Opportunity to Join IT Hardware e-Auction

16 Jul 2010

There is an opportunity to join in an e auction for IT Hardware being run by OGC.
This auction is being run at no cost to councils.

Some County Councils & Districts in the East Midlands have already used this route previously and made significant savings

For more information and how to join please contact:

Andrew Foster
Assistant Director
East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership

Email: andrew.foster@nottscc.gov.uk  

EM IEP helps authorities improve and save millions in the East Midlands

15 Jul 2010

The East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership is a member-led partnership of the 46 East Midlands local authorities and the five Fire & Rescue authorities. The EM IEP is driving forward service improvement, focussing on supporting local authorities to accelerate efficiency gains, to build capacity and to foster innovative and collaborative working.

The following summary provides the headlines of how the EM IEP is meeting the challenge of sector-led support for improvement and innovation by achieving more through partnerships and collaboration.

1. Efficiency Programme - The EM IEP has enabled local authorities in the region to deliver £35m efficiency savings in the first two years. This provides a return on investment of 3:1 on the first two years of the core funding of £12.46m. The EM IEP has set a target of a return on investment for the 3 year programme of £78m, a ratio of 4:1 on the core funding of £19.6m.

However, the efficiency savings are predicted to rise to £217m over a five year period. EM IEP is providing a broad range of support to help authorities to make efficiency savings through smarter procurement and transforming services by working in partnership and collaboratively with stakeholders. The efficiency programme is also providing a comparison of authorities' cost/performance to provide a tailored challenge testing the robust nature of their efficiency programmes and to facilitate the re-modelling and improvement of services.

2. Fire & Rescue Improvement Programme - In working collaboratively, the services will build capacity, create opportunity and under the stewardship of the East Midlands Regional Management Board (EMRMB), improve service delivery. EM IEP funding has been used to support the EMRMB to deliver the following: a regional finance system replacement and rollout; an audit/assessment of recruitment; a review of regional assessment centre performance; member induction training for new EMRMB members.

3. Community and Neighbourhood Development Programme - The Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 created greater opportunities for community and individual involvement in local decision-making. Through developing their skills and knowledge as community leaders at the neighbourhood/ward and corporate levels, this programme is helping elected members to be in a position to shape the emerging agenda rather than just respond to it. EM IEP programme is supporting the delivery of the Local Area Agreements (LAAs) by working with partners and stakeholders to provide a targeted and information driven programme of free events, networks and use of Local Improvement
Advisers.

4. Economic Growth Programme - A practical programme is being delivered covering the key themes of Housing & Economic Growth, Skills/Worklessness and Supporting the Local Economy. The programme brings together authorities, business, voluntary sector and other agencies to facilitate the development of practical solutions by supplementing and providing additionality to other centrally funded programmes.

5. Performance Improvement for Councils in Difficulty - The EM IEP programme includes an element of funding that is 'set aside' for Peer support from the region's councillors and officers for 'councils in difficulty', where this need is identified by the EM IEP Board and partners in GOEM and IDeA. The protocol for this support is set out in the EM IEP Regional Improvement and Efficiency Strategy. In addition regional and sub regional programmes have provided support to help improve performance in areas identified as weaknesses through the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA).

6. Adult Social Care Programme - all nine Directors of Adult Social Care are working together with the Department of Health East Midlands, the Strategic Health Authority and other key stakeholders to implement the regional Joint Improvement Plan (JIP) priorities. The JIP programme consists of 27 improvement and efficiency projects.

7. Children & Young People's Programme - the Joint Regional Improvement and Efficiency Plan for Children & Young People's Services is enabling greater collaboration and focused activity, across the region, to enable all partners to make better use of existing resources in the achievement of agreed common regional service improvement and efficiency objectives.

8. Climate Change Programme - The EM IEP climate change programme is being delivered through a partnership - °Climate East Midlands, which comprises the regional climate change coordinator and partners. The programme consists of three elements: Planning to Adapt - a collaborative to support the NI188 target for the East Midlands; Carbon Management - to facilitate all local authorities in the East Midlands having in place a carbon management plan; Climate Change Skills - to support local authorities to build skills and capacity across a range of responsibilities needed to tackle climate change.

