We have a demonstrable track record of working with the public sector delivering services ranging from individual Authority Efficiency Reviews including round re-organisation, Strategic Service Reviews, contract development and procurement (PFI and PPP including those using the competitive dialogue process), change management, organisational development, performance management, joint working development and project and interim management to single authority DSO service transformation.
Our main focus now is on efficiency review work, often working with both tiers of local government in partnership projects to achieve strategic improvements and cost savings.
Nothing Beats Experience
Our experienced staff and partners have worked with Waste Collection and Disposal Authorities, Unitary and County Councils, London Boroughs (individually and in partnerships), iESE (Improvement and Efficiency Social Enterprise, the Public Sector’s transformation partner) and DEFRA on waste related projects.
We also have first-hand knowledge of re-structuring/merging of DSOs and the re-integration of out-sourced services, both on the client and DSO side.
Our Current Focus
Joint Working and Partnerships
The Innovation Forum Report ‘Joint Working in Waste Management’ (2006) identified that by working together to deliver waste management services councils could reduce expenditure by around 12.5%.
This influential report also played a key role in the development of legislation for establishing Joint Waste Authorities.
The Waste Strategy for England 2007 encourages local authorities to seek to work together where efficiencies can be delivered.
This is reflected in The Coalition: Our Programme for Government on Communities and Local Government (30 July 2010) document which says ‘We have made clear that we want to see more service sharing in local government. Examples exist, with councils sharing management teams or back office services such as IT, payroll and human resources. And in front line services such as building control and benefit services.’
There is plenty of scope to add waste management and other services regularly grouped together by local authorities including street scene, public conveniences, car parks, grounds maintenance, enforcement and fleet management to this example.
The benefits and efficiencies that can accrue from working with others and partnerships is increasingly being evidenced and include joint procurement, shared services and shared management structures. In a number of authorities this has started as a top down approach with shared Chief Executive Officers.
WasteConsulting has experience of working with groups of local authorities to develop a business case approach to joint working and, if the business case ‘stacks up’ identifying the best governance structure to take it forwards – whether that be a Memorandum of Understanding, Inter Authority Agreement a Joint Committee, or even, in time, a Joint Waste Authority.