http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/ Publications available to buy from the European Services Strategy Unit. en Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit 2003-11-03T13:49:22Z European Services Strategy Unit, Duagh, Camp, Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. Kate Ribey publications, documents, books, pamphlets, public service practice, psp, investigator's handbook, mortgaging our children's future, privatising justice, our city is not for sale, management consultants handbook, public services or private welfare, frontline involvement daily 1 2001-04-13T12:00Z http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/public-bodies/privatisation-and-marketisation/barnet-shrinking-the-council/ The London Borough of Barnet launched a Future Shape of the Council project to review the organisation of the Council. The European Services Strategy Unit (ESSU) has been commissioned by Barnet UNISON to provide research and critical analysis for the Branch in the consultation process. A series of Briefings can be downloaded: Assessment of Strategic Hub Proposals, Public Service Principles and Values, Employment Charter, Scope of Contract Reviews, Service Transformation and The 'Shrinking by Outsourcing Models: Implications for Staff. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2008-09-25T17:23:24Z transformation, public services, local government, privatisation, public service principles, strategic leadership, outsourcing, commissioning, contract council, contract reviews, employment charter, Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/public-bodies/strategic-service-delivery-partnerships/ppp-briefing-strategic-service-delivery-partne/ This 20-page Briefing, commissioned by Northumberland, Durham and Northamptonshire UNISON branches, is a summary for elected members, staff and service users of the current evidence against SSPs and outsourcing of shared services projects It covers finance, savings and investment; accountability and transparency of JVCs; performance; risks levels; employment and job creation; and in-house capability to transform services. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2008-07-23T11:53:50Z Public Private Partnerships, Strategic Service-delivery Partnerships, SSPs, PPPs, outsourcing, shared services, employment impacts, two-tier workforce, joint venture company, ICT contract failures, procurement, commissioning, Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/books-and-articles-by-dexter-whitfield/book-review-confuse-and-conceal/ The book by Stewart Player and Colin Leys exposes how a succession of New Labour Health Ministers, advisers, senior civil servants and staff recruited from the private sector operated in the Department of Health to restructure the private health care sector with a network of Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs). Equally important, it chronicles the failure of scrutiny. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2008-04-17T07:56:33Z ISTC. NHS market, health, New Labour, private healthcare companies, scrutiny, PPP, public private partnrships, Dexter Whitfield Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/essu-reports-briefings/public-private-partnerships-confidential-resea/ A highly critical assessment of the Audit Commission’s recent report, For Better, For Worse, on Strategic Service-delivery Partnerships. It finds ten fundamental flaws ranging from inadequate methodology, no evidence base, employment issues ignored, no audit of private sector investment and no comparison of an alternative in-house approach. The Commission’s claim that the information on which its findings are based is “commercially confidential” makes a mockery of transparency, performance management, democratic accountability and community engagement. The second section of the report uses quotes from the Audit Commission report to highlight the shortcomings in more detail. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2008-01-30T09:49:58Z SP, PPP, Strategic Service-delivery Partnership, public private partnership, outsourcing, procurement, ICT, managed services companies, employment model, value for money, commercial confidentiality, regional business centre, public sector capability, democratic accountability, public sector comparator, contract management, Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/public-bodies/strategic-service-delivery-partnerships/ppp-research-critique/ A highly critical assessment of the Audit Commission’s recent report, For Better, For Worse, on Strategic Service-delivery Partnerships. It finds ten fundamental flaws ranging from inadequate methodology, no evidence base, employment issues ignored, no audit of private sector investment and no comparison of an alternative in-house approach. The Commission’s claim that the information on which its findings are based is “commercially confidential” makes a mockery of transparency, performance management, democratic accountability and community engagement. The second section of the report uses quotes from the Audit Commission report to highlight the shortcomings in more detail. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2008-01-29T21:00:12Z SSP, PPP, Strategic Service-delivery Partnership, public private partnership, outsourcing, procurement, ICT, managed services companies, employment model, value for money, commercial confidentiality, regional business centre, public sector capability, democratic accountability, public sector comparator, contract management, Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/public-bodies/strategic-service-delivery-partnerships/southwest-one-lessons-and-new-agenda-for-publi/ Somerset County Council and Taunton Deane District Council signed a £400m Strategic Service-delivery Partnership contract with IBM in September 2007. The Joint Venture Company, Southwest One, is the first SSP to have a framework agreement to enable other local authorities and public bodies to obtain services bypassing the procurement process. It is also the first to potentially include a Police Authority as a partner (Avon and Somerset Police Authority negotiating to join the partnership) and the first to combine secondment with a 10-year assurance to staff in the founding authorities. This report exposes the unprecedented use of commercial confidentiality in the procurement process, identifies effective ways for UNISON to respond to the new agenda and ensure a good industrial relations framework in Southwest One. It also proposes regional and national public policy changes to improve the accountability and transparency of options appraisal and procurement processes. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2008-01-25T09:01:33Z IBM, procurement, commissioning, democratic accountability, shared services, PPP, SSP, marketisation, public interest, freedom of information, commercial confidentiality, secondment of staff, staff secondment, framework agreement, IBM, Mouchel Parkman, HBS, contract culture, contract governance, contract management, community engagement, impact assessment, Dexter Whitfield, scrutiny failure, democratic defiicit, joint venture company, options appraisal, Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/essu-research-reports/essu-research-report-no-3-cost-overruns-delays/ The Research Report identifies the scope of major cost overruns, delays and terminations in 105 outsourced public sector ICT projects in central government, NHS, local authorities, public bodies and agencies in the last decade. There has been wide reporting of individual and department or authority-wide project failures in the national and ICT press but little analysis of the overall scope and evidence. The value of contacts is nearly £30billion with an average cost overrun of 30.5%. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2007-12-12T18:45:28Z outsourcing, ICT, public sector, public services, EDS, Accenture, IBM, Fujitsu, Capita, BT, Fujitsu, Siemens, Liberata, procurement, BT, Dexter Whitfield, cost overruns, contract termination, cost overruns, contract delays, contract terminations, contract failures, SSPs, PPP, PFI, information technology, IT, central government, NHS, local government, Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit http://www.european-services-strategy.org.uk/publications/essu-research-reports/cost-overruns-delays-and-terminations-in-105-o/ The Research Report identifies the scope of major cost overruns, delays and terminations in 105 outsourced public sector ICT projects in central government, NHS, local authorities, public bodies and agencies in the last decade. There has been wide reporting of individual and department or authority-wide project failures in the national and ICT press but little analysis of the overall scope and evidence. The value of contacts is nearly £30billion with an average cost overrun of 30.5%. Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit en Dexter Whitfield 2007-12-12T18:43:31Z outsourcing, ICT, public sector, public services, EDS, Accenture, IBM, Fujitsu, Capita, Liberata, procurement, BT, Dexter Whitfield, cost overruns, contract termination, Copyright © 1998-2008 European Services Strategy Unit