Key Theme/Support Services Only

/ Sept/Oct 2009
Milestones / Corrective action (if required) /

Status

PREVIOUS

/

CURRENT

/

Efficiencies – Targets–

The achievement of £4m per year (additional savings 0.5%) / Now approaching £11m additional efficiencies have been recorded for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 and the majority of savings recorded from joint procurement collaborations. 2009/2010 amounts are under review and are to be reported. / Work is underway on agreeing more stretching targets for 2010 onwards.
New targets to be set October 2009 through Chief Executives (CECG/CEs), following Herts Finance Officers’ (HCFOs) Sub Group consultation and to assist budget planning. Noted that districts are reporting targets of between 7 – 20% savings required over the next 3 years. / Underway

Resourcing/Capacity

/ September key deadline is Regional Improvement and Efficiency organisation “Improvement East” (RIEP) Efficiency Cluster. (Met)
Request 2 years of internal match funds HCC £60k and each district £6k for 2010/11 – 2011/12 at Sept/Oct 09 meetings. / RIEP Bids to support shared service models have been prepared and submitted and decisions pending. Approx £370k first bid.
Noted that the above does not include customer access/climate change/other projects as they are to be submitted to other RIEP clusters. / Bid submitted/will go green when funds are agreed.
Sharing Support Services
Legal / Outline Business Case (OBC) for shared Virtual Service model agreed. Programme of meetings resourced and now agreed. More detailed work planning underway. Milestones include work programme and protocols/procurement prioritised tasks for Sept – Dec 09. / Key issues to be covered include: Joint Procurement and collective online subscriptions/protocols for joint working/technology issues/sharing case work and will charges move between councils? Essex model has been flagged by RIEP and noted. / Underway/ timetable
Audit / Options paper under active consideration. Costs of service/staffing and audit plans being collated and analysed (£48K of savings identified so far). / Options paper to be presented to HFCOs Sub Group for extra challenge and on to CECG September 21st/onward HLG.
Some further discussions may be needed on the benefits/disbenefits for an actual shared service. / Options paper t o be agreed

Key Theme/Support Services Only

/ Sept/Oct 2009
Milestones / Corrective action (if required) /

Status

PREVIOUS

/

CURRENT

/

Procurement

/ OBC and high level options appraisal for ‘Hub’ model reported. Meetings plan agreed with actions and a programme of tasks agreed. Key milestones this time include commissioning a review of contract standing orders across Herts (done) and setting up as many councils as poss on the portal arrangement. £3.6m savings identified per year so far. / Implementation timetabling and targets all to be agreed and set by October 2009.
Further meetings of the group are underway and category lead model is emerging with all procurement officers taking an expert lead on a topic on behalf of Herts’ procurement needs as a whole. Options paper to be presented to HFCOs Sub Group for extra challenge and on to CECG September 21st/onward HLG. / Outline approach Agreed
HR Partnership
(human resources) / Options paper hub and spokes “ASK HR” presented to CECG 17th June 2009. Details agreed as to preferred options and onward at HLG. Key milestones this time inc. data collection (beyond costs of the service) and detailed work on which services will be scoped as part of the model. / Data collection for baselining and resourcing the project key issues - RIEP Bid key resourcing factor in this model.
Noted that CEs have yet to decide which councils will participate (and to what extent) in the model and the strategic integrated contract at HCC will have a bearing on the shape of the new joint service. / Options paper drafted
HR Payroll / Specification for the new managed service contract being prepared by HCC to be shared as a possible option for districts to join.
Meetings underway. Key milestone this time inc districts and other partners to flag OJEU intent for HCC joint approach to market. (Meetings taking place) / OJEU deadline to be agreed. Discussions regarding partnership with Bucks have concluded and will not proceed at this stage.
Discussions with Police/Health and others active and a list of partners will be inc on the OJEU. Noted that OJEU is wider than payroll. / Scoping for the new spec
Finance / HCFOS Sub group to be convened and take this forward further. Definitions have been agreed by CEs. Key milestone is to refine a list for sharing and that is done. / Chief Executives have called for attention and renewed focus. Task and finish group recommended August – October 2009. Noted areas such as bailiffs/debt recovery/insurance/investments etc. now under review following HCFOs sub group. / Spec redefined and agreed/needs work

Key Theme/Support Services Only

/ Sept/Oct 2009
Milestones / Corrective action (if required) /

Status

PREVIOUS

/

CURRENT

/ Revs & Bens / NNDR
(revenues and benefits/national non domestic rates) / Revs and Bens possible hub through Welwyn & Hatfield already agreed as an option for some. Watford and TR proposal about to come forward for circulation to others. NNDR Group visited Canterbury and Ashford and most councils are now seeking to buy NNDR expertise from each other rather than all have it available in house all year. North Herts may act as a hub and trade NNDR services outward to assist others. / Paper to be taken to meetings autumn. Meet with Revenues and Benefits officers 9th Sept.
NNDR active discussion underway.
Watford/TR proposal to be routed via CECG 21st Sept. / Options paper to be drafted
ICT
(Information and technology) / Task and Finish Group (T&F) set up and has met and agreed that convergence of ICT in Herts is key to enabling the implementation of the shared service models emerging. / Further meetings needed and programme of work is being agreed around infrastructure issues and applications. A separate work plan for Revenues and Benefits is to be prepared and SAP is a key factor in linking systems and improving capabilities. This is being actively debated by the T&F Group. / Work plan still to be agreed
Watford and Three Rivers Shared Services Pilot
/ Project inc – HR/ICT/Finance/Revs and Bens.
Milestones are as follows -
- Watford payroll go-live Sep 2009
- Finance, HR and ICT restructured – Nov 2009
- R&B restructured and harmonised systems – Dec 2009
- Finance system harmonised – April 2010. / Project on track and full details are included in the main update report. £1.6m operation savings still expected. 4 Heads of Service are now appointed and working to a joint service plan for both authorities. Servers are being moved from Watford to Apsley (HCC) and Three Rivers is starting to operate a “thin Technology” approach. New pay and grading model is being prepared for relevant services and full restructuring and relocation is expected by Dec 2009.

Key Theme/Related Information

/ Sept/Oct 2009
Milestones / Corrective action (if required) /

Status

PREVIOUS

/

CURRENT

Related Information
Review of the Bid / CEs undertook page by page stock take of the original Pathfinder bid and set future direction. Sept milestone (July completed early). / Stock take done to be reported and letter confirming priorities has been issued. External stock take event is planned for Dec. Action required on the 2010 priorities such as Street Scene etc as set out in the letter.
Communications / New ePathfinder magazine released and new website pages done (completed early).
LGA show- Done successfully.
Targets for Sept/Oct-Nov being agreed and successfully up and new logo and visual identity guide (VIG) completed and due for release to coms officers. / None -targets being met/VIG to be
Extranet for groups needed.
Calendar of meetings being prepared.
Stock take event for Dec being planned and Pathfinder presence at action meetings/events. / Under Active attention
Key / Status
Urgent Attention/Corrective
Movement
On Target

Footnote:

Please refer to the Pathfinder main Update Report for information on other themes such as: Customer Access; People; Safer/Cleaner/Greener and Sustainability and others. Available at or

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