An investigation of the performance of the Strategic Service-Delivery Partnership between HBS Business Services Group and Bedfordshire County Council. Bedfordshire County Council agreed a £267m Strategic Service-Delivery Partnership with HBS Business Services Group in June 2001 and transferred 550 staff to HBS.
Bedfordshire UNISON commissioned the Centre to undertake an evaluation of the Strategic Partnership. The study revealed that the partnership was in crisis and had failed to deliver improvements in the quality of services, the software system for schools failed to be implemented, a promised National Centre of Excellence in Education and a Bedfordshire Regional Business Centre and new jobs. The Centre examined County Council and partnership documents and interviewed several County Council and HBS staff.