Government Business 25.6

TECHNOLOGY

AIR POLLUTION

UAVs

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 25.6

Business Information for Local and Central Government FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

2018’S SOLAR REVOLUTION Learning from the dazzling solar initiatives of 2018

LANDSCAPING

THE ROLE OF GREEN SPACES What does environmental policy look like moving forward?

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AIR POLLUTION

UAVs

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk | VOLUME 25.6

Business Information for Local and Central Government FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

2018’S SOLAR REVOLUTION Learning from the dazzling solar initiatives of 2018

Comment

TECHNOLOGY

LANDSCAPING

THE ROLE OF GREEN SPACES What does environmental policy look like moving forward?

PLUS: BAPCO | G CLOUD 10 | INTERNATIONAL CONFEX | SECURITY

Has Brexit confusion left the North behind?

As we go to press, Theresa May has just faced and overcome a vote of confidence in her leadership, with the Prime Minister warning that a new leader would see a delay to Brexit preparations.

However, with May’s reolute face splashed across the front pages following her decision to delay the Brexit vote in the Commons, it becomes too easy to place all of our attention on the chaos encompassing Westminster.

At the start of the month, the IPPR North thinktank revealed that spending in the north of England has fallen by £6.3 billion since 2010, while spending in the southeast and south-west of England has increased by £3.2 billion over the same period.

It has been a while since the north-south divide has led conversation, but such financial disparity should not be ignored.

With northern leaders such as Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham stressing that it is within the national interest for the north to thrive, and therefore it should be at the front of the queue for public investment, it was with a sense of sadness that I read of Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson stepping down from his involvement in the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

Follow and interact with us on Twitter: @GovBusiness

Anderson said how the partnership was ‘set up by a government which isn’t prepared to listen’. At present, nobody can be particularly clear of what the government is prepared to do, but, with May at the helm or not, Brexit must refrain from being a London-based conversation.

Michael Lyons, editor

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3

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Contents

Contents Government Business 25.6 07 News

15

Cuts in public spending disproportionately affecting north; cash injection needed to avoid ‘catastrophic collapse’; and nearly 130 public libraries close in the last year

15 Facilities management

The Solar Trade Association review some of the most dazzling solar initiatives from the last year and, using their Leading Lights report, explain how a solar revolution could be on the cards in the New Year

19 Air pollution

Public sector decisions about vehicle procurement don’t always take air pollution into account, says Gillian Leng, who discusses the role that NICE is playing in fighting against dangerous levels of poor air quality in our communities

19

Christmas Markets are up and running as the countdown to Christmas hits the home stretch. With that in mind, Iain Moran reminds us of the need to keep visitor safety at the forefront of preparations

41 International Confex

Since Confex first began 35 years ago the events industry landscape has changed beyond recognition, and the annual Confex exhibition has evolved once again this year to best reflect those developments

25 Traffex

47 Management Consultancy

27 Learning Technologies

55 G-Cloud 10

Last year, the Cleaning Show saw over 5,500 professional trade attendees benefit over the three days at ExCeL. With a number of major industry names signed up for March, 2019 is set to be better again

Management Consultancy Framework Two provides a cost effective way for the government and public sector to access a variety of consultancy advice from a range of suppliers

Despite heading into 2019, many organisations still seem afraid of digital transformation. Set to keynote at next year’s Learning Technologies event, Rohit Talwar will look at the need for a ‘new world’ mindset

Now in it’s 10th iteration, a stated aim of the G-Cloud framework has been to improve access for SMEs. So, what else can the government do to accelerate the digitisation of its G-Cloud offering?

29 Technology

The Crown Commercial Service has just released its Network Services 2, worth £5 billion. Designed to drive further technological change across the public sector, we look at the latest agreements helping the government procure goods

65 Frameworks

What exactly do local authorities have to gain from undertaking a comprehensive digital transformation? And how can they go about embracing such an extensive change? Eman Al-Hillawi explores

33 BAPCO 73

36 Security

45 The Cleaning Show

With figures indicating that the number of vehicles on England’s roads has risen bt nearly two and a half million in trhe last five years, April’s Traffex exhibition is likely to take on increased importance

34

A report earlier this year suggested that drone technology could increase UK GDP by £42 billion by 2030. Elena Major outlines some of the changes of drone use in public services this year

22 Landscaping

Earlier this year the government launched its ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan.

Looking back at what it could mean for local green spaces, the British Association of Landscape Industries examine the role of landscaping in the next few years

22

34 UAV technology

Alongside a plethora of the latest technology solutions, BAPCO 2019 will be showcasing more interactive features than ever before for visitors to enjoy. Here, we look ahead to the event next March

Government Business magazine

73 Digital Outcomes & Specialists

In October the CCS announced that the Digital Outcomes and Specialists 3 framework had opened for business.

GB looks at its development

www.governmentbusiness.co.uk Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

5

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News

HOMELESSNESS

Over 130,000 children will be homeless at Christmas Housing charity Shelter has claimed that more than 130,000 children across Great Britain will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation.

With a lack of housing preventing councils from coping with the situation, the figures indicate that one in every 103 under-18s are now officially homeless, a 59 per cent rise in five years. The 130,000 figure also represents the equivalent of five youngsters in every school.

Since 2010, the number of homeless people in temporary accommodation has risen by 61 per cent, whilst council spending

on this form of housing has increased by 39 per cent over the same period, at a cost to the taxpayer of £845 million in 2016. The rise in homeless people has been particularly noticeable in some affluent, high housing cost areas in south-east England, usually associated with Conservative strongholds.

London boroughs have again dominated the charity’s top 50 councils in England for children in temporary accommodation, but the list also includes Brighton & Hove; Luton; Broxbourne in Hertfordshire; Slough; Harlow; Milton Keynes; Basildon; Epsom and Ewell; Peterborough; and Chelmsford.

Greg Beales, Shelter’s director, said: “The number of children hidden away in hostels and B&Bs is enough to make anyone’s heart sink. These are not places for children. We hear about cold, damp – even rats. Young children are sharing beds with multiple family members, trying to play in dirty public corridors and having to leave their block in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7bras35

FINANCE

BREXIT

Cash injection needed to avoid ‘catastrophic collapse’

Councils advised to set up ‘food resilience teams’

A number of council leaders have written to Communities Secretary James Brokenshire demanding that a forthcoming cut in funding of £1.3 billion is cancelled to stop an impending ‘catastrophic collapse’.

With English councils facing a funding gap of £5.8 billion by 2020, the 80 Labour council leaders have stressed the need for the forthcoming cut in funding of £1.3 billion to be cancelled ‘at an absolute minimum’ ahead of the upcoming financial settlement for local government. In their letter, they warn that by 2020, councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 they were given by central government in 2010.

The letter reads: “As leaders of councils representing millions of citizens, we are writing to make clear that you must use the settlement to truly end austerity in local government and immediately provide the funding we need to avoid catastrophic collapse in key council services. The most deprived areas of the country have been hit much harder than the

richest areas - nine of the 10 most deprived councils in the country have seen cuts of almost three times the national average.

After eight years of austerity, many councils have reached breaking point and council budgets are perilously close to collapse.”

“At an absolute minimum, you must use the funding settlement to cancel the planned further cut of £1.3 billion to next year’s Revenue Support Grant. To blindly press on with further cuts at a time when local government is on the brink of collapse would be hugely irresponsible.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/yb3rbecd

REGIONS

Cuts in public spending disproportionately affecting north The IPPR North thinktank has argued that the north of England is continuing to see bigger cuts in public spending, with spending in the north of England having fallen by £6.3 billion since 2010.

The report shows that spending in the south-east and south-west of England have seen an increase of £3.2 billion over the same time period, once again highlighting a north-south divide in how the government is spending its money.

Despite some progress in the north, including advanced manufacturing, energy and health innovation, the thinktank found that spending per head in London has increased by twice as much (£326) as spending in the north (£146) since the Northern Powerhouse initiative was first launched by the then Chancellor George Osbourne in 2014.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, has called on ministers to place northern England at ‘the front of the queue for public investment’, echoing the thoughts of the report;’s author, Like Raikes, who claimed that ‘Westminster’s Brexit chaos’ has ‘de-prioritised the Northern Powerhouse agenda at the very time it is needed most’.

He warned: “All our regional economies face severe challenges – including London’s.

Brexit threatens to make this much worse and the northern powerhouse agenda is the best chance we have of fixing this national economic crisis. In the national interest, the north needs to thrive.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y8l5bcyy

A number of food policy experts have written to every council in the UK advising them to set up ‘food resilience teams’ to prepare for different Brexit scenarios.

The specialists at City, University of London, University of Sussex and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, say that local authorities should consider creating the food resilience teams to make risk assessments of how different outcomes of Brexit might affect food provision and supply in their local areas.

Marking the latest in the Food Brexit Briefing series from the Food Research Collaboration, the briefing advises that councils will have a role to play as the local voice and ears to help limit the risk of social disorder, which has been brought on by food supply problems in the past.

The advice notice suggests food resilience teams should map existing food systems in their regions, conduct rapid assessments of where risks and potential disruptions lie, clarify the limits to stockpiling and bring together relevant professionals and expertise.

According to the notice, every form of Brexit will affect the food system in some way, particularly a no-deal scenario.

Several food risks are highlighted, including: price changes, reduced food availability, lower standards and safety, supply disruption, border delays, freight logistics and public disorder.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycp38r79

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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News

PUBLIC HEALTH

Public health budgets set to be slashed by £85m Government figures suggest that the public health budget is still set to be cut by £85 million in the upcoming Local Authority Funding Settlement for 2019/2020, despite reassurances by ministers.

Public Health Minister Steve Brine responded to new figures from Public Health England which revealed that the UK has hit the United Nations’ target on HIV for 2020 by looking ahead to ‘brighter futures in this policy area’ and working towards ‘zero stigma and zero transmissions’. However, the Terrence Higgins Trust is calling for the

government to reverse cuts to public health budgets to ensure continued progress in driving down new HIV diagnoses in the UK, as well as tackling consistently high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Analysis of government figures from the sexual health charity shows that the £85 million cut would include the funding for already overstretched sexual health services, where demand is already outstripping supply. If correct, the cuts would bring total cuts to public health to £700 million in real terms between 2014 and 2020.

ROUGH SLEEPING

PLAY FACILITIES

Action plan to combat rough sleeping revealed

£2 million for play opportunities in Wales

Communities Secretary James Brokenshire has unveiled the government’s plans to help people off the streets and meet its target to end rough sleeping for good by 2027.

