1. Summary of Future Shape Business Case
The Future Shape business case proposes a fundamental change in the way the County Council operates. On Monday 24th March, Cabinet agreed to the implementation of the Future Shape model in 2015.
The following presentation aims to give you the highlights of the full business case document and its appendices. It will take you approximately 10 minutes to go through this presentation.
Neither this summary or the full business case gives details at this stage about individual service area or posts within it. This will be developed during the detailed design phase – more details given at the end of this presentation.
The key features of the Future Shape model are:
Please view this as a slideshow.
Services will be delivered through a wide mix of models
A council which is financially sustainable and self reliant
A council that makes best use of resources and assets
A workforce that is lean, flexible and commercially skilled
Members priorities are delivered through outcome based commissioning
Residents will find it easy to do business with us
The following slides will now go through each feature in more detail.

2. IMPLEMENTING THE FUTURE SHAPE MODEL
Services will be delivered with key partners and through a wider mix of cost effective, fit for purpose delivery models and providers.
How are we going to change the way services are delivered?
IMPLEMENTING THE FUTURE SHAPE MODEL
Our ambition is to organise ourselves in the most commercially-minded way. We have considered a range of models for organising our Council. The model proposed incorporates the best of the private sector with the best of the public sector.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

3. A focus on the headquarters function
Services will be delivered with key partners and through a wider mix of cost effective, fit for purpose delivery models and providers.
A focus on the headquarters function
Strategy and Policy will provide support to all Members through a single Member support function, including how to turn Member priorities into tangible outcomes within a defined financial envelope.
Business Enterprise will identify opportunities to collaborate, innovate and develop value propositions for enterprise-wide activities.
The Assurance Function will ensure that we are protecting the public purse, meeting our statutory responsibilities and delivering effective value for money.

4. Services will be delivered with key partners and through a wider mix of cost effective, fit for purpose delivery models and providers.
What is an operating framework?
The operating framework describes the relationship between the different parts of the organisation and sets out what each part can expect from the other. This is not a team of people – think of it as a ‘deal’ on how the Headquarters and Business Units will work together.
The operating framework has two key objectives:
To ensure that Business Units have the freedom to operate commercially and deliver the best possible outcomes
To ensure that Members have the tools they need to safeguard the public interest, investment, ensure that organisational risk is managed effectively and achieve their objectives

5. A focus on the Business Units
Services will be delivered with key partners and through a wider mix of cost effective, fit for purpose delivery models and providers.
A focus on the Business Units
A Business Unit will be a small team given flexibility in the way it operates and delivers services within the council-wide Operating Framework.
They are responsible for turning the strategic outcomes from Members into services for residents. They may do this by direct delivery, managing contracts or a combination of both. 
BUSINESS UNIT FUNCTIONS
Service-level commissioning
Contract management
Business planning, budget management and savings
Strategic alliances and partnerships
Intelligent client
Business development
Category Management
Implementing integration and solutions
Performance management
Risk management
Market shaping
Complaints handling
Change management
Subject matter experts

6. Services will be delivered with key partners and through a wider mix of cost effective, fit for purpose delivery models and providers.
Trusts
Not-for-profit organisation designed to benefit residents mentally, morally or physically
Buckinghamshire Learning Trust has been established to provide high quality services to schools and settings primarily in Buckinghamshire.
Local Authority Trading Company
Operates in the same way as a private company but is owned fully by a council
E.g. Buckinghamshire Care.
What are the models we might use for Delivery Units?
Services will be delivered in-house and through a mix of delivery models:
Community model
Service is run by a local community enabling them to shape the service to meet local needs
Empowers volunteers to take the initiative and responsibility for delivery
13 Buckinghamshire libraries use this model.
External organisation
Delivered by external organisations, many from the voluntary and community sector
Achieves better value for money and enables us to retain flexibility as social needs change
Ringway Jacobs is a commissioned service.

7. A focus on the Delivery Units
Services will be delivered with key partners and through a wider mix of cost effective, fit for purpose delivery models and providers.
Buckinghamshire Learning Trust launched on 31st July 2013 and has been established to provide high quality services to schools and other settings primarily in Buckinghamshire, but also beyond the County boundaries.
What are the benefits?
As a charity the Buckinghamshire Learning Trust is able to access new sources of funding, therefore generating income
A focus on the Delivery Units
We have identified some opportunities for future Delivery Units. Some of these are very early ideas and some are already well progressed. They include:
Heritage Trust (either including or separately a Libraries Trust)
Buckinghamshire Law Plus
Buckinghamshire Youth
Fostering and Adoptions (mutual)
Integrated 0-25 Trust
Energy Service Company
Property Company
Community Transport Trust
Delivery Units are the front-line of service delivery, managed by Business Units. A variety of models will exist as we become more commercially minded.
The Adventure Learning Foundation launched on 1st November 2013 and is a charity run in partnership with the County Council. It runs three outdoor education centres: Green Park, Longridge and Shortenills.
What are the benefits?
The Foundation is able to generate income by providing shared services to member centres and is able to establish itself as an Alternative Education Provider benefitting many children and young people.
Buckinghamshire Care launched on 1st October 2013 and is a Local Authority Trading Company.
What are the benefits?
As a trading company, Buckinghamshire Care will be able to generate a surplus of funds to reinvest in quality services.
DELIVERY UNIT FUNCTIONS
Service delivery
Performance management of service delivery
Continuous improvement
Individual commissioning
Ringway Jacobs were contracted in 2008 to deliver Transport for Buckinghamshire – the day-to-day highways and transportation services.
What are the benefits?
As a commissioned service the County Council is able to achieve much greater value for money and enables it to retain flexibility as social needs change.

