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SPINE Public library services in the East of England working together. Mike Hosking Charles Harvey. SPINE. We are: Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Thurrock, Southend and Hertfordshire Existing relationships and record of joint working (SCL and Co-East)
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SPINEPublic library services in the East of England working together Mike Hosking Charles Harvey
SPINE • We are: • Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Thurrock, Southend and Hertfordshire • Existing relationships and record of joint working • (SCL and Co-East) • Strategic endorsement by corporate directors • (ADASS) • Drivers • Financial, • Strategic • Professional
Start up • Gaining early agreement to a vision and common purpose • Different starting points for original six, now seven, partners. • Rules of engagement • Feasibility funding from Improvement East • Working to an ‘ambitious’ timetable • First milestones- governance and project management resource
Our project approach • AGILE Project - active participation - hot house, SCRUM, spikes, deep dives….this new terminology describes a more intense and focussed style of project working • Fast paced work-streams, starting high level then identifying areas for more detailed analysis • Everyone committed to putting in substantial capacity • Working to an ambitious timetable
Key criteria • Potential to achieve 25% savings over 3 years • Achievable within timescale • Satisfies legal and statutory requirements • Manageable risk • Transferable and scaleable to other services, other authorities within the region, and to other regions • Attractive to all stakeholders
Hot house outcomes • Shortlist of shared service options for investigation: • Private Sector • Company owned by partners • Trust • Potential Scope • User stories to illustrate practical implications
Where we are… • Two delivery models have been designed • They will require different forms of governance in terms of delivery vehicles • Working on a cost benefit analysis to enable the board to decide which option goes ahead • Appointed a consultant to test the robustness of the appraisal • Appraisal complete by 12th August for a board decision on the 19th August
Two models • Shared services delivered by a single point, through a traded service or similar, offering stock management and supply, best practice, opportunity generation and horizon scanning for a number of specialisms. Leaving front line delivery and management (possibly) with councils. • Full and separate regional library service, doing everything, via a separate legal entity. Commissioned by the local authority which retains statutory responsibility
Stakeholders • Councillors • Staff • Citizens or customers • Communities • Corporate sponsors • Improvement East • SCL (East of England) • MLA
Potential benefits / outcomes • Service improvement V’s damage limitation • Opportunity for us to do things differently: • how will the offer and delivery of it change? • maximise use of new technology • Attract Investment • Reduce costs / economies for scale • Do it once for all • avoid duplication • standardise policies and process • Improve customer experience • pooled knowledge and resources
Learning and transferability • .. Its been a journey (and will continue to be) • Change is difficult, wherever you are • Conceptual agreement to sharing or relinquishing control can be challenging when it stops being theoretical (turkeys and Christmas!) • But we have experienced and are modelling remarkable professionalism, which is open and frank and not determined by self interest • We have built stronger relationships, deepened our mutual understanding, and have a strong basis for what happens next. We’ll need these, especially at this stage when we are going to discuss and agree which model we take ahead
Challenges • Current pace of change - time is running out! • Started December 2009 • Implement April 2011 • Financial – • obtaining accurate costs • reliable budget projections • cash flow • Members accepting radical solution • Regional efficiencies V’s local offer • Need for continued community involvement • Legality • Investment
The drivers and the precedents get more and more pressing as the budget situation gets clearer and tougher Working together offers opportunities to preserve and vitally to continue to develop the best of the excellent public library services that we have – do we have any other choice? What is success? Conclusions
Contacts • Charles Harvey SPINE Project Manager Essex County Council 01245 244951 mob: 07786125595 charles.harvey@essex.gov.uk • Mike Hosking Mike.Hosking@cambridgeshire.gov.uk