The Rough Sleeping Delivery Plan establishes how important measures contained in the recent Rough Sleeping Strategy will be delivered – including targets and tough deadlines for all 61 commitments.

Amongst the pledges are plans for an expectation placed on all councils to publish detailed rough sleeping and homeless strategies by winter 2019, and New Work Coaches for every single Jobcentre Plus by summer 2019 – helping the homeless to navigate the support available to them.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has also launched an £11 million fund for councils to get as many people as possible off the streets and into secure accommodation where they can get the help they need to rebuild their lives. It is hoped that the investment will create 1,750 new bed spaces, as well as an additional 500 outreach workers many of whom who are already working tirelessly to support people off the streets and into recovery.

Brokenshire said: “No-one is predestined to spend their lives sleeping on the streets.

Yet, despite this, too many people still sleep rough on any given night. That is why we are taking action to provide support to help get people off the street this winter and set the foundations to put an end to rough sleeping altogether by 2027. This new action plan sets out the next steps to making this goal a reality. And while we are already seeing progress, I am clear we must go further than ever to achieve our ambition of a country in which no-one needs to sleep rough.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ybzfza4f

Welsh Minister for Children Huw Irranca‑Davies has announced that the Welsh Government has made £2 million available to help local authorities deliver play opportunities for children in their areas.

As the first country in the world to legislate for play, local authorities in Wales have a duty to assess for and then secure sufficient play opportunities for children in their areas, ensuring that every child has a wide range of challenging and interesting opportunities to play and enjoy their leisure time.

Under the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010, local authorities are also directed to consider the diverse needs of all children and young people in their area, including those with disabilities.

The £2 million funding will help local authorities implement the actions

The Health Foundation has previously reported a 25 per cent cut to sexual health budgets between 2013 and 2017, while data from the British HIV Association and British Association of Sexual Health and HIV have claimed that a worryingly high proportion of sexual health doctors are having to turn patients away because they don’t currently have capacity to see them.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ycwgaxxl

identified in their 2018-19 play action plans, and deliver their 2019 play sufficiency assessments.

Among the projects receiving funding are inclusive after-school and holiday provision for children with complex needs, pilot projects involving children aged 11-14 years, enabling them to access Welsh medium play provision during school holidays, the renewal of playgroup surfaces to enable better access for all and the inclusion of sensory rooms in childcare and play settings, plus outdoor and indoor play equipment for local schools, encouraging them to make the equipment available out of school hours.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y9psrl76

LIBRARIES

Nearly 130 public libraries have closed in the last year An annual survey of British libraries has revealed that almost 130 public libraries have closed in the last year in Britain and an extra 3,000 volunteers have been brought in to run remaining services.

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), who carried out the survey, has revealed a similar picture each year since 2010, as the government’s austerity measures have left many local authorities with not other choice than to continuing to make more cuts.

Last year, spending on libraries by local authorities fell by £30 million with communityrun libraries very much becoming the norm as councils ask volunteers to take the service off their books. Alongside the drop in spend, the survey also reports a net loss of 127 public libraries in England, Wales and Scotland, while 712 full-time employees lost or left their jobs.

As mentioned, volunteer numbers increased by 3,000, to 51,394. Public

Libraries News suggests that there were only 10 libraries run by volunteers in 2010. That estimate now sits at 500.

Rob Whiteman, CEO of CIPFA, said: “A lack of funds is forcing many councils to get creative in how they deliver their services, and we find in our public libraries this loss of paid employees is creating a reliance on volunteers. Similar cost-shifting is happening across almost all local government services, with communities finding everything from legal aid to green waste collection no longer as accessible.

“There really need to be some honest conversations about the direction of travel of our councils and what their role is, as the funding gap will continue to exacerbate these issues.”

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News

ELECTIONS

Local elections offering disabled candidates grant scheme The government is offering £250,000 so that people with disabilities can be assisted in running for elected office in next year’s council elections.

As part of an effort to tackle underrepresentation in town halls, grants averaging £4,000 will be made available to help cover the costs of campaign expenses, including specialist transport, screen reader software, sign language interpretation and braille transcription.

With almost 9,000 council seats to be contested in local elections in May, the investment is expected to fund around 60 candidates. Officials hope the return of the scheme will encourage the main political parties to prioritise the

selection of people with disabilities.

While the grant scheme has been widely welcomed, some have called for the scheme to be expanded to help address under-representation. Applications for grants will be accepted from January.

Lord Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “Local government thrives on and values councillors, including those with disabilities, willing to put themselves forward for election so that political parties get a choice of quality candidates – those who are capable, vibrant, energetic and engaged, with a commitment to local people. We encourage people with disabilities and a passion for change to

strongly consider becoming a councillor to ensure local communities are represented by a diverse pool of people, otherwise they risk missing out on the best.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y95ttrl3

TEES VALLEY

CARE SERVICES

Tees Valley Mayor to buy Durham Tees Valley Airport

Staff shortages severely affecting home care services

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has announced that he has agreed terms with Peel Airports to bring Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) back into public ownership.

The Mayor has presented a proposal to acquire Peel’s 89 per cent shareholding in the airport, as well as 819 acres of land, for £40 million. As part of the agreement, a parcel of land with outline planning permission for 350 homes will also be purchased. The Mayor has committed to stopping the planned housing development.

Houchen proposes to use just over six

per cent of the £513 million Tees Valley Combined Authority financial backing to bring the airport back into public ownership – meaning there will be zero impact on people’s council tax bills, zero impact on public services and zero impact on businesses.

If approved by cabinet, the agreement will transfer ownership of DTVA to the Tees Valley Combined Authority early in 2019.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y8pkzhgj

WALES

Drakeford confirmed as new Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford has succeeded Carwyn Jones as the new First Minister after a vote in the Welsh Assembly.

The former finance minister received 30 votes from assembly members and began his new role by stating that the Welsh Assembly should be a ‘beacon of hope’ moving forward and that ministers should strive for ‘a kinder sort of politics’ in our current ‘fractured world’.

Drakeford added: “It is an enormous privilege to lead a political party here in Wales, and even more so be nominated

and elected as first minister in the National Assembly. I am absolutely conscious both of the opportunity and the responsibility which comes with this position.”

Before he can be officially sworn into office, the Queen is required to endorse his appointment and then Drakeford will be sworn in by a senior judge.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y84kr3bz

A new report has warned that squeezed funding and staff shortages are severely affecting home care services in some areas of England, in some cases forcing providers to leave.

Home care in England: views from commissioners and providers, published by The King’s Fund and the University of York, examines the ‘extremely fragile’ market for home care providers in the UK, finding that squeezed margins and low fees are forcing providers to leave. In more than one in three local authorities last year, providers handed back home care contracts, while some of the largest providers have withdrawn from the publicly funded home care market altogether.

The report says that the ‘relentless challenge’ of staff shortages are coupled with concerns that fees paid by some local authorities are too low to maintain quality services, which, in itself, leads to high turnover of providers and staff. Suggesting a link between prices paid by councils and the quality of home care provided, council spending on social care was three per cent lower last year than in 2009/10.

In the paper, The King’s Fund highlights that four in 10 home care workers leave their role every year and that more than half of home care workers are on zero hours contracts. In a 2017 survey, many council directors of adult social services reported having experienced home care providers ceasing to trade in the previous six months (39 per cent) or having contracts handed back (37 per cent).

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y7uazubh

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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News

FINANCE

Don’t ‘throw out the rule book’ amid budget pressures The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has challenged local authorities not to ‘throw out the rule book’ when redesigning services in the face of budget and resource pressures.

The new Under Pressure report, based on nearly 40 case studies in which the Ombudsman has identified systemic problems stemming from councils changing the way they provided services, highlights the reality of the sizeable changes councils have made in the last decade, often in response to unprecedented financial pressures, and how it is now playing out in the complaints it investigates.

The research reveals four common themes for councils to look out for, where ineffective planning for change can lead to service failure for local people. These are: accommodating longer backlog, reviewing eligibility criteria, using new partnerships and delivery arrangements and restructuring and redesigning services.

The Ombudsman’s report also emphasises how sharing the learning from these cases of complaints can help councils avoid unforeseen negative consequences when undergoing change programmes. This is accompanied by a revised Principles of Good Administrative Practice document,

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

HOUSING

Approach to failure in local government needs rethink

Liverpool’s Mayor launches new housing company

A new paper has argued that local government does not currently have the mechanisms to deal consistently with council failure, and has urged for a radical rethink of how failure is approached.

While local government failure is often seen financially, with the cash-strapped example of Northamptonshire County Council the most recent and obvious example, the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) says that councils experiencing the four different types of failure often become more introspective and defensive.

Those types of failure usually manifest themselves in either culture, service, function or duty. And with councils becoming less outward looking, more introspective and more defensive, the Decline and fall research paper introduces the idea of a ‘typology of failure’ – an articulation of the key factors that lead failure to happen. This charts a course for how government-led improvement and intervention might be enhanced, especially with more attention being paid to the strength of governance at a local level.

With failure deemed a process not an event, the centre also encourages the sector to think about the current systems for intervention and support within the sector, and whether they match the needs identified in this typology and to come up with practical suggestions about what we might need to change.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/ybnj7yeg

Liverpool City Council has launched its new housing company, Foundations, which can help residents buy their own homes through a new Rent to Buy scheme.

The housing company, which intends to build and renovate some 10,000 homes in the city in the next decade in a sweeping £1 billion investment programme, is aiming to set up a scheme that enables people to pay reduced rent on Foundations properties so they can save enough money for a deposit to buy the home.

The brainchild of Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson, the company has been set up to improve the availability of good quality, affordable homes in the city, deemed fundamental in addressing the city’s need to develop 30,000 new homes by 2030. It will also be building homes for specific groups including foster carers, large families, the elderly that may wish to down-size and people with a disability.

Mayor Anderson said: “We recognise that getting the cash together for a deposit

which provides a shared understanding of what good administration looks like.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y8rfbhfu

can be a major challenge for many first time buyers so the new Rent to Buy scheme will play an invaluable part in addressing this problem. I have also asked the Foundations team to explore other financial incentives and by the time homes are available to buy in 2019 there will be an opportunity for some of those, assessed on a per scheme basis, to be available Rent to Buy or through an alternative incentive. Giving people hope and a stake in this city’s future is at the heart of Foundations which is why it is by far the most exciting project I’ve been involved.”

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y9l4wwm3

OBESITY

One in three children need to be more active A new Sport England survey has found that one in three children currently complete less than 30 minutes of physical activity a day, which is half the government recommended time.

