the BetaGuard® frame, utilisation and asset management is achieved with ease, as individual single bracing members more susceptible to loss, damage and theft are replaced.

Other benefits of the BetaGuard® Advance Guardrail System include its ability to act as a bridging component to bridge towers, removing the need for bridging lattice beams. Tower erection

without trip hazards at base level and a walk in/through facility with high clearance is automatically achieved.

BetaGuard® Advance Guardrail has now been included in the company’s PASMA Training Courses as the preferred Advance Guardrail Method. Training now includes 3T (Through the Trap), and BetaGuard® on all of Generation’s PASMA Mobile Access Tower courses at our training centres nationwide.

Generation also offers training courses for IPAF MEWPS, CISRS Scaffolding Inspection and a range of health and safety courses specific to industry requirements.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 5875224 sales@generationuk.co.uk www.generation hireandsale.co.uk

furniture, system installations (such as air conditioning and heating systems) and electrical modifications or upgrades.

PBL has achieved full accreditation with such bodies as SafeContractors, ConstructionLine and Refcom Certification so you can be assured of its performance and qualifications.

Its team of specialist engineers, project managers and coordinators are all focused on working with you to provide the best quality and value you need.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01276 477499 m.king@pbl-facilities.co.uk www.pbl-facilities.co.uk

CompAir offers free advice at Maintec 2012 At Maintec 2012, visitors to the Gardner Denver CompAir stand (stand F1) are being offered a range of free-of-charge compressor equipment audits, designed to reduce cost of ownership and improve energy performance for operators.

Customers can benefit from a quick and simple air energy audit, designed to analyse compressed air usage. The information obtained can then be used to identify ways to improve the performance of an existing installation.

Estimates claim that the cost of just one, 3mm compressed air leak, at 7-bar pressure could be as high as £1,000 per year, so CompAir is also offering visitors the opportunity to benefit from a leak test audit.

All makes, all models Through its dedicated aftermarket division, the company offers national service capabilities throughout the UK and Ireland.

Experts will be on hand

throughout the show to advise on a range of compressor maintenance packages.

CompAir will be advising on its range of heat recovery options, which can recover and transfer the majority of the heat lost during compression, with excellent payback results.

The company will also be showcasing some of its most popular compressors, including a 7kW oil-lubricated rotary screw unit alongside models from the proven Hydrovane range of compact vane machines.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.compair.com

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

43

UK

Carlisle

upon Tyne

Newcastle

Saint Andrews Kirkcaldy

Perth

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England

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WE MEASURE ONE THIRD OF UK * NON-DOMESTIC ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION

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IMServ is a leading carbon and energy management solutions provider offering an all-inclusive portfolio that covers data collection, analysis, reporting, carbon management and energy control solutions using our advanced EDV web tool. IMServ offers flexible control solutions that guarantee you only use energy when and where you need to, ensuring that your energy consumption is as efficient as possible. Typically, where IMServ control solutions are installed, customers can benefit from energy cost savings of over 15%. * IMServ measure around 67,000 GWh of the UK’s Energy Consumption equivalent to one third of UK non-domestic electricity consumption, one fifth of UK electricity consumption and one fourteenth of UK energy consumption (natural gas and electricity only).

+44 (0)1908 696 000

www.imserv.com

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Energy

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

Narec to host Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult The location of a new £50 million centre that will accelerate the commercialisation of green technologies was announced by the Business Secretary Vince Cable.

The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult will be headquartered at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow with an operational centre at the National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in the North East of England.

The national centre will focus on technologies for offshore wind, wave and tidal power and is designed to bridge the gap between university research and full commercialisation. It will have a UK wide remit, and build strong links with centres of excellence such as Wave Hub and the marine energy park in the South West of England.

Speaking at the launch of the Catapult in Glasgow, Vince Cable said: “Our offshore renewable sector can compete on a global scale and has huge potential for growth. If we can harness that we will generate billions of pounds for the economy whilst creating thousands of job opportunities at the same time.

“The Catapult centre will be based in a Scottish world-class centre of excellence, part of a collaboration with a centre in the North East of England.”

Today’s announcement is part of the Government’s investment in a network of Catapult centres across a number of sectors. The

aM&T

2O12

£140 million High Value Manufacturing Catapult is now operating across seven locations around the UK. A £50 million Cell Therapy Catapult will be established in London and a Satellite Applications Catapult and Connected Digital Economy Catapult will be set up later this year.

The Catapult centre programme is managed by the Technology Strategy Board as part of a wider support package for innovation.

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board said: “Our reputation and expertise in offshore engineering, gained through many years of commercial North Sea oil activity, makes the UK an excellent base for innovation relevant to the emerging offshore renewable energy sector.

“The generation and supply of renewable energy is now a major component of global energy and economic policies. UK businesses have an opportunity to be a significant part in this global industry.”

The Secretary of State announced the decision to create an Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Liverpool in May 2011. It is expected to be open by summer this year.

The centre will be delivered by a consortium comprised of the Carbon Trust, Narec and Ocean Energy innovation (itself an industrially led group with strong links into the world class capabilities developed at universities such as Strathclyde and Edinburgh).

Professor Jim McDonald, Chairman of the Energy Technology Board and Principal of the University of Strathclyde, said: “I am delighted that this truly collaborative bid has been successful. By securing the UK Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the country will build on our already globally competitive reputation for advances in renewable technology and deployment.

“Our world-class research base offers distinct advantages and will accelerate industrial innovation. We will help to develop and drive the industry over the coming ten years and beyond.

“We aim to make the ORE Catapult the world’s pre-eminent centre of expertise for rapid development and commercialisation of highly innovative technologies that will substantially reduce the cost of offshore renewable energy.” www.narec.co.uk

automatic Monitoring & Targeting 10th Annual conference and exhibition Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Thursday 23 February 2012 All the information you need on: • Roll-out of Smart Meters • Achieving the benefits of Smart Meters with aM&T • Smarter Markets the future of metering Apply for your FREE* places at www.esta.org.uk/key *Conditions apply

aM&T the key to successful energy management Promoting EnErgy EfficiEncy

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Never mind the weather report

SunMaster XS

Mastervolt will manage that...

Obviously Mastervolt can’t influence the weather report – and there’s no need to. Since a Mastervolt SunMaster solar inverter performs from early in the morning till late at night. Transmitting all present sunlight into profitable power. Thanks to its own very low power consumption and perfect cooling. Another advantage: quick and easy installation. Since a Mastervolt SunMaster XS will ‘connect’ to almost every thin-film or crystalline solar power system on the market. For all our

t d visi n a e Co m uild, b o c E us at 9 N 3 41 d n a t s

‘smart’ details and flexible support, take a closer look at www.mastervoltsolar.com

ECOBUILD SHOW PREVIEW

Sustainable building showcase

Environmental Building

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

Back at London’s ExCeL on March 20-22, Ecobuild 2012 will feature a huge showcase of sustainable construction products - from building materials to micro-renewables, from rainwater harvesting systems to interiors Ecobuild 2012’s three-day, three-stream conference sponsored by the UK Green Building Council tackles macro themes such as achieving a sustainable future, making sustainable construction happen, design, architecture, and sustainability. Renowned commentators, including Sir John Beddington, Monty Don, Janet Street Porter, Greg Dyke, Tony Juniper and Angela Brady will cover topics as diverse as how social enterprise can help restore society, people and the planet, as well as collaborative consumption.

More applied is Ecobuild’s seminar programme which delivers practical advice from experienced practitioners through over 130 sessions, including energy and innovation in buildings, BIM, buildings in use, future energy and sustainability through design.

NATURAL, TRADITIONAL, SUSTAINABLE Visitors looking to get their hands dirty can do so at a dozen or more live attractions.

This is literally the case at Ecobuild’s ‘Natural, traditional…sustainable’ which demonstrates a wealth of natural, traditional and sustainable materials and techniques including straw bale construction, lime rendering, rammed earth, clay plasters and carpentry.

Elsewhere on the exhibition floor Renewable Heat Focus, sponsored by Vaillant, gives daily talks and one-to-one advice on how best to benefit from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) plus a showcase and working models of the latest environmental technologies on the market.

Interactive demonstrations of renewable energy products will provide visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of renewable systems, such as solar thermal, ground and air source heat pumps and biomass. Plus there will be the opportunity to view example installations of these systems on the RHI, providing exact calculations and benefits of being on the scheme, which will be officially announced in early 2012.

The demonstrations will be accompanied by talks on how to benefit from the RHI, delivered by key industry groups, such as the Micropower Council, the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council (HHIC) and the British Electrotechnical and Allied

Manufacturers Association (BEAMA).

Making the existing stock energy efficient is one of the most important challenges on the journey to a low carbon built environment. Its importance is underlined by government initiatives such as the Green Deal and, more recently, adjustments to the Feed-in Tariff which strengthen the link between installation of micro-renewable technologies and energy efficient buildings.

Renew, sponsored by Knauf Insulation,

PHOTOVOLTAIC Installation of solar PV offers attractive rates of return via the UK Feed-in Tariff, but adjustments to the government’s incentive scheme mean that it’s even more important to understand the options and implications of installing solar PV systems.

Through a series of talks and presentations, plus one-to-one advice, Solar hub, sponsored

by Solarcentury, will give practical guidance on how to specify the most appropriate

Renowned commentators, including Sir John Beddington, Monty Don, Janet Street Porter, Greg Dyke, Tony Juniper and Angela Brady will cover topics as diverse as how social enterprise can help restore society, people and the planet, as well as collaborative consumption. provides practical advice on achieving one of the most important aspects of an energy efficient building – a highly insulated, air-tight building envelope.

Daily live demonstrations will cover: making hard to treat buildings more energy efficient; solid wall insulation; internal wall insulation; insulating lofts and floors; party wall insulation; and cavity wall upgrades.

system for the best results, maximise the return on investment, reduce carbon emissions and mitigate rising energy costs.

Solar hub will also showcase a range of solar innovative systems from on-roof, to semi-integrated, to fully roof-integrated products, and feature the latest technologies from leading modules manufacturers. It will also include product demonstrations E

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EXTERNAL INSULATION IRELAND

External Insulation Ireland (EII)

00353 1281 1251

Expands to the UK market . . .

With over 20years retrofit experience, with PAREX USA External Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS) in Ireland, Germany and the USA, we are offering our expertise when we open our new retrofit distribution centre and show rooms in the UK. The Parex Group are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of EIFS with over 53 manufacturing facilities in 19 countries With distribution centres in Ireland for the last 15 years we plan to open our first centre in the UK in May 2012 providing a professional regional installation service for homeowners, local authority, housing associations and architects.

EII offer a variety of services including: ● Fixed Price Contract ● Air Pressure Testing ● Ten Year Warranty ● BER Certificate ● Before/after Thermal imaging ● Owners maintenance & repair manual

Installers Training Courses We know, to achieve acceptable standards, applicators need professional training with a team who are qualified in all aspects of our system.

Our courses are regularly monitored and the latest advancements in regulations and product specification are updated consistently. Regular training courses are offered up to City & Guilds/FETAC Level 5 standard.

Pictured: Dwelling, Stradbally, Co.Laois

Parex USA EIFS is BBA certified, EII being the first company to achieve NASI retrofit certification (09/0332, Apr/2009).

In 2010 EII were responsible for 25% of houses completed under the home energy saving scheme.

With a growth rate of over 100% for 2011, EII maintained its market share while competing with over 20 alternative systems.

We completed retrofit works for various organisations including Energy Action Ireland, Dunlaire Rathdown Council, Meath Council and Dublin City Council, along with the SEAI (warmer home scheme) We provide a professional service to our clients including an energy consultation, full survey, together with a complete retrofit package.

We are able to provide the most up to date products and latest developments for our clients in the expanding EIFS market in the UK, and also with our …… .growing connections in relation to our Gulf ……… …Region projects based in Qatar

Main Benefits ● Competitive price ● Proven quality products with PAREX USA ● Expert Sales Advice on all aspects of Retrofit works ● Confidence of a competent and professional supplier ● In-house CAD design team for custom project specific decorative mouldings ● Experienced Technical and Architectural team with expert advice on all aspects of Retrofit works

Pictured: Dwelling, Sutton, Dublin

Pictured: Dwelling, Mount Merrion Dublin

External Insula on Ireland, 6 Renmore Business park, Kilcoole Ind. Park, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Tel: 00353 1281 1281

Fax: 00353 1281 1237 email: info@externalinsula on.ie

www.externalinsula on.ie

ECOBUILD SHOW PREVIEW E for large agricultural or industrial buildings, and systems for flat roofs. Visitors will also be able to take in a range of solar innovative systems, from on-roof, to semi-integrated, to fully roof-integrated products, as well as the latest technologies from leading modules manufacturers.

FABRIC MANAGEMENT Fabric first, sponsored by Saint Gobain, will help visitors understand how building fabric improvements can interface with each other to achieve theoretical performance levels on site, not just meeting existing Building Regulations but future-proofing against the more stringent Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard (FEES) set out in the 2016 zero carbon homes policy.

Using existing construction materials, Fabric first will feature six typical new build residential external fabric solutions and through a series of live demonstrations, will demonstrate how best practice installation and simple changes to building techniques can result in significant improvements in energy performance, including overcoming cold bridging challenges.

Another attraction of the show is ‘Practical installer’, sponsored by Plumb Centre, which is designed to help installers take advantage of the growing demand for micro-renewable technologies through a series of daily live demonstrations covering everything from how to install solar thermal and PV systems, filling and flushing a solar system, understanding rainwater harvesting systems and – new for 2012 – retrofitting heat pumps.

GREEN AND CLEAN On Tuesday March 20, there will be an eye-opening session entitled ‘Green and clean: the great future energy debate’.

Formulating a 21st century energy strategy is at the heart of the enormous challenge of dealing with CO2 emissions and global warming. The Fukishima disaster caused a fresh debate about nuclear, to such a degree in Germany that it will phase out all 17 of its reactors in 12 years, with a goal of getting 35 per cent of its power from renewables by 2020. France meanwhile generates 80 per cent of its power from nuclear. In the UK, the government could be regarded as ambivalent about nuclear, and half hearted about renewables. As is true of the rest of the world, the race to reduce reliance on burning fossil fuels is on. How can the UK combine future energy security with sustainability, and at a cost the country is prepared to afford?

Jonathon Porritt, co-founder of Forum for the Future, will host the session with speakers including Jeremy Leggett, founder and chairman of SolarAid; Steven Cowley, chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority; and Ian Fells, emeritus professor at Newcastle University.

THE REAL DEAL? Also on March 20, there will be a conference entitled ‘Green expectations: is the Green Deal the real deal?’. The much anticipated Green Deal is crucial to the government’s policy on energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. It will allow homeowners and building owners to take out loans to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, including for insulation, heating and lighting. The loans are to be attached to the property and will be paid back over a fixed period through the savings made on energy bills. However, with a CBI survey showing that three-quarters of the public do not even consider the energy efficiency of a property when buying or renting a home, the government needs to persuade consumers to buy into the concept, and thus ensure there is a market for the businesses that will deliver the scheme.

The property sector awaits the detail of the financial package. Will the Green Deal be the ‘real deal’, and will it prove to be the key which unlocks the refurbishment of the nation’s ageing building stock?

Speakers include Paul King, chief executive of the UK-Green Building Council, and Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

In the afternoon of the March 20, there will be a conference on ‘Creating an energy efficient property sector’. Improving the energy efficiency of our existing property is vital if the UK is to meet its carbon budget targets by 2020. Responsibility falls to the government to find incentives and to mandate the refurbishment of the worst performing buildings – domestic and non domestic – in both the public and private sectors. But the government reversed plans to make DECs mandatory in commercial buildings in the Energy Bill, (despite being backed by the CBI and BPF as an important step towards focusing on improving energy performance). So where is government policy on non-domestic buildings now?

And is it all about the government? Can the property sector itself take a lead?

Speakers include Francis Salway from the British Property Federation and Michael Newey of Broadland Housing Group.

PACKED CITIES A conference entitled ‘The City After Now’ will look at the world as we know it and the problems it will pose for our cities. The world has just acknowledged the birth of its seven billionth citizen. It’s a fifty-fifty chance that this new resident of the planet lives in a city. And, if so, it’s also fifty-fifty that he or she will live in a slum. The world is urbanising at a rate of close to a million people every week and the pace is increasing exponentially: ours is truly an urban planet.

Unfortunately, our ability to create humane and sustainable cities lags far behind the

uncontrolled and dysfunctional growth we confront. The characteristic forms of 21st century urbanism – slums, mega-cities, and sprawl – are not the answers but exacerbations of our problems. We cannot simply continue to pour population into these soul-destroying and environmentally catastrophic vessels. There is another way - designs and ideas that speculate about forms and strategies for creating cities that push the envelope of possibility, not by proposing extravagant or science-fiction alternatives but by consolidating and reimagining what we already know but are too cautious or constrained to apply.

Jay Merrick, architecture critic at the Independent will host the session and speakers will include Michael Sorkin, president of the Institute for Urban Design and a distinguished professor of architecture.

The Olympic Games in 2012 will also be covered in a conference theme. Sustainability has been a key word throughout the design and construction of the Olympic site and building. From the methodology of the on site remediation through to the long term legacy of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Olympic Development Authority has been determined to deliver a Games that sets new standards for sustainable design. But how well have they achieved their targets and what lessons can the rest of the industry learn?

John Armitt, chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, amongst others, will cover these key questions.

Environmental Building

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

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION On March 21, there will be a session on ‘Green construction: turning the strategy into reality’. The Low Carbon Construction Innovation and Growth Team’s final report identified the key challenges for a low carbon construction industry, and outlined the biggest change in construction since Victorian times. That report formed the basis of the Low Carbon Construction Action Plan, and its goals which, together with the work undertaken under the Strategy for Sustainable Construction, will now be delivered by the newly formed Green Construction Board (GCB), chaired

by Mark Prisk, the Construction Minister and Dan Labbad, chief executive, Lend Lease. How will the GCB set about its task, what are its key objectives and timescales, and what can be realistically achieved in the current economic environment?

Speakers include Dan Labbad, cochair of the Green Construction Board and chairman of the UK Green Building Council; and Rt Hon Mark Prisk MP, Construction Minister at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. L FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information please visit www.ecobuild.co.uk

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Geddes Windows and Doors Ltd are delighted to be exhibiting at Ecobuild 2012 We offer a warm invitation to visit us at the Wood Window Alliance Stand to discuss the new additions to our product portfolio bringing a greater choice of product options to the market complimenting any new build or refurbishment project. Our commitment to the environment is evident in the use of recyclable materials to manufacture all our products contributing to high energy efficiency ratings and achieving a life cycle of up to 60 years.

Geddes Windows and Doors - a perfect product solution.