9. Environmental Services Programme - is enabling local authorities to deliver efficiencies and improvements in Waste Management and Local Environmental Quality service delivery.

10. Sub Regional Partnerships' (SRP) Programmes - The establishment and funding support for the five SRPs has enabled engagement with all East Midlands 46 local authorities and five Fire & Rescue Services. Through this engagement the SRPs have been able to support the development of shared services and two tier working collaboration within
the five county areas of the East Midlands.

11. Total Place - The EM IEP has supported the Leicestershire/Leicester Total Place Pilot, sharing best practice and developing the thinking in the region through two workshops in the early part of 2010. The EM IEP Board has subsequently approved and additional £1.1m to support a range of Total Place projects across the region in 2010/2011.

12. Efficiency and Transformation Programme - An additional £6m capital funding has been received by the EM IEP to support Efficiency & Transformation activity. These funds have been allocated to a range of projects requiring capital expenditure, in particular systems innovation, which is enabling transformation of delivery of a range of shared services.

These regional and sub regional programmes have been developed to achieve real change in the way services are configured and delivered. These programmes have enabled all of the region's 46 local authorities and five Fire & Rescue authorities (and in many cases other partners i.e. police, PCTs etc) access to funding and support at a regional and sub regional level to 'join up' services, improve service delivery and accelerate efficiency gains. Progress of delivery of benefits are reported in the body of this report.

For more information about individual programmes, please contact the relevant member of staff, contacts information is available on our Support Team page.

Publicity for Transactions Above £500

14 Jul 2010

The new Coalition government has stated their commitment to greater openness and transparency in public sector spending. From a local authority perspective, attention has focused on the need to publicise information on items of spending over £500 on an ongoing basis. The recommendations are re-stated in a recent letter to all government departments from the Prime Minister:

"Local government spending transparency
New items of local government spending over £500 to be published on a council-by-council basis from January 2011.
New local government contracts and tender documents for expenditure over £500 to be published in full from January 2011."

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has issued this advice to local authorities on the current situation:

- The intention is to be "light touch" about the prescription / frequency etc.
- Local government needs to respond without waiting for any detailed guidance - the important thing is to demonstrate that you understand the need to address the agenda
- There is a need to make a "cultural shift" towards greater openness, NOT to wait for central government to prescribe the requirements in detail
- Detailed prescription will only be deemed necessary if local authorities are seen to be ignoring or not complying with the requirements outlined above

Notwithstanding the above, CLG did make the following clarifications:

- Frequency - monthly is fine, weekly is excessive, annually is not good enough
- The £500 is a "level playing field" - there is no distinction dependent on the authorities' size
- Payroll is not included
- Benefit payments are not included
- Further clarification is being sought on payments made by schools
- Social services payments are not included
- There needs to be recognition about sensitivity on payments to individual citizens

Existing Good Practice
There are a number of examples, both regionally and nationally, where authorities or organizations have responded to this issue and these are listed below for reference and interest. All of these are considered to meet or be working towards meeting the transparency requirements.

"Spotlight on Spend" (www.spotlightonspend.org.uk/) - an on-line system currently used by a number of small councils in the South-East

GLA on-line - a system used by the Greater London Authority covering spend over £1,000
www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/greater-london-authority/expenditure-over-1000  

PPN 15/10 Use of Framework Agreements Set Up by Non-Contracting Authorities

13 Jul 2010

Some organisations that are not contracting authorities have either established or are attempting to establish arrangements described as framework agreements for use by contracting authorities across the public sector. These agreements should not be used by contracting authorities - this PPN outlines the issues and risks for contracting authorities considering the use of these agreements.

PPN 15/10

National Waste Partnerships Mapping and Support Strategy Project

13 Jul 2010

Local authorities working in partnership are a significant element in the successful delivery of the Government’s waste strategy objectives to reduce municipal waste disposal to landfill and to prevent waste and increase re-use, recycling and composting.

This project was commissioned by DEFRA and Improvement and Efficiency South East (IESE) and required Beasley Associates Ltd to: map out the extent and range of partnership working within local authorities in England; conduct a ‘health check’ on the state of municipal waste partnerships; and, identify areas where further support from DEFRA and its support agencies could assist in developing partnership working and accelerate the ability for local authority waste services to identify and implement efficiency savings through better collaboration.