8. What do we mean by self-reliant?
We will implement solutions that will ensure the Council is financially sustainable and more self-reliant to tackle the social and economic challenges now and for the years ahead.
What do we mean by self-reliant?
One of the reasons for creating Delivery Units is that they are able to operate more freely than the County Council. This means in the longer term we will be less reliant on grants from central Government.
example
Buckinghamshire Care is able to increase their income by applying for grants that would not normally be available to the Council. They are also able to provide services to private paying clients, which is not something that a County Council is able to provide.
example
Buckinghamshire Learning Trust delivers school and early years improvement services, specialist teaching services and other key support services to organisations around the world. This income is used to improve the attainment of children and young people within Buckinghamshire, reducing reliance on Government grant.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

9. Summary of Future Shape Business Case
We will implement solutions that will ensure the Council is financially sustainable and more self-reliant to tackle the social and economic challenges now and for the years ahead.
The Future Shape Programme is not about delivering short-term savings targets. It aims to deliver significant savings in the long term.
how
how
Investment in new technology to enable ‘smarter’ transactions with customers.
The aim is to reduce the volume of low-value high cost transactions, like renewing library book over the telephone.
Harnessing our property to sub-let our office accommodation to get income and creating hubs of public services including police, NHS etc.
how
Crowd funding – having a conversation with a group of residents about them collectively funding gold-plated services e.g. non-priority potholes being fixed within specified timeframe within a specific village.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

10. What do we mean by ‘resources’?
We will carry on making better use of all our resources and assets and everyone will be aware of opportunities to innovate.
How will we make best use of our resources and assets in the Future Shape of the Council?
how
Corporate Landlord Project
This looks at the needs of the Council as a whole, rather than by each service area as we did historically. The project aims to get better value from properties through joint arrangements with others or by maximising private sector investment. This approach enables improved support of the delivery of the Strategic Plan and brings together thinking about property with finance and regeneration.
Strengthen our strategic, long-term approach to managing our assets
With our new commercial focus, we will aim to achieve the best return on our assets
What do we mean by ‘resources’?
Resources is a term that can be applied to money, materials, staff, or other assets that are used by the organisation to function.
Develop new opportunities to generate additional income (for example the creation of a Property Company)
Co-locate with other public services where it makes financial sense to do so
Deliver more frontline services with our public sector partners through Delivery Units
Make better use of office space by fully adopting an agile working approach (this includes hot-desking, working from home, video meetings, using Lync to make telephone calls)
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

11. What opportunities are there to innovate?
We will carry on making better use of all our resources and assets and everyone will be aware of opportunities to innovate.
What opportunities are there to innovate?
Business and Delivery Units will be free to innovate and will be incentivised to generate income and trade
We have a clear plan for how we will develop our workforce in core skill areas such as commercial thinking.
What do we mean by ‘innovate’?
The County Council has been around a long time along with many well-established methods and processes for doing things. We want all employees to be innovative and suggest changes and improvements that will benefit our residents and the Council.
How will the Business Enterprise function of the Headquarters help us to innovate?
Ensure there is a focus on the whole enterprise by identifying opportunities to collaborate and innovate
It will include an Innovation Unit that will support organisational change, with the capacity and skills to drive forward new initiatives and projects as required.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

12. What do we mean by leaner? What do we mean by commercially skilled?
A leaner, flexible and commercially skilled workforce who are equipped and incentivised to work together across different structures to deliver our priorities.
What do we mean by leaner?
There will be fewer staff directly employed by the Council. Highly skilled staff will work on activities centred around the customer.
What do we mean by commercially skilled?
It is not just about managing contracts, it includes:
Putting the customer at the centre of our thinking
Understanding current and future costs and stripping out unnecessary ones
Making money from the things we are good at
Having a strong grasp of performance and quality
Being flexible and risk aware
Having a high quality, engaged and skilled workforce
What do we mean by flexible?
An organisational structure that adapts and responds to the changing environment
Business and Delivery Units will have more freedom to manage, motivate and reward their people in a way that makes sense to them
Full roll out of hot-desking, working from home and increasing use of virtual meetings
Our people are our biggest asset and we need to invest in them to give them the right skills and capabilities to operate in a commercial model.
Training sessions are available for all staff. Book on a Commercial Awareness course now via SAP.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