Sinclair Lane, Halkirk, Caithness, KW12 6YF

T: 01847 831766 F: 01847 831790 E: admin@geddeswindowsanddoors.com

Features & Benefits

• Quicker & easier to install • Ideal for low pitches • Self – bonding • Lightweight • Recycled & recyclable (plastic) • Class “A’’ fire rated (BS476..Part 3) • No breakages • 50 year non-prorated warranty • No maintenance (no moss or mildew) • No waste • The slate is flexible & can be used for ridges, valleys & caps • Adds better insulation to a roof than traditional slate • Un-breakable, cannot be vandalised, Class 4 impact rating • Cuts with a knife or snips • Easy to install with velux windows or solar panels • The slate is designed to withstand winds of 110mph

Eco Decking Systems Ltd East Sussex Branch Highgates, Cambridge Mews, Rylstone Road, Eastbourne BN22 7HN Tel: 01323 648269/ 648277 Fax: 01323 439485 Lancashire Branch: 10 Fenton Street, Lancaster LA1 TE Tel: 01524 586777 Fax: 01524 32186 info@ecodeckingsystems.com sales@ecodeckingsystems.com

www.ecodeckingsystems.com www.roofshop.co.uk

Bringing Solar to you Manchester Airport’s Car Park Before

Manchester Airport’s Car Park After

The future of lighting is here.

MHA Lighting will help slash your energy bills and CO2 emissions by up to 80% - while improving the quality of your light.

MHA’s award-winning LED lighting uses two-thirds of the energy of other LED competitors. With electricity prices continuing to soar energy efficiency is more important than ever. MHA Lighting have an extensive range of LED solutions for most internal and external applications. Our expert design team can also offer a bespoke or retrofit LED solution to meet your individual requirements.

T: 01942 887 400 E: sales@mhalighting.com W: www.mhalighting.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

Supplier of photovoltaic equipment and solar thermal heating systems. At Wagner Solar, we apply a one-stop shop philosophy, where our dedicated team provides you with a full system design to build a complete solar system. Supplying modules from SANYO, ET Solar, Bosch and more and inverters from SMA, Power One and Fronius. We also have our own bespoke mounting kits, manufactured in Germany.

Contact us today for more information:

Wagner Solar UK Ltd | 01243 649 035 info@wagner-solaruk.com www.wagner-solar.com

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

Windows and doors for all building types UK-based Geddes Windows & Doors is proud to be exhibiting at Ecobuild 2012.

The company manufactures and supplies within an average five week lead time and its high quality products will compliment new build and renovation projects, whether they are installed in traditional or modern contemporary designed buildings.

Its products are normally delivered within 48 hours of dispatch from its factory to anywhere in the UK and are tested and monitored in-situ to withstand the severe and variable weather systems of the Highlands and Islands.

Its range comprises products manufactured from timber, aluminium and aluminium/timber composite materials in reversible, top/side hung casement and tilt/ turn window configurations along with single, double, solid core and fire rated door configurations.

It is also able to manufacture and supply aluminium or aluminium/timber curtain walling.

The company’s timber is procured from sustainable sources with environmentally friendly timber treatments available and a complete range of water based coatings. An extensive range of paint and stain finishes is also available for timber products and RAL colours and dual colour finishes are an option for all products.

Geddes Windows’ glass units are highly insulated and complimented by warm edge spacer bar technology contributing to low overall product u-values.

Geddes Windows and Doors – a perfect product solution!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ww.geddeswindows anddoors.com

Accurate measurement of PDFs or scans made easy with QuickScale software Software business AnyScale Ltd has developed and now distributes QuickScale software that enables users to easily and quickly take off measurements from pdfs.

QuickScale will take measurements off any drawing, scanned document, photograph or map saved as a pdf. It will also print the pdf to scale – either the full document or a specific section on which a user is working.

QuickScale works by plotting the scale of the drawing and one known site measurement.

If you do not have any scale, you either need two known site measurements, or you can plot the same one twice. If you have standard items like door frames, you will know these are 900mm so use these as your reference measurement(s).

QuickScale is ideal for anyone who wants to take

off measurements or areas without printing the drawing and without going to site.

You do not need extensive PC knowledge, CAD or large printers.

The software is very simple to use, with a user-friendly interface that helps you to become more productive.

FOR MORE INFORMATION There is a free download on www.anyscale.co.uk or for more information please email leanne@anyscale.co

Performance roof slates provide eco alternative

Systems has introduced a new, 100 per cent recycled plastic, flexible roofing slate to the UK market which it says is set to revolutionise the entire roofing industry.

It is a state-of-the-art formulation which provides a strong, pliable and attractive roofing option for users’ home or building application.

The Eco Slate has the unique flexibility to be used for all valleys and ridges. There is never a need for custom-made accessories because every slate can be cut and set to any angle or size.

The Eco Slates are very simple and quick to fit; once fitted they will bond together by themselves – no adhesive needs to be added.

This gives users a pliable, solid membrane that leaves them with a more efficient insulated roof.

Eco Slates are also suitable for low-pitch roofs. Users will never have to replace them, and no moss or mildew will grow on them. These qualities mean these 100 per cent eco roofs will look brand new for years while having the appearance of a slate finish.

Users will reap long term benefits such as savings on their heating bills and never having to lay money out to replace damaged slates, which is a regular occurrence with traditional slate materials.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.ecodeckingsystems.com

Creative carpet design: DESSO has it all covered Desso is a leading European manufacturer of high quality commercial carpet tiles and broadloom.

Using the latest manufacturing methods, Desso’s comprehensive range offers a wide spectrum of colours, textures and designs to suit all applications and budgets.

Desso’s innovation strategy is concentrated in three key areas: Creativity, Functionality and Cradle to Cradle®. For Desso, creativity is synonymous with Carpetecture®, a powerful example of the company’s commitment to creative carpet design.

In the field of functionality, Desso develops pioneering solutions that make a difference to health, wellness and wellbeing.

Innovations include DESSO AirMaster®, for eight times lower fine dust concentration in the air (versus hard floors) and DESSO EcoBase®, which enabled the world’s first and only Cradle

to Cradle® silver certification for an entire carpet tile product.

Innovation is the theme for Desso’s stand (S850) at this year’s EcoBuild, where it will showcase its transition to the circular economy and latest new products and developments. To celebrate the greatest innovations of this century, Desso is also asking visitors to come along to the stand to vote on which one of five innovations they believe to be the best of them all. Voters who select the top choice will then all be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad2.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.desso.com

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

External insulation system Choosing the best fitted to Dublin building photovoltaic hardware After a rigorous tender and audit process on both product and system, external Insulation Ireland (EII) was awarded, and successfully completed, the contract to externally insulate 48 apartments in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland. a second polymer modified The project was to externally basecoat primer and finally insulate four blocks of apartments, the acclaimed coloured acrylic each constructed of cavity wall render finish. This achieved a construction with 70mm cavity wall u-value of 0.19 w/m²k. insulation built in the 70s. The Together with the expertise apartments were originally built and experience of the applicators to afford each with a balcony and the user friendly PAREX USA sea view resulting in a very system, EII was able to complete complicated layout. The works the project in 12 weeks. required a very sophisticated The external wall insulation scaffolding layout, including system has been fully tested and working platforms to the certified and its unique salt sea parapets and chimneys spray resistance certification, The project involved the colour fastness and durability application of the NSAI-certified will give the apartment owners PAREX USA external wall peace of mind over the next insulation system. Installers few decades, says EII. applied 100mm graphiteenhanced EPS insulation to the FOR MORE INFORMATION existing walls both mechanically Tel: 00353 12811281 and adhesively with a polymer Fax: 00353 12811237 modified basecoat, an embedded info@externalinsulation.ie 7962(AW)FacilitiesManagerAd:Clinton Smith 020 7267 7727 fibre alkali resistant mesh, www.externalinsulation.ie

A photovoltaic system should be designed to provide the highest possible yields under realistic conditions. The inverter plays a major role in achieving this: it has to adapt quickly to changing weather conditions and to maintain high efficiency even on hot summer days.

Dutch manufacturer Mastervolt designs its inverters to meet these practical requirements.

Focussing on long-term productperformance in this way has allowed the company to win over users that are more conservative in their choice of equipment, such as the Mole Valley Farmers Cooperative which has more than 30,000 members.

When the cooperative decided to add photovoltaic systems to its range of products, its managers were not only looking for value for money.

Above all, they wanted to make sure that the cooperative’s members would be offered a well-thought-out package and receive products that would 20/10/11 11:54 Page 1 generate high yields reliably

over a long period of time.

Numerous concepts and components were assessed and tested in order to assemble a suitable system.

Selection of the inverter provider led the cooperative to Mastervolt.

The transformerless CS inverters were chosen due to their high yields and durability. Their low own-consumption of just 5-10 W is an added bonus: the devices start early in the morning and remain active until late evening.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit Mastervolt at Ecobuild, on stand N3419 www.mastervoltsolar.com

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

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Affordable high quality solar energy for everyone

Healthy heat with reduced running costs

Wagner Solar UK Ltd is a Chichester-based supplier of photovoltaic equipment and solar thermal systems.

It supplies solar installers across the country, through its one-stop-shop philosophy, where dedicated staff members provide customers with a full system design incorporating all the necessary components to build a complete solar system.

Wagner Solar is part of Wagner & Co. – a German company that has been active in the field of solar technology for over 30 years.

Wagner Solar enjoys privileged access to a range of manufacturers to supply technology covering all types of applications. If you’re working on a home installation for a customer with a low capital outlay but require a good level electricity generation, the company has the right solution for you.

Likewise, if you want to maximise your client’s roof space and generate as much electricity as possible, call Wagner Solar

today and one of its knowledgeable team members will be happy to help.

For water heating, the firm has its very own solar thermal system which is designed, developed and manufactured in Germany.

In addition to its supply operation, the company is deeply involved in ongoing training for accredited solar installers.

As more players enter the market, it is important for them to keep abreast of product developments and installation best practice, so Wagner Solar recently opened the Wagner Academy – a solar training school to support accredited installers around the country with ongoing product and installation training.

The Academy is run as a notfor-profit venture and is part of the company’s intention to share knowledge of the newest products and systems available.

Discrete Heat has launched the new ‘Healthy Heat’ version of its successful ThermaSkirt product.

Aimed at hygienically-sensitive areas, such as hospitals, care homes and even schools and colleges, the ThermaSkirt replaces the radiators and skirting board trim in one. As a result, the system provides an even, comfortable heat all around the room or area, but is simply mopped bacteriafree when the floors are cleaned.

This ensures that communicable diseases such as C.Diff and MRSA never get the chance to settle and breed as they have been found to do in conventional radiators.

Protective covers on radiators have been found to prevent thorough and regular cleaning and also provide a potentially dangerous obstruction in the event of a fall or trip – regardless of whether the person falling is frail, elderly, or a young, boisterous child.

By radiantly heating the

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01243 649035 info@wagner-solaruk.com www.wagner-solar.com

Bright future for germbusting sealed lighting

Delivering turnkey solar systems and components Over the last 25 years, TRITEC Energy has established its position as a leading supplier of solar components.

The company has also built a solid reputation in the planning and completion of turn-key systems. In fact, some of the world’s biggest solar installations use TRITEC products.

Since its foundation, TRITEC has been committed to the design and development of an exclusive range of quality products. TRITEC provides complete photovoltaic systems, as well as all components of a photovoltaic system, all of which are designed to work harmoniously with each other.

TRITEC believes that by bringing together the core elements of a grid-connected system – including the solar modules, inverters and a mounting system – customers benefit from optimal system efficiency.

As a solar component

manufacturer, TRITEC is active in the design and development of measuring and mounting system technologies. The company’s own products include: PV control and measuring instruments like TRI-KA and the mounting systems TRISTAND, TRI-STAND, Aero, TRI-VENT and the roof integrated system, TRI-ROOF. TRITEC, which is headquartered in Switzerland, has branches in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Great Britain, and conducts business worldwide.

The company views clean energy as intrinsically tied to sustainability, which is also reflected in the company’s motto: energy for a better world.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.tritec-energy.com

Award-winning LED specialist MHA Lighting is helping NHS Trusts fight hospital acquired infection rates with revolutionary new sealed lighting units.

The company’s patented LED technology has been designed as a fully sealed unit to stop dust, bacteria and dead insects from gathering around warm light fittings.

The LED’s 60,000 hour life span (seven years) also eradicates the needs for routine maintenance and bulb replacement which again stops harmful bacteria from being distributed into the atmosphere.

MHA Lighting managing director Tom Harrison said: “Not only is the NHS saving money on operational costs for routine light maintenance, but our LEDs burn 20 per cent of the energy of traditional fluorescents. At a time when the government has set the NHS tough targets to reduce CO2 emissions, more energy efficient lighting is paramount in saving money and reducing a trust’s carbon footprint. This money can be directly ploughed back into frontline patient services”.

room at low level and from all directions, it is also possible to significantly reduce the flow temperature of the water, which has proven to improve energy efficiency by as much as 20 per cent.

ThermaSkirt has been featured on the BBC’s ‘Dragons Den’ and has over 9,000 systems installed in homes and apartments all over the world.

Visitors to Ecobuild can see the company on stand S3115.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel +44 (0)1942 880066 info@discreteheat.co.uk www.discreteheat.co.uk

The Manchester-based lighting specialist has completed numerous lighting refurbishments for the NHS. It recently completed an installation in North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple (part of NDHT, the North Devon Healthcare Trust).

Every year, the trust was consuming large amounts of electricity on lighting using up 127910 KW/H per annum and emitting 70 tonnes of CO2 in the specified areas.

The new lighting installation has reduced the hospital’s overall carbon emissions by 354 tonnes and saved 94, 866 KW/H. And with the integration of dimmers, energy savings have exceeded 75 per cent.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.mhalighting.co.uk

Volume 19.1 | 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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x 450mm h

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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

SECURITY SYSTEMS

Security with added benefits

Facilities Management

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

As budget cuts take affect and public sector organisations aim to reduce spending, Amanda Beesley from the British Security Industry Association, explains how modern security technology can help cut utility costs, as well as improve safety With many public sector buildings operating well into the evening, hosting out-of-hours clubs, societies and meetings as well as 24hour services, premises are often left open and vulnerable for long periods of time, with many after-hours visitors coming from the wider town or county community. The absence of reception staff at these times often means that unwanted or unauthorised visitors are able to come and go as they please, placing both buildings and valuable equipment at risk.

In addition to this, the use of such buildings for longer periods of time can lead to rocketing utility bills, something that most institutions will want to minimise in these periods of economic uncertainty and reduced budgets.

At the same time, being able to demonstrate environmental credentials is an important

priority for any public sector organisation wishing to demonstrate corporate social responsibility to its constituents.

Recent developments in technology within the security industry can help deal with all of these concerns with a single solution. In fact, many public sector organisations often fail to realise the crucial role that their security provider can play, not only in reducing the risk from theft and vandalism, but also in helping to drive energy costs down while addressing environmental concerns.

BUILDING ENERGY MANAGEMENT Access control has long held a valued place within the public sector, helping to monitor the flow of authorised personnel around the premises while playing a vital role in health and safety and visitor registration. Now, access control and visitor monitoring systems can also be utilised as part of intelligent solutions that work alongside Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) to help public sector organisations save money on their energy and heating bills. E

Recent developments in technology within the security industry can help deal with all of these concerns with a single solution.

Volume 19.1 | 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 19.1

SECURITY SYSTEMS E A BEMS can typically control up to 80 per cent of a building’s energy usage, so it’s clear to see how using access control to optimise the system to suit the variable usage and occupation of a building can streamline energy usage.

In such systems, data gathered by access control and visitor monitoring systems is used to inform the BEMS of the nature and function of the people occupying a heating zone. Knowing what roles are being fulfilled by individuals operating within a heating zone also allows the BEMS to make adjustments and lower the amount of fuel consumed. This information is applied by the BEMS to heat-loss algorithms to determine the minimum amount of heat to be applied to a particular area, reducing the amount of energy consumed and avoiding unnecessary wastage. For example, a small group of employees performing largely sedentary activities will require more heating than a large group of manual workers conducting more physical activity in a relatively small area.

PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOUR Identifying patterns in visitor behaviour can stop the unnecessary heating of unoccupied zones, saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

This works intelligently, using past data to assess when a certain area of the building is likely to be occupied, activating heating in time for visitors’ arrival and reducing temperature or turning off the heating entirely during periods of inactivity. This can be particularly useful for public buildings, where operations and activities adhere to a regular schedule which is easily ‘learned’ by the BEMS to assess the timing and level of heating required to adjust the systems accordingly.

In addition to integration with BEMS, access control systems can also be integrated with other essential security measures including intrusion detection, video surveillance and CCTV analytics. Traditionally, these systems are set up separately with their own hardware, software, installation, oversight, service, maintenance, administration and training.

However, with budgets in the public sector tighter than ever, an integrated system will enable organisations to save money and ease the burden of administration through reduced supplier liaison.

CASE STUDY A real-life example of successful integration of security systems in the public sector occurred when a BSIA member was chosen to deliver an integrated security solution to West Lothian Civic Centre, a £53 million complex for all public service provision in and around Livingston, Scotland.

The civic centre is home to the police, council, Crown Office, Fire and Rescue Service, Community Health and Care Partnership, Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Courts as well as the Scottish

Children’s Reporter Administration Service.

Consequently, a system combining high security with ease of access was required.

The civic centre selected the BSIA member to develop a solution that met the diverse needs of the 1,000 employees who would be working together under one roof. Employees and visitors needed the freedom to move around the complex easily and safely in close proximity to secure areas designed for court and police custodies. As a result, the BSIA member provided a remote access control system consisting of 240 doors, barriers and entry points and 170 CCTV cameras, which monitor all buildings, car parks and perimeters.

A video intercom and intruder alarm system was installed along with a fire alarm system with 1,000 smoke alarms across the complex.

INTEGRATED SYSTEMS In a separate example, a BSIA member worked with the UK government communications headquarters during its relocation to new premises. The new site had been under development for a number of years under the government’s Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and would involve a large-scale integrated electronic security project on a site greater than that of the former Wembley stadium.

The security solution is a fully featured, cost effective access control and security management system, providing the required network capabilities for an installation of this size. The system is a scaleable enterprise system, capable of coping with unlimited cardholders and configurations.

The system includes instantaneous CCTV coverage; door alarms and ‘event to action’ alarms which utilise on-screen mapping; and centrally controlled software providing a user-friendly interface making lost, stolen or unauthorised cards immediately identifiable. By integrating a number of

Facilities Management

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

security functions in this way, public sector organisations are able to streamline their operations and save money by reducing the number of suppliers that they deal with.

THE BENEFIT OF CONSULTANCY When considering an integrated security solution that brings together multiple systems and functionalities, expert impartial advice can be of great benefit. Using a security consultancy from the outset can help organisations avoid rogue suppliers, saving both time and money. Working independently, security consultancies act as a guide to the many products and services on the market and provide unbiased recommendations based on an assessment of the individual requirements of their clients. Acting as an extension to your workforce, security consultants bring expertise and experience to assist businesses within the public sector. Their support is provided only when their services are needed, meaning that there’s no need for a long-term financial commitment. Conversely, while it may appear cheaper initially, sourcing security without independent advice can cost significantly more in the long-term, a factor worth considering when planning any future investment.

