In 2008 Public Sector Consultants was engaged by Camden LBC to undertake two key areas of work. The first was a review of the finance function operating within a large complex service directorate, with multi-million pound parking income and a number of services operating in the private sector. Following this the second project was to provide management, expertise and support for the authority’s review of the corporate finance function.
Both of these projects were complex, covering 400 staff engaged in a full range of financial activity, both within the Finance and service directorates.
Aimed at ensuring a significant improvement in the operating efficiency of the finance function and providing a platform for continuous improvement, the review had a number of objectives all with the intention of providing a high performing, technology driven, cost effective and efficient service which is customer and business focused.
Our approach to Camden’s requirements was based on Prince2 principles and a high degree of client engagement. With the adoption of a partnership approach to the development of proposals we found that the quality and extent of collaborative working from the client side was vital to the success of the project. Our philosophy is to become part of the organisation, to influence and engender cultural change and development from within. Working as a joint team staffed by both Public Sector Consultants and Camden enabled the continual exchange of knowledge and skills and provided mentoring and more formal one to one training opportunities.
Our approach to the reviews was to progress on a workstream basis, with each being charged with specific deliverables. We supported the creation of formal governance arrangements, stakeholder analysis, management strategy and a communication plan.
Our team of Judy Anderton, Louise Heayns & David Cruickshank undertook an examination of functions and an analysis of existing working practices (the ‘As is’) and using process re-engineering re-designed functions and workflows, (the ‘To Be’) introducing best practice from within the public and private sectors.
We are continuing to support the Authority as it moves into the implementation stage o
f the project, providing project direction and leadership through our ‘Implementation Lead’ Phil Pemberton who is key in ensuring the project delivers. The project has already delivered a number of successes which include the introduction of a risk based budget assessment model, enabling financial support to be targeted on the areas of greatest budget volatility and risk, the introduction of a 2 year budget setting model, a reduction in the number of budgets and cost centres held, a financial modelling tool which enables budget holders to link financial management with service demand or volume of activity as a matter of routine and, the automatic production of statutory financial information.
Through the support Public Sector Consultants has provided to the Camden team all of these initiatives and the current implementation activity will support the Authority as it moves to a finance function ready for the future.
Marion Kelly, Deputy Director of Finance of the LBC said “its good to work with such a proactive organisation as Public Sector Consultants, with access to such a wide range of professionals with differing skills sets - not an agency but a real consultancy"