What has happened in 2011/2012

It is a well known axiom in business that 'the most important objective in business is to stay in business'. I happen to be one of those that understand what this means in terms of providing goods or services whilst taking decisions which does not put the business at risk. In local government speak; the prescriptive nature of the business of providing service to the community has been inherently risk averse. Localism is changing all that moving us to a much more business approach to what we do. This period of austerity is going to be with us for a long time far longer than anyone predicted, and yet we still have to meet the expectations of our electorate. So how do we deliver expectations with savagely reduced funding? This is where the partnership has really delivered not only have we made the projected savings we have been able to introduce innovation to establish a 'can do' approach to the tasks at hand from officers and members alike. There has also to be a change of what is expected by that same and quite demanding electorate, I will come to that later. So what you ask has this new approach delivered? Let’s take some of the hidden functions first. Revenues and Benefits we now have a shared service which is a top in Dorset performer and which we will be able to market as a service to others shortly. Savings to the purse enormous! Housing, the shared service is now operating at a high level. Shared financial systems, bringing continuity in financial control across the two Councils, introducing to heads of service ownership and management of budgets. ICT, democratic service, member meeting reorganisation and the new member 'outcome' approach to their role, and I have not mentioned yet the Dorset Waste Partnership where we have tackled the increase in 'land fill' tax from £8 to £78 per ton. I could go on but there is a revolution going on targeted towards being an excellent council in the hardest of times. More to come!