With many public sector organisations experiencing variable occupation within their buildings and operating across larger and more diverse campus areas, using intelligent access control and visitor management systems to regulate energy consumption and streamline operations is the logical next step to cutting costs and reducing environmental impact. L FOR MORE INFORMATION To find out more about access control, visit www.bsia.co.uk/accesscontrol To locate your nearest BSIA member, visit www.bsia.co.uk/companyfinder

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Moscow 1980

Los Angeles 1984

Seoul 1988

Barcelona 1992

Atlanta 1996

trusted partnerships

winning performances Sydney 2000

Apollo Fire Detectors has specialised in the design and manufacture of high quality fire detection products since 1980. In that time, Apollo has protected athletes all around the globe.

Athens 2004

Over the past 30 years Apollo has developed trusted partnerships with over 70 Panel Manufacturers who supply panels incorporating Apollo’s open, digital protocol meaning the customer is free to choose different companies to service or maintain the system.

Beijing 2008

London 2012

All Apollo products are forwards and backwards compatible, giving customers the added peace of mind that they will be able to source fire detectors that are compatible with their existing devices.

To further endorse Apollo’s commitment to provide customers with a reliable, quality product, a Product Lifetime Guarantee is offered on all products.

To find out how you can ensure a winning performance with Apollo Fire Detectors:

When specifying a fire system, make Apollo your partner of choice – 100% reliable, 100% tested, 100% guaranteed.

Email: trust@apollo-fire.co.uk Phone: +44 (0)2392 492 412

Apollo Fire Detectors wishes everyone involved, a safe and successful olympics.

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Tried and trusted for over 30 years

FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS

THIRD PARTY REASSURANCE

Facilities Management

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

How do you ensure that fire protection systems in council premises are of the highest standard?

Using companies that are third party certificated is the first port of call, urges Graham Ellicott

THIRD PARTY APPROVAL The government acknowledges these and says in Approved Document B (the Fire Safety guidance document) of the Building Regulations of such schemes: ‘Building Control Bodies may accept the certification of products, components, materials or structures under such schemes as evidence of compliance with the relevant standard. Similarly,

Third-party quality assurance can offer great comfort to employers, both as a means of satisfying you that goods and services you have purchased are fit for purpose, and as a means of demonstrating that you have complied with the law.’

Under these schemes the competence of the companies and its operatives to supply, install, and maintain a particular type of fire protection system is assessed.

For new construction work at the end of the installation, the fire protection contractor supplies a ‘Certificate of Conformity’ to his client along with the specification and details of the work done. The FIA believes that any Certificate of Conformity that is not backed by a third party certification scheme should be treated with some caution.

CHECK THE PAPER WORK Since April 2007, this supply of information has been formalised in Building Regulation 38 (formerly 16B); the rationale being that the information can then be used by the Responsible Person as designated in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to operate and maintain the building in reasonable safety.

For routine maintenance work you, as the Responsible Person, should look carefully at the documentation supplied by the fire

Perhaps surprisingly, anybody can set themselves up as a supplier and installer of fire protection systems. All you have to do is get yourself a white van; access to the job; a credit card to purchase products and you’re in business.

Building Control Bodies may accept the certification of the installation or maintenance of products, components, materials or structures under such schemes as evidence of compliance with the relevant standard.’

What is more, within the government guidance documents for existing buildings, published in support of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it stipulates: ‘Third-party certification schemes for fire protection products and related services are an effective means of providing the fullest possible assurances, offering a level of quality, reliability and safety that non-certificated products may lack. This does not mean goods and services that are not third-party approved are less reliable, but there is no obvious way in which this can be demonstrated.

protection company to see if it references a Third Party Certification Scheme. If it doesn’t then you should ask why not.

As a building gets older, occupiers will make changes and these may mean that the fire safety measures are weakened. A new tenant may, for example, increase the fire load in a certain part of the building or put in new offices that require extra smoke detectors.

In theory all of these changes should be documented in the CDM (Construction, Design and Management) file. This provides a record of all matters to do with the health and safety of those concerned in the construction, management and use of a building.

The FIA doesn’t just believe in the highest standards for the installers and maintainers of fire safety systems. The Fire Safety Order

2005 requires that a ‘competent’ person carries out a fire risk assessment. Therefore the association believes that the Responsible Person should feel confident that anyone/ company they contract to carry out their fire risk assessment is competent to do so.

REGISTERS FOR FIRE RISK ASSESSORS Currently there are a number of registers that deal with fire risk assessors. However, they are for the individual risk assessor and, in my opinion, both the individual and the company needs to prove their competence.

In an effort to maintain the highest standards in this area of fire safety management, the FIA set up the Fire Risk Assessors (FRA) Register for companies (organisations) two years ago. Then, on 1 April 2011, the FIA FRA Council tightened the membership criteria for the FIA Fire Risk Assessors Register.

The association’s new FRA Register criteria states that all member companies must employ individuals who are competent and registered to, or in the process of joining, one of the existing registers mentioned above.

It was decided that the risk assessment companies on the association’s register must also be assessed on competency because they could put pressure on an individual risk assessor to carry out ‘poor’ work, for example; or the work may be complex and would need individuals with different fire backgrounds.

In the event of a failure, it’s the risk assessment company that would be held responsible; having signed a contract with the Responsible Person they’re working for.

In addition, a company would probably carry higher levels of Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) and a hospital for example, would want this higher amount. Typically an individual might carry up to £1m PII, whereas a company could have £10m.

Written by Graham Ellicott, CEO, Fire Industry Association

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has long chosen to set its sights on increasing the standard of fire protection installations in the UK so that they are raised to the highest possible level and become the automatic choice for clients and specifiers.

But what does it take to be a fire protection company? Well, perhaps surprisingly, anybody can set themselves up as a supplier and installer of fire protection systems. All you have to do is get yourself a white van; access to the job; a credit card to purchase products and you’re in business. The one other thing that you will need, of course, is a computer so that you can print your own certificates that infer your work is of the highest standard.

But how do you assure that the fire protection systems in council premises are of the highest standard? In the UK there is Third Party Certification for suppliers, installers and maintainers of fire protection systems.

LOW RISK PREMISES If your premises is considered a low fire risk, you will still need to carry out a fire risk assessment; the Responsible Person could either do it themselves using the Government’s Guidance Docs or they could contract a ‘registered’ individual fire risk assessor. If your premises isn’t considered a low risk, you’d be wise to contract a company that can prove its competence such as those on the FIA’s FRA register.

In summary, the FIA believes that the highest possible standard of fire protection is the only acceptable choice for all involved in the design, construction, maintenance, and risk assessment of the UK’s council premises. L

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

Cavity Wall and Attic Installers n Housing Re-generation through External Wall Insulation n Insulation Manufacturers and System Designers for Bonded Bead n Insulation Technologies and Packaging Innovators n Energy Advisory Service For Pricing, Tender Contracts and Energy Advice contact: Offices at: Cumbernauld, Scotland, Scunthorpe, England, Tonypandy, South Wales, Carrickfergus,Northern Ireland, Stokestown, Republic of Ireland Head Office Telephone

02893 355333 60

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

STREET DESIGN

STREET SCENES

An informed look at England’s streets shows that most would benefit from the removal of unnecessary signs, says English Heritage

FAR-REACHING BENEFITS The benefits of improving street quality are not just aesthetic. Keeping a street’s individuality helps to create a sense of place, which in turn has community and regeneration benefits. Well designed, well ordered and well maintained streets are an expression of a confident and caring community. Chaotic and cluttered streets can be a symptom of a community in decline with low self-esteem.

Consultation with estate agents showed that the state of the street and public space also has an effect on house prices and saleability, with the quality of highways and paving being a particular problem.

The principles advocated in Streets for All – such as removing unnecessary signs and clutter and thinking carefully about any additions to the street – may seem common sense, but an informed look at England’s streets shows that most would benefit from the application of some simple measures.

STREET FURNITURE Historic street furniture should be retained and kept in good repair. As well as adding interest and reinforcing local character, historic furniture such as bollards or mileposts can often tell a story about the local area.

But the finest townscapes often have the minimum amount of street furniture. In some streets, as much as 70 per cent of all street furniture is unnecessary. Street audits, carried out by conservation staff in conjunction with highways staff, can identify redundant or superfluous furniture.

Local community groups can also help, and can extend the survey to include a record of historic furniture and paving of merit. Dozens of such groups have responded to Civic Voice’s Street Pride campaign. Street audits can identify where signage can be minimised, or where signs can be fixed to existing posts or buildings to reduce the number of poles obstructing the pavement. A simple audit form

CASE STUDY: BUXTON A demonstration of the importance a local community attaches to the public realm can be found at Buxton, a town characterised by its Georgian and Victorian spa town architecture.

It has been regenerated over the last 20 years with assistance from English Heritage.

The local community was heavily involved in the development of a Design and Place Making Strategy. This will be used to inform

Written by English Heritage

Street quality is on the public agenda. Over year ago, Eric Pickles challenged councils to get rid of unnecessary signs, railings and advertising hoardings. Government guidance makes clear that ‘less is more’ and that excessive signs and street clutter have a negative impact on the success of the street as a place. So how can local councils take steps to address this? And what can local communities do to help shape their environment?

English Heritage has a long-standing interest in improving the quality of the public realm. Much attention is given to the maintenance and restoration of historic buildings, but if the view of the building is marred by a badly planned and maintained street then the efforts can be wasted.

Over the last ten years, there has been a revolution in thinking with the realisation that better quality public spaces in town and city centres lead to improved environments that encourage those visiting, living and working there to use and enjoy walking around the area. This also chimes in with both climate change and health debates.

English Heritage has been a participant with this new thinking since 2000 with Streets for All, our well-received guidance manual on managing streets (www. english-heritage.org.uk/streetsforall).

range of bodies: local authorities, utility companies, statutory undertakers, the Highways Agency and, of course, local communities themselves. Partnerships need to be established between planning and highway experts, to share understanding and build consensus of what is achievable and what works. This will require persistence, an appreciation of the wider benefits, and a strong leader to take personal responsibility for enhancing the quality of England’s streets.

But evidence from a few places shows that the results will be worth the effort.

Design & Build

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

The benefits of improving street quality are not just aesthetic. Keeping a street’s individuality helps to create a sense of place, which in turn has community and regeneration benefits. Well designed, well ordered and well maintained streets are an expression of a confident and caring community. is available on the English Heritage website www.english-heritage.org.uk/saveourstreets The Buxton case study demonstrates how a local authority has been involving communities in deciding how to improve their town’s appearance at a strategy level.

QUESTIONING THE NORM Much of the progress made in the public realm has been possible because of the growing support to those who question the traditional, traffic-focused approach to street design.

The ‘place-making’ agenda has been helped by the exemplary examples of a small – but increasing – number of forward-thinking authorities who have been prepared to push the boundaries of conventional practice.

Strong leadership and understanding of the key principles has been shown to be a vital component of successful streets, providing the momentum to drive things forward and question any barriers presented. For example, the much lauded redesign of Kensington High Street would not have taken place without the leadership and personal drive of one of the local authority’s members.

Improving the quality of our streets can not only enhance the surroundings, it links to a range of other objectives, from regeneration to promoting walking and cycling. Effective action will involve a

developers about Buxton’s special qualities and how to protect and enhance them. The urban design consultants, Gillespies, used an ‘enquiry by design’ approach to facilitate a series of workshops, which led to an overall vision for Buxton and a set of design principles to make the vision happen. The Strategy concludes that: ‘Urban design is not just about the design of buildings. It is also the complex inter-relationship between different buildings and the relationship between buildings and streets, squares, parks and other spaces that make up the public realm.” Priorities that emerged from the local community include: • Character: Reinforce the distinct identity of the town centre • A quality public realm: Create public spaces that are safe, comfortable, well maintained, welcoming and accessible to everyone • Ease of movement: Make the town centre easy to get to and move around in, particularly for pedestrians. Create a town centre that both residents and visitors can understand and find their way around • Adaptability & diversity: Create a town centre that can adapt to change and with variety and choice. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.english-heritage.org. uk/saveourstreets

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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

Be a quit smoking coach Chimney sweep franchises and earn a healthy income going up in the world The system is based upon the very practical and successful NicoBloc corporate stop smoking programme used by scores of organisations.

Among them, Dixons, Mothercare, Royal Opera House, Guinness, various local authorities and even the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have helped their staff give up cigarettes before the smoking bans came in.

Quit Smoking Pal now offers this same programme as a franchise opportunity to help the 12 million smokers in the UK who want to give up cigarettes.

The scheme has enjoyed proven success rates and is supported by testimonials and scientific research. It is a proven, patented natural method without the use of drugs, hypnosis or any other therapy.

No previous experience is required to be a coach

as full training is provided at the organisation’s London office or on-site.

Neither are premises required – coaches can work from home or at a client’s location.

The franchise fee of £1995 includes training, equipment, proprietary software, educational resources, full support and product.

Those interested will be able to find out more about the system on stand 403 at the free-toenter Franchise Show being held at London’s Excel Centre on February 24-25, 2012.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.QuitSmokingPal.com www.TheFranchiseShow.co.uk 0845 130 7848

Originally established in 1895, Wilkins Chimney Sweep is a new take on an old business.

The ‘man with a van’ outfit runs from a home office, with franchisees offering chimney sweeping and other related services to their local community with a ‘need not want’ virtually debt-free business.

Full equipment, training and professional accreditations are included in the initial fee.

Steven Gallacher, 46, worked as a manager in the Home Office and MOD before taking voluntary redundancy and purchasing his Wilkins Chimney Sweep franchise.

Gallacher explains: “We wanted to run our own business but welcomed the support and experience that buying an established business model as a franchise gave. It allowed us to concentrate on providing our service well from the beginning. Peter and Louise struck us as being an honest

team, providing an essential community service. They did not promise instant profits. What they did offer was a very long established and experienced parent business, good support and a lot of hard work – just what we were looking for”.

More information about the Wilkins Chimney Sweep franchise opportunity can be seen on its website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01635 551454 www.wilkins chimneysweep.co.uk franchise@wilkins chimneysweep.co.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

FRANCHISING EVENTS

Franchising

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

Franchising exhibitions lend support and expertise to career shifters Green King Meet and Eat, Jim’s Mowing, Wilkins Chimney Sweep, Just Shutters and Energy & Carbon Management, exhibiting alongside established names such as McDonald’s, Subway and Cash Generator.

from Lincoln, a manager at a local authority, explained: “The seminars were very good and an easy way to find out further information.

We’ve come away with a more refined idea of what business might suit us”.

The Franchisee Panel held multiple sessions due to popular demand which were very well received by visitors as Neil Smith, a customer services director from Epsom, explained: “The Franchisee Panel gave a good insight into the work that you have to invest. The panel was very open and honest about their earnings. The exhibition is a good way to find new ideas to review”.

POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE There was a busy, dynamic atmosphere at the show with plenty of activity on the stands including meetings, demonstrations, briefings and even the occasional celebrity.

The positive atmosphere was noted by many with exhibitor Berkeley Harris of WPA, commenting: “Visitors to the show clearly have an air of confidence about themselves that British franchising is clearly the future of the British economy. Franchising has always done well through difficult times and 2012 looks set to be no different”.

The UK’s largest franchise event also had a number of free features offering support and guidance from banks, accountants, solicitors and franchising experts. Exclusive to The National Franchise Exhibition was an extensive free conference programme, including seminars by the British Franchise Association (bfa) on key franchise-related topics. These seminars proved popular, drawing a packed audience, as Lynne Lyons

SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS One of the highlights of the show for many was the series of Growing Your Own Business seminars. Successful entrepreneurs addressed a large audience and shared the secrets of their success. Among the first-class speakers were Hannah Wolsey, managing director of Urban Coffee Company and the company’s co-founder Simon Jenner who discussed where fledgling businesses can find support, marketing objectives and how businesses can have a positive social impact.

“These events are great for trading ideas and learning from other, more established companies,” Wolsey said.

Adrian Goodsell, franchise exhibitions manager at organisers Venture Marketing Group concluded: “There was a buoyant positive attitude towards investing in franchises among the many visitors at the NEC. This bodes well for the six events that we will be staging around the country in 2012 with the support of the bfa”. E

Franchising is proving to be a popular choice for many seeking an alternative career, with more than half a million people working in the industry in 2010, according to a survey by NatWest and the British Franchise Association (bfa)

Franchising offers people the ability to start their own business, but with the support and expertise of an established brand. And dedicated exhibitions are an effective way of discovering more about the industry, to meet franchisees, discuss options with franchise businesses and gather advice and support.

This year, there are even more opportunities to attend such a show, with no less than six major franchise events in the UK including two taking place in Birmingham and London in the coming weeks. New for 2012, The National Franchise Exhibition returns to the NEC in Birmingham at the end of February, followed

by The British & International Franchise Exhibition at Olympia, London, in March.

Visitors to the recent National Franchise Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham enjoyed the perfect introduction to the world of franchising and were able to meet with more than 150 franchise businesses covering a range of sectors, as well as advisors and franchisees.

Many new franchises introduced their businesses at the show. These included

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

Gift vouchers are the present buyer’s flexible friend From the early days, gift vouchers were the ideal present, giving a choice of goods and retailers, as previously most of us had purchased the wrong colour or size present. As the gift voucher market matured the customer choice expanded with even greater choice offered by the multi-store gift vouchers.

This choice and flexibility made the gift voucher ideal as a retiring or leaving present, with many sections within the goverment sector using a variety of gift vouchers.

The issuing of a gift voucher was a simple procedure and market research companies and competition operators chose giving gift vouchers as a preferred option to cash.

With the growth of staff and customer reward programmes the gift voucher was ideally placed to fulfil these programmes with inspirational products such as balloon rides, holidays, high street shopping and the luxury goods that would not normally be purchased.

Gift vouchers were seen as a personal treat rather than cash which disappeared into the household budget. With almost every purchase experience covered by gift vouchers the value of the reward or incentive programme was enhanced by the feelgood factor of the reward. Gift vouchers have also been used to encourage difficult sections of the community such as teenagers and smokers to enrol into programmes that not only help themselves but reduce the long term cost to the nation.

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In the current economic climate many government sector departments are using gift vouchers and cards as staff rewards for recognition of service and performance.

Numerous cost reduction, performance improvement schemes not only assist in improving the overall situation within the sector but give staff a tangible reward.

Many of these programmes have been introduced as points-related rewards, which are collected under various programmes for achievements and can be converted to gift vouchers when the points levels are achieved.

With the development of the gift card and associated technologies, new areas became available with gift malls opening wherever the public had access. These new technologies

have allowed reward programmes that are able to top-up the value of the gift card as performance is achieved, giving quicker access to the rewards and a greater satisfaction to the customer or staff member.

Recent technologies have also been able to reduce the administration costs of reward and incentive programmes and reduced the delay between achieving the reward and actually receiving of the gift voucher or gift card. By the use of a secure code which is issued to the staff member and an associated secure website, staff members can activate and select from a vast range of gift vouchers to the value of their secure code, giving the greatest choice possible and as quick a delivery as possible.

Gift vouchers and cards can now provide an almost instant reward, incentivising where necessary, rewarding for achievement and as a thank-you, and even as they first developed as a gift for Christmas or birthdays. Many of those working abroad or with the British Armed Forces abroad find sending a gift voucher with the word of sentiment the most satisfying method of sending gifts to family and friends.

