Deliver cost savings through Sharing Services in Local Government

The Gershon Report earmarked shared services in the back office in particular, as being a key tool in achieving the significant year on year cost reductions required from public sector organisations and in releasing resources to put into front line services. However the report stopped short of providing any specific guidance or mandate on the shape which this sharing might take. Many authorities are now either implementing or actively looking at implementation. There is a great opportunity to learn from others but at the same time there are important differences in circumstance between each authority. In considering the development of some kind of Shared Service operation there are a number of key questions to consider

• What savings can I realistically expect? What investment do I need to make?
• Which functions should I incorporate into the Shared Service Centre?
• How do I make real efficiencies and improvements in process and not simply transfer the work from one location to another?
• Do I go it alone or do I go with someone else? Does it really work to combine services with other local authorities? Do I create a service to offer to others?
• How much can I learn from others?

Read about the latest real client experiences. It's a quick but highly informative read which may help when you are thinking of using a shared services approach: Lessons in delivery in shared services: Download

Daring to share - but how? With this paper you'll get a quick overview of the key issues involved for collaboration across government entities, including a brief discussion of the role of 3rd parties. Download