The project issues
In response to Government targets and the Council's strategic vision Calderdale embarked on an ongoing programme aimed at significantly developing its overall service delivery. A series of assignments was therefore commissioned aimed at facilitating and developing the change management plans and commitments to enable this. This resulted in Socitm Consulting establishing a long and successful track record of working with the Council to establish and implement a corporate approach to e-government, ensuring the Council overcame the barriers to achieving this by transforming their business and culture.

The scope of the various assignments completed included defining the strategy for change management, continuous improvement, business transformation, community leadership, and crosscutting relationships.

The Socitm Consulting solution
Socitm Consulting's work included an analysis of the current position, identification of the changes needed and their benefits, and the senior management structure. The projects included structured analysis of Council policies and workshops to build a vision for e-government, create change plans to embed a service culture into the Council and provide support to deliver enhanced services through the development and delivery of tactical systems.

The change plan and its continuous implementation addressed many strategic issues key to the wider modernisation agenda for government. These included:

• business process re-engineering
• ICT strategy development
• seamless and integrated services
• managing information as a corporate resource
• customer focus and culture change
• community leadership

Work also involved the reference and response to emerging Government white papers and legislation such as Every Child Matters and latterly the Children Act, FOI and DPA.

The benefits to the client
Socitm Consulting was successful in the facilitation, creation and support of a powerful guiding coalition within the Council - a key factor in driving the success of this major change programme. Socitm consultants were able to add considerable value within the Council by developing both individual and a shared understanding of the strategic and local issues to be met at a time when local government was facing significant pressures in meeting Government strategy and targets.

Socitm Consulting continues to work in strategic partnership with Calderdale.

Project identification
Client organisation: Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Client contact: Peter Hartley, Head of IT, 01422 393400, peter.hartley@calderdale.gov.uk
Lead consultant: stephen.howes@socitm.gov.uk
Project no: 4574