The level of choice, variety of values and methods of delivery really do make gift vouchers and cards the true ‘flexible Friend’.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.vouchers4charity.org.uk

FRANCHISING EVENTS E NEW FRANCHISE EVENT IN BIRMINGHAM For those considering franchising as a career option, there will be business opportunities and valuable advice at two major franchise events taking place in the coming weeks. The National Franchise Exhibition returns to the NEC in Birmingham on February 24-25, and The British & International Franchise Exhibition takes place on March 16-17 at Olympia, London.

Both events showcase a broad range of franchise businesses that cover virtually every sector with ideas to suit every budget, lifestyle and skill. There are also many free features which provide visitors with all the support they need in order to investigate and progress a move into a new career as a franchisee. Most importantly, these franchise exhibitions are exclusively supported by the

British Franchise Association (bfa). Visitors can have confidence in the franchise businesses exhibiting as only companies that follow the Association’s code of ethics are able to exhibit.

A good way to begin a visit to the show is at The Franchise Starting Point. Here, experts from organisations including the bfa, banks, accountants and franchisees will provide visitors with help in considering their options and finding a businesses that suits their requirements.

Visitors who need guidance in assessing their career path and planning future job moves should head to The Careers Clinic. At this feature, a group of professionals will work with visitors to define their goals and objectives in order to create a practical and useful career plan. The informative and inspiring Franchisee Panel is always popular with visitors year

Be a part of fast-growth greetings card franchising

retailers and consumers.

Its products are proven as market leaders in the franchise sector, providing a combination of exceptional designs and the highest quality materials. And its franchisees customer base is growing quickly. The sale or return method of supply is appealing to retailers who get top selling designs supplied on a no-risk basis.

In November 2011 Cards For You Greetings’ growth and market strength was further recognised when, despite fierce competition, it was appointed exclusive distributor for the Cancer Research UK range of greeting cards. If you are interested in building a business which offers an income which is commensurate with the effort you put in, please contact us.

Cards For You Greetings is the fastest growing greeting card Franchise business in the UK. The British greeting card industry is worth over £1.6 billion per annum, the largest per capita of any in the world, with purchases of over 50 cards a year per person.

The company’s key management team has over 100 years combined experience in the UK greetings card industry – a factor that means it is able to provide the highest levels of support and expertise for its franchisees, whilst at the same time ensuring that its product development consistently reflects the needs of

Over 16 years of ownership, growth and development If you’re looking at making a prudent investment into the lucrative service industry sector, then you’ve probably found just what you’re looking for.

Joining the OVENU network is an attractive proposition for the practically minded who are seeking flexibility, profitability and a rapid return on investment.

Our realistically priced start-up package includes everything you’ll need to start trading straight away producing truly spectacular results for consumers who like doing business regularly with their local area oven valeting expert.

The proven OVENU business model has grown significantly over the years into the

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.cards-for-you.co.uk largest global brand within the sector and offers you the opportunity to quickly develop a flourishing, high demand, local business. A business that offers ISO 9001:2008 initial and on-going training and support.

Trading locally, you’ll benefit from a generous exclusive territory, choice of van and the most effective cleaning system. Add a top ranking, high visibility local, national and international internet presence and you’re off to a flying start.

You’ll find all of our support team to be highly knowledgeable industry specialists and only too happy to help.

Likewise, our recruitment process is open, honest and totally transparent.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Ken Rostron Tel: 01325 251455 info@ovenufranchise.co.uk www.ovenufranchise.co.uk

Franchising

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

after year, and offers an insight into life as a franchisee. The panel of business people who have made the move into franchising share their real life accounts of making the transition from employee to being self-employed.

Both shows also feature an extensive free conference programme which includes seminars by the bfa on key franchise-related topics.

Among the issues covered are: how to find funding, who you should go to for legal advice and what a franchisor looks for in a franchisee.

In addition, there will be a series of seminars on key franchise-related topics including an introduction to franchising, families in franchising; high level franchising, growing your own business and executives in franchising. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.franchiseinfo.co.uk

A new way forward for the franchise industry The Approved Franchise Association (AFA) has been established to provide the United Kingdom’s franchise industry with a much needed fresh and modern approach.

Whether you are looking for a franchise, or you are an existing franchisor, the AFA provides a simple, straight-talking advice forum and discussion platform.

Built on the solid foundations of ethical franchising, the AFA has developed a series of values and principles to ensure quality accreditation for members is at the heart of the organisation.

This structure also ensures the organisation remains focused and driven towards its collective objectives which centre upon the growth, development and awareness of the franchise industry in the United Kingdom.

As a new and alternative association, the AFA prides itself on offering its members prompt support and guidance along with unrivalled value.

Applications for membership can be made easily through the association’s website.

Franchisor members must be able to demonstrate success through sustainability, ethical practice and the sharing of knowledge. A timely response to any query will always be the norm.

The AFA is simply not a club; we are a true partnership between our members, the franchisees and the customer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 01392 367 777 www.theAFA.org.uk enquiries@theAFA.org.uk Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Be diligent when choosing Specialist support every language service providers step of the way The market for language services can be confusing, so how do you choose a quality supplier?

Consider the following points: Flexibility: often the need for critical interpreting services comes at short notice. Look for a provider that offers a robust service whenever you need it, and will work with you to tailor services to your needs.

Price: quality should never be compromised by price. In today’s litigious environment, the risk and financial impact associated with poor quality language services can be considerable.

Under these circumstances, the key consideration should be overall ‘service value’, rather that initial cost, which may represent a false economy.

Quality: there is a reason why certain providers can offer low, eye-catching rates. Ensure all interpreters are qualified to an appropriate level and have been checked against the recently-enhanced CRB scheme.

Consider auditing suppliers’ processes prior to contract

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award and during the life of the contract, at short notice, to ensure that they are delivering the quality they say they are.

History: look for a proven solution. Take up references, and don’t only rely on those provided by the prospective supplier.

Vanessa Eke (pictured) is the managing director of Language Line Services, the leading global provider of public sector language solutions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 1692879 help@languageline.co.uk www.languageline.co.uk

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

For over 35 years Hesley Group has provided specialist care, education and vocational services for people with complex needs, challenging behaviours and severe learning difficulties arising from autism.

People placed within our services are valued and respected as individuals, are at the centre of everything we do and are always in receipt of personalised care and support.

Over 50 local authorities, adult services departments and primary care trusts throughout the UK entrust the Hesley Group with placements.

Children’s Services enable young people to realise their potential through individual care and physical and emotional plans to ensure they are well supported with their needs.

Hesley Group’s two schools, Fullerton House and Wilsic Hall, have been recognised as ‘outstanding providers’ of care by Ofsted.

Adult Services offers care

pathways that are based on the individual needs of each person.

This enables each individual to work towards achieving a progressively independent life.

Hesley Group’s Supported Living Service supports adults with autism and complex needs to live their own lives in the community of their choice.

The services are based on individual needs and wishes.

The company says it delivers the highest standards of service for the best possible outcomes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01302 866906 Fax: 01302 861661 enquiries@hesleygroup.co.uk www.hesleygroup.co.uk

TRANSLATION

Have you been tasked with buying translations for your organisation?

Have you Googled ‘translation’ and been presented with 165 million entries? What do you do next? Procuring translation needn’t be a minefield. Geoffrey Bowden, General Secretary of the Association of Translation Companies gives a point by point guide For most people buying in translation services is very difficult and a source of frustration, as the quality of a translation can only be assessed after the service has been provided.

Buying translations doesn’t have to be a minefield, as long as you try and follow these simple guides. Above all, do not be nervous to ask the relevant questions and, only when you are satisfied with the answers, place the order.

Here’s my simple ten-step guide that can be used by a newby, or a checklist for the more experienced purchaser of language services.

1 DECIDE IF THE DOCUMENT IS ‘FOR INFORMATION’ which can in general be

produced more quickly and cheaply than ‘for publication’ work. Please note that if you aim to sell your products or services overseas you will need to communicate with your potential buyers in a language and style they will understand. If the document is legal, highly technical or medical this also needs to be considered.

2 DECIDE WHAT THE TRANSLATION IS FOR. For example, a speech, a website, a sales brochure and so on. It is also important to determine the type of person who will read it. This information will ensure that the translation is prepared for the correct audience. Your translation company partner will ask for this information so make sure you know.

3 DECIDE WHERE THE TRANSLATION WILL BE USED. In just the same way as British English is different from that in the USA, other languages are spoken in more than one place and have developed differently. Make sure you let your provider know where the translation will be used.

4 ENSURE THAT YOUR TEXT IS WELL STRUCTURED and grammatically correct in your own language. If you send a poor quality document then you may get back a translation which is less than excellent, although most translation companies do try and work out what the author intended to say.

5 FINALISE YOUR DOCUMENT before requesting the translation to go ahead, if a

translator is working on a draft document it will almost always be more time-consuming (and therefore more expensive) than waiting for the final text. There is also the possibility that with a few different versions the final version may not be quite correct.

By Geoffrey Bowden, Association of Translation Companies

LOST IN TRANSLATION?

Translation

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

6 IF POSSIBLE PROVIDE THE TEXT IN A SIMPLE WORD FORMAT as this will help to keep down costs.

7 DECIDE ON A REALISTIC DEADLINE - a translator translates

approximately 2,000 words a day and a reviser about 8,000 words a day).

8 DECIDE ON WHICH TRANSLATION PROVIDER TO USE. Bear in mind that translation is not a commodity and there are many things to consider before making your selection.

9 AGREE TIMELINES, costs, type of translation with the translation company.

10 PROVIDE THE REQUIRED INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE

– giving the translation company as much background information as possible.

This is always useful, often essential, and could include related drawings, previous translations, terminology glossaries, other published information about the product.

A contact person who can answer any questions that may arise should also be included. L FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01273 676777 www.atc.org.uk

In just the same way as British English is different from that in the USA, other languages are spoken in more than one place and have developed differently.

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Connecting you with a world of inspiration...

Join us at International Confex 2012 and uncover quality business opportunities, get industry updates, explore new technologies and discover new ideas for your events.

Register now at international-confex.com

06-08 March 2012 ExCeL London #Confex2012

INTERNATIONAL CONFEX

EVENT HORIZON

Taking place on March 6-8 at ExCel, International Confex connects organisers with a range of venues, destinations and support services for any kind of event

policing, regulations and signage will be of particular concern where street parties and outdoor events are concerned. The Local Authority Programme will include presentations, case study examples and panel discussions focusing on key interest areas in the run up to July 2012.

Conferences & Events

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

CONTENT IS KING As justifying a day out of the office becomes increasingly harder, educational content has been crowned king at International Confex 2012. The speaker programme and networking opportunities will ensure visitors get the very best out of the event, which in turn will result in a significant impact on business.

Working with the London Speaker Bureau, International Confex has called upon heavyweights such as author and humanitarian Parag Khanna, named as one of Esquire magazine’s ‘75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century,’ E

Whilst the UK is still facing huge amounts of cutbacks throughout the public sector, it should not be forgotten that some industries, if invested in, can still provide a great deal to the UK economy. The events industry for instance, is estimated at a whopping £36 billion. As such, International Confex, Europe’s leading event for events organisers, is upping the ante to ensure it not only delivers the ultimate show experience, but also drives home the idea that a return on investment is fundamental for stakeholders, the events industry and the UK economy alike.

local authorities are responsible for up and down the country, International Confex has developed a dedicated conference programme for local authority personnel.

Endorsed by the Local Authority Event Organisers Group (LOAG) the comprehensive seminar programme will review the breadth of concerns behind public sector events including the scale, cost, environmental effects, and health and safety issues.

As the UK limbers up in preparation to host the forthcoming London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, event safety,

LOCAL AUTHORITY PROGRAMME Whilst local events can be deemed as a large expense for local authorities, they are also key to bringing people together and as such, money and investment into the local area.

With tourism, leisure and arts on the agenda, the socio-economic impact of events on local authorities can be extremely positive.

In recognition of the vast number of events

International Confex is set to unite event organisers with an exciting range of venues, destinations and support services, providing the perfect forum to do business and source all the essentials for any kind of event.

15 venues 1000 theatre style 500 reception 2000+ bedrooms 400 flats From prestigious and iconic University of Edinburgh venues to our state-of-the-art John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh First offers an incomparable range of venues, accommodation and catering options. We deliver great service at good value and recognise that flexibility is key to delivering successful events.

Contact our team on

+44 (0)131 651 2189 edinburghfirst.co.uk

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INTERNATIONAL CONFEX E Terry Waite, entrepreneur Jo Malone, plus many more to join its top line-up of speakers.

In celebration of the UK’s estimated 600,000 highly skilled personal and executive assistants organising events around the world, International Confex is set to provide a free, tailored seminar programme during its very own PA Day. Taking place on Thursday March 8, the seminars will be delivered in conjunction with Susie BarronStubley of Castalia Coaching & Training, and will cover everything from relationship management, effective decision-making and resolving conflict in the workplace.

Adding to this International Confex’s Association Day will take place on Tuesday March 6, providing an exclusive stream of high-level seminars and networking opportunities for both UK and international associations. The comprehensive tailored programme and line-up of leading speakers will extend delegates’ business knowledge on a range of topics.

OFFERING OPTIMUM VALUE Throughout its 29 year history International Confex has only been at three venues, growing in size each time. Having originally launched at the Business Design Centre in Islington and then moving to London’s Earls Court exhibition hall and conference centre, International Confex will see in its next

birthday at its new home, ExCeL London.

Whilst International Confex has enjoyed a long and successful partnership with Earls Court, the synergy between the show and hosting it at ExCeL is key to the shows growth. The close link ExCeL has with London City Airport will make Confex more accessible to international visitors and exhibitors, whilst the forthcoming developments including Crossrail and the proposed cable car will provide easy access for UK visitors.

To ensure International Confex is delivering optimum value to attendees, and to keep ahead of the curve, a number of new and exciting developments have been implemented, including the incorporation of the London event show, RSVP. Dedicated to delivering a fully comprehensive event and adding unrivalled value for exhibitors, the unique RSVP offering will be replicated at International Confex 2012, providing the complete events solution for visitors.

Integrating the RSVP brand and features will make the 2012 show an even better place for buyers and sellers of parties, meetings, conferences and events to network and do business. What’s more, International Confex 2012 will also see the launch of International Outdoor Event Expo (IOEX) – a stand alone event, set to recognise the scale and scope of the outdoor event industry.

Taking place alongside International Confex,

IOEX will offer an international showcase dedicated to the innovative live event production and technology industry. Benefiting from the support of leading industry associations including EVENTIA, PSA, NOEA and ESSA, IOEX will serve the entire spectrum of outdoor events and event production.

Conferences & Events

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

LOCATION, LOGISTICS AND SOMETHING SPECIAL Connecting delegates with a world of inspiration, International Confex is set to unite event organisers with an exciting range of venues, destinations and support services, providing the perfect forum to do business and source all the essentials for any kind of event. Such is the breadth of International Confex; the exhibition is divided into three key areas: Location, Logistics and Something Special.

The Location area will serve visitors seeking a setting for any sort of event – from a meeting to a corporate day out. Exhibitors within Location are all premier destinations and venues from the UK and around the world, providing the ideal opportunity for visitors seeking UK or international venues to speak with a selection of the leading venues showcasing their services. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.international-confex.com

racecourse & conference centre

Visit us at Confex 2012 Stand G612 for the launch of our newest Selfit Badge Software and your chance to Win a FREE Selfit Badge System

racecourse & conference centre

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Conferences, events, and launches (from small to 600 delegates).

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VISIT SCOTLAND

Conferences & Events

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

Scotland gets creative with conferences and events It has fired imagination, encouraged invention and inspired creation for generations, and over the next three years Scotland has a series of themed years and world-class events planned.

The ‘Winning Years’ will provide an unrivalled opportunity to capitalise on the huge events coming to or impacting the country.

This year will also see the launch of the new Disney-Pixar computer-animated fantasy adventure film, Brave, which will bring to life Scotland’s dynamic landscapes and inspire people to visit.

In 2012 the Year of Creative Scotland will put the spotlight firmly on Scottish cultural and creative vibrancy as well as its tradition of innovation with themed events and fantastic festivals. Looking forward, the Year of Natural Scotland in 2013 will place a focus on the country’s outstanding beauty and built heritage, with Year of Homecoming 2014 bringing all the themes together in a year of national pride.

Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games is not only stimulating increased infrastructure investment, but will also put Scotland on the global map, while the 2014 Ryder Cup, being hosted at Gleneagles, will also help promote Scotland’s 550 golf courses.

There is a staggering £2bn of capital investment in new tourism product rolling out right now

including the Victoria & Albert (V&A) at Dundee, the Scottish Hydro Arena in Glasgow, opening in 2014, the new Riverside Museum in Glasgow, the National Museum of Scotland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

Other developments currently underway include a new extension to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Edinburgh, adding a further 2000m2 of function space.

Through the installation of an upscale version of stage lifting technology, it will be possible to create raised catwalks, raked seating platforms and arena configurations in a fraction of the build time required in more conventional halls. Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms, another well-loved venue, will re-open this summer following an 18-month refurbishment.

Not only does research from VisitBritain put both Edinburgh and Glasgow in the top three European cities

offering good value for money for association conferences, but many Scottish venues are offering shared risk packages, reducing uncertainties around exchange rates, which is proving attractive to many European planners.

New flights into and out of Scotland are coming on stream all the time, most recently from Scandinavia, France, Greece and Germany.

Once people land, it’s very easy to quickly travel around. Scotland is a vibrant, cultured, contemporary business destination with much to offer delegates from all industries. From amazing purpose-built convention centres in stylish cities, to remote, exclusive-use castles, there are venues to suit every event.

EXPERTISE The major cities all boast premium conference centres ideal for government and association events but even the more rural areas have facilities with large event hosting expertise.

In Fife, within easy reach of Edinburgh Airport and the capital itself, is Carnegie Conference Centre, a purpose-built meetings and events facility in Dunfermline. It provides conferencing facilities for up to 250 delegates, with 25 meeting and break-out rooms, and a video conference suite. E

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Specialising in physical and perimeter security

Managing commercial risk in an uncertain world

AMC Security Products Ltd provides a comprehensive range of Vehicle and Personnel Access Control Systems suitable for a wide range of applications – from high security military and banking installations through to controlling access and security in schools, city centres and parking control at office buildings.

Though UK-based, AMC provides equipment and services to locations worldwide. It is registered as a supplier and installer with the United Nations, Construction Line, Achilles (UVDB, FPAL, Source Select), CHAS and Safe Contractor and is an active member of the Defence Manufactures Association.

AMC’s range includes perimeter security products, such as swing, sliding, telescopic and ‘fast’ gates, bollards, barriers, road blockers, tyre killers, turnstiles, speed restrictors and fencing. The company’s specialist products include long span gates for openings up to 90m clear opening, solar power packs and ballistic resistant LED floodlighting.

LRQA, a leading global certification, verification and training organisation, helps businesses with their health and safety (H&S) performance.

Companies are coming under increasing commercial, regulatory and ethical pressures to control risk from their operations, making H&S management a fundamental area of focus.

Developing an effective and robust occupational health and safety (OHS) management system can help you meet your business objectives by turning uncontrolled hazards into controlled risks and so better safeguard the wellbeing of your people and your business.

