OVERVIEW

A year on from the Comprehensive Spending Review and the Coalition Government's agenda of efficiency and reform continues. While this is undoubtedly a challenging time for the public sector, many see it as a real opportunity to do things differently – and better. This will require: improvements in the way tasks are tackled; internal restructuring; better use of IT; making better use of the private sector, whether through outsourcing or procuring new and innovative products and services; and creating new service delivery mechanisms, such as mutual and social enterprises. This conference will look at how public sector leaders can embrace this opportunity to make their organisations more efficient and more productive, and build a public sector fit for the future. In order to lead change effectively, clear communication and excellent employee engagement are vital.

There are excellent examples of innovative initiatives being introduced across the public sector that are improving quality and value for money. The implementation of shared services has been identified as a key way to deliver efficiencies and productivity improvements, and the Local Government Association has predicted that local authorities will save hundreds of millions of pounds over the next decade through collaborative working, such as sharing chief executives, merging back offices and joint procurement.

The efficiency and reform agenda is putting additional pressure on public sector workers and their managers. Achieving success requires the full effort of the workforce, and so effective people management is extremely important. How people feel they are being treated at work and the atmosphere of the workplace, both strongly influenced by managers, can have a real impact.

ICT is considered to have a central role to play; the government's ICT strategy was published earlier this year, and sets out the ambition to deliver better public services for less cost through re-using and sharing ICT assets. This was followed by Socitm's 'Planting the Flag', a perspective on the government strategy for those enabling local public service reform, whether through developments in ICT infrastructure, increased service sharing, improvements in information management, or delivery of services to customers digitally 'by default'.

The Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) has a lead role in the central government's efficiency drive, placing an emphasis on joint working and raising standards. Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude claims it has achieved its target of £3bn in efficiency costs since May 2010. In meeting this target, the ERG has renegotiated key contracts, established a recruitment freeze and is tackling property costs, amongst other things. Local authorities have responded both individually and collectively, in the latter through the Local Productivity Programme, which is looking particularly at procurement, capital works and social care. The NHS Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention programme continues, and is likely to be given added impetus. Community budgets provide opportunities both for local government and the NHS. The Public Accounts Committee, through the National Audit Office, has a huge library of examples of how public sector organisations can drive out costs.

Efficiency and Reform 2011: productive public services will update delegates on efficiency initiatives, with which they can engage, and provide practical information and examples on how they can deliver the savings required whilst minimising impact on services and staff.