13. We will change our culture through:
A leaner, flexible and commercially skilled workforce who are equipped and incentivised to work together across different structures to deliver our priorities.
People and Organisational change:
A minimal set of core HR policies will ensure we meet core legal responsibilities
The Operating Framework will allow Business Units to flex and tailor approaches to meet their different needs
Colleagues with potential can be identified in a more consistent way
The majority of front-line employees will be working in Delivery Units, with small teams in Business Units and a very lean HQ (less than 200 employees).
We will support staff to work flexibly to achieve an employee to desk ratio of 3:2 by April 2015 and 2:1 by April 2016
We will change our culture through:
Leaders driving change and behaviours shaping it
However there are many positive examples of qualities in our existing culture that we want to retain—such as commitment to customers, a sense of belonging and a strong public service ethos.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

14. What do we mean by outcome-based commissioning?
Members will set priorities with residents and ensure that they are delivered through stronger outcomes-based commissioning and performance management.
What do we mean by outcome-based commissioning?
The commissioning function will be joined up across the Council, focussing on outcomes not service areas
When we created contracts in the past with organisations to deliver services on our behalf, we would have set out the activities required in detail.
In the Future Shape model, we will commission an organisation to deliver an outcome. The relevant Business Unit will use their expertise to propose the solution which would be agreed and monitored by our Members.
It is therefore really important that the high level outcomes accurately reflect the priorities of Members!
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

15. Summary of Future Shape Business Case
Members will set priorities with residents and ensure that they are delivered through stronger outcomes-based commissioning and performance management.
example
Outcome given to Transport for Buckinghamshire: Develop a thriving economy in Buckinghamshire
Possible solution: Invest in the county’s strategic road network to improve journey times which encourages business growth and investment
example
A different outcome given to Transport for Buckinghamshire: Improve resident satisfaction with the road network
Possible solution: Focus resources on improving minor roads and filling potholes as this will have a more immediate impact with residents
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

16. Summary of Future Shape Business Case
Residents will find it easier to do business with us, be able to serve themselves and get better access to services delivered digitally.
We want to allow our customers to be able to request it, renew it, tell us about it, pay for it, and apply for it through digital channels.
Amelia
Damaged drain on Bourton Road between Cricket Club and Badgers pic.twitter.com/lqt5dDE0R8
example
Transport for
@A_Lockers Thanks for your tweet. It has been called through to the technician for immediate attention. Reference CRN Thanks again
Amelia
@tfbalerts just driven past on way to work and it’s fixed. Thank you
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

17. Summary of Future Shape Business Case
Residents will find it easier to do business with us, be able to serve themselves and get better access to services delivered digitally.
how
How this might work for transport services:
Push all contact to online self-serve with direct links to the third party supplier (no council intervention)
Free up capacity within the telephony channel—which could generate cashable savings
Telephony channel used to handle, at the first point of contact, more complex enquiries that are currently being handed off via the contact centre to service professionals within services.
Personalised ‘My account’
24/7 access to transactions without waiting or queuing
Track progress on outstanding issues without having to contact
Personalised, interactive and secure service
Unique user identification which enables customers to sign-up to receive alerts on the move.
How this might work for Adult Social Care services:
Aspiration is to increase resident’s ability to serve themselves
By shifting information requests, request for service and rules-based assessments, capacity will be freed up to focus on supporting complex assessment activity.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

18. Summary of the financial benefits
A number of investment costs and savings have been investigated as part of the business case. The Future Shape model is not about providing a short term fix but supporting the organisation in the medium to long-term to unlock future savings.
There are already challenging targets for saving £49m by 2017/18 of which £7.1m is needed to be delivered through the additional financial benefits identified in the Future Shape business case. We have estimated savings ranging between £7.8m and £10.8m in 2017/18, exceeding this target.  A range of costs and savings has been used to reflect the level of confidence in the opportunity. These have been summarised in the table below:
£million
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
Low
High
Total investment/savings
2.9
3.7
1.5
2.4
-3.4
-4.5
-7.8
-10.8
The next stage will be to develop more detailed transition plans which will give greater confidence around the levels of costs and savings for the next four years and the longer term.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case

19. Detailed design - April to September 2014
Next steps
Detailed design - April to September 2014
Development of detailed plans for setting up the new structures, processes and systems for the new model to operate
Includes key governance changes
Senior management team in place by summer 2014 to drive forward the next phase of work
Detailed transition plans produced for setting up each Business Unit.
Construction – October 2014 to March 2015
Shadow Business Units will be in operation overseeing the set-up of new processes to drive forward digital and customer improvements, complete staff consultations and ensure plans are in place to deliver outcomes.
The end of this phase is marked by the formal ‘go live’ of new structures from April 2015.
Implementation – April 2015 to March 2016
The Business Units will drive forward a more commercial approach
Further Delivery Units to be developed and financial benefits to be realised.
Summary of Future Shape Business Case
This has been produced by the County Council’s Communications team