The project issues
One of Camden’s key aims is to deliver services “better and cheaper”. In the past, departments delivered their specific service objectives well, but it was recognised at the time of the Support Services Review in December 2004 that the next level of performance required greater integration and a stronger overall direction. A particular concern was the high cost of delivering ICT from highly devolved IT functions which, according to Socitm benchmarking information, was one of the most highly decentralised in the UK.

Having decided against outsourcing the Council’s IT function the Council approved the biggest re-structure of ICT ever seen at Camden. This created shared technology services for the Council with 3 separate service desks being merged into 1 and 6 technology teams into a single service. A new Commercial Services function was also created to provide leadership on IT procurement across the Council and a new Strategic Programme and Change Management Office took on the implementation of ITIL and the dissemination of best practice for project management.

Such a significant restructuring had attendant risks: in particular, loss of key staff, reduction in service, sacrifice of departmental priorities at the expense of corporate initiatives, and failure to deliver the anticipated efficiencies and improvements. Strong leadership and skilful management were needed to manage these risks. With over 200 ICT posts across the Council, Phase 1 of the ICT restructure needed to pool and organise 103 posts to form a new Corporate ICT service addressing corporate services. The remaining ICT staff acquired dual reporting, but remained in business units to support business systems, including their administration and configuration.

Organising the Corporate ICT service into five service areas, with the challenge of delivering a top performing ICT service, is also being stretched by the concurrent development of an ICT strategy and long-term road map. Some major projects are already in progress, including the adoption of ITIL Service Management processes, server rationalisation and migration to a SAN, network improvement plans and desktop management tools and integration of Service Desks.

The Socitm Consulting solution
Socitm Consulting worked with the management team to establish the current position with respect to the existing roles including deleted management positions, the merged ICT services and their functional structures, together with the rationale and drivers for centralising ICT. Socitm Consulting supported the new Assistant Director (ICT) through good programme management with:

• Production of change proposals, job descriptions, structure charts, functional and service descriptions
• Support during Overview & Scrutiny and the Executive reviews of the consultation proposals
• Staff consultation, including management of deleted posts, ring-fencing and support in the selection of the top management team
• Recruitment and selection from both internal and external candidates into new posts, following selection of external assessors and assessment tools and methods
• Management of risks, issues and actions by regular review and resolution where possible; monthly project reporting of progress against plan
• Identification and support in establishing new governance arrangements for the new service
• Close working with the Finance Manager to ensure relevant budgets were accurately declared and vired correctly, that temporary staff rates were not permitted to exceed budget and that supernumeraries were managed out
• Communications and consultation with staff and unions, including regular team briefings, FAQs, newsletters, change process reports and email updates as required
• Relocation of staff where appropriate

A post implementation review was carried out 3 months after implementation. This included an online survey. 97% of stated outcomes were delivered by the programme.

The benefits to the client
The delivery of the most important strategic programme for the ICT service had both immediate benefits and long-term benefits. Gross savings of £600K have been realised in year one with over £1M from 2007/08. Over the next five years the ambition within the draft IT strategy is to take £8-10 M out of ICT operating costs from the review and redirect these at areas of priority.

The focus of the programme to deliver a timely, clear, workable remit for the services of the new Corporate ICT function meant that staff ‘hit the ground running’. The co-ordination with annual budget setting ensured that excessive costs were targeted and removed without compromising the delivery of operational services. Longer term, the vision is for Corporate ICT to be an enabling, transformative service. This is under-pinned by the adoption in the re-structure programme of methods for capability and capacity improvements, including ITIL service management, performance management and knowledge management.

Project identification
Client organisation: London Borough of Camden
Client contact: John Jackson, Assistant Director (Corporate ICT), 020 7974 1529, john.jackson@camden.gov.uk
Lead consultant: liz.varga@socitm.gov.uk
Project no: 5548