The online survey of 130,000 five to 16-year-olds found that girls are less likely to be as active as boys, that 13 to 16-year-olds the least active age group and that children from poorer families did least exercise.

Guidelines from the chief medical officer state that children and young people should take part in sport and physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day, including 30 minutes activity during the school day and 30 minutes outside school. However, only

28 per cent of children achieve that amount in school and only 22 per cent after school.

Broken down, the survey also found that one in four children were active across the week, but didn’t do 60 minutes every day, children aged nine to 12 were the most active every day and that the gap between girls’ and boys’ activity levels widens from the end of primary school.

Sport England will be releasing a second report, due in March 2019, highlighting children’s attitudes to sport and physical activity.

READ MORE tinyurl.com/y8h29d55 Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Nine months ago we launched our Leading Lights report which set out nearly 30 case studies to illuminate the common sense steps local authorities can take to boost solar power, as well as the more trailblazing initiatives. The case for action today is overwhelming; the United Nations and International Energy Agency are sounding the alarm on the urgent need to accelerate renewable energy investment to avert dangerous climate change. The warnings were sharply underscored by a summer of record temperature extremes globally, accompanied by unprecedented wildfires and flooding.

At the same time, the pressures on local government to secure stable sources of future revenue are now painfully apparent and here the improving economics of solar could help. The good news is that, despite turmoil in Westminster and a worrying decline in clean energy investment, 2018 saw some dazzling solar initiatives and policy breakthroughs that put local authorities in a powerful position to make the difference.

Solar farm pipeline defrosts Initiatives launched since our report was published have confirmed that local government is waking up to the sheer scale of the solar opportunity, with some spectacularly ambitious new examples. As we anticipated, the solar farm development pipeline is starting to move again in the UK after being frozen out of clean power auctions (Contracts for Difference) for nearly four years.

That’s because the economic stars are at last aligning, assisted in the short-term by a global glut of modules, and local authorities have been leading the way. In October, West Sussex opened the first solar farm in the UK without public support at Westhampnett. The 7.4MW scheme is also the first solar farm featuring large onsite battery storage to be publicly owned and more are planned for next year including a battery storage facility.

Warrington Council stunned us in the same month with its approval of a £59 million investment for two large solar farms, with a combined output to meet the entire power needs of the council estate. The scale of this investment is more than three times our top solar investor council to date; Forest Heath in West Sussex. One of Warrington’s 27MW solar farm will be based in Hull and the other 37MW farm, with battery storage, will be in York, with power sleeved back to Warrington. Both schemes have been signed off and will be operational next Autumn.

While the primary driver for the council was the low-carbon imperative, the investment will also help to provide stable energy costs, saving around £1 million per annum – vital for supporting hard-pressed frontline services.

We urge local authorities to look very carefully at the opportunities presented by solar farms, where they are in a truly exceptional position to establish attractive and secure Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) from either commercial or their own solar developments for their extensive estates. Our new analysis on the economics of large-scale solar released before Christmas shows that LCOE costs are even lower than BEIS anticipated in 2016 at, on average, around £50-£60MWh (albeit with frustratingly notable variation on grid connection costs). Next year the Solar Trade Association will be doing significant work on PPAs, where the market is expected to recover, with an estimated 600MW of new market-competitive large-scale capacity expected to be delivered in 2019.

Higher local new-build standards gather pace Leading Lights quoted Ministers in the House of Lords in 2017 clarifying that local authorities are able to set higher new build standards.

Any councils that were still nervous about flexing their muscles on new build should

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Written by Leonie Greene, director of New Markets, Solar Trade Association

If the public sector learns from the most dazzling solar initiatives of 2018, it could spark a bottom-up solar revolution in the new year, says the Solar Trade Association’s Leonie Greene

Facilities management

Leading Lights outshine the gloom

now be firmly reassured by the government’s response to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation in July 2018 which states that: “The Framework does not prevent local authorities from using their existing powers under the Planning and Energy Act 2008 or other legislation where applicable to set higher ambition. In particular, local authorities are not restricted in their ability to require energy efficiency standards above Building Regulations.”

We urge all local authorities to take note of this and we strongly recommend councils who have not already implemented higher new build standards look at the new policies

by Milton Keynes Council going through the approval process. The impressive Plan:MK policies include a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from onsite renewables, on top of a 19 per cent carbon reduction over national building standards. The proposals are currently with the Planning Inspector, with a final report likely in January and adoption likely in March.

As we demonstrated in Leading Lights, some councils are already requiring specific developments to be built to zero carbon standards today. This attractive EcoTown development in Bicester, a multi-phase development, led by Cherwell District Council, features homes built to produce zero or negative emissions (meeting a minimum of what was the Code for Sustainable Home level 5). The homes pictured were developed this year in phase 2 of the build by developers Hill and they feature solar arrays from 2.5kW to a very chunky 5.5kW with integrated panels by Viridian Solar and installed by Photon Energy. It makes economic sense to make full use of the roof space for solar, and indeed, to consider optimising solar potential at the design stage. While all improvements in building energy performance standards are welcome, it has long been a source of frustration in our industry to see a token solar installation on a new rooftop, when it is relatively little extra cost to deliver a good sized scheme. Our technical paper Solar for Housebuilders includes a detailed explanation of why this is so.

The decision this Autumn to free up local authorities to invest in new social housing with the removal of the Housing Revenue Account cap is good news. The Local Government Association wants to see 100,000 new social homes built by councils, which they estimate could result in a huge boost E

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FORS: the clear route to your transport procurement

Built Environment Services_QP Ad 2017.indd 1

28/09/2017 11:49:04

FORS, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, offers a clear route to transport procurement.

Work Related Road Risk (WRRR) is everybody’s responsibility - even if you don’t have your own fleet. The delivery of goods and services generates road transport and any collisions involving your suppliers can affect your business and, ultimately, your reputation.

FORS, the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme, is a nationwide, best practice accreditation scheme committed to driving up standards of road transport in our towns, cities and across the UK. Join the growing band of organisations that manage WRRR and air quality by including FORS in your procurement policies and supply chain contracts.

FORS: the clear route to your transport procurement.

Safety, Efficiency, Environment

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Retrofits for domestic solar – proactive local councils outwit Westminster This time last year the outlook for domestic solar retrofits presented the greatest concern for the association. However, despite very unhelpful policy plans from Westminster, developments at the local level this year are hugely encouraging and show that where local authorities are proactive, poor policy from central government can be successfully overcome. We have been delighted with the take up of the Solar Together scheme, run by our members iChoosr in partnership with local authorities and the GLA. iChoosr’s approach enables the collective purchase of large volumes of solar, with households registering their interest in advance and installers competing to install bulk volumes which enable very attractive cost reductions. Five London boroughs participated in the first round in London with more than 3,850 households expressing initial interest and over 1,000 accepting the winning offer which was a staggering 35 per cent below market prices. Furthermore, 13 London boroughs took part in the second round of Solar Together, resulting in a further 1,250 rooftop schemes. Essex County Council, Suffolk County Council and Norfolk Council have also run the Solar Together scheme in 2018 which is expected to deliver over 8MW of solar over 2,400 installations.

This proven approach, which gives households the confidence of securing both a quality installation, with the comfort of redress should it be needed, also makes relatively little demand on stretched local authorities.

We strongly urge all local authorities to run collective purchase schemes, which overcome the the loss of the FIT next April and which help rebuild the high volume markets the solar industry needs to cut costs.

Sadly we are having to fight off wholly inappropriate proposals from BEIS to remove the export tariff payment from next year.

Despite turmoil in Westminster and a worrying decline in clean energy investment, 2018 saw some dazzling solar initiatives and policy breakthroughs that put local authorities in a powerful position to make the difference The export tariff is not a subsidy; it is a fair market payment for power exported to the grid by smaller generators and fair remuneration for prosumers is now required under EU Law. We have been campaigning with 10:10, Community Energy England, the NFU and others to protect fair treatment for solar exports and we are pleased that the Energy Minister Claire Perry has agreed in the Commons that it would be ‘wrong’ for households to spill power to the grid for free. She said that ‘people who have gone through the installation process should not be essentially captive takers should someone want to buy their energy and I’m looking forward to announcing some further deliberations on this shortly’. We are working very closely with our members to provide a timely solution and we will run a webinar for local authorities on the post FIT framework in the new year.

Solar retrofits for social housing Once again local initiatives light the path forward for solar retrofits on social housing. The economics of domestic solar are undoubtedly tight, but new models are emerging that enable councils to install solar across social homes at no cost, while delivering both significant benefits for tenants as well as for carbon savings. The innovative approach taken by Solarplicity, set out in Leading Lights, went live in December 2018 with Stoke-onTrent City Council opening up its community energy scheme to social housing landlords across the county following a successful pilot.

Facilities management

 to the economy of £320 billion. While this is not a silver bullet to the UK’s severe housing crisis, councils are moving quickly to take advantage of the cap lift; a snap shot survey suggested over 90 per cent already plan to borrow more against their housing revenue account, with Hounslow, Hackney, Nottingham City Council, Leicester and many more already announcing plans for hundreds of new build homes or the acquisition of former council homes as well as private homes.

Ensuring high buildings performance and onsite renewables will cut outgoings for vulnerable tenants. Leading Lights features the first council homes to be built by Cambridge City Council in 20 years, which benefit from rooftop solar. With councils set to move into the developer space, the potential for innovative building approaches to deliver low or zero carbon homes is truly exciting.

Building in high volumes will further cut the cost of installing low-carbon technologies.

The Solar Trade Association would be delighted to hear from any councils with bold ambitions to build zero carbon social housing – let us know if we can help.

Over 3,500 social housing tenants have signed up to the scheme which sees them sign up to Solarplicity as their power supplier who will fund, install, operate and maintain solar, LED lights, smart meters and even battery storage at no cost to the tenant or council. More details on how the scheme works are set out in Leading Lights. Tenants can benefit to the tune of around £300 per annum, while the council’s housing stock benefits from additional Standards Assessment Procedure points towards its over Energy Performance Certificate rating, as well as attractive cuts in carbon.

These are just some of the top highlights of 2018 with valuable lessons for the whole public sector. There are many more; City of London Corporation’s commitment to sourcing 100 per cent of its power from renewables in 2018, Hackney Council committing to obtaining 100 per cent renewable energy and more market competitive solar farms in Cardiff, Leicester and beyond. The Solar Trade Association’s low cost Leading Lights Local Authority Network exists to spot and spread best practice and we urge authorities to join us so that we can work together to keep the UK’s clean energy revolution on track, with more of the benefits of energy generation accruing directly to local people.

