Agenda item

This report provides Members with an update on the One Council Programme.

Irene Bremang, Programme Management Office Manager, provided Members with an update on the current status of the One Council Programme including detail regarding individual projects. It was explained that since the last update in October 2013 that a further nine projects had been completed and that there were now only four projects that were live. Two of those projects, the One Oracle project and the Working with Families Phase 3 project, were at red status. The One Oracle project had been given red status as they were some risks and issues that still needed to be resolved as Brent were working in partnership with 5 other boroughs. The Working with Families project had progressed to phase 3 after phase 2 had completed in October 2013. Phase 3 was focused on completing the delivery of the Troubled Families initiative. It was rated red as they needed to improve engagement across the partner agencies in Brent and improve levels of outcomes. The Assistant Chief Executive had recently become the Project Sponsor for this project which will help to ensure that these issues were addressed.

Due to only having 4 projects left, the number of risks at a programme level had significantly reduced. The two main programme-level risks were the delivery of additional financial benefits in 2014/15 and partnership engagement. The total number of risks reported by each individual One Council project had also significantly decreased. In September 2013 there were 114 risks across all live projects. This had decreased to 49 reported risks in February 2014 and had decreased further in March 2014. The main type of risk reported related to the transfer of improvements from the One Council project to the operational team concerned and ensuring that those changes were embedded.

It was noted that the One Council Programme had delivered service improvement, transformations and budget savings in the previous four years. However it was also acknowledged that due to the Council continuing to face a budget deficit that there was a need for a second phase of the One Council Programme. Development of the second phase had already begun and two new projects had been approved. The One Council Programme Board were aware that as the next phase of the Programme was being developed there would have to be considerations given to delivery resources. For example whether it would be sustainable to continue to use internal staff or whether they needed to recruit a dedicated team of project managers.

In terms of governance of the Programme, CMT had acted as the One Council  Strategic Programme Board from June 2013 to January 2014 which had provided stability to programme during a time of change in the organisation. The Interim Chief Executive was now the overall Programme Sponsor and the Assistant Chief Executive had assumed the role of Programme Director and the Chair of the One Council Programme Board.

Members were informed of the financial benefits of the Programme thus far. It was highlighted that the estimated savings for 2014/15 was now projected to be £73.4 million which was slightly below the previous estimation of £76.3 million. This was because the One Council Programme Board and Corporate Finance had reviewed each project and adjusted the figures based on what they realistically believed could be achieved. The delivery fund for the programme had reduced to £1.6 million, yet it was likely that this would increase in phase two of the Programme. In regards to the non-financial benefits of the Programme it was noted that a range of non-financial benefits had been realised through various One Council projetcs.

Irene Bremang concluded by informing Members that the Equality Impact Assessments had been completed at a project level and that at a cumulative level,  projects did not detrimentally impact on any one particular group.

During discussion it was confirmed by Ben Spinks that the Council were aware that they needed to find more projects for phase 2 of the One Council Programme. Two new projects had already been confirmed; Brent Passenger Transport Transformation – Phase 1 and the New Accommodation for Independent Living – Phase 1. A list of ideas for potential new projects had been circulated to the Corporate Management Team members to cascade to their departmental Management Teams. It was agreed that when this list was finalised that they would provide the Committee with an update.

RESOLVED:

(i)            Members noted the report.