The Scottish Government

Project Name: ORKNEY JOINT WORKING

Current Stage

SRO: Albert Tait, Director of Finance and Housing , Orkney Islands Council Tel: 01856 888753 kalbert.tait@orkney.gov.u

Vision

PM: Arthur McCourt, 07795365774 arthurm@lentran.net

Project Commissioning

Project Initiation

DA Lead

Assets

Design

KM Lead

Construct

Implement

SE Lead Officer

Estimated Project Cost: (Revised) £858,652

Operate

Estimated Start / End (Revised) Start: 03/09/07 - end 31/03/09

What is the background to the project and the context in which it was established, what were the issues/drivers/opportunities which led to its inception- why?Background and context:

, to examine joint working for a range of common support services. The overall aim of the project is to improve the efficiency of public sector services in Orkney, in particular in the management and delivery of support services in the Orkney Islands Council, NHS Orkney and other partner agencies, by means of closer working and /or integration of selected services.Joint Working in OrkneyIn March 2006, Orkney Islands Council and NHS Orkney submitted a joint Stage 2 business case,

as part of the Joint Working In Orkney Programme, running through to March 2009.Shared Support Services ProgrammeGrant of £580,000 was awarded by letter on 26 June 2007. In October 2007, the NHS Board and Orkney Islands Council agreed to bring additional support services work streams from the NHS Creating Sustainable Services Programme into the scope of the Joint Working Project. The Council also sought, and was awarded, grant funding in November 2007 for a Support Services Diagnostics Project reviewing all support services across the Council and NHS Orkney. These three strands have now been integrated into a single

What are the aims/objectives/benefits & deliverables that the project is seeking to achieve, what improvements will there be as a result of this project - what?Objectives & Benefits -

· To develop better, sustainable and more efficient public services in Orkney.

· To release financial and staff resources from support service functions to front line service provision.

· To develop a skilled and motivated workforce through an organizational development programme linked to the shared service agenda and improve recruitment and retention..

· To make support services more flexible and effective in meeting the support needs of front line services.

· To demonstrate the case for retention of management of public services within Orkney and to retain local jobs and services, which might otherwise be relocated

· To examine the opportunities to extend joint working, where appropriate, to all other public sector partners within Orkney .

The project is seeking to achieve the savings submitted in the stage 2 business case.

The reduced funding and timescales allowed for the projects and revised scope to incoporate opportunities from the Shared Services Diagnostics Project and NHS Shaping Up project mean that revisions to business case savings estimates will be made once change management plans have been prepared.

Improvements / Benefits as a result of this project will be:

· Better, sustainable and more efficient public services in Orkney

· Release financial and staff resources to front line services.

· A skilled and motivated workforce and improved recruitment and retention.

· More flexible and effective support services.

· Management of public services within Orkney and retention of local jobs and services.

Which organisations are involved in delivering the project, what are their roles and responsibilities, who is accountable? Who are the key stakeholders to whom the project is relevant?- who?Stakeholders and governance-

Orkney Islands Council and NHS Orkney have established the following governance and programme management arrangements established for the Joint Working In Orkney Programme to include this project.

· Joint Member Governance is through the Orkney Public Sector Reform Programme Board chaired alternately by the Convener of the Council and Chair of the NHS Orkney Board providing elected member and non-executive board member governance of the programme. The Chief Executive of the Improvement Service is a member of the Programme Board. The Scottish Government Financial Partnerships Unit and Joint Improvement Team are also represented on the Programme Board reflecting that its wider remit for joint build replacement schools and hospital projects and joint health and social care services;

• chaired alternately by the respective Chief Executives provides senior management commitment and direction to the programme, acting as a management board for the project;Joint Corporate Management TeamsA monthly meeting of Council and NHS Orkney

• is the Chief Executive of Orkney Islands Council;Programme SponsorThe

• is the Director of Finance and Housing of Orkney Islands Council.Senior Responsible OfficerThe

• is provided by Lentran Consultancy.Programme Management

• have been established for each workstream, each led by a Project Manager and each wish a Project Sponsor from the Joint Corporate Management TeamsProject Teams

· The joint working programme is being pursued under the aegis of the Orkney Community Planning Partnership, the membership of which encompasses all key public sector bodies in Orkney and the voluntary sector. Key partners involved in specific projects are NHS Orkney, Orkney Housing Association, HIE Orkney, Orkney Islands Property Development Ltd and Orkney Disability Forum.

What specific progress has been achieved to date ? -Milestones met/achievements?Progress and Issues-

Have any issues arisen causing delays in the work plan? Is project delivery still on schedule?

The Efficient Government grant was agreed in June 2007 at a significantly moderated level for 2007/8 only with carry forward to 2008/9. The inclusion of wokstreams from NHS "Shaping Up" Programme and the addition of the Support Services Diagnostic Project in November 2007, all required a significant revision of work streams and timescales to co-ordinate the elements of the programme with the national timescale for the Support Services Project.

now comprises of 13 work streams set out belowShared Services ProgrammeThe

The projects are being managed using a five stage framework with key "gateway" questions which need to be satisfied at each stage:

·Prepare Business Case"Is there a good reason to do this?"

·Project Initiation"Are arrangements in place to manage the project?"

·Change Management Plan"Are change proposals and benefits clear?"

·Implement Change"Are arrangements to manage change in place?"

·Service Delivery"Have the benefits been delivered?"

All projects have moved through business case and project initiation to change management plan stage. Review of the business case assumptions and project management arrangements to some projects is an ongoing activity.

Review of the resource data from the Support Services Project and discussion of the opportunities arising from that review is scheduled for a series of workshops involving staff, project teams and managers in June 2008. This will form a critical part of shaping the change management plans of the Efficient Government Project workstreams. The final Support Services Diagnostics Project Report is scheduled for the end of August 2008.

The NHS Shaping Up projects are being treated as discrete pieces of work, but using the same governance, project management and project framework arrangements.

The Joint Working In Orkney Programme will require to take account of how procurement regulations affect shared service proposals and also consider the different powers of the Council and NHS Orkney. The Public Sector Reform Programme Board will consider legal advice on these issues and proposals arising from that advice in June 2008.

An overview of progress against project plans for the Efficient Government Programme worksteams is set out below.