Shared ServicesSupporting change and shared services
Shared Services is considered to be a key enabler of public service reform, helping organisations to gain economies of scale and skills. However, shared services can mean different things to different people. It is more than just centralisation or consolidation of similar activities into one location, and it is not just about back office functions.
The Improvement Service works with the Local Government National Shared Services Board, councils and other partners on developing strategies for change, pursuing opportunities for improving services and realising efficiencies through simplifying, standardising and sharing within and between councils and their partners, and delivering specific collaborative projects.
Current areas of work
Local government and shared services - working with the COSLA Shared Services Board to shape a vision, framework and advocacy plan for shared services to influence and define the direction of travel for the next three to five years. This work has included:
- 2009 survey of collaboration across Scotland
- 2009 review of major shared services initiatives
- Current developments - Scotland
- Current developments - wider UK
Supporting transformation - capturing and sharing the knowledge gained from the shared services diagnostic and design projects to inform future projects and assist the wider public sector undertaking similar initiatives. This work aims to:
- ensure change activity delivers the expected benefits
- support collaborative developments
- support transformation and shared services
Current projects
- Improving Together - capturing and sharing the knowledge gained from the diagnostic and design projects
- Pensions Pathfinder - identifying opportunities to improve the management of local government pension schemes
- Public Informations Notices (PINs) portal - a single online source of local information regarding services such as roadworks and property developments
- Customer First - creating customer-focused, easier to access, better integrated local services
- Shared workforce planning - helping councils collectively plan and deliver the level, type and quality of workforce they need
- Revenues and benefits - exploring collaboration around administration, billing and collection of Council Tax, Non Domestic Rates, Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit
What we've delivered
- www.myjobscotland.gov.uk, the local government national recruitment portal
- Scotland Excel, the local government procurement centre of expertise
- Diagnostic Pathway
- Clyde Valley Learning and Development
- Orkney Joint Working
- Western Isles Integrated Service Delivery
Summaries of all these projects are in our Simplify, Standardise and Share leaflet.
