A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence Frank Sinatra in Local Government or The Ramblings of a...

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Frank Sinatra in Local Government

or The Ramblings of a Manic Watford Supporter

Paul Lankester 3 June 2013

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

My Career to Date

• Temporary Audit Clerk- 1979• Trainee Environmental Health Officer• District EHO• Senior EHO- 1986• Assistant Principal EHO• Principal EHO• Environmental Health Manager- 1989• Environment Manager- 1992• Director of Environmental Services- 1997• Chief Executive- 2001

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Vision and Focus

• Know what you want to achieve

• Build a ‘route map’

• Follow the map but be flexible

• Learn the lessons

• The Edison factor

• Remember SH!

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Rules, Culture & Being Tested

• Essential, and must follow them…… when appropriate

• The answer is no!!! Sorry what’s the question?

• The undermining senior manager

• Misuse of the Internet

• Immediacy of communication

• Importance of tactics

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

The Changing Face of The Changing Face of Stratford on Avon DCStratford on Avon DC

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

The SDC Timeline

2001- £2million deficit on £12million budget2001- £2million deficit on £12million budget

2002- Future Management Paper- culture change2002- Future Management Paper- culture change

2004- CPA- Weak council2004- CPA- Weak council

2005- Senior Management Restructure2005- Senior Management Restructure

2007- CPA- Good Council2007- CPA- Good Council

2009- CAA- Performing Well2009- CAA- Performing Well

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

The SDC Timeline

2009- Investors in Excellence2009- Investors in Excellence

2009- Future Management and Leadership2009- Future Management and Leadership

2011- Investors in Excellence2011- Investors in Excellence

2011- Most Improved Organisation and Highly 2011- Most Improved Organisation and Highly Commended, Midlands Business Commended, Midlands Business ExcellenceExcellence

2011 – Reduced budget by £1.9 mill on 14.8 mill2011 – Reduced budget by £1.9 mill on 14.8 mill

2011/2 – National Policy changes 2011/2 – National Policy changes

2013 – Reduced budget by £1.4 million and had 2013 – Reduced budget by £1.4 million and had growth in staffing!growth in staffing!

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Change and Transformation

• Leading change and managing change programmes

• Unacceptable performance levels

• Staff numbers and performance

• Use of Kotter 8 step approach

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Recognising Impact of Change on People

High

Low

Start Middle End

PerformanceEmotions

Time

Goodbye•Need to let go of past•Question past success•Focus is on the past•Concern about the future

Muddling•All pain – little gain•Steep learning curve•Low confidence•Low competence

Hello•Gaining competence•Gaining confidence•Hope in the future•Experience success

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Some SDC Changes

• Restructures

• Staffing levels

• Central administration

• Corporate priorities/ Focus

• Balancing the budget

• Staff conditions of Service

• Cutting the council tax

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

PREPARING FOR WHATEVER…….

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

The Stratford Approach

• Build in lots of time to do anything;

• The value of the cu!

• Leading not bleeding edge;

• The ‘What if’ test;

• Members/ officers together;

• Getting the best and most from our staff.

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Case Study- Future Management

• November 2009- draft for consultation;

• February 2010- approved three transformation strands;

• People

• Assets and Resources

• Infrastructure and Processes

• June 2010- Action Plan

• June 2013- Review of the programme.

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

But What If….

• You get a notice of motion in February 2010 agreeing to look at a strategic alliance;

• And a new Leader in May 2010;

• And the Strategic Alliance doesn’t materialise.

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Case Study- Management Restructure

• Part of the Future Management and Leadership Paper -February 2010;

• Financially driven- CSR considered;

• Review requested following decision not to proceed with senior management merger with Warwick DC- August 2010;

• Staff consultation welcomed and quality of response complimented.

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Case Study-Management Restructure

• Four options considered;

• Decided on:-• Option 4- Chief Executive & six Heads of Service;• Statutory Officer roles of Chief Finance Officer and

Monitoring Officer to be at Head of Service level;• Use of consultants to assist selection process;• Implementation date by 31 March 2011

• Actually did it by January 2011!

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Case Study-Budget and Financial Strategy

• Comprehensive Spending Review

• 7.1% reduction in grant for four years;

• 0% tax increase 2011/12- reward;

• No actual figures for SDC until December 2010

• So where did that leave the Council?

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Case Study-Budget and Financial Strategy 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16

Base budget

14.720 m 13.730 m 13.620 m 13.120 m 12.961 m

Total Savings

1.109 m 1.210 m 0.951 m 0.606 m 0.362 m

Budget Pressures

0.265m 0.343 m 0 0 0

Net Spending

13.347 m 12.863 m 12.669 m 12.514 m 12.599 m

Available resources

13.323 m 12.863 m 12.669 m 12.514 m 12.598 m

Savings required

0.923 m 1.210 m 0.501 m 0.606 m 0.362 m

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Case Study-Budget and Financial Strategy

• Savings up front

• Hierarchy of savings

• Prioritisation or salami slicing?

• Use of new homes bonus and council tax grant

• Published Savings Plan

• New Corporate Strategy

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Case Study-Budget and Financial Strategy

• 2011/12- 45 posts lost

• 2012/13- no posts lost- cut in council tax

• 2013/14- 6.5 posts created

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Current Issues

• Shared services

• Politics

• Relationships

• Politics

• Core Strategy

• Politics

• Relationships

• Community Governance Review

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

SDC Future Challenges

• Big Society and Localism- the ‘p’ word!

• Resource Review

• Capacity and managing risk

• Expectations from everyone/ reputation

• New council 2015

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Public Sector Change Agenda

• New Homes Bonus/Business Rates Retention

• Uniform Credits/Council Tax Discounts

• Open Public Services

• Police and Crime Commissioners

• Health and Wellbeing

• Education Agenda

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Personal Future Challenges

• Council operating outside personal values;

• Longevity

• 15 more years of this?

• Reinventing yourself/ Moving with the times

• Keeping the network going

• That non-job…..

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

SUMMARY

• Government forcing change on local government;

• Change for SDC a never ending journey;

• Taking people with you for effective change

• Personal Vision and Focus;

• Celebrate and learn from the successes and mistakes;

• Managing risk and capacity;

• Keep eye on future challenges.

A Cleaner, Greener, Safer Road to Excellence

Over to you- questions and comments