Efficiency is 'working productively with minimum wasted effort or expense'. Welsh local authorities have worked hard over recent years to improve their efficiency by changing the way they manage services, procure goods and structure their organisations. As a result local government has consistently exceeded the efficiency targets set for it by the Welsh Assembly Government under the Making the Connections banner. There is a consensus that further efficiency savings will be required in the new fiscal environment. Many of the next tranche of efficiencies will involve difficult decisions at a local and national level, be more complex, take longer to implement and require a higher level of upfront investment than those that have been achieved so far.
The WLGA works with authorities in a number of different ways to promote efficiency.
At a national level the WLGA has developed a Welsh Efficiency Challenge that captures Councils’ performance in a number of different front line and back office service areas. The Efficiency Challenge is unique in that it provides the authority with detailed benchmarking information. The challenge is best described as a collaborative process to pin-point further efficiencies by:
- gathering cost and performance metrics
- comparing metrics
- challenging current practices
- conducting manager workshops
- providing authorities with expertise, support and momentum
- identifying leading practice
Regionally, the Regional Boards support a raft of different efficiency programmes. These include:
- shared procurement exercises (regional waste solutions)
- collaborative commissioning (Childrens Commissioning resource)
- joint service delivery (North Wales Decriminalised Parking collaborative)
- shared posts (Head of Highways)
- shared services (shared professional services in mid-Wales and shared HR / Payroll / training in south east Wales
Visit the Regional Board webpage for further examples of the work that has been undertaken.
At a local level the WLGA has developed a Financial Peer review which seeks to work with Councils to evaluate how well it:
- identifies, mitigates and manages financial risks and opportunities
- delivers value for money through effective and efficient financial management
- is planning for the financial challenges ahead
- is prepared to lead and implement transformational change
For more information contact: Mari Thomas