A critical assessment of the options appraisal which recommends the outsourcing of a new Customer Services Organisation (centralising all user access with the Council) and a New Support Organisation (finance, human resources, revenue & benefits, IT, procurement and property). Identifies eleven key risks if the Council proceeds with a strategic partnership (February, 2011).

The Protocol sets out a range of proposals for how Barnet UNISON can be consulted and engaged in the Competitive Dialogue procurement process in the London Borough of Barnet. It covers the preparation of the Invitation to Competitive Dialogue, engagement in the Competitive Dialogue process, and draft terms and conditions (May 2011).

The Future Shape of the Council project is likely to consider large-scale outsourcing/privatisation to ‘shrink the council’, yet there are serious failings and shortcomings in procurement which make its policies and practice ‘not fit for purpose’. This could expose the Council to serious financial and service risks. The report is published by UNISON, GMB, NUT…

The London Borough of Barnet Council commissioned Impower/Agilysis to deliver an options appraisal for the future provision of Planning, Building Control, Environmental Health, Trading Standards and other Regulatory Services. They recommended “The market option most likely to deliver the improvement and price changes needed is a strategic partnership with the private sector.” They also recommended…

The Toolkit is based on templates for Service Reviews, Options Appraisals and Business Cases. Appendices cover soft market testing and key questions for options appraisal (March 2010).

The London Borough of Barnet plans to transfer Adult Services to a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC) together with Barnet Homes, the Arms Length Management Organisation managing the council housing stock. About 160 Adult Services staff will transfer to the LATC. The LATC model is intended to commercialise Barnet’s provision of learning disability and physical…

Examples of good practice – Good Practice Transformation Toolkit for Barnet Council’s Future Shape (see also Draft Corporate Procurement Strategy for the London Borough of Barnet and Barnet Competitive Dialogue Protocol in the Procurement Policy section below)

Critical analysis of options appraisals in Barnet – Library Service; Education & Skills and Catering; Adult Social Care In-House Services; Customer Services Organisation/New Support Organisation; Planning, Building Control & Environmental Health; Hendon Cemetery and Crematorium; Adult Social Care Local Authority Trading Company, Dorset CC; Economic Case for In-House Options;

An analysis of the One Barnet Framework report to Cabinet (29 November 2010) highlighting the disingenuous language, short cutting business practice, the high of cost consultants and how the Council is distorting savings figures (November, 2010).

Examines Cardiff Council’s transformation ‘insourcing’ strategy consisting of four major strategic partnerships with the private sector. The assessment, commissioned by Cardiff UNISON, examines service driven verses ‘customer centric service delivery’, the lack of citizen and community involvement and the problems of top-down budget dominated transformation. It proposes an alternative transformation strategy that is substantive and…