Facilitated Efficiency Challenge

Building upon the authority specific benchmarking reports delivered to all East Midlands district and unitary authorities the Facilitated Efficiency Challenge is the next stage in the process to support councils in identifying actions to deliver efficiencies within specific services.

What is it?
A facilitated workshop with an associated tool to enable senior managers to challenge their efficiency agenda and to identify actions towards the realisation of efficiency savings.

What are the benefits?
Senior managers will raise their awareness of their current approach to realising efficiencies and their ability to work corporately to help deliver savings across the council. They will be able to take stock and to identify the things that they should keep doing, the things that they should do differently and the things that they should start doing in order to meet their efficiency targets.

How does it work?
Our facilitators will work with you to take you through the key issues highlighted in the Efficiency Challenge tool. Colleagues will be given an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences and be asked to work together to build a group consensus and common understanding of the challenges and issues. The focus is then on identifying an appropriate action plan to ensure the effective implementation of efficiency savings for the Council. Each session will cover two elements:

• Overview of the Council's Financial Position
• Focus on one specific Service which the Council has identified

What Service areas are covered by the tool?

- Waste collection o Information technology
- Street cleaning o HR
- Revenue & benefits o Property
- Planning o Finance
- Housing o Procurement
- Community Safety o Customer Services
- Parks & Open Spaces

What are the outcomes?
An agreed action plan of 5 key activities and practical outputs that the participants agree to take forward and develop as appropriate into detailed actions to deliver efficiencies.

Who should participate in the session?
It is important that both corporate management and service management agree the actions necessary to drive efficiencies. The following are key:

- Director of Resources
- Service Director
- Head of Service
- Operational Service Manager
- Finance Manager

Further information Andrew Foster on 07921 491 698 or email andrew.foster@nottscc.gov.uk

 
Programme timetable:


09.00 Arrival

09.00 Introductions

09.15 Applying the Efficiency Challenge Tool to the corporate overview

- All participants answer the Overarching questions individually
- In pairs talk about the responses and agree a common response
- Group discussion on each question arriving at a consensual response
- Sum up - conclusion

10.05 Comfort break

10.15 Applying the Efficiency challenge Tool to the specific service

- All participants answer the Overarching questions individually
- In pairs talk about the responses and agree a common response
- Group discussion on each question arriving at a consensual response
- Sum up - conclusion

11.30 - 12.45 Developing an overarching action plan

- Participants to individually identify key actions
- Discussion and place these actions on flip chart
- Each participant to identify 3 priority areas
- Score each action against participants preferences
- Consolidate if necessary - agree consensus.

1.00 Finish