As global emissions resume their upward rise, what could be more important? L FURTHER INFORMATION www.solar-trade.org.uk/ about/leading-lights/

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

Supporting the priorities of highways authorities With a history in road safety dating back over 40 years, Clearview Intelligence understands the importance of efficient highways and the budgetary challenges local councils face in delivering them The Swarkestone Bridge, located on the A514, is the UK’s longest (medieval) stone bridge crossing the River Trent. Attempts had been made by Derby County Council to protect the bridge by creating a 7.5 tonne weight restriction and 40mph speed limit, but this continued to be ignored.

By classifying approaching vehicles, Clearview’s solution detects if a vehicle is over 7.5 tonnes and then triggers a Vehicle Activated Sign reminding lorry drivers they should not cross the bridge in a HGV.

We know that government grants have been cut whilst service demands rise. We know that highways are deteriorating whilst usage is escalating. And we know the pressure councils are under to meet driver expectations for a smooth and congestion-free highway.

In the Autumn Budget, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced he would be allocating £420 million for local authorities to spend by the end of the financial year on repairing potholes.

This news will be welcomed by motorists. But here at Clearview we put the focus on preventing issues, rather than reacting to them, to deliver costeffective solutions that meet the needs – and budgets – of local authorities.

A bright idea In 2016, the Department for Transport established the Safer Roads Fund to help local authorities improve safety along the 50 most dangerous A Roads in Britain.

Since then, we have worked with local authorities to help reduce the risks along some of these roads, including the A161 Goole in the East Riding of Yorkshire to the junction with the A18 in North Lincolnshire.

Safer Roads Funding was granted in 2017 to improve the road surface, signage and markings along this stretch of highway following numerous collisions. As part of this, Clearview installed 600 of its SolarLite Active Road Studs to improve delineation along the centre line.

SolarLite studs use a solar-powered LED which enable them to be seen up to 900 metres away. Not only does this offer ten times the visibility, but ten times more reaction time for drivers when compared to traditional road studs, which has been proven to reduce night

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time accidents by more than 70 per cent.

Additionally, SolarLite studs are visible in all conditions and do not diminish over their eight plus years lifespan.

Out of the loop But it is not just delineation where Clearview can help; our wireless vehicle detection provides an alternative solution to inductive loops and can be utilised in a variety of ways.

For Staffordshire County Council, this meant using the solution to upgrade traffic signals on the Hanchurch Crossroads to improve traffic flow. Situated close to junction 15 of the M6, the traditional inductive loops were prone to regular failure due to the volume and weight of the traffic which was causing congestion and tailbacks at the junction.

The council chose to introduce a MOVA system at the lights which would detect the presence of queueing traffic in each direction of the junction and extend or shorten green light signals accordingly to reduce congestion.

In implementing this, the decision was made to upgrade from loops to Clearview’s small wireless magnetometer which can be installed in as little as 15 minutes – four times faster than loops. The magnetometers are installed in the centre of the carriageway, away from the wearing course of vehicles, so are less prone to damage whilst still effectively detecting the presence of traffic.

Lightening the load As well as detecting vehicles, Clearview also produces solutions which are capable of counting and classifying them. An example of this is where Derby County Council needed to promote weight restrictions to HGVs on Swarkestone Bridge and Causeway.

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Recognising a space in the market But it is not just traffic signals where Clearview’s vehicle detection solutions can be beneficial. We know that as well as reducing expenditure, councils need to focus on generating income through limited revenue streams, such as car parking.

In Canterbury a Clearview solution was installed in a retail car park to accurately detect vehicles passing into and out of the car park. This data was automatically transmitted via GPRS and Virtual Private Network (VPN) to the traffic data centre in Kent County Council where car park occupancy is calculated. The information was then sent via GPRS to Variable Message Signs (VMS) to direct drivers to car parks where spaces were available to optimise usage.

Collaboration leads to innovation With a history dating back to 1976, it is not possible to reference every case study or solution. But what is possible is to assure local authorities that when it comes to cost‑effective, road safety concerns, Clearview understands and will work with local authorities to provide the perfect solution. L FURTHER INFORMATION Find out more about how we make journeys work at www.clearview-intelligence.com

Air pollution is linked to around 29,000 deaths its Clean Air Strategy, including a chapter a year in the UK. It is the fourth biggest threat on reducing emissions from transport. to public health after cancer, obesity and Air pollution has also become an important heart disease, and last year alone, the costs focus of the work we do at NICE. In June 2017 of air pollution to the NHS and social care in we published our first piece of guidance on England were estimated at £42.88 million. this topic and we are due to publish an air The harmful and life-threatening effects of air pollution quality standard in February 2019. pollution are something we have battled as a We have known for some time that the nation for decades. In 1956, the government nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter introduced its first Clean Air Act to put an end emitted by vehicle exhausts has a direct to the infamous urban smogs of the 1950s. impact on our health. For example, And over the years further legislation short-term exposure to trafficand various monitoring networks related air pollution can were introduced to combat trigger asthma attacks The NIC and measure air quality. and long-term guidelin E But despite these exposure has been positive steps forward, found to reduce to prev e aims e air pollution continues life-expectancy, n t both the sho to pose a significant mainly due to an r t t erm an long-te threat to life. Today, our increased risk of d r biggest challenge is the cardiovascular and road-tram effects of air pollution caused by respiratory disease. ffic rela ted air pollu the millions of vehicles Our guideline tion lining our roads. aims to prevent both the short-term ‘Tackling traffic-related and long-term effects air pollution is now a of road-traffic related national priority’ air pollution. One key area it At the end of June 2018, there were 38.2 highlights is the important role that local million vehicles licensed for use on the roads authorities and NHS organisations can play in Great Britain, of which 31.5 million were to reduce the emissions from its vehicles. cars. Worryingly, the total number of licensed vehicles on our roads is increasing every year, averaging 640,000 per year since 2012.

So it comes as no surprise that tackling traffic-related air pollution is now a national priority. In June 2017, the government proposed a £3.5 billion plan to reduce air pollution from road transport and diesel vehicles and, in May 2018, it launched

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Written by Gillian Leng, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at NICE, discusses the dangerous impact that air pollution is having on our nation’s health and the role that NICE is playing in the fight against it

Air pollution

Hitting the brakes on traffic-related air pollution

‘Public sector decisions about vehicle procurement don’t always take air pollution into account’ The public sector fleet is substantial. It includes various vehicle types (from local authority refuse vehicles and goods vehicles to lease cars and patient transport vehicles) many of which are highly polluting. However, public sector decisions about vehicle procurement don’t always take air pollution into account.

In light of this, our guidance recommends that local authority and NHS organisations should make low vehicle emissions one of the key criteria when making routine procurement decisions. This could include replacing high polluting vehicles with lowemission ones at the end of their working life.

Another key area the guidance explores is the need to train NHS and local authority staff in efficient driving. Many drivers are unaware of the impact their driving has on air pollution, and about practical changes they could make to reduce this.

To address this problem, our guidance urges organisations to consider introducing fuel-efficient driving as part of any test carried out when appointing or re-appraising staff who drive as part of their work. It also recommends that staff drivers should be trained to reduce their vehicle emissions.

NICE recommends training public sector drivers to lower their vehicle emissions. This could include: reducing rapid accelerations and decelerations, and selecting the correct gears to improve fuel consumption; switching off engines, if practical and safe, when parked by the roadside and when dropping off people or deliveries; ensuring good vehicle maintenance, including pumping up tyres to the recommended pressure; and emphasising that lower vehicle emissions will reduce both fuel costs and air pollution.

Training drivers in techniques such as smooth acceleration and braking, not over-revving the engine, efficient gear changing, no idling when parked or making a delivery and ensuring tyres are inflated to the correct level can help to improve fuel efficiency and cut emissions. E

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Advertisment Feature

Electrify your employees to create ambassadors In a world where product and price are increasingly comparable from one business to the next, ethics and corporate social responsibility are becoming new differentiators between success and disappointment. Daimler Fleet Management explore Employee engagement is unquestionably important, no matter what industry you are in. Having a happy and motivated workforce is a key factor in differentiating yourself from the competition. But when you take a happy employee and turn them into an advocate, and then in turn into an ambassador that is when the real benefits occur. Your workforce becomes a walking sandwich board for your business, loyally endorsing you as an employer within their peer groups and more likely to stay within the organisation with an invested vigour to succeed.

Turning employees into advocates through a shared sense of purpose But how do we achieve this? By creating an employee value proposition (EVP). Your EVP will be made up of many factors including compensation, rewards, salary, future career opportunities and personal development.

But a really important piece of the EVP is your corporate culture and CSR policies.

And this is where your car scheme can help.

Including electric vehicles on your fleet policy creates an opportunity to create a shared sense of purpose with your employees.

Research by the management consulting firm The Korn Ferry Institute identified that the second biggest reason for leaving a role is that the organisation’s culture does not fit with the employee’s personal values. Conversely, an organisation’s principles are also an important determining factor for prospective employees.

The choice of a hybrid or electric company vehicle can therefore benefit the recruitment process, given the greater focus on corporate ethics and social responsibility in today’s top talent pool. Couple that with the provision of charging units, or ‘free fuel’ as your employees will see it and your attractiveness as an employer is increased exponentially.

values. And it doesn’t stop with the car.

Daimler Fleet Management (DFM) is paying close attention to the vehicle manufacturer’s CO2 reduction activities but are also talking to their suppliers about the ways in which they can limit single-use plastic in their supply chain too. There are many small gains available such as replacing the plastic used to produce number plates with recyclable materials and moving away from large plastic bottles of screen wash in favour of the concentrated tablets that are no larger than an extra strong mint - reducing the use of plastic but also the carbon footprint required to transport heavy bottles of liquid.

In a world where product and price are increasingly comparable from one business to the next, ethics and corporate social responsibility are becoming new differentiators between success and disappointment.

much like the iPhone a lot of these changes can be implemented through a software update, bringing new benefits and features without needing to leave your driveway.

Of course, it is true that technology and hardware are getting more sophisticated all the time. With each new model that lands we are seeing battery power and range increasing and charging times drop. This reinforces the important role of a mobility partner in your procurement model - providing the right leasing solutions to keep you moving forward. A two-three year returns cycle on your vehicles means that as they become outdated you are handing them back, ensuring that you are always benefitting from the newest safety and economy features - again re-enforcing the perception that your business is at the forefront of technological and environmental matters.