To help minimise your H&S risks LRQA provides certification services to management system standards, including OHSAS 18001, SSIP and HACCP. LRQA is UKAS-accredited to offer OHSAS 18001 certification across any industry sector and, as part of the Lloyd’s Register Group, has been involved in the

Vehicle control products include number plate recognition, under vehicle scanning systems and car parking control and monitoring technology. AMC also provides access control technology, including CCTV systems, control rooms and identification, control and monitoring systems.

Detection Systems offered

by AMC Security Products also include under vehicle inspection systems, active infra-red barrier protection and vibration detection.

All products are supported by a skilled Installation, Maintenance and Training capability.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Phone: +44 (0)1273 463344 Fax: +44 (0)1273 463544 sales@amcsecurity.com www.amcsecurity.com

business of safety since 1760.

Selecting LRQA means you’ll be working with one of the world’s most trusted and respected management system bodies.

LRQA offers benefits based on wide experience and provides business assurance to you, your current and prospective customers and other stakeholders.

Visit LRQA on Stand B7 at IOSH 2012 to claim your free guidance brochure on implementing an OHS management system and advice on avoidable pitfalls.

For useful articles, case studies and information please also visit www.lrqa.co.uk/iosh2012 FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0800 783 2179 enquiries@lrqa.co.uk www.lrqa.co.uk

Where can I get FREE Next Day Delivery on thousands of products?

Situated in a unique and outstanding sea-front location which never fails to charm; Venue Cymru offers professional, affordable conferencing, in an inspirational setting.

Comprising more than 7000 square metres of top quality exhibition and conference space and banqueting for up to 1000 people, Venue Cymru’s extensive facilities and fantastic versatility meet organisers’ every desire for a successful and memorable event. However big or small your requirements, Venue Cymru will satisfy your needs.

BRAND NEW catalogue out now, call today for your free copy:

0800 294 4440 www.slingsby.com

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AP7

Conference and Events Team 01492 879771 | conferences@venuecymru.co.uk Venue Cymru, The Promenade, Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 1BB

VISIT SCOTLAND E North Fife also boasts the superb new School of Medicine at St Andrew’s University.

Following a £45 million investment, the building is available for conferences and major exhibitions and, with the range of accommodation facilities within St Andrews, there is great scope for large events to be held in an historic seat of learning.

In Lanarkshire, investment is ongoing in conference facilities. The New Lanark Mill Hotel and Westerwood Hotel and Golf Resort both offer modern facilities for stimulating events within easy reach of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Clydebank’s 168 bedroom Beardmore is the national public sector conference centre and is situated 15 minutes from Glasgow and close to the airport. Its Centre for Health Science provides a range of facilities equipped with innovative medical services for training medical professionals.

Stirling Castle features large function and event areas while, in the Borders, Easterbrook Hall’s facilities are used by government departments and associations.

Kerry Watson at VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit says the country’s venue choice is diverse: “Anyone looking for that extraspecial venue for meetings, conferences, incentives, team building events and corporate hospitality, is spoilt for choice”.

Only in Scotland can you experience a red carpet aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, hold a meeting in a tree house on the northern coast, dine in the amber glow of 3,384 whisky bottles at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh, or hold a corporate reception beneath Concorde.

Our Dynamic Earth, the city’s five star visitor attraction devoted to the story of planet Earth, boasts large conferencing facilities and, with its location adjacent to the Scottish Parliament, is ideal for government events.

The Tennents Brewery in Glasgow houses the Tennents Training Academy and Cook School. Created as a centre of excellence in entertaining and hospitality training, the academy is a unique facility offering the opportunity to learn trade secrets from the country’s finest chefs, confectioners, mixologists and sommeliers.

And for something completely different, Knockhill Racing Circuit in Fife, Scotland’s National Motorsports Centre, offers an exceptional range of team building and driving experiences. The in-house team excels at organising packages that promote teamwork while keeping people together with meeting rooms, high tech production and catering on site.

In this Year of Creative Scotland there is no better time to find out just what Scotland can offer for inspiring and memorable events. L

Conferences & Events

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

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.conventionscotland.com VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit +44 (0) 131 472 2376

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ACCREDITED EXAMINATION INSTITUTE

ISO/IEC 20000

85 IT SECURITY

83GIS

The Public Sector Mapping Agreement reaches the 2000 member milestone. See how various public sector bodies have put it the ten year agreement to good use

The consultation follows an earlier investigation into open standards which the Cabinet Office ran between February and May last year, and which generated almost 1,000 responses online. This consulted on the definition of the term open standard, the open standards that should be a priority for government to consider, and whether particular standards should be mandated, recommended or avoided.

In November last year, the Cabinet Office then updated a Procurement Policy Note notice guidance regarding the survey, which states: “...The survey has provided a rich source of information, however it has also raised many questions that need to be investigated in more detail to ensure that the open standards policy is robust and delivers the outcomes Government is seeking to achieve in provid­ing

Open Source Information Open Standards Consultation (closes May 2012) tinyurl.com/76sva3n Use of Open Standards when specifying ICT requirements (published January 2011, updated November 2011) tinyurl.com/7jxtrjn Government ICT Strategy (published March 2011) tinyurl.com/4mmtp7f Computer Weekly Story - Microsoft hustled UK retreat on open standards, says leaked report tinyurl.com/7ggw2bg

107 IDENTITY FRAUD

The days of external simplex threats have now given way to multi-faceted attack vectors from outside and inside the organisation says John Walker of ISACA

Cabinet Office consults on Open Standards The Cabinet Office is calling on the technology community to give their views on what open source and open standards means for government IT. Called ‘Open Standards: Open Opportunities, flexibility and efficiency in government IT’, the consultation aims to define open standards for software interoperability, data and document formats in government IT. It comes nearly a year after the government published its ICT strategy (30 March 2011), which outlined government’s commitment to create a common IT infrastructure based on compulsory open standards.

Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister, said: “We are committed to implementing open standards and want to create a level playing field for open source and proprietary software.

Open standards for software and systems will reduce costs and enable us to provide better public services.

www.governmenttechnology.co.uk

is a growing problem. Kate Beddington-Brown of CIFAS discusses ther impact of identity fraud and advocates data sharing to beat data breaches.

better services for less cost...”

Gary Gavigan, Chair of the Open Source Consortium, which lobbies government on open software use, said: “We were concerned that [the] Cabinet Office inexplicably withdrew the first ever govt definition of an open standard. At last they’ve published consultation on a new definition.”

Gavigan continued: “First off, credit where credit is due. The government is proposing royalty free open standards. Their definition is about as good as it can get. Unfortunately it restricts itself to seeking views on the definition of an open standard”

departmental purchasing decision.”

In January, Computer Weekly’s Mark Ballard filed a story that claimed the government withdrew its open standards policy after lobbying from Microsoft and the Business Softare Alliance.

The Cabinet Office responded in a written statement: “No lobbying has taken place that has affected our approach in creating an Open Standards definition that works for government.”

MISSED OPPORTUNITY “For the first time ever reference is made to the wider context for open standards in the economy. Which is a good thing. Unfortunately the consultation fails to take the next step and address the systemic role that public sector ICT plays in the economy. Instead, missing a strategic opportunity, it leaves public sector ICT positioned as a

New director general for Intellect

25 years of Socitm To mark the first 25 years of Socitm, Bob Griffith, a founder member of the Society, has produced a document detailing its history. It covers the many events of the last 25 years, and explains how and why the Society developed.

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT... tinyurl.com/77e9rcg

Intellect the trade association for the UK’s technology sector has announced that Julian David will its next director general, succeeding John Higgins, who has been director general since Intellect’s formation in 2002 and is moving to Brussels to lead DigitalEurope. David brings a wealth of business experience from across the technology industry. He has acted as a consultant to large and small companies and previously held senior posts with IBM. TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

tinyurl.com/7l779kl

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

GT News

For the latest Public Sector IT and Computing news please visit

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1. The Goal Rob Meade a Senior Systems Developer for University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust was given the responsibility for maintenance of one of the hospital team’s servers – primarily web and SQL servers. He became concerned over how time consuming it was for general server maintenance and decided to look for an automated solution to resolve the problem.

Rob Meade comments: “We were specifically looking at products which could automate the tasks we were manually having to undertake for maintenance, and if possible to be done on-line so as not to take other services off-line. As clichéd as it may sound, working in our environment, it is vital that systems run at peak performance and maintain uptime as close to 24/7 as possible.”

2. The Problem Many of the servers, which are used to run both clinical and non-clinical applications, were then experiencing performance issues. These ranged from poor boot times to high I/O usage and slower application run-times.

Senior Systems Developer Rob Meade’s primary aim was to ensure the servers achieved their all-round best performance possible.

“All of our team’s servers had heavy I/O usage, either from the number of visitors on the web servers, or log files and backups on the SQL servers; we had even experienced problems with our anti-virus software which was taking much longer to complete its scans.

“After some research, it became evident that Diskeeper offered the best solution to fully automate and optimize our servers, and furthermore had zero resource conflicts due to its ability to run off idle resources.

Initially, at that time Diskeeper was run on twenty plus servers.”

3. The Solution Since installing Diskeeper, the teams servers have been kept operating at peak system performance and many of the problems which was causing excessive maintenance times were eliminated as Rob Meade comments: “Excess I/O traffic has been eliminated, our anti-virus scans run much faster, and our backup times have dramatically decreased. Boot-times and applications are also running as they should.” I now take for granted these system benefits, and tend to forget Diskeeper is running in the background and doing exactly what we want it to do.

“As a developer, Diskeeper has helped provide me with more time to focus on my primary concern, software development, rather than wasting countless hours tracking down problems on servers.”

Company p rofile Diskeeper Corporation is a VMware® Elite Technical Alliance Partner and Microsoft® Gold Competency ISV Partner. Their storage performance software makes physical and virtual systems faster, more reliable, longer lived, and energy efficient.

The company’s family of innovative enterprise-class software products for VMware® and Windows® are used by thousands of enterprises, government agencies, independent software vendors (ISVs), original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and home offices worldwide.

Their Flagship products include Diskeeper® performance software, V-locity® virtual platform optimizer and Undelete® 2009 Government Edition: Data & File Recovery Software.

In the UK, Diskeeper’s technology solutions are used in various public sector bodies, including: NOMs, MoD (DII), HM Revenue & Customs, various NHS hospitals, UK Dept of the Environment, BIS, RAF Brampton to name a few.

Mandy Regenass

Senior Account Executive UK Govt., Financial & Services Tel: +44 (0) 1342 821308 Email: m.regenass@diskeeper.co.uk

Giles Heaton

Senior Account Executive UK Health, Education & Corporate Tel: +44 (0) 1342 821309 Email: g.heaton@diskeeper.co.uk DISKEEPER CORPORATION

innovators in performance and reliability Technologies®

www.diskeeper.com © 2011 Diskeeper Corporation. all rights reserved. The Diskeeper Corporation logo, Diskeeper 2011, V-locity and Undelete are registered trademarks owned by Diskeeper Corporation. all other trademarks and brand names are the property of their respective owners.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this case study are those of the individual named therein and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of University Hospitals nHS foundation Trust.

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DATA PROTECTION ACT

ICO names five councils in data breach Information Commisioner Christopher Graham has released details of five councils that have breached the Data Protection Act by failing to keep people’s personal information secure.

The five data breaches all relate to incidents where the councils failed to take appropriate steps to ensure that personal information was kept secure. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council breached the Act on four separate occasions during a two month period last year. These included an incident in May when an individual was mistakenly sent information relating to 29 people who were living in supported housing. The Council has now signed an undertaking committing them to take action to address the problems highlighted in each incident.

Meanwhile, in July 2011, an employee of Brighton and Hove Council emailed the details of another member of staff’s personal data to 2,821 council workers. A third party also informed the ICO of a historic breach which occurred in May 2009 when an unencrypted laptop was stolen from the home of a temporary employee. The council has now committed to ensuring that the personal information they process is secure, including making sure that all portable devices used to store personal data are encrypted.

Further undertakings have also been signed by Dacorum Borough Council, Bolton Council and Craven District Council, whilst

an enforcement notice has been issued to Staffordshire County Council over its mishandling of a subject access request.

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said: “At a time when councils are increasingly working with community partners, when data is shared it is vital that they uphold their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act. Failures not only put local residents’ privacy at risk, but also mean that councils could be in line for a sizeable monetary penalty.

“We must also consider the detrimental impact these breaches continue to have on

the individuals affected. Disclosing details about someone’s social housing status can be upsetting and damaging for those affected.

To help tackle this issue I’ve submitted a business case to the government to ask for them to extend my compulsory audit powers.”

The ICO has produced guidance for local authorities explaining their obligations to keep the personal information they handle secure, and has carried out a number of audits with local authorities to help identify ways to improve their handling of personal information. tinyurl.com/7wsns9t

CYBERCRIME E-Crime hubs aim to meet the cybercrime threat Three regional policing e-crime hubs have been announced. The new units will work alongside the Metropolitan Police Centre e-crime Unit (PCeU), which was established in October 2008 as part of the National e-Crime Programme.

Cyber crime has been identified in the National Security Risk Assessment as a ‘tier one’ threat alongside international terrorism, an international military crisis, and a major accident or natural hazard requiring a national response. To meet the threat, the government has granted £30m over four years to improve national capability to investigate and combat cyber crime. The new hubs, in Yorkshire and the Humber, the Northwest and in East Midlands, were launched at the Association of Chief Police Officers e-crime conference in Sheffield.

ACPO lead on e-crime Deputy Assistant Commissioner Janet Williams said: “It is anticipated the hubs will make a significant contribution to the national harm reduction target of £504m In the first six months of the new funding period alone we have already been able to show a reduction of £140m with our existing capability”. tinyurl.com/6qpxeg5

NEWS IN BRIEF

Flexible working to avoid Olympic congestion

Parliamentary iPads on the way?

A UK government experiment with iPads has resulted in major cost savings, and an enthusiastic adoption by politicians, according to Joan Miller, head of Parliamentary ICT. Politicians have been using the tablets to store notes for debates as part of a year-long experiment that began in March 2011. In a keynote speech at Cloud Expo Europe, held in London in January, she stated: “We’ve been looking at the investment cost of iPads versus printing, and we’re coming up with a good story. Even if I replace iPads twice a year, it’s cheaper than our encrypted laptops”.

Miller noted that one unidentified department has saved £2,000 on printing costs alone since the introduction of the scheme. In addition, MPs and peers turned out to be keen users of tablet computers during the pilot project. “The surprise is the rate of acceptance of reading on a screen.

There’s something friendly about iPads,” said Miller. Other tablet models might also be tried out for use by parliamentarians.

When the scheme was first proposed, the iPad was the only real contender, but “other devices coming onstream may challenge the iPad,” she said.

GT News

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

Oldham Council Question Time goes live Oldham Council’s pilot scheme enabling residents to join council meetings from the comfort of their own homes is underway. The council meeting on February was the first to be streamed live on the council website.

The pilot is designed to make decisionmaking more open and transparent.

As part of the new arrangements, the meetings will also now start with a new 20-minute ‘Open Council’ session that enables members of the public to put questions directly to cabinet members.

Residents can take part in a variety of ways and submit their questions via social media networks Facebook and Twitter, or email. Jim McMahon, Oldham Council leader, said: “This is about trying to open up full council meetings – making them more accessible and relevant to the residents that we serve”.

Watch Oldham Council’s first Question Time tinyurl.com/6mrh2wz

The Department for Transport (DfT) is urging businesses in London to adopt flexible working practices ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Speaking at the ways2work conference at Microsoft’s London offices, Transport Minister Norman Baker MP said that the government has invested £6.5 billion in upgrading and extending transport links to increase capacity and improve services, but even that won’t stop public transport networks jamming up.

“Most people still regard the physical office as the place where the real work gets done; I believe it’s time to change that notion,” said Baker. “It’s no exaggeration to call the internet superhighway travel’s fourth dimension.” tinyurl.com/7z24ly7

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GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

Public Sector Mapping Agreement members reach 2000 Nine months after it was launched, Ordnance Survey has announced the 2000th member to join the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA).

Tatenhill Parish Council in East Staffordshire is the latest public sector organisation to sign up for the agreement, which aims to deliver improved planning and delivery of services through the use of digital geographic data.

The 10 year agreement between government and Ordnance Survey came into effect in April 2011. It allows the majority of public sector bodies in England and Wales, regardless of size, to use centrally funded geographic datasets. It is also helping the public sector to make vital efficiencies and improvements to service deliveries such as planning, transportation management, social housing and education services.

Organisations already signed up for the PSMA include the Environment Agency, Department for Transport and the 12 main NHS ambulance Trusts. There has also been a significant uptake from town and parish councils.

In England, the introduction of statutory Neighbourhood Planning means that local councils can now draw up development plans to shape their area, based on geographic information which is provided by the Agreement.

It widens access to a range of Ordnance Survey mapping products and approximately £15 million in savings have been identified to users through the use of the PSMA data.

Based on these, there is the potential to achieve further savings across the entire public sector, according to Ordnance Survey.

Cardiff Council delivered savings of more than £1.3 million from enhanced special educational needs route and vehicle management.

Meanwhile, South Yorkshire Police is expected to make savings of over £1 million as a result of an Intranet-based mapping solution, which gives police officers access to detailed, up-todate information about communities, crime and antisocial behaviour.

Emma Coleman, clerk at Tatenhill Parish Council, the 2000th member to join the agreement, says: “We believe the PSMA will make a significant contribution to understanding

the rural asset locations, highways and historic buildings. The ability to share geographic information with our community will help to improve decision making for planning applications and become a visual tool to share local information more effectively”.

James Brayshaw, Ordnance Survey’s customer director, says: “What makes the PSMA unique is its ability to enable collaborative working underpinned by data sharing between organisations in the public sector and the ease with which the information can be visualised and analysed in a precise way. This is a centrally funded agreement, which is delivering results through increased use of location data enabling vital improvements to public sector services.

We continue to encourage public sector organisations that haven’t taken advantage of membership to sign up today and start reaping the benefits”.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PSMA,

visit the public sector section of the Ordnance Survey website at www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/psma

GI CASE STUDIES

GT News

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

In Bristol, the local authority and Primary Care Trust are working together to improve local drug and alcohol treatment services, by mapping the location of support centres in relation to where the people who use the services live, enabling them to better meet needs locally. tinyurl.com/7qw474c Harrow Council revolutionised the way it collected rubbish by analysing and cutting inefficiencies in collection routes using Ordnance Survey’s OS MasterMap® products.

