There is a significant amount of diversity across the 38 rural councils in terms of the challenges faced, as well as capacity, resourcing and uptake of shared services

document how services are currently delivered and what the challenges are document good practice that is occurring across the focus areas to include in case studies flesh out some of the cultural and organisational barriers identified in Stage One identify councils that may require more ground-level support and facilitation

Improving service delivery Stage One revealed that there are significant opportunities to build the capacity of some RCV councils around service delivery and levels of service. There was recognition that local governments are under increasing financial pressure, with a widening gap between revenue and expenditure. Build capacity of RCV councils to undertake service reviews Establish tailored guiding principles for RCV council service reviews Provide guidance on understanding the community and engaging around service levels Develop improvement frameworks, processes, method and tools Foster organisational culture of improvement Report on efficiency and effective provision of services

It is clear from the outcomes of stage one that there are a number of rural councils already engaging in shared services, resource sharing and collaboration We understand LGV continues to support councils across Victoria to explore business efficiency and improve economic, social, and environmental outcomes by collaborating together case studies and knowledge sharing from existing arrangements in Victoria and nationally demonstration of cost benefit of shared service arrangements guidance with deciding what services to share, or what initiatives to collaborate on guidance with what scale to share or collaborate on, including working with regional cities governance models and frameworks for shared services monitoring and evaluating shared service initiatives

Rating strategies, fees and charges Sustainable use of debt Further work should be undertaken to assess the capacity of councils to operate in a financially sustainable manner It is likely to be particularly useful to work closely with a small ‘case study’ sample of councils to assess the potential impact of various actions Outputs may include case study reports, manuals, tools, templates and tailored training for RCV councils

SUMMARY OF OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STAGE TWO Based on Stage One activities and engagement outcomes, we suggest the following focus areas and recommendations for building the strategic capacity of RCV councils. We understand that there is a significant amount of diversity across the 38 rural councils in terms of the challenges faced, as well as capacity, resourcing and uptake of shared services.