The pace of change A common concern of customers that DFM has spoken to is the lifespan of new alternative fuel vehicles. Comparisons have been drawn against the ever developing technology of home computers that seem to be outdated by the time you take them out of the box. But the fairer comparison would be to the iPhone. In the 10 years between the original iPhone being released in 2007 and the iPhone X landing last year, sparing some minor aesthetic changes, the majority of development has been ‘under the bonnet’. The same could be said for electric vehicles – and

Are you EV ready?

If you are interested to learn more about electrical vehicles or if alternative fuel vehicles could work for your organisation - DFM can help. DFM will deliver a whole life cost analysis of your mobility requirements and help you consider where the marginal gains towards a more environmentally conscious fleet and procurement policy can be found. L

CO2 and plastic too Aligning your fleet policy to your CSR policies shows a true commitment to building an environmentally conscious company culture from the inside out. And it’s not just your employees who will take note but your customers too. Running a fleet of electric vehicles says something about your business.

Choosing alternative fuel vehicles for pool cars and customer visits would support the environmentally conscious customer’s agenda whilst simultaneously presenting your organisation as aligned to their

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01908 697442 www.daimler-fleetmanagement.co.uk

Air pollution

 It is also recommended that organisations should consider fitting telematics technology within vehicles to provide next-day information about driving style.

Comprehensive feedback following training is also important. This could include providing support from colleagues or ‘buddies’ to improve their driving style and rewards for those who drive efficiently.

These key changes – from procurement through to training our employees to ‘drive green’ – could make all the difference to reducing the level of dangerous emissions we consume every day.

With increasing pressure to provide high quality care with limited budgets, it’s more important than ever to tackle air pollution at the source. By taking responsibility for the pollution we create within our own organisations, we can also cut the significant financial costs incurred as a result of treating and caring for the people suffering as a result of it. Some NHS organisations and local authorities are already blazing a trail to make this happen, but only a combined effort across the board will really make the impact we need to clean up our air for good.

Coming soon: new NICE quality standard on air pollution Air pollution: outdoor quality and health quality standard is expected to be published in February 2019. This new quality standard, currently available in draft, complements NICE’s published guidance on the topic, covering road-traffic-related air pollution and its impact on health. It contains four statements that set out the priority areas for service improvement and is aimed at commissioners, service providers, health, public health and social care practitioners, and the public.

By taking responsibility for the pollution we create within our own organisations, we can also cut the significant financial costs incurred as a result of treating and caring for the people suffering as a result of it Nottingham City Council The government has announced it has approved Nottingham City Council’s new plan to tackle air pollution in Nottingham city centre.

Having worked alongside Defra officials to identify measures to reduce levels of pollution in the shortest possible time and deliver compliance with legal air quality limits, the council now becomes the first local authority to have their air quality plan approved as part of the government’s wider £3.5 billion plan to tackle harmful emissions from road transport across the country.

As part of the plans, the council will retrofit 171 buses with technology to reduce emissions, support an increase in low emission taxis and use new government funding to support the conversion of its own fleet, including replacing heavy, high polluting vehicles such as bin lorries with electric vehicles.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said: “I am delighted to approve Nottingham City Council’s new air quality plan. Air pollution is the top environmental risk to health in the UK and these government-funded plans will clean up the air in the city centre, protecting residents and visitors alike.

“The plans have been finalised thanks to hard work and collaboration - a brilliant example of what can be achieved when local and national government work together towards a common goal.

We will continue to work with local authorities across the UK to improve the quality of the air we breathe.”

Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Energy and Environment at the council, added: “We worked hard on a plan that would reduce air pollution in the shortest possible time for our citizens, and we’re thrilled this has now been agreed, along with nearly £1m funding for extra measures to support taxi drivers.

“We’re looking forward to progressing these schemes to clean up the city’s buses and taxis, building on our strong track record in improving air quality through investment in sustainable transport, such as the electric tram, our award-winning electric and biogas bus fleets and cycle network.

Air pollution is a significant threat to public health today, and road transport emissions are a big part of that. We’re confident we can deliver our plan and go even further to improve the quality of the air in our city.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng70

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Landscaping Written by Owen Baker, technical officer for Policy and Research, British Association of Landscape Industries

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This green and pleasant land

plastic pollution. Consequently, newspaper headlines focused heavily on how the plan would tackle global issues such as climate change, marine pollution and reduction of plastic in packaging. But beyond large scale pollution issues, what is the likely outcome from the 25 Year plan for projects and issues closer to home: housing developments, public open spaces, wildlife areas and air quality?

As a landscape professional I was reassured Owen Baker, technical officer for Policy and Research at the to see provision in the plan for initiatives such as green infrastructure standards, tree planting British Association of Landscape Industries, explains what the and green planning principles. Whilst these are government’s 25 Year Environment Plan could mean for local areas already on the radar and being implemented by many local authorities under a different title, recognition in the 25 Year plan will hopefully The offices of the British Association of But what role will the ensure they are given greater consideration.

Landscape Industries (BALI) are in Stoneleigh environment play in the future?

Connectivity of landscapes is a key theme, and I Park, Warwickshire and, from where I sit, Just as the government has ambitious plans hope the ambitious plan of linking green spaces remnants of Stoneleigh’s link to the once to cater for the growing pressures on existing will benefit both the environment in terms of famous Royal Show are still evident. Sadly, the housing and infrastructure, together with the habitat creation and enhancement, and the pavilions, hospitality suites and bandstands changing needs of business, surely there must public in terms of access, in equal measure. erected to cater for thousands of visitors and also be a wider plan for the environment?

It is comforting to see businesses now lie largely derelict, with many Something is needed to mitigate environmental measures demolished to make way for new business habitats lost to changing land mentioned in a plan that ventures. Over the next few months several use and to ensure high quality The suc extends to 25 years and more of the older buildings at Stoneleigh Park green spaces are available beyond - but action will be demolished and a portion of the park to our growing population. of green cess with measurable lost as the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project in Earlier this year the r o and wa ofs outcomes is needed this part of the Midlands gets underway. government launched ll now. Furthermore, A part of me is unnerved by land uses with its ambitious 25 Year heavily s is initiatives must be which I am not familiar – particularly when Environment Plan. on good reliant consistently supported it means losing a part of the natural ‘green’ It was in front of a d e sig implem by each successive environment. I am forced to acknowledge, difficult crowd – a large entation n, government to ensure however, the changing needs of our proportion of the media an mainten ance d a genuine beneficial population; the buildings built today must and commentators had impact. I write this article cater for the growing population, just as been riled by the recent in the hope that all initiatives the HS2 rail link will (hopefully) meet the BBC documentary Blue Planet, are universally supported. transport needs of future generations. which highlighted the issue of

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Over the past few months the need for a better appreciation of mental health and physical well-being has been the focus of many public and private organisations’ awareness campaigns. Green spaces and all manner of managed landscapes are increasingly cited by healthcare professionals as an excellent long-term solution to a myriad of conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and depression.

The less obvious benefits of green space have been recognised for many years. A study in 1984 recognised the value of a natural setting to hospital patients and revealed those who were assigned beds with views of a natural setting recovered far more quickly from surgery than those who were not.

Similarly, studies have shown that exposure to any green space can provide stress relief, increase social interaction and even stimulate recovery from more serious mental illnesses.

Lost habitats Outside of the healthcare profession, a positive link has been established between tree canopy cover and house prices. Whilst this isn’t news to the majority of house builders, who now include elaborate planting schemes within the gardens of show homes and are required to invest substantial sums of money in mitigation planting, more could be done to ensure

mitigation of lost habitats reflects wider environmental targets. The use of green walls and roofs is a relatively recent practice in the UK and has grown significantly in urban areas helped by support from planning authorities who recognise their potential to manage air quality, reduce the urban heat island effects and promote more sustainable drainage. These green infrastructure systems are now favoured by savvy developers who recognise the potential for enhanced sales or rental value.

I hope this type of high-quality landscape continues to grow in popularity. It is promoted in the Environment Plan, which I hope leads to new ways of integrating planting into a wide range of projects. In terms of HS2, the short-term environmental cost is likely to be high and, from my perspective at least, I hope planned mitigation works (a bat house and wetland area have already been constructed at Stoneleigh) are backed-up by robust management strategies.

The success of green roofs and walls is heavily reliant on good design, implementation and maintenance. A good maintenance programme is essential to ensure the aesthetics of the system are retained for the life of the building and to ensure the environmental benefits are sustained. As with all landscape schemes, there is no short-term solution to the creation of spaces that make

a genuine contribution to environmental targets, nor is there an economic shortcut to the effective management of highquality green spaces. To meet the targets outlined in the government’s 25 Year plan will require good design, implementation and long-term management, all of which require adequate and appropriate funding.

As the role of green spaces broadens to meet functions now identified as essential by stakeholders in environmental, healthcare and planning organisations, the pressure on green spaces is likely to grow significantly.

Large green spaces can absorb huge numbers of people and hide neglect more readily than smaller ones but as the size of green spaces declines, particularly in urban areas, their ability to absorb pressure is reduced and must be mitigated by greater intervention to preserve human enjoyment and continued environmental benefits. Thanks to the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan the ease with which the green space box may be ticked by delivering ill thoughtout mitigation works looks set to end. L

Landscaping

Just as the government has ambitious plans to cater for the growing pressures on existing housing and infrastructure, together with the changing needs of business, surely there must also be a wider plan for the environment?

FURTHER INFORMATION www.bali.org.uk

£1million for pocket parks Parks and Green Spaces Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that community groups can now bid for funds to establish a new pocket park or refurbishing an existing park in their area.

With a fund of £1 million made available, the pocket parks, usually small plots of land seen in urban spaces, will provide a green oasis which can help improve the physical and mental health of the communities using them.

Pocket parks currently in use allow for physical exercise, growing vegetables, children’s play and community events.

Sunak said: “Green spaces offer people a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of life to relax, keep healthy, learn about nature or spend time together with loved ones.

Not all communities enjoy access to an abundance of usable space, while some existing parks might need a bit of TLC to bring them back to life. The pocket parks plus fund will help local people to create and maintain small oases that they can take pride in and benefit from for years to come.”

The first Pocket Parks programme was launched in February 2016. The new funding will see up to £15,000 made available to build new ‘pocket parks’ and up to £25,000 available for renovating existing parks.

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Traffex 2019

Welcoming the highways and traffic engineering sector As the UK’s most established exhibition for those involved in the highways and traffic engineering sector, Traffex 2019 remains Europe’s largest dedicated road, traffic, parking and transport event.

GB looks at what’s on the road for next April’s event

Earlier the year council leaders revealed that the number of vehicles on England’s clogged roads has risen by nearly two and a half million in the last five years. According to the Local Government Association, road space has only increased by 0.6 per cent over the same period, meaning that there are significantly more vehicles per mile of road.