The result is £3.2 million in waste collection savings over 10 years, which is now being rolled out across the wider relevant public sector bodies as a best practice example in efficiency savings and geographic data use. tinyurl.com/7nekwo4

Geographic information is being used to monitor aircraft noise by the Civil Aviation Authority. This provides more transparent information on aircraft movements and flight paths, which helps to make environmental information more easily accessible to the public. tinyurl.com/7todsf8 Hambleton and Richmondshire district councils have made savings in excess of £850,000 by combining and sharing a range of services between councils using a common geographic data source as the foundation to deliver an integration of services. tinyurl.com/849ah39

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

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CYBERCRIME

IT Security

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

UNDERSTANDING THE VERY REAL NATURE OF THE LATEST CYBERTHREATS Cyberthreats have come a long way in the last few years. Professor John Walker, London Chapter ISACA Security Advisory Group and CTO of Secure-Bastion, believes the days of external simplex threats have now given way to multi-faceted attack vectors from both outside and inside the average organisation And this is before we get into the realm of rogue employees and privileged identity management. And it’s against this backdrop that the fundamental principles of governance, risk and compliance (GRC – the bedrock of ISACA) have returned to the fore.

But what are today’s cyberthreats? From detailed analysis of the current threat landscape, it can be seen that the hybridised nature of today’s security threats centres on hacking, serious and organised crime and the recently-arrived issue of hacktivists.

And let’s not overlook the problem of misplaced data. Add to this the dangers hosted by smart malware code such as Stuxnet and Duqu – and the possibility of a cyberwar as outlined by Foreign Secretary William Hague this year – and you have an idea of the challenges facing government.

The risk landscape changed last year largely as a result of hacktivist groups such as Anonymous and its forebears. This is no idle threat – attacks targetted the Royal Navy, the UK government, the NHS and commercial sector organisations and newspapers.

OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION? For many years there has also been some debate as to the reality of any form of cyberwar or cyberconflict – which many observers ascribe to an overactive imagination on the part of the industry’s thought leaders and analysts.

Even taking into account recent high-profile system hacks – there have been no examples of a pure cyberwar casualty. While there has never been a cyberwar, let us not forget, neither has there been a nuclear war, but such weapons of mass destruction have nevertheless been used.

During 2010/2011 the US and UK governments announced they were focusing more on cyber defences. In doing so, they indicated that this low-cost method of delivering a potentially devastating payload to the heart of the enemy’s systems was now considered a serious threat.

In addition, the UK Government also revealed that, at the end of 2010, various servers has been attacked using the notorious Zeus malware.

On this same topic Foreign Secretary Hague informed a Munich security conference that the attack was considered to be part of an E

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CYBERCRIME raise its game on defending government E international effort to infect systems. and allied agency computer systems.

Though malware is still on the rise – the This brings us to the new and sexy world of concept that today’s malware is ever more advanced malware code such as Stuxnet and imaginative is weakening and, as a result, the the recently-arrived Duqu darkware – dubbed anti-malware developers may be a little closer `Son of Stuxnet’ by some sources. With the to developing ahead-of-the-game compliance advent of Stuxnet we have observed technologies. This should not allow the manifestation of smart complacency. The Infosecurity Europe code that exhibits seek show in the spring of 2011 saw and destroy capabilities the threat of AETs – advanced o n is is h T capable of locating and evasion threats – becoming impacting specific reality, but very little media idle threat – e th types of systems and attention was given to d e tt e attacks targ allied apparatus, the development of more K U e most notably IT advanced AET threats and Royal Navy, th NHS control systems the malware bandwagon e th t, n e m govern from specific inevitably evolved. r l secto vendors and with nd commercia nd a specific functions A REAL THREAT a organisations that include nuclear AETs are real. They are not and similar platforms. a product of an aggressivelynewspapers A key feature of the badged application but more multi-vectored Stuxnet of an imaginative mix of old code, malware was the inclusion new vulnerabilities and skill-based of its own form of digital passport – a imagination on the part of the developer in forged X509 digital certificate – to assure attempting to circumvent the security of a automated monitoring systems and their trusted perimeter networked device, such onlookers that it is a friend, rather than as a firewall, Intrusion Detection System a foe. It is also worth noting that, unlike (IDS), or Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). some common malware variants of the AETs are a natural evolution of the multi80s, such as Casino, which really wanted faceted attack vector threats. They may also be to tell you they were infecting you – this defined as an amalgam of various components modern day code is much more subliminal. that may be leveraged by criminal and Stuxnet, a well-designed aggressive cybercriminal fraternities, or sponsored application, is also considered to be the international groups and hacktivists seeking product of some high investment, extensive to locate and infiltrate selected targets. research, and long term production.

AETs can have many guises, including The next variant of this genus of old-to-new cloaked code, insider contacts, smart malware is the underestimated integration into websites and the leverage Duqu variant, which entered the public of some other agent-seeking tool ordered scene in the third quarter of 2011. to embed itself in a micro endpoint, such Before we look at the way in which as a smartphone. The evolution of AETs Duqu changes the IT security ball game, is a methodology combining imagination and creativity to achieve an objective.

The key question is whether your critical digital assets are protected against such evasion techniques. To qualify and quantify this question, Stonesoft, the company that discovered AETs in the latter half of 2010, conducted research into AET evolution. In addition, Gartner has concluded that AETs are real, credible and growing threat against the security of company networks and allied IT resources that protects governments, commerce and information-sharing systems. let’s look at a few facts about this malcode.

Once you consider the potential effects of These are significant since, prior to being AETs – and the prospect of being hit by a given its moniker, there were widely-reported well-targeted payload from an AET-delivered incidents involving drones operated by the vector – it is clear that our industry’s move US Air Force being infected with malware. to harnessing the power of cloud and However, as the strain in question did not virtualised resources needs to be paralleled directly impact the operational ability of the by the development of better defences. infected craft, it was tolerated, and allowed to accompany these smart models on their DEFENDING GOVERNMENT missions. Notwithstanding the malware in And it’s not just the commercial sector question did not have any designed intent to that needs to better defend its digital directory impact or affect the assets, it was data assets – thought also needs to be obviously there for a reason - the malware given as to how the public sector can

“

”

IT Security

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

in question was all about snooping, and the gathering of information which was passing through the bird concerned. Shortly after the infection of the USAF drones, there was the revelation that there was had been some suspected hacking of a number of terrain and agricultural satellites.

The big question, of course, that many experts have been quietly asking themselves is whether these two hacking potential cyberterrorist or similar hacking developments are linked. And if so, what are the implications?

Looking at Duqu, our first observation is that the darkware is all about the invasive placement of the code on to a remote platform with this distinct objective of accessing and stealing information from that system.

The data that is being sought to be cyber-heisted, includes a list of running processes and drive names being used on the infected machine, as well as access to output devices. The malware also harvest network information and all available input data, including open window names and the enumeration of computers in the domain through NetServerEnum As with Stuxnet, Duqu carries a signed valid digital certificate with an expiration date set as 2nd August 2012. It also uses a mixture of HTTP and HTTPS IP sessions to communicate back home – typically to an Indian site at IP address 206.183.111.97.

INQUISITIVE CODE The big question here is, was this an evolution of the program code which infected the USAF drone’s computer systems? Or was a close variant?

Perhaps more importantly, what are the implications of such inquisitive code invading sensitive government systems – and then

There should be no doubt whatsoever that the age of cyberconflict is now upon us and has global governments in its focus. It is therefore time to look beyond those rolled up security policies and procedures, and look to GRC frameworks. going on to capture data from those systems?

There should be no doubt whatsoever that the age of cyberconflict is now upon us and has global governments in its focus. It is therefore time to look beyond those rolled up security policies and procedures, and look to GRC frameworks such as COBIT (http://bit.ly/ vtZJw8) to help secure our electronic borders, no matter where they may be hosted. L FURTHER INFORMATION twitter.com/ISACANews www.isaca.org/knowledge-center

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> Tier 4 Designed Data Centre > Innovative Eco Cooling & Cold Aisle Containment

> Cloud Computing through IaaS

> HA increases Customer Satisfaction

> Enablement of SaaS

> Flexible Spacing and Comms

> Reduction in Capex Costs

> Experienced Transition & Project Management

> Resilient Dual Power & UPS Feeds > Multiple Diverse Fibre Comms > Biometric and proximity card access > 24 x 7 Security & Onsite Support > Target PUE rating of 1.1

>>>

Blue Chip, Priory Business Park, Franklin Court, Bedford, MK44 3JZ Tel: 01234 817107 Email: info@bluechip.co.uk Web: www.bluechip.co.uk

DATA CENTRE WORLD SHOW PREVIEW

Data Centres

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

DATA CENTRE WORLD SET TO BE A RECORD BREAKER Organisers of the fifth annual Data Centre World exhibition and conference event say they are expecting a record number of exhibitors to attend. In total, over 140 data centre vendors, resellers and equipment suppliers will showcase solutions at the event, held at London’s Olympia Data Centre World is aimed at data centre managers, professionals, distributors and channel partners. The biggest show of its kind in the UK, it targets IT decision makers within organisations who operate or plan to operate a data centre/server room, third party data centre operators, distributors and channel partners and other companies involved in the design, build and maintenance of data centres.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS A total of 48 sessions are scheduled to take place, with keynote speakers from the world’s leading data centre technology companies. Each session is free to attend, and will be visited by leading technology providers and buyers from across the data

centre sector. Among the industry-leaders registered to appear at this year’s show are Telehouse, LSI, Telecity, Interxion and Equinix.

Organisers say visitors to the event will cut their costs, learn from best practice in the industry, network with their counterparts in other organisations, meet the leading suppliers to the market, find out if outsourcing is an option for their company, learn how safe

their data centre actually is, see how data centre location can influence costs, see all the latest technologies under one roof and in one day, save on their power consumption and improve their network speed.

REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES A survey undertaken last year found that 54 per cent of last year’s attendees E

Organisers say visitors to the event will cut their costs, learn from best practice in the industry, network with their counterparts in other organisations and meet the leading suppliers.

British Innovation British Design British Manufacturing

Maximises return on capital Optimises environments Reduces lifecycle costs Enables lower operating costs Looking for the best S.P.E.C. products for your data centre ? Cooper B-Line has a range of solutions to Support, Protect, Enclose and Connect all of you data centre needs.

To learn more please call or visit us on our stand (C22) at Data Centre World

www.cooperbline.com/delta3 - Tel 01278 772600 - delta3@cooperindustries.com

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

Data Centre Cooling Solutions for today, tomorrow, ....and the future

Stulz is a global manufacturer of powerful cooling products specifically designed to support Data Centres, Server Rooms, communications infrastructure and all electronic environments. n Precision Air-Conditioning n High Density Rack Cooling n Indirect ‘Glycol’ Free-Cooling n Direct ‘Fresh Air’ Free-Cooling n Free-Cooling Chillers We specialise in low energy cooling solutions to enhance Power Usage Efficiency & reduce Total Cost of Ownership.

Stulz also offers comprehensive planning advice and support including site-surveys, technical & energy evaluation, installation, commissioning, maintenance & 24/7 emergency support.

Supporting Public Sector Data Centres with powerful, low energy, data centre solutions

Stulz UK Ltd. Telephone: 01372 749666 Email: sales@stulz.co.uk Website: www.stulz.co.uk

Cannon Aisle Cocooning COLD AISLE CONTAINMENT Features & Benefits of Cannon Aisle Cocooning: Segregated cold aisle air flow from hot aisle air flow Maximises cooling effect of cold aisle Reduces workload of computer room air conditioning Reduces energy cost Reduces carbon footprint Will fit any cabinet size Passive cocooning versions Active cocooning versions with automated roof panel opening for instances of fire Totally integrated with cabinet infrastructure Not connected to the building Can be quickly installed Easily relocated Cannon Data Centre Manager remote management upgrades Cannon Aisle Cocooning can be retro-fitted to other manufacturers cabinets if required Can be extended to form a complete Cannon T4 Data Centre POD for disaster recovery development or temporary use

SO

LU

TI

ON

S

Contact us today for your copy of the Cannon Aisle Cocoon brochure

For further details: Email: T4@cannontech.co.uk Call: +44(0)1425 632600 Visit: www.cannontech.co.uk

Cannon Aisle Cocooning is a component of Cannon T4 Data Centre Solutions

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

DATA CENTRE WORLD SHOW PREVIEW E were enterprise vendors from a range of industries including finance, government, health, education, media, retail and leisure.

IT roles and consultants from within manufacturing and the data centre sector (20%) were also well represented.

It is not surprising, therefore, that 38 per cent of visitors to last year’s event planned to spend over £1m annually on data centre products and services – representing almost £1billion of potential business for exhibitors and attendees.

GREEN TECHNOLOGIES With many companies starting to implement green technologies to coincide with the launch of the government’s CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, strategies for implementing such technologies are likely to be high on most business agendas this year.

Visitors to last year’s show stated that they were interested in purchasing in the following segments: cooling and power management (58%), design and build (38%), servers (32%) and security products (30%), underlining the wide breadth of opportunities available at the show.

presentations on the latest issues affecting the data centre. These will be given across three conference theatres; ‘Virtualisation and the Cloud’, ‘IT and Management’ and ‘Infrastructure and Facilities’.

SEMINAR PROGRAMME The conference will also provide visitors with panel discussions, case studies and

FOR MORE INFORMATION Further information and registration at www.datacentreworld.com

Data Centres

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

GETTING INVOLVED The record number of exhibitors at this year’s show highlights the growing importance of the data centre industry in the midst of an economic recession.

The volume of data processed and stored in data centres continues to increase at a rapid pace, which brings new cooling, virtualisation and utilisation technologies into a new and sharper focus. With the most comprehensive collection of data centre experts in the UK now registered, this is an event that shouldn’t be missed by anyone in the industry.

Exhibitors wanting to follow the latest show news can join the press, analysts and key industry figures who follow the show at @DataCentreWorld. By using the #dcwexpo hash tag, exhibitors can ensure their news is included in the all discussions relating to the conference. L

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The Leader in DCIM, Any Way You Look at It

Asset Management

Capacity Management

Change Management

Easier, more accurate tracking and visualization of your data center assets.

Manage your data center capacity more easily than using ExcelÂŽ and VisioÂŽ.

Manage moves, adds and changes in your data center easily and efficiently.

Energy Management

Environment Management

Power Management

Know more about your energy use so you can intelligently manage energy costs.

Intelligent environmental monitoring to help you maintain the health of your data center.

For highly accurate and detailed information about the power in your data center.

There are many Data Center Infrastructure Management options out there, but only Raritan leverages over 25 years as a trusted data center vendor to offer proven, complete, preintegrated solutions that are all available today. www.raritan.co.uk/solutions/dcms

Š 2012 Raritan Inc.

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

Cool solutions for mission critical IT environments

State of the art security enclosures for your data

Cooling Solutions that improve data centre power usage effectiveness Stulz is a global manufacturer of powerful cooling products specifically designed to support data centres, server rooms, communications infrastructure and all other mission critical IT environments.

Recently-introduced design innovations include the CyberAir 3 CRAC units with free-cooling options and 3D-EC low energy fans. The main attraction here is that the completely three-dimensional shape of the impeller, with its aerodynamically shaped blades, greatly enlarges the fan surface and in consequence less energy is required for the same air volume.

With eight CyberAir 3 cooling systems to choose from, data centre managers can select the cooling solution that offers the best balance between capital investment, running costs and energy efficiency for their particular needs.

All configurations are available in upflow and downflow formats

Whether it’s starting from scratch or upgrading your data centre, partnering with a leading British manufacturer like Cooper B-Line makes good business sense.

With a wide range of innovative data centre solutions, like its latest UK designed Delta3 IT enclosure, Cooper B-Line is able to function as a onestop resource for all your physical enclosure needs. The company offers a great depth and breadth of data centre infrastructure solutions that allow customers to maximise their return on capital, optimise environments, reduce lifecycle cost and enable lower operating costs.

Cooper B-Line has expanded its product portfolio to include Delta3 data centre solutions.

These field-configurable products are designed to reduce primary installation costs while offering an extended product life of up

with cooling capacities up to 200kW per unit. As well as chilled or condenser water variants, standard refrigeration systems can be applied and scaled to suit specific project requirements.

Innovative solutions featuring ‘direct fresh-air free cooling’ or ‘indirect glycol-free cooling’ enable energy cost savings of more than 85 per cent, compared with legacy close control airconditioning systems. Significant improvements in PUE can be achieved and quantified through the introduction of the Stulz CyberAir 3 low energy concept.

FOR MORE INFORMATION sales@stulz.co.uk www.stulz.co.uk

to 30 years. This is achieved by building in standard features that reduce remediation costs when equipment changes are made during the lifetime of a client’s data centre. Additional air management components, such as air baffles and aisle containment significantly increase the optimisation of data centre thermal environments.

This allows for lower operating costs by improving both Power Utilisation Efficiency (PUE) and Data Centre infrastructure Efficiency (DCiE). To fit the needs of any data centre, the Delta3 system offers a wide range of product configurations, cooling solutions and future-proof upgrades.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01278 772600 delta3@cooperindustries.com www.cooperbline.co.uk

Fire suppression solutions Better power management for the data industry provision for data centres Raritan’s power management solution provides a wealth of highly accurate and detailed information about the power in your data centre.

In data centres and IT labs everywhere, facilities are approaching operational capacity limits, power resources are increasingly constrained, and the cost of energy is spiraling out of control.

To operate your infrastructure more efficiently while reducing costs and increasing uptime, you’ve probably discovered that you need more information and control. You need to know how much power your operations are using and what’s still available.

Raritan’s energy management software provides easy-to-use, real-time, accurate energy information. Vendor-agnostic centralised power monitoring, along with agentless, graceful OS shutdown, outlet control and thermal and energy analytics.

It also provides kWh per

rack usage and energy costs per customer, department or application, line loads for balancing capacities, rack inlet temperatures and carbon footprint.

All of Raritan’s intelligent rack PDUs and inline meters offer accurate power information with billing-grade, real-time kWh data, current, voltage, active power and apparent power. They also come in the industry’s widest range and configuration options to perfectly meet your needs.

Raritan’s environmental sensors track humidity, temperature, contact closure, air pressure air flow and IT assets.

FOR MORE INFORMATION marketing.europe@ raritan.com www.raritan.com

Nobel Fire Systems has built on over 30 years of reliable, proven technology to develop fire suppression technologies aimed at special risk environments.

The company offers a complete range of services from site survey, consultation and design, through to distribution and installation.

Its clients range from the smallest server room to the most advanced data centres which have special challenges associated with accomplishing effective fire detection and suppression.

A fully comprehensive range of solutions is available including industry-leading water mist and gas suppression systems. In addition, Nobel Fire Systems has introduced a condensed aerosol technology product known as Stat-X. This system is environmentallyfriendly and with no

requirement for pressure vessels, manifolds, nozzles or pipework, allows easy, costeffective installations for all types of data room applications.

Stat-X is up to 10 times more effective than any current halon alternative with zero ozone depletion, and no global warming potential.

All fire suppression solutions are designed to meet specific individual requirements and all installation work is carried out by Nobel Fire System’s in-house specialist teams.

Visitors to the Data Centre World event can also see Nobel Fire Systems on Stand A90.

FOR MORE INFORMATION +44 (0) 1706 625777 sales@nobel-fire-systems.com www.nobel-fire-systems.com

Volume 19.1 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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24-25 APRIL 2012 EARLS COURT, LONDON

THE UK’s LEADING IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT & SUPPORT EVENT

Sponsored by:

Supported by:

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q The Service Desk & IT Support Show provides SD1006 everyone involved in IT Service Management & IT Support with new ideas and solutions for today’s challenges.