Of 51 active local authority waste partnerships identified in England, current information was gained from 47 in a series of structured interviews and an analysis of activities. A number of other interviews were carried out with partnerships no longer active and also with representatives from RIEPs to provide additional context.

EM IEP Annual Conference attracts over 100 delegates

13 Jul 2010

The annual East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership conference took place on 29th June this year and saw over 100 delegates in attendance.

The Conference celebrated the achievements of authorities from across the region and attracted the likes of councillors, chief executives and senior managers from local authorities across the region.

The event opened with a welcome from Councillor Martin Hill OBE, Chair of the EM IEP Board. Stephen Hillier, Director of GOEM, followed with a frank view of the challenges the new government may bring for local authorities and what the next five years has in store for public services. Councillor David Parsons, CBE spoke about the Local Government Association's position on sector-led improvement. EM IEP Steering Group Chair, Nick Hodgson, discussed the impact the EM IEP has been making in the region as millions of pounds worth of efficiency savings and service improvements have been made over the past year.

Delegates also watched a series of short films featuring examples from the region's authorities of good practice, took away a set of good practice case studies and our 2009-10 Annual Report. They also took part in interactive showcase sessions covering a range of topics. The conference was as an excellent opportunity for networking and to celebrate the successful achievements by our 46 local councils and five fire and rescue authorities.

Download conference photographs here.
Download conference presentations here.
Watch our short films here.
Read case studies here.
Read our 2009-10 Annual Report here.

Unsung heroes crowned council workers of the year

13 Jul 2010

The winners of the Council Worker of the Year Awards 2010 have been revealed as the nation celebrates its unsung heroes. After weeks of intense voting, the worthy nominees were recognised at an awards ceremony last night on the final evening of the Local Government Group's Annual Conference in Bournemouth.

Hundreds of hard-working staff were put forward by their councils and after 23 candidates were shortlisted in six categories, the public have chosen who they think most deserves to be honoured.

The winners and categories are:
• Lifetime Service - John Purcell (Hillingdon Council)
• Bravery - Paul Child (Hampshire County Council)
• Community Engagement - Jenny King (North East Lincolnshire Council)
• Green Award - Leo McMulkin (Birmingham City Council)
• Working with Young People - Joanne Butterworth (Salford City Council)
• Team of the Year - Gas Maintenance Team (Birmingham City Council)

Congratulations go to the East Midlands winner Jenny King who was crowned Community Engagement category winner for her work as Coordinator at Central Children's Centre in Grimsbury.

The North East Lincolnshire Council worker has worked tirelessly to transform the venue into a valuable, vibrant and inclusive resource at the heart of the community. It offers a range of programmes and social groups which are raising aspirations, offering life skills and empowering people to make a difference to their own lives in an area which has high numbers of teenage pregnancies and single parents. Jenny is also the champion for a community allotment helping people with healthy eating and exercise.

Congratulations also goes to Rushcliffe Borough Council's Streetwise Champion Chris Carnell who was a runner-up in the Bravery Category.

Dame Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "There are hundreds of thousands of council employees across this country who work to improve their local areas every single day. Amid the current climate of wide-spread cuts, the Council Worker of the Year Awards provide a much needed opportunity to recognise some of the outstanding contributions made by local authority staff who routinely go above and beyond the call of duty in their service to the community."

Click on the links below to watch short films about Jenny King and Chris Carnell:

http://www.localgovernmentchannel.com/awards/#/c/community_engagement_2010/ 

http://www.localgovernmentchannel.com/awards/#/c/bravery_2010/v/chris_carnell/

EM IEP Improvement Prospectus

13 Jul 2010

Working through the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) authorities have been given the opportunity to manage their own improvement.
The EM IEP is driving forward service improvement, focussing on supporting local authorities to build capacity and to foster innovation and collaborative working.  This short document explains how the EM IEP is helping authorities meet this challenge. The East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) is a partnership of all 46 councils and 5 fire & rescue authorities in the region,led by elected Members. It aims to bring lasting improvements to our area and has a budget of just over £35 million over three years to do exactly that. To help make sure that local needs are being met, £19 million of the budget is devolved to five Sub-Regional Partnerships (SRPs) - Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire & Rutland. The money will be used to support the delivery of efficiency savings and service improvements as well as helping struggling councils or services. The partnership will provide local authorities with support to enable them to reach these targets in ways that will benefit their communities. This document is divided into two sections - the first presenting the support that is available regionally, the second presenting the projects being funded by each of the SRPs.

