The biweekly efficiency and improvement bulletin is produced by the LIFT SW Partnership (GOSW, IDeA, SWLGA, SWCoE).
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If you wish to include efficiency or improvement articles in the next bulletin, or add your name to the circulation list please email swce@dorsetcc.gov.uk.
LIFT SW Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (RIEP) Strategy
Following the agreement of the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy, published in December 2007, the LIFT SW partnership was asked to produce a regional strategy for the South West outlining how authorities will be supported to achieve efficiency and improvement targets during the CSR07 period.
This regional strategy has now been submitted to the department of Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association. The next step will be to develop more detailed delivery plans for the new LIFT SW RIEP programmes in conjunction with officers, members and partner organisations. The new programmes will vary from bespoke support for authorities or services in difficulty, through regional programmes of support, to pump priming for small innovation or collaborative projects.
LIFT SW RIEP should be your first port of call for any queries about improvement or efficiency subjects, if we haven't got a support programme that can help we normally know who else to contact for assistance.
Download the latest version of the LIFT SW RIEP from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/aboutus/LIFTSWRIEPStrategy.htm
For further information contact:
Julian Morley - 01305 757230, j.morley@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Collaborative Procurement Opportunities
IT Hardware
OGC are now starting e-Auction # 9 for IT hardware. This will be a mini competition under the OGCbs Catalist framework and typical savings of between 30% to 40% have been made in previous events.
The auction will be fully funded by OGC and you do not have to commit actual volumes- just provide an annual forecast and a statement of intent to buy from the ‘winner’. The specifications starting point is that of the last e-Auction, with a table of upgrades and downgrades. Quality is never compromised over price. All participants are invited to comment on specifications and in every case the existing quality is met or exceeded.
The tentative date to complete this e-Auction is the end of June 2008. If you are interested in taking part in this e-auction then please contact
Chris Chettle, IT Hardware Commodities Project Manager 07785 310636/020 7271 2797 or go to http://www.ogc.gov.uk/ithardware.asp
Office Furniture
Bristol City Council has a contract for office furniture which is due to expire later in the year and would be interested to talk to any other authorities about a regional collaborative project for this commodity. Please contact John Shaile, Bristol City Council on 0117 9224938
Hygiene Services
HM Prison Service Procurement Team are currently looking at the supply of Hygiene Services, including washroom services. They currently use the OGC framework for this service but understand this will not be renewed after August 2008. They are therefore looking at alternative options for August 2008. If anyone has any contracts in place that would be accessible by the national Prison Service please contact Vicky Hinchliffe, 0116 228 2026 vicky.hinchliffe@hmps.gsi.gov.uk
Proclass Classification Update
ProClass is a procurement classification system developed in association with the Regional Centres of Excellence (RCE) to enable local authorities in England to improve procurement efficiency and performance. It offers a means to simply, quickly and effortlessly compare and contrast procurement expenditure on a true like-for-like basis between authorities and regions. It was first introduced in early 2006 and has now been updated.
Download additional information from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/workstreams/procurement/proclass.htm
For further information contact:
Gillian Brindle - 01305 757232, g.brindle@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Procurement Skills Opportunities
GPS Procurement Leaders Skills Framework
The Government Procurement Service (GPS) Procurement Leaders Skills Framework has been developed to enable current and aspiring Procurement Leaders to assess their skills and identify development needs when planning and progressing their careers in the procurement profession. It can be adopted or adapted to meet the needs of individual organisations and has a number of additional applications including developing job descriptions, career development planning, succession planning and job redesign.
Download additional information from the following link:
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/introduction_to_the_gps_gps_procurement_leaders_skills_framework.asp
Government Procurement Graduate Scheme
The Government Procurement Graduate Scheme (GPGS) is a key part of the GPS strategy to ensure the availability of top-class procurement professionals for government. The scheme takes trainees through a two-year accelerated learning and development programme, including a variety of placements in procurement roles in their home department and in other departments and agencies.
Download additional information from the following link:
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/GPS_Procurement_Entry_Schemes.asp
Officer & Members Toolkit now available
South West LGA and South West Employers have produced a suite of documents which outline the support available for new and experienced elected members.
The guidance notes produced provide new and experienced councillors and local authority officers with a framework of good practice in Member Development – and much of it refers to good practice taking place in the region. Councils who have committed (or are thinking of committing) to the South West Charter will find the documents of particular interest.
Download additional information from the following link:
www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=3743
For further information contact:
Ann Penwell - 07917 557366, a.penwell@dorsetcc.gov.uk
Somerset Waste Partnership Conference - 4th April, Bridgwater
The Somerset Waste Partnership has delivered the first multi-authority service delivery partnership in any UK two-tier area; it has created an innovative shared political governance arrangement and procured a groundbreaking contract for the entire County. This conference will look in details at the governance of the partnership, the procurement of the joint contract, the cost sharing between the councils involved and how trust was built up and maintained between authorities.