Explore 250+ products & services from industry leading suppliers Uncover a vast range of state-of-the-art technology Gain inspiration and practical advice for business improvement Increase team productivity & motivation

Register FREE – quote priority code SD1006 at www.servicedeskshow.com

EXHIBITION

| SEMINARS | EXPERT ADVICE | KEYNOTES | NETWORKING

SERVICES DESK & IT SUPPORT SHOW PREVIEW

EVERYTHING UNDER ONE ROOF

The Service Desk & IT Support Show will be returning to Earls Court on April 24-25, and promises to be one of the biggest and best ever, according to its organisers The Service Desk & IT Support Show (SDITS) exhibition features over 80 leading suppliers demonstrating over 250 products and services all geared towards the provision of inspiration and practical advice for business improvement.

Whether you are looking for updates to an existing system, training suppliers, or seeking inspiration for new solutions, you will find it all under one roof at SDITS. Visitors will also have access to Infosecurity, a leading European security event taking place in neighbouring halls. A single visit has the potential to provide the key opportunity of the year to keep abreast of all that is new in service management and security.

PRODUCTIVITY & MOTIVATION The Service Desk Institute will be present at the show on The SDI Knowledge Centre where it will be helping visitors start their continual service improvement journey. The institute will be offering advice on everything there is to know about becoming a 5-star service desk in 2012 – from leadership and culture to performance, results and customer engagement. It will also be leading a number of seminar sessions including a chance to find out how ‘fit’ your IT service actually is.

SDITS 2012 sees three dedicated theatres on the exhibition floor, alongside the popular Hot Topic Roundtables. The theatres will

IT Support

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

cover a whole range of topics including the Service Catalogue, Lean IT, ITIL 2011, SaaS and managing and motivating your staff – all designed to ensure that, whether visitors are focusing on strategy, process or management, they will find plenty to keep them busy. The Hot Topic Roundtables will also give visitors the opportunity to discuss a host of key issues with professional facilitators and industry colleagues.

KEYNOTE THEATRE The Keynote Theatre, sponsored by Ovum, will be offering inspiration and insight into a whole host of topics. Taking place above the exhibition floor in a purpose-built conference theatre, the sessions will be a mix of presentations, panel discussions and debates on current issues. Leading Ovum analysts will also be offering a strategic outlook on the upcoming challenges that service desks may face.

Another highlight of the show will be the release of a new white paper, ‘Empowering people on the move: how embracing mobile can help transform the delivery of business services’, on April 24, the first day of the event. This new research will look at how the IT support industry is handling mobile, offer practical advice on implementing support, and explore how mobile can drive business forward. The findings will be discussed at a breakfast briefing on the first day.

To find out more about the event, and to register for free using priority code SD1017, please visit the website. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.servicedeskshow.com

Focusing on service to beat the austerity blues Pressure on budgets is forcing local authorities to work out how they can do more with less. This is never an easy task to accomplish.

However, an effective IT service management strategy can quickly create efficiencies that truly help the business transform and succeed, despite severe financial constraints.

A service-focused IS department is one that can readily identify and fulfil the needs of users whilst proactively identifying inefficiencies and unnecessary or avoidable costs.

For example, when numerous people report similar problems, a proactive service management team will have the procedures and reporting structures in place to capture and act upon such information before it adversely impacts the business.

IS must be supported by a well-structured,

ITIL-aligned service management toolset with a customer-focused service desk.

This is critical as it allows IS to advertise the catalogue of services it can offer to help the business, and ensure that these services are fulfilled to agreed targets.

When staff are under pressure to deliver, the IS department has an important role to play in making sure they can do so.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 01428 641616 info@richmondsys.com www.richmondsys.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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ICT Leadership

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

COST-EFFECTIVE WORKING

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IT

Over the past year, O2 has engaged local government IT departments in a consultation exercise that could help to shape the future of IT service provision against a backdrop of financial constraint Nowadays, ICT is the lifeblood of any organisation. In local government, a balance needs to be struck between a successful ICT transformation programme and fulfilling the political agenda at a local level. In the main, ICT departments are being asked to do more for less, but they appear ready to rise to the challenge.

Between July 2010 and May 2011, the O2 Local Government Futures Forum took part in over 14 senior board level sessions, and generated a wealth of individual insight from 150 local government executives. When complete, the extensive, four-stage programme

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aims to help the participating authorities create a vision for making better use of their current ICT infrastructure, resources and skills against a financially challenging background.

The first phase of the research involved each forum bringing IT service staff and representatives of the IT department’s internal customers together with a small team of O2 facilitators. The issues raised have a wide significance across the whole of local government ICT. Information gathered from the forums shows that local government is full of ideas about how to deliver more cost-effective E

ICT Leadership

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

CASE STUDY – Harrogate Borough Council

Neil Prior

E ways of working, and wants to move from a reactive position to becoming proactive in the deployment of new technologies.

The exercise revealed the critical importance of leadership and the need to invest in modern infrastructure, but also that the challenge of less resource can lead to more innovative ways of providing services. Indeed, utilising and getting the best out of technologies currently available echoes a constructive approach to the difficulties facing many local authorities, and will lead to the smarter use of new technologies as they emerge.

Neil Prior, Head of O2’s Local Government Futures Forum, stated: “During our insight gathering phase of the programme, what became apparent is that there is a real desire to drive innovation and transformation in local government using IT. We met passionate and innovative people who want to lead this change and see many collaborative benefits of being part of the Forum.”

PERCEPTIONS OF ICT A report into the exercise by Kable suggests that ICT department’s skills are often overlooked, or in some cases not understood by the wider local authority, and that a higher level of understanding is required to help drive organisational change. Many participants expressed concern about the potential role of ICT being undervalued, when clearly they believe that ICT can do more to help local authorities achieve efficiencies, support flexible working and further engage with citizens.

It suggests a fundamental need to develop active partnerships with external stakeholders in order to address doubts and issues in relation to the perception of the ICT service.

Another priority is to strengthen internal relationships with local authority leaders and the wider public sector. The local authorities involved in the exchange conveyed the encouraging message that ICT departments are willing to rise to the challenges presented by the financial situation. The reports are full of positive suggestions that would help their authorities to run more efficiently, deliver services with fewer resources, and engage more positively with citizens.

Mark Adams-Wright, CIO at Suffolk County

Harrogate Borough Council is one of the largest shire districts in England, forming an integral part of the Leeds City Region. Under its ‘New Ways of Working’ programme, the authority needed to explore how flexible working could save money and improve working practices.

A pilot scheme to identify the business benefits of flexible working across the authority was carried out using O2 technology. Mike Kenworthy, Director of ICT at Harrogate, said: “We’re satisfied with the O2 mobile service we have, and we knew they were interested in working more closely with local authorities. It was a natural fit because O2 were prepared to be flexible and learn with us.”

Using its experienced consultants, O2 recommended the parameters of the trial.

During the six-week pilot, 30 staff were provided with a range of devices and applications and were asked to provide feedback on their suitability for the activities they perform. It identified numerous areas where flexible working would reduce both costs and staff time, and the authority, according to Kenworthy, is already implementing some of the findings: “The pilot gave our team a clear understanding as to what’s available and suitable.”

For example, local authority appointed arboreal teams can quickly identify

diseases by sending images to an expert in the office. In practical terms, this means that days of work can be completed in a few hours, reducing the need to close off roads and disrupt traffic.

Kenworthy estimates that the capital cost of the devices is covered in about two months. He says: “Cost is important, but it’s more important that your suppliers understand where you’re going.”

Flexible working can help to improve customer service considerably, principally by enabling local authority workers to assist customers with other services at any point of contact. Kenworthy explains: “Someone out and about with a mobile device could order services not necessarily related to what they do, for example an Environmental Health Officer at someone’s house could also arrange a large item collection, which is another department. It all adds up to great service.”

HBC is committed to taking advantage of technology to ensure that it is as efficient as possible, in a way that works in practical terms for its employees and citizens alike.

Mike Kenworthy concludes: “There is a whole area where we can see savings but actually the key for us is improving the service. Working with O2 has built our awareness of the enormous potential of moving to more mobile delivery.”

“The facilitated LGFF workshop at Reading Borough Council really helped the Corporate Management team focus on what the role of ICT should be within an ambitious, modernising Council” Mike Ibbitson, IT Director, Reading Council Council, commented: “During difficult financial times, the O2 LGFF initiative has given us a framework for the introspective assessment of the present and future that we really needed to help shape our vision and strategy. The O2 approach has brought true partnership to life and the joint sharing of the Suffolk County Council journey makes the LGFF a key foundation for the realisation of a truly flexible working approach for us.”

Mike Ibbitson, IT Director at Reading Borough Council, said the Forum helped to provide vision and direction. He stated: “The facilitated LGFF workshop at Reading Borough Council really helped the Corporate Management team focus on what the role of ICT should be within an ambitious, modernising Council and where we have strengths and weaknesses. It also gave a vision and direction for the ICT professionals

aiming to step up to the challenges of future work. The work has been informative and immensely useful in providing a focus on the technology and business relationships which are going to be essential to transforming our services over the next 3 to 5 years.”

Neil Prior concluded: “As O2 launches Joined Up Business, this has real relevance to local government in its most challenging phase in modern British history. We believe that the Local Government Futures Forum, coupled with O2’s leadership in the evolution of the industry, offers real benefits to local government as it searches for the answers to today’s challenges” L FOR MORE INFORMATION Web: www.o2.co.uk/enterprise E-mail: neil.prior@o2.com Twitter: @neilprior_o2uk

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[ Tough

quesTion #18 ] NETWORK SECURITY

SECURE REMOTE ACCESS

WEB AND E-MAIL SECURITY

BACKUP AND RECOVERY

POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

Who Makes The highesT PerforMance LoW LaTency nexT-gen fireWaLL?

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SonicWALL® enables IT to get back in control and more easily and efficiently stay ahead of today’s constantly evolving threats and application-related issues. An advanced security platform consolidates core Next-Gen Firewall application intelligence, control and visualization, gateway protection, and inspection for SSL encrypted sessions for enterprises along with WAN acceleration for distributed offices. SonicWALL’s low latency platform scans and secures every packet of every protocol, efficiently securing the network, controlling Web 2.0 apps, and optimizing bandwidth.

Secure network optimization that minimizes complexity and latency is now within reach. Learn about our SuperMassive™ E10000 Series and the rest of our network security line-up at sonicwall.com/optimize

© 2011 SonicWALL, Inc. SonicWALL and the SonicWALL logo are registered trademarks of SonicWALL, Inc.

DYNAMIC SECURITY FOR THE GLOBAL NETWORK

GARTNER SYMPOSIUM/ITXPO

PREDICTING THE IT FUTURE

Gartner Symposium

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

Last years’s Gartner Symposium/ITxpo was attended by hundreds of CIOs, IT executives and senior analysts, together with over 500 major technology vendors. This years plan is already taking shape.

Collectively, Gartner says the events are ‘the most important gathering of CIOs and senior IT Executives’ and feature keynotes from leading CEOs and innovators, hundreds of sessions spanning the depth and breadth of IT, and the opportunity to consult with analysts. Additionally, the symposium and ITxpo also provide invaluable networking opportunities with leading IT solutions providers and industry peers.

Hundreds of Gartner analysts worldwide will be presenting their latest insight and advice on the current and future state of the IT industry.

More than 500 major technology vendors exhibited their latest solutions on the ITxpo show floor.

“There is no other similar annual CIO gathering in the world that offers so many sessions, analysts and CIOs in one setting,” said Debra Logan, vice president and distinguished analyst

at Gartner, and the event’s chair. . Gartner has an unprecedented access to CIOs all over the world, and access to so many and so regularly is unparalleled.

“It is truly a must-attend event for CIOs and senior IT executives,” Logan said.

Last year’s theme at Symposium/ITxpo - ‘Re-imagine IT.’ was all about how CIOs and IT executives exploit technologies for growth opportunity, and how they re-imagine IT as a capability for their organisation to accelerate that growth.

“It is also about how they capture the attention and interest of customers through IT, the citizens, the employees and how they deal with competitors in the economic environment they are in. Therefore CIOs and IT executives should be very focused on the opportunities that technology drives.”

The CIO Programme at the event was based on feedback from more than 1,500 CIOs and included analyst presentations,

problem-solving workshops and meaningful exchange within the CIO community.

Industry-focused tracks featured a wide variety of sessions aligned to the particular challenges and opportunities faced by vertical industries, with real-life examples from the following sectors: energy and utilities, financial services and banking, government and public sector, healthcare, higher education, insurance and manufacturing.

For the government/public sector-focused track, the agenda contained more than 40 workshops, roundtables and plenary sessions.

These included guidance focusing on how to exploit social media across the public sector; how to select the most appropriate sourcing alternatives; how to significantly reduce IT infrastructure and operations costs, and how to explore mobile collaboration. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.gartner.com/eu/symposium

Next generation intelligent firewall technology is here Web 2.0, social media, mobility and cloud computing have dramatically changed the IT landscape and introduced new security threats into government networks. Now traditional firewalls are coming up short as protocol and port number classifications have been rendered ineffective in blocking threats. Many applications are now delivered over the Web sharing common ports and HTTP or HTTPS protocols.

This effectively leaves traditional firewalls blind to these applications and unable to prioritize productive and secure versus unproductive and potentially insecure traffic.

What CIOs and IT Managers need instead is a next-generation firewall featuring application intelligence, control and real time visualization. Among its many benefits, application control promises to restore firewall effectiveness by enabling IT to implement and enforce granular policies governing application access while helping prevent application-layer threats and unwanted exposure of sensitive data.

In this regard, enterprises will be served best by purchasing and implementing a next-generation firewall featuring application control capabilities: • Enable all applications that are being used to support legitimate business

activities, regardless of type or reputation, including difficult to pin-down Web 2.0 and social networking applications • Block all “bad” applications, including “good” ones that are being used in a bad way • Prevent malware, attacks, and data leaks via allowed application traffic, without having to deploy additional, standalone devices/solutions • Prioritize allowed application traffic based on its relative importance to the business • Demonstrate not just compliance but also proficiency when it comes to meeting regulatory requirements pertaining to firewall implementation, network segmentation, and/or user and application–oriented access control SonicWALL has taken firewalls to the next level, integrating application intelligence,

control and visualization. Extending protection beyond network-layer threats, SonicWALL Next-Generation Firewalls are designed to lock down the enterprise against today’s threats, with maximum control over all data and applications that traverse the network. As a result, organization will enjoy application level access controls, restrictions on the transfer of specific files and documents and greater bandwidth management.

SonicWALL introduced early 2011 the SuperMassive™ E10000 Series of Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) consisting of the E10100, the E10200, the E10400 and the flagship E10800.

The SuperMassive Series features a massively scalable multi-core architecture that utilizes up to 96 cores of processing power. It delivers more than 40 Gbps of firewall throughput and over 30 Gbps of application control and Intrusion Prevention Service (IPS) with industry-leading power, space and cooling (PSC) metrics1. Based on these features, the SonicWALL SuperMassive E10000 Series offers unique price/performance and an unmatched combination of price/power/performance. For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com FOR MORE INFORMATION www.sonicwall.com

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

Reliable data erasure with the Tabernus range

Looking for the best on-site data erasure solutions available, without the hassle?

If your IT asset manager isn’t using a certified Tabernus erasure product, can you be sure that your data has been erased to the highest standard? (Currently CESG infosec 5) Don’t miss out on the great offering provided by Tabernus, we can also refer you to one of our qualified Asset disposal Synergy partners to handle your data-erasure requirements.

Tabernus, taking certified data erasure to another level…..without the Jiggery-pokery!

Telephone: 0845 689 1350 Email: UKsales@tabernus.com Website: www.tabernusuk.co.uk

Tabernus is a global provider of certified data erasure software, hardware, and service solutions that completely remove all data from hard drive storage devices.

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.

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

Tabernus UK Ltd, Registered in England and Wales Company Number: 07709850 Wholey owned subsidery of Tabernus LLC, Registered Austin, Texas, USA established 2002

Business Information for Local and Central Government

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Consilium: people, products; problem solved The ‘Consilium Way’ is a passion shared across the company’s business culture, based on a passion for people, products and problem solving.

It’s this passion that has kept their customers in Local Government working together with the Consilium Team over the past 26 years.

In the face of cuts, Mobile Working technology could be one of the few ways to make efficiency savings without impacting on service. Consilium use their experience to guide organisations through Mobility projects from the very beginning.

They provide consultancy to help organisations update Mobile Working strategies and go on to truly realise the benefits.

Consilium’s Enterprise Mobile

Working Solution, TotalMobile™ has been proven to increase productivity and save up to £1.5 m per year. Total Flexibility means the solution can meet the needs of a whole organisation perfectly. It works online and offline, on any device and can be adapted for any worker.

Consilium will share their 26 year of expertise in making organisations more efficient at webinars, seminars and events throughout the year.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.ctechs.co.uk/events

CUSTOMER CONTACT

CUSTOMER PURPOSE REVIEW The Housing Department at Portsmouth City Council exemplifies a different kind of approach which starts by reviewing the customer purpose of the organisation. Portsmouth transformed the housing service and halved the cost of repair, by applying Vanguard’s Systems Thinking methods and uncovering what creates true customer satisfaction.

As Owen Buckwell, Head of Housing, explains: “It’s not about economies of scale, it’s about economies of flow.

Managers need to start looking at different metrics – and gearing their working polices and practices towards a different, customer-focused purpose.”

Innovators show how to “The real change is that I don’t get any create efficiencies by reducing letters about housing,” comments councillor Steve Wylie, who’s city centre ward includes customer effort in public many council tenants. “Residents now have service and making public the attitude that the work will get done.” service a great place to work.

This year, the Planning Forum’s community of best practice is meeting in Professional Planning Forum Blackpool. Efficiency remains high on the director Paul Smedley reports agenda, but again the best innovators are achieving this by engaging their At a time of budget cuts its easy to take our people and focusing on the needs of the eyes away from the needs of our customers community they are there to serve. and our people. Yet some of the most In the customer service team at Sandwell innovative organisations are delivering Council in the Midlands, the vision is to not efficiency by focussing on just that - an just serve the community but to become it. annual gathering in April brings together With active employee support, everyone both private and public sector experience is now required to take part in community to ask of the year’s best innovators: what activities. Furthermore, recruitment to is it that they are doing differently? support the new bin service was directed Back in 2011, members of the Professional at young people who had not been able Planning Forum were bowled over by work to get into the labour market, often part at Surrey County Council and Portsmouth of a multi-generation cycle of deprivation.

City Council’s housing department. Surrey In Sandwell, youth unemployment is County Council, winner of our 2011 nearly double the national average.

Public Sector Innovation Award, Not only have performance successfully streamlined results been outstanding, but process, halved complaints, dents si e R employee satisfaction is up 21 and raised colleague per cent and the centre operates satisfaction to 72 per now have the e th within the usual commercial cent – all while saving t a th attitude constraints, as the council £400,000 for the tax t makes savings and migrate payer. As Simon Pollock, work will ge services including Children’s Head of Customer Service done Social Care. Relationships have explains: “The contact centre been key. Get those right and there has become a barometer of the council’s performance”.