Councillor Martin Hill, OBE
Leader of Lincolnshire County Council and Chair of the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) Board

EM IEP Support for Making Efficiencies and Transforming Services

13 Jul 2010

The economic outlook remains bleak, with local authorities expecting substantial cuts in government funding. Authorities will need to do 'more for less', taking difficult decisions in order to make vital efficiency savings. In such challenging times, we can't just wait to see what happens; we must act now to improve and strengthen pubic services. But you don't need to do it on your own. The East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) exists to support authorities, with a wide range of projects and initiatives. This short document explains how the EM IEP can help authorities make efficiency savings and transform their services. I commend this support to you and your authority.

Councillor Martin Hill, OBE
Leader of Lincolnshire County Council and Chair of the East Midlands Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (EM IEP) Board

PPN 14/10 How to Indicate the Use of Electronic Auctions on Contract Notices

13 Jul 2010

Guidance from the OGC re e- auctions aims to provide clarification for contracting authorities on the appropriate wording to be used in contract notices to indicate that an electronic auction (eAuction) may be used; in the evaluation of tenders to establish a contract or Framework Agreement; or in the evaluation of tenders as part of a mini competition to establish call off contracts under a Framework Agreement.

PPN 14/10

CSIT Efficiency theme trialled by CIPEM

09 Jul 2010

The Cultural Improvement Partnership East Midlands (CIPEM) is supporting a national pilot to see how the CSIT (Culture & Sport Improvement Toolkit) can be adapted to better address the, very current, efficiency agenda.

IDeA colleagues nationally have adapted the CSIT tool to incorporate a ninth theme (with the existing eight themes remaining unchanged). Over the coming months the tool will be used by authorities across the sub-regions to identify improvements and efficiencies.

Derbyshire are taking-up the challenge first with colleagues in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to follow. IDeA are watching the pilot carefully and we will let you have news of this nationally significant pilot as it develops.

More information from Jo Hull

National Contract for Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources in Local Government and Education

09 Jul 2010

Update on the national M-STAR project, July 2010.

M-STAR, the Managed Service for Temporary Agency Resources framework, has been commissioned by the Local Government Professional Services Group (LGPSG). MSTAR will be national framework for managed services for agency workers. Covering supply for both local government and education, it is anticipated that this framework will be available from January 2011; we are aiming to post an OJEU notice in August 2010.

Consultation is underway to ensure that organisations considering using this framework have a chance to feed into the scope and specification, to be assured it will meet their needs. A series of workshops have been held with attendance from around 15 local authorities, plus education representatives.

A Virtual consultation group has also been created, with representatives from another 14 organisations feeding into development of the framework model, scope and specification.

There are still opportunities to become involved in the development and letting of the framework, as follows:

Virtual Wider Working Group:
This group is for organisations who are intending or seriously considering this framework as their primary option and wish to ensure it meets their needs. The VWWG are issued with documentation, and asked to return comments, feedback, issues etc within a fixed timescale (usually 7-10 days) for these to be incorporated as far as is feasible.

Wider Stakeholder Group:
This group is for organisations who may consider this framework as an option in the future, and wish to receive updates as to progress. Input from this group is therefore based around reviewing and commenting on final documentation.

How to get involved
If your organisation would like to take part in developing and using this framework, please email professionalservices@ogc.gsi.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Supplier Engagement
A PIN has been posted to place the market on alert. This can be viewed at http://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:70830-2010:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0. A supplier briefing session will be arranged to obtain market feedback prior to the OJEU being posted. Once the OJEU is posted, bidder briefing sessions will be arranged.