Speakers include:
- Beth Childs, Head of Local Authority Waste Funding, DEFRA
- Cllr Nigel Woollcombe-Adams, Chair of the Somerset Waste Board
- Sonia Davidson Grant, Corporate Director, Somerset County Council
- Joe Papineschi, Eunomia Research and Consulting
- Stephen Sears, Chief Executive of ECT Recycling
The conference will cost £125 per delegate and has been subsidised by the LIFT SW Partnership.
Download additional information and book your place on the conference from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/Events/Somersetwastepartnershipconference040408.htm
For further information contact:
Lesley Rohan - engagesouthwest@yahoo.co.uk
COPROP South West Workshop - 7th April, Taunton
CSR07 requires Local Government Property and Asset management to deliver approximately £100 million in savings through a combination of smarter procurement and transformational change. All councils are under pressure to achieve ever-more efficient and modern customer-focused services.
This event will demonstrate how a Regional Contractor's Framework for the South West - as part of the COPROP Southwest Construction and Asset Management Programme - could help your authority deliver savings.
This free workshop, aimed at Directors and Senior Managers in Construction and Procurement, will:
- Examine how construction efficiency projects are being managed regionally and nationally
- Show how other Regional Frameworks are delivering savings for local authorities
- Explore proposals for setting up a South West Regional Contractors Framework with funding from LIFT SW
Download additional information and book your place online from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/Events/COPROPSWRegionalWorkshop.htm
For further information contact:
Tony Gale - 01363 776108, tony.gale@beaufortwest.co.uk
Councillors at the Heart of their Communities - 25th April, Bristol
Following on from the successful Transforming your Communities conference held in Bristol, the LIFT SW Partnership and the West of England Member Development Partnership are pleased to invite South West Councillors to attend the 'Councillors at the heart of their communities' event being held at the BAWA Conference Centre, Bristol, 10am - 3.30pm.
This event will be hosted by South Gloucestershire Council and chaired by Cllr John Calway, Council Leader. Key Speakers will include:
- Dame Jane Roberts, Head of Councillors’ Commission - The Role of Councillors in a Healthy Democracy
- Mark Ingleby, author and ex Councillor - The Creative Councillor:Driving Change on the Back Benches
- Cllr Paul Robathan, South Somerset Council - Neighbourhood and Community Champions: The Role of the Elected Member
- Rhion Jones, Consultation Institute: Creating a culture of participation and community consultation
Workshops will be facilitated by high profile Councillors and expert officers:
- The Role of the Councillor in the Rural Community
- Dealing with the Hidden Urban Challenges in the ‘Prosperous’ South West
- Engaging and Involving Young People
- Innovative Engagement with Our Communities
- Local Petitions & Calls for Action
This conference is free for South West Councillors and will cost £50 for Local Government officers wishing to attend.
Download additional information from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/Events/Cllrsattheheartoftheircommunity.htm
For further information contact:
Lynne Yockney (South Gloucestershire Council) - 01454 863084, Lynne.yockney@southglos.gov.uk
Dorset Performance Management Partnership
This case study explains how Dorset County Council designed and implemented a collaborative and innovative project to address performance management weaknesses, as identified by the CPA process.
Download this case study from the following link:
http://www.swce.gov.uk/workstreams/improvement/improvementcasestudies.htm
How to be Successful Guides
Commissioning Children’s Services
This guide brings together a selection of children’s services case studies from the Regional Centres of Excellence, the Centre for Procurement Performance of the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Improvement and Development Agency. The case studies, which focus on commissioning and service development, show how outcomes for children, young people and families are being improved and how efficiencies are generated. Each one draws out the benefits of a particular approach, the critical success factors and the lessons learned while the source material and regional contacts are clearly signposted. They form the basis of a growing repository of shared expertise that councils and children’s trusts can draw upon.
Procuring Joint Waste Services
This guide brings together a number of recent examples of successful collaborative procurements of waste services that point the way towards how councils can deal with this complex set of challenges. To complement this guide, you should also visit the Waste Information Network http://www.win.org.uk/, website dedicated to supporting waste professionals in local authorities. It provides a comprehensive range of information on all aspects of waste management, including a document library, the latest consultations, case studies, legislation and guidance.
Download the above guides from the following link:
http://www.rcoe.gov.uk/rce/core/page.do?pageId=39123
Adults Services – "Must Knows" for Lead Members
This new resource is being developed on the IDeA Knowledge website to help lead members for adult services in their complex role. It contains a set of 18 'must know' questions on key topics, and a wealth of supporting information. Read about the issues, and discuss them in our special councillor forum.
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=7352476