This then increases congestion, air pollution and road surface issues.

Figures from August indicate that there were 2,460,900 more vehicles on the road in 2017 when compared with five years ago in 2013 and that UK drivers are now wasting an average of 31 hours in rush-hour traffic, costing each motorist £1,168.

Traffic management With hundreds of experts and the most important industry trade associations all under one roof, the exhibition at Traffex provides the perfect opportunity to do business with a wide range of suppliers, ask questions, and network with peers from across the globe. Traffex, taking place next April at the NEC in Birmingham, has long been hailed as a catalyst for long-term collaboration and has a proven reputation for attracting key decision-makers from: local authorities, emergency services, suppliers and manufacturers, construction maintenance teams and traffic engineering workers.

In addition to over 350 exhibitors showcasing their very latest technology and services, Traffex also offers the chance to broaden your knowledge base with two free-to-attend seminar theatres and round-table debates. Showcasing the latest technological advancements that will shape the future of the UK’s road network, a visit to Traffex is essential for local authorities, regional government and all organisations looking to deliver continuous, cost-effective and efficient improvements to their roads and highways.

The 2019 iteration of the show will showcase a new conceptual road feature working with leading consultants to take visitors on an interactive journey while showcasing some of the latest products, concepts and services. This is an exciting new aspect to the show and will rival the live hackathon - part of the Data Discovery Centre which uses real industry data to help create solutions for challenges on the network, as the most visited part of the event.

It will be interesting to see whether the recent Department for Transport funding for a digital planning service to improve the way that drivers plan their journeys and help them avoid roadworks will be further investigated and discussed. The £10 million investment in Street Manager, a digital planning service set to launch next year, is said to make more consistent, accurate data on street works available to motorists.

Current data on roadworks often becomes out of date and incomplete quickly, but the hope is that Street Manager will generate real time data and be free for technology companies and app developers to use.

This will allow existing apps and providers, such as Waze and Google maps, to enhance their services making them even more accurate and allow other firms to create new products to help drivers avoid jams.

Parking management The exhibition will once again be held alongside Parkex, Europe’s largest dedicated parking event. Organised in collaboration with the British Parking Association (BPA), Parkex provides a platform for leading industry suppliers and parking brands to launch the latest cutting edge products and services.

Research carried out by London Councils in October revealed that parking management undertaken by councils contributes £3.58 billion per year to London’s economy. Having commissioned Integrated Transport Planning (ITP) to research public parking management in London, London Councils argues that parking management is an essential public service that benefits London’s economy while helping to deal with traffic, improve air quality and ensure better road safety.

As well as the contribution to the capital’s economy, the report finds that the current cost-benefit ratio of parking management stands at 10:1, meaning that for every pound spent on parking measures, London benefits tenfold. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.traffex.com

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emerging technologies • gaming • bots • collaborative learning • content authoring and design • e-learning strategy • technology and implementation gaming • simulations and virtual worlds • learning management infrastructure • methods and systems mobile learning • virtual classroom technologies management and business skills • leadership development • Augmented reality • culture and language • specialist skills • transformational learning • business aligned learning • developing high performance teams • coaching and mentoring learning engagement • organisational development digital • change management • integrated learning content publishers • learning & development spaces • presentation equipment • learning aids performance management • talent management assessment and appraisals • support systems specialist learning systems • learning infrastructures

Learning Technologies: Europe’s leading workplace learning exhibition and conference With more than 8,500 visitors, 150 free L&D seminars, over 200 exhibitors, an exhibition hall packed with the latest learning technologies, innovation and best practice and the industry’s leading L&D conference, it provides a unique and exciting environment for all those involved in workplace learning.

Register for free exhibition entry now at www.learningtechnologies.co.uk/govtech

Learning Technologies

The leading conference for workplace learning Moving to London’s ExCeL, Learning Technologies is Europe’s leading showcase of organisational learning and the technology used to support learning at work. Here, we look ahead to February’s event, with a particular focus on Rohit Talwar’s opening keynote address With more than 8,500 visitors, 150 free do work better, they can and should be used to Learning and Development (L&D) seminars, help make sense of an emerging and radically over 200 exhibitors, an exhibition hall different environment. Whether it be via packed with the latest learning technologies, social tools, personalised learning, simulations innovation and best practice and the or gaming, he will argue that our tools are industry’s leading L&D conference, Learning capable of much more than we imagine. As Technologies continues to grow in importance, well as improving performance, they can also value and attendance year on year, providing help us navigate this rapidly changing world. a unique and exciting environment for all The challenge for Talwar is simply put: will those involved in workplace learning. we just use these tools to do what we’ve Now in its 20th year, Learning Technologies, always done a little differently, or are we ready incorporating Learning and Skills, is Europe’s – with the help of technology – to unlock the leading conference dedicated to organisational prison doors of our thoughts and experience learning and the technology that supports and see the world in an entirely new way? learning at work. This year, at the new There’s a lot of hyperbole about the future venue of ExCeL in London’s Docklands, on of work, about how robots are coming for 13-14 February, the conference will feature our jobs, leaving in their wake a dystopian an inspiring and provocative speaker line nightmare of mass unemployment. Daniel up. With over 30 conference sessions and Susskind will be at the show to explore over 70 leading speakers and facilitators, those anxieties, pointing out the myths Learning Technologies will challenge you, and misconceptions that generate them, give you new insights into the ways we and providing vivid illustrations of the learn, and provide you with a start towards opportunities and complexities of the future more effective L&D at work. As well a strong of work, as well as the very real risks. emphasis this year on interactivity and His keynote will make you think about how application, there are expanded opportunities we will work in the future, what will help to network with over 700 fellow learning us perform well, and what the role of the and development professionals. organisational L&D function will be in a Organisations today are by world where the technologies that turns curious, excited and surround us at work, and the Learnin scared about digital jobs that employees perform, g techno transformation. For will be very different from many, one thing today. This does not spell are not logies they are not the end of corporate L&D, learning just for doing, however, but it certainly suggests h o w w to do ork bet is managing the a very different future. t used to er, they can transformation b he e well, or even of an e lp make sense mergin adequately. The ga radicall reason? It’s not y differ nd that they don’t ent environ have the technology, ment says futurist, entrepreneur and author Rohit Talwar, it’s more that they lack the technological awareness and ‘new world’ mind set to make the transformation succeed.

In this opening keynote, Talwar explores some of the technological changes underway and on the horizon, and considers the implications for life as we know it. What could these changes mean for how we learn – whether at work or in our daily lives – and how can we make best use of the amazing power of these new technologies?

Talwar will make the case that learning technologies are not just for learning how to

Free exhibition Technology supported learning and the role of the learning and development professional has changed dramatically since the launch of Learning Technologies over 18 years ago, as employers need to ensure that their staff has the skills and knowledge to continuously adapt to the changing needs and demands of their organisation.

Learning Technologies is an event designed around the needs of those L&D professionals and showcases the latest technologies, learning solutions, hands-on features, innovation and best practice as well as boasting the largest free L&D seminar programme of any learning event in the world. There is so much to see that many organisations now send their whole team to the event. They find that the event is a great way to motivate, educate and unify a team but it’s also more fun if you have colleagues to share your experience.

Time at the show will certainly be well spent and will ensure that your team leaves challenged and inspired by new ideas and opportunities and part of a vibrant, buzzing and exciting industry that embraces change and creativity. With ten theatres on the exhibition floors each running a seminar every 45 minutes, your only problem will be choosing which ones of the 150 free seminars to attend. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.learningtechnologies.co.uk

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Advertisement Feature

The dangers of passive action With changing consumer attitudes individuals are not confronting poor service but what are the ramifications and is your customer experience strategy purely academic?

The 2018 Consumer Action Monitor Report (CAM) from Ombudsman Services highlights a growing trend in consumers; Passive Consumer Action. Whilst the report predominantly focusses on retail, the trends it highlights are no surprise and have broader implications for all services, be these commercial or public.

CAM Report The report shows that despite the trend for organisations to flirt with the concept of customer experience (CX), consumers are increasingly disillusioned and frustrated with the thought of even attempting to engage their customer services and complaints teams.

Last year in the UK alone there were at total of 173 million issues with products and services, but only 27 per cent of these were actively raised with providers, down 14 per cent from the previous year. At first glance, fewer complaints could be seen as a positive for organisations; it could be seen as consumers being either basically satisfied with their services, or at least grudgingly accepting their services even when they feel that these services fall. It’s somewhat of a stereotype that we simply don’t like to make a fuss. Confrontation is something that most people will try to avoid, particularly if that confrontation is likely to be futile and simply not worth the effort. But are these really the reasons?

Two in five (40 per cent) consumers ‘walked out’ before completing a purchase as a result of poor service, up from 29 per cent in last year’s report, while three in 10 (30 per cent) chose to switch providers or spend less because of disappointing experiences.

The CAM report cites further statistics around this. For example, last year over a quarter of existing customers who had issues with products/services walked away from providers without giving them the opportunity to address their issues. That’s 27 per cent of 173 million consumers. 46.7 million last year alone.

Increased service alternatives What this actually represents is indicative of a change in consumer attitude to the supply of goods and services. It may be there are a portion of individuals who simply don’t want to confront poor service. In fact, there may be many reasons for this change, but it is evident that the shift in behaviour is, to some degree, a result of increased competition in the retail market. The advent of the internet and the ease with which individuals can now access product and service alternatives (an opportunity that many organisations leverage) has naturally influenced attitudes.

In a marketplace where it is easy to switch from one organisation to another it is natural that, where this option is available, there

With disillusionment giving way to a new type of consumer activism, businesses need to shift their thinking when it comes to customer experience and complaint handling 28

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

is a likelihood it will look more appealing than the effort of addressing and issue or complaining – especially if this appears to require unwanted effort. In a culture where this is prevalent, when services are fixed (such as in the public sector) what are the potential ramifications of this?

The impact is far reaching. If individuals are not raising concerns or complaints, then issues are not being addressed. These issues become word-of-mouth, directly or by social media. If these issues are genuine, it also means that these are not being highlighted with the organisation and therefore not being addressed which further effects future customer-dealings as well as hiding operational inefficiencies.

So, as stakeholders how can we manage this?

Understandably, the Ombudsman Services’ findings were that we should somehow encourage more complaints, but I feel this missed the mark. In an economy where customers have multiple alternatives, they must be able to have their issues not only heard, but heard by the right person, and before these issues escalate or spread.

