BPHA, a leading provider and developer of social housing in central, southern and eastern England, has developed a strategy for transformational growth based on ICT investment with support from Socitm Consulting. The vision is the product of a Socitm Consulting review of recent ICT investment by BPHA, a visioning workshop and interviews with senior management.

BPHA was established in 1990 following a vote by Bedford Borough Council tenants to transfer their homes to a new housing association. It has ambitious plans for growth and sees investment in ICT as a crucial enabling factor in this.  It aims to support a growing number of dwellings, new types of home and to improve tenant satisfaction without having to take on significantly more staff.

BPHA has already invested in ICT to support its strategic direction via an internal project called 'BEST' (Building Effective Services for Tenants). Document image processing and workflow tools have been introduced, some staff have commenced mobile and flexible working, and OLAP reporting has been deployed. However, in view of its plans to invest considerably more in ICT, BPHA's management team decided to commission an independent expert review to ensure that:

• procurement was driven strategically
  
• the necessary organisational groundwork was laid, and
  
• suitable performance management systems and Key Performance Indicators put in place.

Last year, BPHA asked Socitm Consulting to advise on its approach to procurement of a major ICT investment proposal, and following this, in early 2006, to develop a vision that would facilitate discussions with potential suppliers and to propose suitable KPIs to ensure that the planned transformation was kept on track. The resulting report has been presented to BPHA's Executive Management Team which has accepted the recommendations made. The key recommendations are:

• Gap analysis should be undertaken to assess BPHA's capacity/capability for change, plans need to be developed to close significant gaps revealed by it, and a cross-cutting business improvement task force established
  
• An information audit and an information strategy are required
  
• An ICT strategy is needed to deliver the information needed and to inform procurement
  
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs) should be put in place for BPHA's ICT service and a help desk instituted
  
• HR policies on staff development, mobile and home working are required
  
• A 'customer first' focus should be extended to involve tenants further.

The report also outlines priorities for ICT investment and recommends a set of KPIs appropriate to a housing organisation with BPHA's strategic goals.

Socitm Consulting's Acting Managing Consultant Stephen Howes comments: "Social housing organisations have more to gain than most from investing in ICT, but unless a strategic approach to information management and organisational development is adopted, ICT spend will only add to bottom line costs and lead to frustration among staff. BPHA's insistence on doing it right and setting targets for both performance and return on investment is a model which other social landlords would be wise to emulate."

For BPHA, Mike Hartley, Executive Head of Resources, comments: "As an organisation we are focused on the efficient delivery of better services to a growing customer base. Socitm Consulting are helping us build a roadmap for achieving that by leveraging our information assets, taking a strategic approach to transformation through technology and developing our people. My colleagues and I feel much more confident that our planned investment in ICT will yield a good return."

Notes to editors

Socitm (www.socitm.gov.uk) is an association of ICT professionals working in and for the public and independent sectors. It is a leading authority on the effective application of ICT in public service, providing information, advice and support through a growing programme of research, publications, conferences, training, and consultancy.

Socitm Consulting (www.socitm.gov.uk/consulting) helps public and independent sector organisations to transform their businesses by delivering better customer services through information strategy and integration, effective change management, performance and efficiency improvement. Having grown rapidly since its launch in 1997, it has completed more than 800 projects for over 350 different clients. As well as being the consultancy most used by local authorities in the areas of e-government and ICT, Socitm Consulting has a growing portfolio among social housing, central government, education, children's and adults' social services and police and criminal justice organisations.
 
BPHA (www.bpha.org.uk) was established in 1990 following a vote by Bedford Borough Council tenants to transfer their homes to a new housing association. Formerly known as Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association, BPHA initially provided rented housing for the tenants who had transferred and others on waiting lists. Today BPHA is a maturing association that continues to grow and diversify its services. As a leading provider and developer of housing, BPHA now works across Central, Southern and Eastern England, including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Milton Keynes. BPHA currently manages approximately 11,000 homes and employs more than 250 staff. Since 1992, it has helped more than 3,000 families into home ownership and currently manages nearly 1,000 shared ownership properties.