A Customer Service Investigation (CSI) team in the contact centre dig behind customer feedback to identify how to reduce customer effort. They also work with front-line staff and other departments to design solutions. Overall, the council drove improvement projects that have reduced the number of calls coming in by 11.5 per cent and cut cost per contact by 28 per cent.

“

”

are no such things as hard to reach partners or customers. This initiative goes far beyond traditional corporate social responsibility.

A very different kind of initiative can be seen at UCAS: the admission body for UK undergraduate university courses, which serves a national audience and faces well publicised peaks in demand. Here the theme of the Blackpool conference – Planning for Peak Performance – comes out in a fresh and powerful way, as delegates can learn about the benefits achieved by developing and centralising planning and analysis skills.

Previously, these functions were split between team managers, meaning they were often secondary to the people management role.

The appointment of a new chief executive, however, revitalised interest in customer experience and it quickly became clear that success here was dependent on having the right people in the right place at the right time.

FLEXIBLE WORKING A new dedicated planning team created new resourcing and planning models and made more effective use of MI. Together with awareness-raising sessions for frontline staff and flexible working contracts, UCAS has already saved £6,800+ in overtime costs.

There are far fewer instances of unpredicted call volumes and high occupancy, much more consistency in delivering investment time and a massively improved answer rate in the peak months this year.

At Motability, the not-for-profit company is driving further customer improvements by analysing the reasons that customers call and using this data in ways that have also increased efficiency. Average handling time has been reduced by 62 seconds and first point resolution increased from 80 per cent to 86 per cent.

When the community of best practice meets for the annual conference on April 23-24, there will be many other examples – and mangers responsible for transforming public service can learn from the best. L

Written by Paul Smedley, chair, Professional Planning Forum

MAKING LIVES EASIER AND SAVING COST

Talking with members, I am struck by the importance of measures like cost per contact and the value of an organisational structure that brings together online and telephone channels with a team such as the CSI. These innovations do not happen by accident.

Contact Centres

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

FURTHER INFORMATION Paul Smedley is chair of the Professional Planning Forum – an independent body promoting best practice in planning customer contact. Find out more about the work of these organisations at Customer Contact Planning & Strategy 2012 taking place in Blackpool on April 23-34. For further information visit www.planningforum.co.uk

It’s not about economies of scale, it’s about economies of flow. Managers need to start looking at different metrics – and gearing their working polices and practices towards a different, customer focused purpose.

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

Up to 93% energy and carbon savings using Silent Cubes secure archiving Silent Cubes is a secure disk-based archiving system.

It is more secure than a fully mirrored RAID-6 configuration and offers a very different, lower cost, non-proprietary solution with which to manage today’s ever increasing volumes and data retention periods.

There are already hundreds of installations in use within both Central and Local government in mainland Europe, where specific applications include: building control, child/youth welfare, driver licenses, environmental protection, food safety, land registry services, etc. In addition, more than 60 hospitals use Silent Cubes with PACS and patient records. General applications include Document, Content and Records Management, CAD, Multi-media, recordings and securing E-mail archives.

Silent Cubes is certified as Compliant for revision-safe storage and integrates quickly and seamlessly with existing applications.

Each module, smaller than a cubic foot, can store from 2 to 16 TBs. The system is fully scaleable to petabyte capacities and allows for asynchronous data replication.

GID-Quantor Limited

Silent Cubes require no data back-ups to be made, no air-conditioning and can deliver users with up to 93 per cent savings in energy and carbon footprint.

GID-Quantor Ltd. · E-Mail: info@gid-quantor.co.uk · Web: www.gid-quantor.co.uk · Phone: 01444 882258

Serving up a wide range of adventure activities Highline Adventure delivers dynamic mobile outdoor and indoor adventure activities for events, organisations and schools. All activities are suitable for six year olds and above, and include a 9m high climbing wall and 7m spider mountain, archery, bouldering, skateboarding, canoeing, mini-fencing, problem solving / team building, segways and orienteering, all of which promote personal development and working together.

The portable nature of the activities means a convenient, fully supervised, cost effective event can be delivered direct to your venue for an exciting, hassle free day. The company brings its range of risk-assessed and liability insured activities operated by fully qualified staff to your site.

One activity can be brought to your location or a multi-activity programme can be designed to your own specification.

This choice of programmes applies equally well to leisure centres, community and corporate events.

Highline Adventure mobile equipment can be used effectively indoors or outdoors depending on customer requirements and its activity programmes are designed for groups of around 20-25 people per activity.

The company’s aim is to provide a reliable, top quality experience for all participants that is easy for you to achieve at an affordable price.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ww.highlineadventure.co.uk info@highlineadventure.co.uk 0845 4091303

e-cycle On-site Secure Data Erasure Service Remploy e-cycle are experts in the secure erasure of client data.

Our trained engineers will arrive at your location and erase all your media devices to INFOSEC level 5 approval. We already work with many government departments to process and data destroy their unwanted assets.

We will; n Asset track all your hardware using a unique asset tracking number n Asset track your HDD or media item using its serial number n Securely erase your hard disk drives to impact level 5 using Blancco n In the event the hard disk is faulty we will degauss and shred to impact level 5 n You will receive a completed Blancco certificate for each HDD erased n Degaussing certificates and shredding certificates will be supplied with asset details n A full manifest will be supplied showing assets by serial number, client asset number (where applicable) and media serial number n We can further process your assets at our dedicated sites throughout the UK and can refurbish and remarket them in most cases giving you a cost neutral solution Trust Remploy e-cycle to protect your integrity and that of your clients. Do not compromise on security; erase your data in line with government standards, after all:

Your Data Protection is our Business Please contact us on destruction@ecycle.me.uk

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

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

Taking computer control kit to new security levels

Power solutions to suit any size of project

KVM Choice specialises in providing computer control switches, extenders and computer cables that comply with the latest security standards.

The company is a specialist supplier of secure computer control and video distribution equipment. This includes everything from encrypted IP access data centre management solutions to single-user to two computer KVM switches.

It also offers products for office desk and dataroom rackmount use, plus special operational requirements Adder Technology is a leading UK-based developer and manufacturer of secure KVM switches, video and audio extenders, KVM over IP devices and remote management solutions, all available from KVM Choice which is a premier partner and main distributor offering the highest levels of support, assistance and after sales service.

Riello UPS Ltd is the UK subsidiary of Riello UPS S.p.A, Europe’s leading manufacturer of uninterruptible power supplies and standby power systems.

The company is part of the Riello Elettronica Group, with subsidiary businesses and support offices worldwide. Thanks to its focus on customer service, investments and experience, Riello UPS has become a market leader in Europe and one of the world’s top five UPS manufacturers. Riello UPS power solutions can be found within banks, hospitals, airports and almost anywhere a continuous electrical supply is critical.

The Riello UPS product range includes solutions for powering the smallest desktop PCs or the latest super computers used within the most advanced data centre operations.

With uninterruptible power supplies from 350kVA to 6MVA, inverters, generators, switchgear, and flywheels the company provides the complete range of power solutions

Its aim is to make buying the correct equipment easier and accurate. Its website contains detailed specifications and diagrams and you can securely buy online confident that it offers the highest levels of online security. Project specialists can help you plan and a find solution for almost any computer control requirement whether from a description, drawing or tender.

Alternatively the company can visit or survey your site. Its stock holding is the largest in Europe so delivery lead times are as short as possible.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 8995010 Fax: 0845 8995011 sales@kvmchoice www.kvmchoice.com

Providing server security when it’s on the move In the demanding times of increased data security within the government sector, Sunspeed has recognised those requirements and exceeds them when managing dedicated server relocations.

Sunspeed’s government clients range from local councils to the highest UK agencies. It approaches these clients with its own set of security requirements and looks to its experience and knowledge to think outside of the box to increase those levels of IT relocation security.

Sunspeed has invested greatly in the security of its fleet, personnel and relocation procedures. It is confident that it is offering the best possible solution for migration projects, judging by the large number of government agencies using its high security services.

Sunspeed’s additional security provisions include unmarked vehicles with panic buttons, SC Enhanced relocation personnel, GPS tracking with client log-in, high security lockable flight cases, uniquely-numbered vehicle lock bolts and security tags

for the flight cases, additional vehicle deadlocks, unmarked security escorts and a few more high security measures that for obvious reasons cannot be discussed with anyone other than its clients.

Sunspeed knows how critical government hardware and data is and that it is at its most vulnerable when being moved between locations, so it delivers to the highest possible standards – reflected in its ISO 9001 and ISO 27001accreditations.

Sunspeed Transport Services Ltd is celebrating 25 years of business. See the company on stand E90 at the Data Centre World event.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01252 513996 info@sunspeed.co.uk www.sunspeed.co.uk

By adopting a consultative approach and service ethic, Riello UPS Ltd enables its customers to achieve the ultimate in power protection for their business.

It combines cutting-edge technology with a comprehensive and unequalled range of service options to offer real value.

From electrical installation and commissioning, to ongoing maintenance and product training, the business covers all the bases to achieve cost-effective power continuity solutions that take its customers from where they are today, to where they want to be in the future.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact the sales department on 0800 269 394 www.riello-ups.co.uk

Finally, help desk products that are easy on the eye Web Help Desk is the leading cross platform service management solution for support professionals seeking to simplify and control their increasingly complex service management environments.

Its intuitive, web-based user interface is a breath of fresh air. And being accessible from any internet connection, deployment couldn’t be easier.

Available for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Solaris Server platforms, and MS SQL, MySQL, Oracle, Postgres and Frontbase databases, you can be sure that it will fit into your existing infrastructure.

The vast feature set of the Web Help Desk Software is also available as a hosted SaaS plan, hosted on the company’s UK-based servers.

Web Help Desk addresses critical IT and support areas, including: cross-platform 100 per cent Web-Based Help Desk Ticketing; Email-To-Ticket Conversion; Asset and Desktop Management; Knowledge Base Management; Manager Approval Workflow; built-in performance reporting including Management Dashboards and LDAP/active directory sync.

Test-drive the help desk software and find out why IT managers throughout the world choose the Web Help Desk over more costly solutions. Visit the company website to see an online demo, schedule a live tour, or download a 30-day free help desk software trial.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.webhelpdesk.eu.com

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 19.1

set3 Solutions specialises in the complete suite of tools from ManageEngine, the leading provider of cost-effective enterprise IT management software.

The ManageEngine suite offers solutions including network management, ITIL HelpDesk, bandwidth monitoring, application management, desktop management, security management, password management and active directory reporting.

ManageEngine products are easy to install, set up and use, and set3 Solutions offers extensive support, consultation and training. More than 50,000 organisations globally use ManageEngine to take care of their IT management needs.

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus integrates your help desk requests and assets to help you manage your IT effectively.

It helps implement ITIL best practices and troubleshoot IT service requests faster.

ServiceDesk Plus is a highly customisable, easy-toimplement help desk solution.

ManageEngine OpManager is a complete, end-to-end network monitoring solution that offers advanced fault and performance management functionality across critical IT resources such as routers, WAN links, switches, firewalls, physical servers, virtual servers, domain controllers and other IT infrastructure devices.

ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer leverages flow-based network traffic analysis to show you exactly how your bandwidth is being utilised through interface-specific reports on which user, application, source, destination, or conversation are occupying bandwidth.

ManageEngine Applications Manager is an availability and performance monitoring

solution that helps maintain high availability and performance of business applications by ensuring servers and applications have high uptime. This includes server monitoring, application server monitoring, database monitoring, web services monitoring, virtualisation monitoring, cloud monitoring and an array of other application management capabilities that will help IT administrators manage their resources.

ManageEngine Desktop Central is a web-based windows server and desktop management solution that helps in managing thousands of servers/desktops from a central location. It automates the complete desktop management life cycle ranging from a simple system configuration to complex software deployment.

ManageEngine IT360 is an Integrated IT management solution, designed to monitor and manage IT Infrastructure for medium and large enterprises.

It adds a business context to monitoring IT resources, helping the various stakeholders understand the impact of downtimes on business. An easy-to-use web console guides the user to monitor the availability and performance of the network, servers and applications. The inbuilt ITILready service desk helps reduce the complexity of workflows in production and makes it easy for IT administrators to run IT operations effectively.

To discuss how ManageEngine software could benefit your organisation contact set3 Solutions, the UK’s ManageEngine specialists.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 0843 289 5383 sales@set3.co.uk www.set3.co.uk

DATA BREACHES

Identity Fraud

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

d

tral an “Cen government,

DATA-SHARING TO BEAT DATA BREACHING

local ther the NHS and o ies d o public sector b nted u combined, acco 5%) 6 y rl ea (n for 388 hes ac re b e of all th reported”

CIFAS members have reported fraud savings of £4 billion through the use of its National Fraud Database. Kate Beddington-Brown discusses the impact of identity fraud.

In its 2011 annual report, the Information Commissioner’s Office reported that 603 data breaches had been reported. While the private sector accounted for the largest single segment (186 breaches reported), the public sector is not immune and is surprisingly vulnerable. Central and local government, the NHS and other public sector bodies combined, accounted for 388 (nearly 65%) of all the breaches reported.

While the seriousness of a data breach is never underestimated, the effects are, possibly less easy to quantify. Reputationally, at least, the effects are the same no matter whether the organisation is a public or private sector one: confidence and trust in the organisation is seriously undermined. The penalties imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office for serious data breaches – up to £500,000 – also apply equally across the public and private sectors. From a media standpoint, however, the ‘story’ of a data breach tends to attract more attention when it is a public body that has lost

data: not least because the quantity of data collected and stored by such organisations tends to be so much greater. But the question in everyone’s mind remains the same: what might happen to the data that has been lost or stolen and is any of it about me?

Potentially, of course, nothing happens to it. If a data breach occurred through the theft of an unencrypted work laptop, it is highly likely that it was the laptop – rather than the documents contained within it – that was the target for the thief. But even in such situations, the potential for mischief looms large in the minds of those responsible for the data breach and of those whose data is at risk.

DATA IS THE NEW CURRENCY The age old aphorism states that knowledge is power. Data, of course, is a key source of much knowledge. In the private sector, the threat of identity fraud (the use of a completely fictitious identity or the impersonation of a genuine individual to gain

products or services in the victim’s name) is one that has become more prevalent over the past five years. Identity fraud, in cases of impersonation of course, is a prime example of how powerful knowledge can be. In 2010, identity fraud accounted for nearly one half of all frauds (47%) recorded

by Members of CIFAS – the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service and, given that the same fraudsters attack both public and private bodies, the threat has to be seen as universal.

The case of ‘David Peters’ (a prolific identity fraudster based in North London) is a prime example. Over several years, Peters systematically defrauded both public and private sector organisations using fraudulent passports, driving licences and national insurance numbers totalling at least 131 different identities. Police and DWP investigations established that Peters made at least £1 million from defrauding, among others, CIFAS Member organisations and local councils. Indeed, Judge Gerald Gordon, E

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Our Experience Is Your Guarantee Sunspeed are the leaders in the dedicated relocation of IT equipment across the UK and Europe working closely with all Government sectors, from local councils to the highest Government Agencies. Celebrating 25 years in business in 2012.

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DATA BREACHES

Identity Fraud

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

E when sentencing ‘Peters’, noted: “I have not the slightest idea what your actual name is.”

In addition to the overall scale of identity fraud, the number of individual victims of impersonation recorded on the CIFAS database has continued to increase, from 77,500 on 2007 to 102,600 recorded in 2010.

For any of those victims, one of their first questions will tend to be ‘how did the fraudster get my details?’ There are numerous ways that details could have been gained: including the fraudster being a friend or relative, through to a handbag or case being stolen, skimming, phishing, details being freely available through online sites such as facebook and – of course – data breaches.

UNDERSTANDING THE FRAUD PROBLEM For an identity fraud to be successful, the fraudster needs to have enough information to impersonate the applicant plausibly. In other words, the details provided need to be correct or seem correct. Therefore, when data is lost or stolen (data that has already been verified by the body collecting it as correct and up to date), a criminal potentially has access to a treasure trove of correct details: full names, addresses, postcodes, employment details, contact details, bank account numbers etc. If an organisation (be it a Government department, a local authority or a bank) is unaware of the data loss or breach, and then receives an application or service request that looks and seems genuine, filled with correct data, then how is it to know that the application is not genuine?

The problem is the same no matter who lost the data: benefit records and credit card customer details are equally valuable to a fraudster and the greater the quality and quantity of data, the greater the potential criminal damage that can be caused. So, in such situations, what duty of care does this impose upon the bodies that have suffered a data breach?

DATA SHARING – THE ACCEPTABLE WAY OF BATTLING IDENTITY FRAUD Members of CIFAS share information on proven frauds in order to prevent further fraud and, during the last five years Members have reported fraud savings of £4 billion through the use of the CIFAS National Fraud Database. By sharing information on confirmed frauds, Members are able to verify applications and carry out additional checks to ascertain whether the application is fraudulent or not. Details of victims of impersonation are also shared in the same way. By sharing this information, organisations that have been attacked by fraudsters are fulfilling the ultimate duty of care; demonstrating that fraud is a shared problem, noting that the innocent victim has been impersonated, and informing other bodies that additional checks must be made, to verify the application’s validity (or lack of it).

Protection is also available for those whose personal data has been lost or stolen. For organisations who choose this option, CIFAS Bulk Protective Registration would place a warning flag on the CIFAS National Fraud Database against the names and details of every person whose personal data had been compromised. This would alert any CIFAS Member receiving an application in

or passports). In other words, every product or service can be targeted by an identity fraudster: benefits, passports and numerous other public sector offerings included – as the case of ‘David Peters’ has demonstrated.

Any organisation that has suffered a data breach must recognise that its first priority is the protection of those whose data is at risk. By taking reasonable steps

Any organisation that has suffered a data breach must recognise that its first priority is the protection of those whose data is at risk. that person’s name to carry out additional checks and verify that the application or claim came from the genuine individual and not a fraudster impersonating him or her. Bulk Protective Registration not only helps a data controller fulfil its duty of care to affected customers, but it helps proactively to address and counteract the criminals that could be attempting to inflict further reputational and financial damage on organisations and individuals alike.

THE THREAT IS EVERYWHERE In 2010, over 11,000 bank accounts were targeted by identity fraudsters. This was in addition to over 44,000 mail order accounts, 23,500 plastic card accounts and nearly 17,000 communications accounts. There have even been identity frauds targeting life insurance and pension policies. Considering that insurance covers a named party, this indicates that the false identities are likely to be used for more than just acquiring funds (e.g. obtaining fake driving licences

to ensure that victims are informed and protected, and their vulnerability to identity fraud is communicated to them (and other organisations), those bodies that have suffered a data breach will take the power away from the data thieves. This helps to prevent further individuals becoming victims of identity fraud and, in turn, helps to save vast sums from being lost to fraudsters.

ABOUT CIFAS Kate Beddington-Brown is Head of Communications at CIFAS, the UK Fraud Prevention Service- a not-for-profit membership association representing the private and public sectors. CIFAS is dedicated to the prevention of fraud, including staff fraud, and the identification of financial and related crime. CIFAS operates the National Fraud Database (NFD) and the Staff Fraud Database (SFD). L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.cifas.org.uk

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