Agenda item

10.05

To review overall programme progress covering January – March 2019 and to assess progress against the business case and design principles and any changes in the implementation strategy. This will also include:

·         an overview of programme governance and decision-making processes

·         an outline of savings made to date and forecast during the year (annex 1).

The Sub-committee is RECOMMENDED to note and comment on the report.

Claire Taylor summarised the report and presented slides on the governance and themes.  She drew particular attention to paragraph 2.3 which outlines some refinements to the implementation strategy.  It has been decided that a more incremental approach to new technology is more appropriate to underpin the new operating model.  Any decision to adopt a whole new platform, for example, will be a longer term project.

Members raised the following issues:

·         Who is on the Transformation Cabinet Advisory Group and when do they meet?

·         What kind of issues are escalated to the Programme Board?

·         Is there a mechanism to deal with opportunities that arise requiring a quick decision?

·         Can communications to all Members be improved to ensure that nothing comes at them ‘out of the blue’?

·         Where does PwC sit in the structure?

·         Some of the transformation terminology is odd for example would “pre-front door” be better described as “community engagement”?

·         What has led to the change of mind on technology?

·         Are the partnership arrangements with Cherwell District Council flexible enough to include other councils if they should decide to go in that direction?

·         Where indirect savings from transformation or partnership working arise, such as an impact of housing on social care, where will they be recorded?

·         Given that capacity is an issue why is it still foreseen to reduce the number of staff?

Officers responded as follows:

·         The membership and meeting dates of the Transformation CAG will be circulated.  Each meeting focuses on the next tranche of work.  The Chief Executive also has regular meetings with the Cabinet Member for Transformation.

·         For example, issues regarding family safeguarding have been escalated to the Programme Board and it would also deal with anything affecting the business case.

·         Any new opportunities will be subject to the same governance.

·         The peer review drew attention to weaknesses in internal communications and that has been taken as an action to improve.

·         PwC help out on some elements and other consultants are used where appropriate.  When this happens, the Council ensures that expertise is shared with staff.

·         While officers may dislike some of the terminology used, the terms need to be retained for continuity of reporting.

·         The thinking on technology is shifting from having one big system for everything towards getting separate systems to ‘talk’ to each other.  There is a danger that, in some areas, centralising can result in losing the link to the front line. 

·         Partnership working has been tried in the past with little success but the difference this time is that it is fully backed-up at a political level.  It needs to deliver with Cherwell first – there currently isn’t capacity to involve others – but the Council is definitely open to that in the longer term.

·         It may be difficult to specifically identify which savings arise as an indirect result of transformation or partnership working. However, the savings will benefit the Council’s financial position as a whole.

·         Capacity can be a matter of getting the right people as much as the number of people.  The Council is currently too lean in some places but savings are linked to a reduction in overall staff numbers in the long-term.