The Director of Technical Services/Programme Director (Strategic Change) presented an update report of progress on the Council’s Strategic Change Programme, which was to be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 3 February 2011. He set out the key issues in relation to the programme and reported that detailed planning and a review of projects had been undertaken in conjunction with project managers and Chief Officers, which had culminated in a re-stated Strategic Change Programme. The savings had been reported to the Cabinet on 9 December 2010 and totalled £10.725m for 2011/2012. He indicated that the profile of the savings was set out in appendices to his report and could be summarised as –

·  £1.249m from Strategic Change Projects (appendix A)

·  £2.630m from Efficiency Projects/business as usual (appendix B)

·  £6.846m from the Transformation of Adult Social Services (appendix C)

The Programme Director (Strategic Change) commented that he had taken a cautious approach to the declaration of efficiencies and indicated that the programme currently specified budget savings for 2011/2012 only. The savings had been reviewed and approved by the appropriate Chief Officer and the Director of Finance had agreed they were deliverable from within existing budgets. Analysis had been undertaken to ensure the savings were net of the recent EVR/VS exercise, so as to avoid ‘double counting’. Where there was insufficient detail in specific projects or they required further work to ascertain the benefits, the projects had been included, but with benefits either ‘to be determined’ or set at zero for budgeting purposes. This was to ensure that the programme did not include unrealistic targets, but also allowed for cashable benefits from those projects to contribute to efficiencies in subsequent years of the programme.

The Director provided a summary of projects included within the programme and indicated that the next steps were to ensure that projects were adequately resourced and developed. The main risk associated with the programme was the non-delivery of benefits, particularly financial, which was mitigated by careful monitoring by the Strategic Change Programme Board. Risk registers were maintained by project managers and the Strategic Change Programme Office maintained the risk register for the whole programme.

In response to questions from Members, the Director indicated that all projects were managed from within existing resources and, at the present time, he did not envisage the need for the appointment of consultants. He was confident that the total saving of £10.725m would be achieved and the Leader of the Council emphasised the cautious approach that had been taken in relation to projects included within the programme. Discipline had been introduced into the process, which ensured that the figures quoted were both realistic and achievable. In addition, the creation of a risk register for all projects gave transparency to the process to ensure that action was taken to mitigate risks. The Director confirmed that all suggestions from members of staff were investigated and properly evaluated and he referred also to research work that had been undertaken by some members of staff as part of an MBA course.

In response to further questions, the Programme Director (Strategic Change) clarified that the £200k saving to be delivered from PACSPE related to those services which had now been excluded from the PACSPE contract. He agreed to circulate to Members the recommendations of the Strategic Asset Review Board in relation to the disposal of assets. In addition, the Director of Finance agreed to circulate a list of the fifty largest contracts, which were subject to a review to identify and achieve any opportunities, which were in the financial interests of the Council.

Resolved –

(1)  That Committee welcomes the update report upon the progress of projects within the Strategic Change Programme.

(2)  That the confidence of the officers in the delivery of the projects be noted.

(3)  That the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members be thanked for their attendance.