Much of the weakness in current customer insight practice is that the insight itself is limited and retrospective; providing ratings which do not identify the motivations behind the sentiment or looking back with surveys which capture information on what has already happened, set against organisationally-defined criteria.

Whilst there are benefits to both approaches, they both fall into the category of ‘measurement’. What is lacking is engagement, providing consumers with an easy channel to express their concerns with an open voice and engaging with these voices before the point of escalation.

Once we have this, the conversation opens up again and we can worry less about the likelihood of complaint – or the lack of.

We need to start filling the CX Gap; the current limbo between the origination of dissatisfaction and the point of consumer action (or inaction). Our customer experience strategies need to not only focus on measuring CX, but also managing and leveraging CX. This is achieved, in great part, by effective communication. L FURTHER INFORMATION www. staffino.com

Whe underta n k a digitaing l transfo signific rmation, a an is oftent obstacle knowin simply gw to start here

The public sector has historically been behind the curve when it comes to take-up of technological advancements, and local governments are no exception to this.

Helping councils to improve both internal efficiencies and service availability for constituents, a digital overhaul could provide the sector with significant benefits. So, what exactly do local authorities have to gain from undertaking a comprehensive digital transformation and how can they go about embracing such an extensive change?

Not all local authorities are behind when it comes to implementing innovative ways of working and some councils have truly embraced progressive attitudes, new technologies and developed digital platforms. However, a significant number still lag behind, whether this is due to insufficient funding being made available to local governments, the risk-averse cultures of such organisations or merely a lack of drive to invest in such innovations.

While it goes without saying that there needs to be an organisational driver for change, it is important to bear in mind that there is consumer demand for increased online services. Failing to provide these or not ensuring they are fit for purpose risks damaging the public’s perception of local authorities.

A comprehensive digital platform can give consumers a whole host of options for remote enquiries and online services, all potentially with 24/7 access. Planning and control services, pothole monitoring, tax payments and even bulk waste and rubbish collection can all be managed at the tap of a screen or the click of a button.

However, the benefits of a digital transformation do not lie solely with consumers; there are also significant internal benefits to be taken advantage of.

The biggest cost for any local government organisation tends to be investment in human resources. Introducing greater opportunities for streamlined processes

Written by Eman Al-Hillawi and Peter Marsden

In a world where almost everything is available at the touch of a button, local governments must embrace digital transformation in order to sustain public services, writes Eman Al-Hillawi and Peter Marsden

Technology

Digital transformation: reshaping local government

through automation, while costly upon initial investment, will likely bring overheads down in the long run. By using technology to minimise the need for staff to engage with repetitive and time-consuming tasks, councils will not only reduce costs and increase efficiency, but it will also have a positive effect on staff well-being by allowing them to focus efforts on more skilled work.

Digitising paper documents Moreover, one technological advancement which can have a huge impact on day-to-day efficiency is cloud-based digital management of myriad of paper documentation which is often present within councils. Many local governments are still housing a huge number of physical documents, despite the potential to digitise much of this. By making this transition, councils can save a significant amount of time and money which would otherwise be spent organising documents and paying costly overheads for storage and manual handling.

Cloud-based document management also gives councils the ability to properly file and draw valuable insights from data. Bar human resources, data is a local authority’s most important asset. By understanding who E Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that almost £1.3 million has been awarded to councils to find solutions for how digital technology can improve services for the public.

Not all local authorities are behind when it comes to implementing innovative ways of working and some councils have truly embraced progressive attitudes, new technologies and developed digital platforms  constituents are, how they interact and what they want out of their local government, councils can maximise efficiencies to ensure their needs are met. Having a holistic system in place which allows for automatic data transfers can also help to facilitate this process.

It is worth remembering that the many opportunities presented by digital transformation will be null and void unless the organisation also addresses the issue of culture change. This is a critical part of any major business change programme; without the proper systems in place and without the co-operation of all members of the organisation, the process of digital transformation will become ineffective.

People, processes and technology are all intertwined – where one fails, all three fall down – so a holistic approach to business change is essential to prevent problems occurring further down the line.

It is important to understand and evaluate how employees work, where they work, and when they work. A digital transformation will no doubt change all three of these, as day-to-day processes become streamlined, cloud-based services make remote working a possibility and automated services allow for more flexible working times.

So how should a local authority actually implement these changes?

First and foremost, it is vital to outline where systems are at present and exactly what it is they want to achieve. Local government should make sure that any new technology they plan to implement is at a stage of development secure enough to warrant investment. Given the financial constraints local councils are currently facing, senior figures will need to be convinced that there is a clear and quantifiable business case. This will give them the incentive to drive the transformation forward,

with clear leadership and management from the top also vital for success.

A potentially positive point for local authorities is that many technological services are moving away from big upfront payments and towards monthly or yearly subscription models based on a pay-per-use service. This allows for greater flexibility – if employee numbers move up and down or if requirements change, licenses and capacity can be adapted accordingly.

Once digital transformation is in motion, there are a number of pitfalls which will need to be avoided. For instance, it is vital that the sensitive data local authorities handle is protected to the standards set out in GDPR legislation. Senior managers should make this a cohesive part of their overall strategy when undertaking a transformation, and involve everyone, including relevant councillors and politicians. This will mean that all data is secure, and approvals are provided in advance, minimising the need for excessive rounds of approvals for investment further down the line.

It is also important to remember that there will always be a need for face-to-face services and physical documentation. Local authorities have an obligation to make their services available to everyone, including those who are not computer literate or do not have internet access. However, digital platforms do mean that councils can potentially consolidate these face-to-face interactions into hubs or centres, retaining accessibility yet streamlining the use of available resources and spaces to reduce spending.

When undertaking a digital transformation, a significant obstacle is often simply knowing where to start. Therefore, it is important that a clear, gradual strategy is implemented ahead of time, including plans for necessary culture change. By doing so, local government can optimise their processes, engage their staff and enhance their service availability for consumers for years to come. Organisations

Technology

£1.3m to digitally improve public services

The winning applicants, who will receive money from the first round of a £7.5 million fund aimed at harnessing digital technology to improve their work, have a range of projects including chatbots, artificial intelligence and one-stop shop websites.

As such, some 16 projects across the country were awarded grants of up to £100,000, with 57 councils working in teams to shape new digital services and explore the potential of modern technology.

Other areas of research include exploring how virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa can improve the lives of people in need of care, giving frontline social workers better access to information to make crucial decisions and improving software used by council planning departments.

A key pillar of the government’s Local Digital Declaration, launched in July, the government’s new Local Digital Collaboration Unit will also work with LocalGov Digital, an organisation made up of people who work on digital solutions in local government, to create a place to see details of all the digital transformation happening in the sector.

Sunak said: “Embracing digital technology can revolutionise public services. Within local government, I firmly believe it has the potential to improve a range of services in a host of different ways. Ultimately, our aim is to make services better for users but it is likely to reduce costs for councils too. This could be by improving the experience of someone in care, streamlining the admin that comes with the stress of moving home, or offering a simpler way to license taxis. And these are just some of the successful ideas which I am delighted to announce government funding for. I’m excited to see these projects come to fruition.”

that have taken on the change challenge are reaping the benefits of reduced baseline costs, improved services, more effective and productive staff alongside flexible and future-proofed IT systems. L FURTHER INFORMATION https://entecsi.com

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BAPCO 2019

Displaying public safety solutions For the very first time, the BAPCO Annual Conference & Exhibition will take place in conjunction with Critical Communications Europe, at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, from the 12-13 March 2019. A crucial event for everyone that is involved in critical communications, GB looks ahead to the event The development of the terrorist threat over the last few years, never mind the last couple of decades, has meant that security services and emergency responders must be prepared to deter and react to a number of differing threats from a number of differing places. Since 9/11, the UK government and international security departments have had to contend with weapons of mass destruction, a concerning rise in cyber attacks, the possibility of biohazard airborne attacks and, most recently, vehicular attacks from home grown radicals.

Inspector Simon Davies of the Greater Manchester Police and the North West Counter Terrorism Unit gave a presentation at a BAPCO event in Newcastle on the work he and colleagues completed as Airwave Tactical Advisors following the bombing of the Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017 which killed 22 people. The audience sat in near silence as he talked about the issues of the

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than after a control room has received a call and dispatched resources.

The ability to collect, interpret and share the information provided by a caller already at the scene can be vital in providing the best and most appropriate response to an incident. By harnessing the technology carried by most members of the public, emergency services can get ahead of the game in their response times and actions. Ask once, record properly and share as often as necessary has to be a requirement of really working together and providing the best response.

Special features Alongside a plethora of the latest technology and solutions from top suppliers and expert led operation which lasted weeks, rather than the conference sessions on the latest topics, BAPCO days most of us would think about. There was 2019 will have more interactive features than no doubt that communications were vital to all ever before for you to enjoy. This includes a of those agencies involved and Drone Zone, where attendees will be to ongoing public safety. able to see the latest developments As important as in drone technology with BAPCO providing the right live flying demonstrations 2019 in equipment to allow where UAVs will fly in responders to a purpose-built flight a Dronecludes do their job, is zone, feeding back live Zone where attende providing the imagery and telematics es will be able right systems to the pilot, as well as a t latest d o see the and assistance Connected Vehicle Zone, evelopm to allow them to showcasing the latest i n ents drone t communicate. In in-vehicle capabilities with liv echnology this day and age across blue-light that starts with agencies. The transition demon e flying the first person to to ESN opened a whole stration s report an incident, new world of possibilities usually a member for this rapidly developing of the public, rather sector. From telematics to live

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

BAPCO 2019 The 2019 event is the must-attend annual event for those involved in public safety communications and will enable them to: network with the communication industry’s biggest suppliers; compare and source new comms methods, products and services; receive free expert advice on the implementation and management of equipment and technologies; attend bestpractice workshops and pose questions to the experts at the industry’s forefront; learn how to increase service efficiency and reduce costs; and do business, make new contacts, and place orders face-to-face.

Amongst the conference sessions on day one of BAPCO 2019, Jason Karp, co-founder of the Public Safety Network, will analyse seamless integration from the field to the ER in his session on the smart connected

BAPCO 2019

infrared streaming from multiple sources - the offering for public safety professionals is vast.

Technology in this sector is advancing at a phenomenal pace, with new equipment and solutions becoming available as mobile broadband, UAVs and improvements in analytics software opens up new possibilities.

Therefore, the Showcase Theatre for BAPCO 2019 will allow the attendees to see the latest technology and understand its capabilities in an interactive and engaging environment. It is inevitable to businesses to see how the technology can fit in with their organisation to improve the service they currently provide, or open new opportunities.

