In the current economic climate value for money and effective service delivery has never been more essential.

As part of the East Midlands Efficiency Challenge programme EM IEP commissioned Keep Britain Tidy to undertake research and comparisons of the cost and performance of local authorities local environmental quality services.

The event will identify and disseminate good practice and will facilitate effective and efficient Local Environmental Quality management systems and techniques. The event will identify both cashable and non-cashable savings which could be implemented into this high profile front line service, in a time of increasing financial austerity and the need to deliver ‘more for less'.

Who should attend?

• Finance Directors
• Directors of Environmental Services
• Heads of Services
• Policy makers

You will have an opportunity to:

• Receive an overview on improving efficiency in Local Environmental Quality
• See examples of how to identify and implement small scale efficiencies and non cashable savings
• See examples of alternative service delivery models, including large scale efficiencies and possible values which could be realised
• Discuss examples of good practice from across the region
• Discuss the next steps for your council could take to realise efficiency savings

The workshop session will include:

Workshop one: Scrutinising the detail of larger scale efficiencies - Paula Claytonsmith
Larger scale efficiencies require a more corporate approach to achieving cost. Although larger scale efficiencies can take a longer period of time to realise, they provide higher levels of returns. Has your authority exhausted all the operational avenues to making efficiencies and is looking to move up to the next level? If so then this workshop could help you.

The workshop will help to unpick the detail behind making larger scale efficiencies and give attendees an insight into how they can apply those principles to their own local authority situation.

Workshop two: Making efficiency savings through the use of ICT - Caroline Davies
Using technology is consistently being seen as a way of reducing cost and inefficiency whether through the wider procurement of handheld devices to save officer time in the field, or through the use of computer programmes to increase efficiency of reporting from members of the public and/or officers.

This workshop will take a closer look at the use of ICT in street scene and how the broadening use of such applications can help authorities realise greater efficiencies whilst committing to the Government's agenda by empowering communities in local decision making.

Workshop three: Changing behaviour and what this means to streetscene - Jo Butcher
Choices made by the public on a day-to-day basis impact on the work of councils, and the cost of that work. The concept of behaviour change is about the relationship between positive changes in behaviour and cutting costs. Efficiency and innovation are critical drivers for behaviour change; many of the streetscene services in East Midlands spend significant amounts of their budgets dealing with local environmental quality issues that could be reduced through behaviour change.

This workshop will look at the pros and cons of behaviour change, what sort of efficiencies you can expect through using this approach and the impact that this approach will have on the local area.

Workshop four: Operational efficiencies - Amy Morgan
All councils have the potential to make cashable and non cashable savings. However the levels of savings will vary considerably depending on the level of optimisation they have already carried out. This level of optimisation on average would be between 0 and 30%. An authority that has made little or no operational optimisations could realise savings of around 30%.

This workshop is aimed at councils that have yet to start making operational efficiencies and will look at the various options councils can use to start making efficiencies. It will cover four elements of operations: administration, performance management, training / up-skilling and operations.