Queries from interested potential suppliers should be directed to Kate Shaw, Group Buyer, ESPO (0116 294 4007 or k.shaw@espo.org)

Got a question?
Local Government:
Contact Olivia Thomson, Commercial Delivery Manager, OGC (0207 271 2813 or olivia.thomson@ogc.gsi.gov.uk)

Or contact your LGPSG Representative:
www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/LGPSG_Contacts.pdf  

Education:
Contact Paul Snook, Department for Education (formerly DCSF) (0207 340 8361 or paul.snook@education.gsi.gov.uk)

More about the M-STAR project
This framework is being let by ESPO on behalf of the Local Government Professional Services Group (LGPSG), with input direct from local authorities, the Department for Education (previously DCSF), the Regional Improvement and Efficiency partnerships (RIEPs) and OGC.

For updates, go to http://www.ogc.gov.uk/managedservicecontract.asp  

New: Useful Waste Publications

08 Jul 2010

If you are interested in reading some useful guidance on saving money in waste and recycling services or benchmarking and comparing costs in waste and recycling please click on this link.

More for Less, Guidance for Local Authorities on Saving Money in Waste and Recycling Services

08 Jul 2010

We know the pressure is on you to save money. This guidance covers some of the main things that councils can do (and some have done) to save money while either maintaining or improving services. This can help all councils whether their service is in-house or contracted-out.

This docuement is relevant to:

• Collection / WCAs?
• Disposal / WDAs?
• In-house services/DSOs?
• Contracted-out services?

Benchmarking and Comparing Costs in Waste and Recycling

08 Jul 2010

1. Benchmarking and comparing costs in waste and recycling: why is
it so complex?
2. What is the primary reason for your council wanting to compare
costs?
3. Efficiency reviews - is benchmarking necessary?
4. Differing collection policies - the main factor explaining cost
variation
5. Basic benchmarking / basic costs or component costs
comparisons: useful pointers
6. Comparing costs in more detail
7. General advice

Equalities Hub Update

08 Jul 2010

The equalities and diversity webpage has been updated to include even more useful publications and interesting case studies. Please follow this link to vew recently updated publications.

Equality Impact Assessment Form

07 Jul 2010

Leicestershire Constabulary demonstrate good practice in a simple Equality Impact Assessment Form.

Public Procurement: A valuable tool for equality

07 Jul 2010

Public Procurement: A Valuable Tool for Equality has been published by the Equality and Diveristy Forum.

Very useful guide describing how equalities fits into procurement, laws regulatiing public procurement, the power of public procurement and value for money issuses.

Tackling Violence against Women and Girls: A Guide to Good Practice Communications

07 Jul 2010

This guidance is intended to support communicators in their work to deliver the national strategy and all communications in the area of violence against women. Campaign and other activity must take conscious steps not to contradict the aims and beliefs contained in the strategy.

Equality, Diversity and the Procurement Process: A guide for Contractors, Suppliers and Consultants

07 Jul 2010

Leed City Council demonstrates good practice in integrating equality and diversity principles into their procurement practices.

Leeds is a cosmopolitan city. It is a city of many cultures, languages, races, religions and lifestyles. It is a welcoming city to immigrants and there is a mix of very different neighbourhoods. Despite this there is still evidence of unfair discrimination against people because of their race, faith, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation or lifestyle. Equality is about treating people fairly and ensuring that we do not unfairly discriminate against particular individuals, groups or communities. Diversity is about understanding that each individual is unique and will have different experiences, expectations and needs.

Leeds City Council spends millions of pounds every year on contracts with private and voluntary organisations for goods, works and services. All groups in our communities have a right to expect that public money is spent on local services, which suit their needs. And that it is spent in a way which promotes equality of opportunity and delivers high quality goods and services. Promoting equality and diversity through procurement is important and it is considered as an integral part of the contract. Where one or more of the council’s functions is carried out by an external contractor, the council remains responsible for ensuring discrimination does not occur. Contractors themselves must not discriminate, but they do not have the same legal obligation to promote equality of opportunity. So the council builds relevant equality considerations into the procurement process to ensure that contractor meet our requirements.

This guidance document explains the different ways that the council addresses equality and diversity issues in the procurement process. If you need further guidance in any of these areas please do not hesitate to contact the Procurement Unit