Return
to Agenda
ITEM CA7
CABINET
– 21 NOVEMBER 2006
TAKING FORWARD
THE CHANGE AGENDA
Report by
the Chief Executive and the Cabinet Member for Change Management
Introduction
- The Cabinet considered
a report entitled "Taking Forward the Change Agenda" at its meeting
on 15 November 2005 and formally adopted revised objectives and values.
At the same time the Cabinet confirmed the setting up of the Change
Management Board as the body responsible for overseeing the coordination
of change management within the authority and agreed its terms of reference.
The Cabinet also requested a further report outlining a new organisational
development programme. The Change Management Board is responding to
this request through the submission of a first Annual Report outlining
its work over the past year, which is attached at Annex 1 (download
as .pdf file).
The Board’s First Year
- In the past year
the Change Management Board has developed a Change Programme which addresses
the organisational and behavioural changes that are required if the
Council is to achieve its objectives and live its values.
- The aims of the
programme were developed in consultation with the Cabinet and other
elected members, and with the County Council Management Team and other
senior managers.
- At the same time
the Board has assumed the top-level management of the Council’s key
strategic projects and programmes.
- In the attached
report the Board provides an account of its first year of operation,
setting out the extensive progress that has been made under each of
the Seven Key Changes for Success which make up the aims of the Change
Programme.
Future Priorities
- A number of important
developments have already been set in train for the coming year. The
changes advanced in 2006 now need to be fully implemented and the new
behaviours embedded into the Council’s culture. This is the most important
focus of activity for 2007. To do this, a number of projects have already
been put in place:
- The restructuring
of posts at Director level has provided an opportunity to create a
new senior post with responsibility for Change Management. The HR,
ICT, Corporate Change, Customer Service and Communications & Marketing
functions will report to the new post, ensuring a clear focus and
accountability for the delivery of the Change Programme.
- The Council
is in the process of selecting a company to deliver a Change Development
Programme to ensure that managers are equipped with the skills to
manage continuous and complex change.
- A Communication
Plan for the Change Programme has already been agreed and this will
be supported by an Engagement Strategy to ensure that staff understand
the need for change, are clear about what is expected of them and
are encouraged to become involved in the shaping and implementation
of the programme.
- The Council is
embarking on a Fundamental Review of ICT. In a new departure, this will
be undertaken jointly with the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee,
under terms of reference agreed by the Cabinet. The Review will put
forward costed options for the future operation of the Council’s ICT
services based on benchmarking and value for money.
- 2007 will be crucial
to the successful implementation of the Shared Services Centre. The
recent Government White Paper on local government reform gives a heightened
importance to shared services. The Board will be monitoring progress
and ensuring that opportunities – where viable – are taken to maximise
the contribution shared services can make to the wider public sector
in Oxfordshire.
- Over the next
year the Board will use the framework of the Seven Key Changes to develop
further proposals to transform the way in which the Council operates
in order to deliver low taxes, real choice and value for money.
- A priority for
the Board will be the development of a comprehensive strategy and business
case to improve the Council’s knowledge management in order to improve
customer experience, deliver better value for money and achieve significant
cashable savings. A key aim of this strategy will be to introduce radical
changes to the way in which customer contact is managed across the Council,
building on the success of projects such as Oxfordshire Highways and
the Access to Information & Services initiative in Social &
Community Services.
- A further priority
will be to develop the principles underlying the establishment review
(which has already achieved a 6% reduction in non-schools posts) and
to integrate them fully within the new planning and budgeting framework,
with the aim of ensuring a better match between:
- the number and
location of established posts;
- service requirements;
and
- available budgets.
This
is a key element of the Council’s commitment to value for money.
- Priority will
also be given to working with Directorates to identify areas of duplication
and to ensure that opportunities are identified for fundamental Business
Process Re-engineering in the way services are delivered.
Risk Assessment
- All the projects
and programmes within the Change Programme are required to adopt a risk-based
system of reporting. At each of its six-weekly meetings, the Change
Management Board receives progress reports from the projects and programmes
that report to it (this currently stands at six). These include a description
of the top risks to the project/programme and the action being taken
to address them. Issues are then escalated to the Board for action if
risks are not being successfully managed within the project.
RECOMMENDATION
- The Cabinet
is RECOMMENDED to receive the first Annual Report of the Change Management
Board and agree the Board’s priorities for its second year of operation,
subject to any changes that the Cabinet Member for Change Management
would wish to make in light of any comments by the Cabinet.
JOANNA
SIMONS
Chief Executive
COUNCILLOR
JOHN HOWELL
Cabinet Member
for Change Management
Background
papers: Nil
Contact
Officer: Hilary Simpson, Corporate Change Manager, Tel: 01865 815487
November
2006
Return to TOP
|