innovation and transformation offer

An innovation and transformation offer focused on securing radical improvements to outcomes and levels of efficiencies.

• Collaborative buying /procurement:

Improvement East recognises the importance of public sector organisations working together to improve their approach to procurement. Our aim is to be both a host for critical information, such as about contracts or best practice, and also a focal point for networking and communications between organisations to bring about these improvements.

Bringing together public sector organisations, particularly across the traditional boundaries of sector or geography, and working with our partners to develop and instigate better approaches to procurement, such as Supplier Relationship Development, will unlock the significant potential which exists to generate cash efficiency savings.  For example, 12 Local Authorities initiated a joint procurement exercise for the purchase of insurance contracts. The collaboration achieved savings of £2.6m over three years, representing an average 16.7% reduction on the current contract value.

For further information about the programme of support and to discuss how Improvement East may be able to help you with your ambitions please contact Eddie Gibson, Senior Programme Manager at eddie.gibson@improvementeast.gov.uk or 01284 758310.

• Rationalising public assets:

Improving asset management is a key way in which authorities can achieve efficiencies, greater productivity and enhanced service delivery. Accordingly Improvement East is committed to working with authorities to help them implement innovative asset management projects which unlock resources and utilise property assets more effectively.  Evidence shows that local authorities nationally spend approximately £8-10bn in direct property related costs per annum and that by rationalization and other measures some 20 to 30% of these costs could be saved.  Improvement East is at the forefront of supporting authorities make these significant savings with a comprehensive support offer open to the whole region.  This help takes the form of expert advice and assistance from Improvement East (and through Improvement East from the wider Local Government Group) and in some circumstances financial support and investment in particular projects.   

In 2011/12 and 2012/13 Improvement East is supporting a programme of asset management projects across Essex to implement the findings of the "East 17 - Sizing the Prize".   In addition Improvement East will be supporting a number of programmes in other Counties and unitary authorities where new collaborative projects are capable of making a significant difference to the delivery of services and the public estate.   The defining feature of these schemes is that they comprise multiple public agencies joining forces to rationalise their estate and its management to generate savings and simplified public access to services.  By working together authorities can better ensure they have the right buildings in the right place of the right quality.

For further information about the programme of support and to discuss how Improvement East may be able to help you with your ambitions please contact Andrew Rowson, Programme Manager for Asset Management at Andrew.rowson@improvementeast.gov.uk or 07887 633451.    

• Preventing unnecessary costs in key services, primarily social care and health costs and waste management:

We have been delivering transformation through an accelerated change programme known as a "Solutions Service" which brings partners together to work on realistic changes which deliver efficiencies and new ways of working. Successful projects include £1m savings for new car parking services in Essex and radical new transport solutions for Cambridgeshire. 

Please contact us to discuss this with you in more detail.  As we move forward, we will be looking to invest in projects which will lead to considerable savings and to recoup payment from the savings made to re-invest in other areas.

For example, waste collection and disposal is the third largest local government spend element after social services and education.  Substantial revenue cost increases are foreseeable against a backdrop of reduced funding, meaning that innovative service delivery models must be pursued to deliver efficiencies. 

Building upon the success of its route optimisation programme, Improvement East has specifically allocated funds to support authorities in delivering their waste efficiency and service re-design programmes.  In addition, Improvement East will continue with its free core offer of sharing best practice and supporting councils and services in difficulty.   All partners have access to this resource and are encouraged to contact IE for an open discussion as to their needs.

For further information about how Improvement East can help you, please contact Dave Fergus, Programme Manager for Waste at dave.fergus@improvementeast.gov.uk or 07590 613527.

• Creating new enterprises to deliver services:

We are supporting the development of a number of new enterprises including the East Anglian Museum Trust, a Community Interest Company to deliver Community Services in Breckland and a Cultural Consortia across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.  We will be working closely with them and use their learning to help others.  We are investigating the possibility of new services to stimulate more enterprises and will update these pages in due course.

For further information about this programme of work, please contact Lucy Ashwell, Senior Programme Manager at Lucy.ashwell@improvementeast.gov.uk or 01284 758319.