COMMERCIALISATION AND REORGANISATION

We support councils in their response to the public sector reform agenda and councils’ transformation programmes to create more efficient or alternative service delivery models.

We help the public sector respond to the significant challenges and opportunities it faces including exploration of alternative local government models as part of devolution discussions and financial restructuring, formal collaboration and merger, acting as independent broker between different parties. We provide support for the production of business cases for councils wishing to invest in energy, housing and social investment as part of their commercial-led strategies. 

In 2019 – 20 we helped our clients achieve :

Commercial initiatives

We supported the development of BlueLight Commercial, a new organisation for police forces across England and Wales. It was established to strengthen commercial activity and shared services. We helped take the project through the entire journey from concept (including the full Treasury Business Case cycle) to implementation. We were engaged, following a competitive procurement, to support policing and the Home Office to set up the company. This involved formally establishing the company, its governance, target operating model, budgets, recruiting staff, accommodation, and developing policies, operational toolkits and systems.

BlueLight Commercial seeks to establish a new delivery model and embed culture change. Wider benefits include improved resilience, greater interoperability and cost avoidance, to deal better with potential market failures or national issues such as COVID-19.

Whilst delivering savings is not the primary goal, there is a healthy anticipated net benefit to policing of £20m per annum.

We supported the Police National Commercial Board providing project management support and savings analytics. Our work has contributed to the delivery of over £38m savings this year. We carried out a strategically important review to explore the delivery mechanisms of national policing capabilities (such as the National Police Air Service), assessing current approaches and identifying alternative delivery options.

We undertook a range of activities in support of councils’ commercialisation agenda. We supported Suffolk County Council’s Commercial Board, including support to develop their commercialisation strategy further. We supported Denbighshire County Council’s senior leadership team and cabinet to develop a corporate commercialisation approach. We also undertook a commercial review for Cornwall County Council in relation to bus retendering.

Reform

Councils continue to focus on maximising joint working opportunities with their local partners to enhance value for money and improve accountability for their citizens. We supported councils on a range of related activity. Birmingham City Council designed an innovative improvement model based upon appointing a set of non-executive directors each with specialisms aligned to the Council’s priorities. Our chief executive is part of that appointed non-executive team helping support the Council with its improvement journey.

We worked with the Centre for Public Scrutiny to produce a handbook for councillors, particularly those with responsibilities for scrutiny, to provide advice and guidance about how they can execute their role in an increasingly commercial and financially pressured environment for their organisations.

Our ability to switch between strategic and operational advice has been demonstrated with our support to the Dorset and Devon and Cornwall police forces. We provided them with advice on how to navigate the journey to harmonise the terms and conditions of staff working across their strategic alliance programme.

We spent time this year with the High Street Task Force helping support local authorities respond to the national opportunity to reform and revitalise their key local economic assets. We delivered a series of workshops and presentations, drawing on our considerable experience of local economic development and infrastructure issues to advise councils on how to structure and present their cases to government.

 

For more information about what we have helped our clients achieve, see our 2019-20 impact report.

IMPACT REPORT 2019 - 2020

TESTIMONIALS

Local Partnerships provided impartial, technical reviews and advice, ensuring confidence with staff and stakeholders. We would recommend Local Partnerships to other public and third sector organisations.

Elaine Poon, Major Projects Officer, West Lindsey District Council

The relationship with Local Partnerships gives me invalauble access to commercial, procurement and project delivery expertise. They work flexibly, responding to our changing needs and priorities.

Jasper Roberts, Deputy Director, Waste & Resource Efficiency Division, Welsh Government 

RESOURCES

Main Contact

David Crowe

Strategic Director – Commercial Councils

 

Mobile: 07795 418 305
Email: david.crowe@local.gov.uk

Main Contact

Martin Forbes

Strategic Director – Local Government

 

Mobile: 07899 965 739
Email: martin.forbes@local.gov.uk

OTHER AREAS OF OUR WORK

 
HOUSING

 
INFRASTRUCTURE

CLIMATE
RESPONSE

COMMERCIALISATION AND REORGANISATION

 
ENERGY

 
RE:FIT

 
ASSURANCE

HEALTH AND
SOCIAL CARE

PPP, PFI
AND MIM

 
WASTE

We've worked with @LGAcomms on producing Guidance for Renewable Energy Good Practice 🙌 The Guidance will provide #LocalGov with the opportunities associated with large scale wind and solar energy generation and risk management. #READ: https://t.co/dPNPCIDWDD

We've worked with @LGAcomms on producing Guidance for Renewable Energy Good Practice 🙌 The Guidance will provide #LocalGov with the opportunities associated with large scale wind and solar energy generation and risk management. #READ: https://t.co/dPNPCIDWDD

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