The options ‘appraisal’ recommends a Joint Venture Company (Capita is the Council’s main contractor and withdrew from managing the procurement so that it could bid). But the appraisal is based almost entirely on assumptions, estimates, possibilities and other vagaries. This report shows how the in-house bid was constructively dismissed by ignoring key risks, simplistic evaluation…

Calls for the development of an in-house option and a Service Improvement Plan and examines the implications of the three options considered by the Council, namely a schools-led company/social enterprise, a joint venture company between the Council and a private contractor, or a JVC between the Council, schools and a private contractor.

Keynote presentation by Dexter Whitfield at New Forms of Privatization: What they are and how to fight them international conference, Ottawa, Canada on 28-30 October 2014 organised by the National Union of Public and General Employees.

The London Borough of Barnet has produced three options for the future of the library service – none include in-house provision. Deep cuts, heavy reliance on volunteering and an ‘open library’ project bring new risks and consequences for the service, users and staff.

An Assessment of CSO/NSO Business Case Update for the customer and support services outsourcing highlights the London Borough of Barnet’s approach – ignore real risks, miscalculate client costs, exaggerate savings, claim non-financial benefits that cannot be substantiated, inadequate equalities assessments and ignore the PPP strategic partnership track record. The Council’s failure to require services to…

A series of questions and answers about Barnet Council’s Future Shape project, revealing what this transformation programme is really about.

The Adult Services option appraisal is limited in scope and depth of analysis and does not provide an acceptable evidence base on which to make fundamental decisions about the future provision of the services. The critique concluded that the options appraisal process is operating to a predetermined agenda, it is not comprehensive, nor in sufficient…

Shows how Adult Social Care Services Options Appraisal is seriously flawed. A series of charts on quality, cost, governance, finance and acceptability to stakeholders illustrate how the in-house option and the interests of services users and staff are marginalised by the intent to create a commercialised trading company. It is not a genuine appraisal of…

We need to draw lessons from the strategies used to oppose austerity policies and neoliberal ‘transformation’ of public services. New challenges include reversing the decline in labour share of national income and the slow pace of financial market reforms. Opposition to transnational free trade agreements must be strengthened. “New approaches to organising, building alliances and…

Sets out a 12 point economic case for in-house options and bids. Prepared for Barnet UNISON where the Council is refusing to consider even in-house options as part of its Future Shape programme (2010).