The transition to ESN opened a whole new world of possibilities for this rapidly developing sector. From telematics to live infrared streaming from multiple sources - the offering for public safety professionals is vast ambulance. Speaking at the same time in the co-located CCE stream, Eric Davalo, head of Strategic Development for Airbus Defence and Space, will explain what artificial intelligence can do for public safety, before his colleague Tapio Makinen will be part of a panel discussion on the Internet of Public Safety Things and critical connectivity.

On day two, the Public Safety Network’s TJ Kennedy will look at the Internet of Life Saving Things (IoLST) and turning operational concepts into reality, before Reinard van Loo, of Frequentis, will look at overcoming the barrier between consumer and agency use of broadband. Other standout conference sessions on the second day are a look at the intelligent vehicle of the future and

anticipation, installing communication systems in extreme environmental locations and a panel discussion on what we can do with the cloud.

In 2018, BAPCO opened at its new home at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry and was acclaimed a roaring success. Over 1,800 visitors attended the conference across its two days, and delegates witnessed presentations from the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade and more. Once again, BAPCO proved itself as the mustattend annual event for all those involved in public safety communications. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.bapco-show.co.uk

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UAVs Written by Elena Major, ARPAS-UK

Changes in the Drone Economy 2018 At the start of the year, ARPAS-UK wrote an article for Government Business about UAS in government and public services. Here Elena Major outlines some of the developments in the industry since then Economic report In May, PwC released a report highlighting how drone technology could increase UK GDP by £42 billion by 2030, broken down by sector.

They estimate there could be up to 76,000 drones in our skies and up to 628,000 jobs in the drone economy, bringing a further £16 billion of cost savings too. Pretty impressive numbers, but will they materialise?

Two projects that have taken place this year, the Nest Flying High Challenge and Operation Zenith, will have an enormous impact on the direction of UAS developments and form the next steps in achieving the £42 billion figure.

Regulation changes The Flying High Challenge focused on At the end of July 2018, new laws came five cities: each city then selected a socially into effect restricting drones from flying beneficial use case in order to explore their above 400 feet and within 1km of technical, social and economic aspects. airport boundaries. Drone These were medical delivery within users who flout the new London, medical delivery height and airport across the Solent, traffic Southa boundary restrictions incident response in the m p ton aims to could be charged West Midlands, fire with recklessly or response in Bradford and the firs become t c negligently acting construction and urban i t y UK to h i in a manner likely regeneration in Preston. ost a con the mplex unman to endanger an It featured a number of aircraft or any workstreams looking at manag ned traffic e person in an the technical, economic to enabment system aircraft. This could and social feasibility, key l e result in an unlimited stakeholder engagement, drone ucomplex fine, up to five years industry and research sage in prison, or both. mapping, systems research Users who fail to register and public impact analysis. or sit the competency tests This illustrates many of the could face fines of up to £1,000. challenges facing the integration of drones As of November 2019, drone users will into our cities. Currently drones aren’t allowed have to register and take online safety to fly within 150m of people and buildings tests to improve accountability. (congested areas). Companies can apply Since January 2018 another 1,235 companies have registered with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which grants permissions to operate commercially in the UK. PwC published a report in May announcing a £42 billion increase to GDP by 2030 due to UAVs, the Department of Transport has revealed legislation changes coming into effect in July 2018 and there have been two notable projects running: the Nesta Flying High Challenge involving five UK cities and Operation Zenith, based at Manchester Airport.

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to the CAA for an Operating Safety Case (OSC) to bring the proximity limits down.

When it comes to traffic management, drones flying automatically and beyond the visual line of sight of the mission controller are going to need a completely new approach: new rules but also new services to manage traffic, prevent accidents and stop misuse, taking into account drones of different weights, sensors and levels of autonomy. Currently drones are piloted by people, and described as ‘unmanned’.

As yet, there is no regulatory framework that permits autonomous operations.

Southampton aims to become the first city in the UK to host a complex unmanned traffic management system to enable complex drone usage. However, congestion in Southampton is already having a detrimental impact on air quality, social mobility and the local economy.

Southampton City Council expects a population increase of over 13 per cent in the next 20 years, meaning traffic congestion will only worsen unless interventions are made. Drones offer a flexible and agile method of collecting data, and can also be used to track traffic flow real time responding to local conditions at the time. In the near term, drones can assist with monitoring conditions, collecting transport data to assist with realtime traffic management and longer term planning initiatives.

Construction, surveys and inspections from a health and safety perspective Drones are currently being used for a broad range of purposes across different industry sectors: Costain use drones for inspections at Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station,

UAVs

A PWC report estimated there could be up to 76,000 drones in our skies and up to 628,000 jobs in the drone economy, bringing a further £16 billion of cost savings too

saving 50 per cent of costs compared to the use of helicopters or human inspection teams; the inspection of a wind turbine typically costs around £1,000 per tower. Performing the same inspection using a drone cuts the cost by around 50 per cent; and Network Rail are using drones to improve track maintenance and boost field worker efficiency, whilst reducing the amount of work at height required on Network Rail’s assets.

In Fort Worth, USA, drones have saved four months of meeting time over two and a half years and 25 per cent of rebuild costs during the construction of 14,000 seat, multi-purpose Dickies Arena, while at the same time as engaging the community in the building process. Utilised as enhanced platforms for BIM, 3D mapping, progress monitoring, documentation, and inspection tasks, the drones greatly reduced operating times while optimising workflows throughout the construction phase.

The health and safety benefits of using drones cannot be understated and when matched with cost savings, there is a forceful argument to incorporate them into all construction, asset inspection and surveying companies. Sending a person to inspect towers, oil rigs, wind turbines, roofs, railway lines, wells, sewers and other hazardous environments still happens: but a drone can access places that are hard to reach and with caged drones on the market now, can get even further as well as providing protection from rotating blades. Drones have the potential to be sent into one-way environments too. Send a drone in to a hazardous environment that is streaming the data back as it flies and while the drone may be lost at a small cost, the back up team can be acting on the information and no person is put at risk. This has huge implications for environments involving fires, radiation and chemical accidents.

Operation Zenith This is the programme of live demonstrations on Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) integration in controlled airspace. It was showcased at Manchester Airport on 21 November and was live streamed to the Royal Aeronautical Society in London. It was a project run by Altitude Angel, NATS, Manchester Airport, with delivery partners Frequentis, uAvioni, DJI Callen-Lenz, the Universities of Southampton and Manchester, Paul Fassam Geomatics, the National Police Air Service, Consortiq, Vodafone, Dedrone and Heliguy.

It took what the industry envisages the airspace will look like in 20 years and worked out how possible that is now given current regulations. It featured cooperative and uncooperative traffic, demonstrating integration with ATM, covering eight scenarios: on airfield delivery of parts; runway threshold inspection; BVLOS ‘Linear Infrastructure’ Inspection of Network Rail’s lines; Atmospheric Survey at high altitudes (VLOS); Commercial VLOS Operation; Site Survey VLOS; Safeguarding (Police Search & Rescue exercise); and Airspace

Management. It was a live event with a focus on multiple events happening concurrently as will be the case. The assessment of the day is still ongoing but will provide a framework for further developments.

The ARPAS-UK website has a ‘Find an Operator’ feature, enabling the searcher to select a drone operator by skillset as well as location.

Our members expertise is broad, from working on Hollywood films, to industrial inspection, event photographer, training, insurance, software and hardware manufacturers. ARPAS-UK was founded in October 2013 and influences the direction of the industry by being involved at all levels, from government, the regulators through to the operators.

Taken all together, this means that government needs to support local councils, who in turn will need to be forward thinking and working with the drone industry. They can use drones for inspection of council owned and run properties, monitoring traffic, delivery of medical supplies to hard-to-reach places or in the case of natural disasters. There will be the Blue Light services, private companies and recreational flyers too within the airspace. It’s going to be busier than ever: it’s time to work together and engage with the public. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.arpas.uk

ALAUDA AERIAL SURVEYS Over 20 years of experience and expertise in environmental survey and monitoring - we can help you plan your whole survey, collect data, and produce GIS ready results.

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www.alaudasurveys.com e: info@alaudasurveys.com | t: 07854 078024

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Security Written by Iain Moran, head of high security sales, ATG Access

Safeguarding the public this festive season With this year’s Christmas markets in full force, visitor safety and security is at the forefront of organisers’ minds. Iain Moran discusses the alternative security measures that organisers can implement this year to avoid creating a ‘fortress mentality’ while still keeping people safe The festive season is now upon us, and are vulnerable to these devastating vehicle with it, the return of Christmas markets attacks, and Christmas markets are no across the UK. The Christmas market has exception. The Berlin attack of December become an established feature of the festive 2016, which saw a lorry smash into a landscape, with both capital cities and Christmas market, killing 12 people and smaller towns joining the craze in recent injuring 56, showed that crowded Christmas years. As well as bringing local communities markets have unfortunately become a together to get into the holiday spirit, target for hostile vehicle attacks. they’re a key tourist attraction, attracting While these incidents should not disrupt visitors from far and wide and providing a our way of life, it’s vital that steps are significant boost to the local economy. taken to ensure that the public is as However, this additional footfall to protected as possible at events such as towns and cities also brings greater these. Serious consideration needs to be security concerns. Over the past couple of given to protecting crowded markets so years, we’ve seen a sharp rise in vehiclethat they are safe for everyone to enjoy the ramming attacks across the world. Hostile festivities and get into the Christmas spirit. vehicles are becoming the weapon of choice for terrorists - they’re easy to Strengthening security obtain, they can inflict large Last year, many event organisers amounts of damage in the UK sensibly took steps in a short space of to avoid a repeat of these T h e 2016 time and, unlike tragic events. Heavy Berlin a explosive devices, police presence was seen t t a showed ck they require little across cities including that crowde skill to operate.

London, Birmingham, d Chris Densely Manchester, Leeds and tmas market populated, highly Edinburgh, with armed s have unfortu accessible areas officers patrolling n

a targe ately become tf vehicle or hostile attacks

36

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

festive attractions as well as plain clothed officers mingling amongst crowds. Staff at some markets were provided with antiterror training, there were increased security checks, and temporary concrete barriers were placed around many Christmas market sites.

Although erecting strong, sturdy barriers around public spaces can be an effective deterrent to prevent vehicles from targeting a site, performance within a Christmas market installation can be limited.

Large concrete blocks around a perimeter are not only visually unappealing, but also prevent the free flow of pedestrians and restrict entrance and exit to designated points. This actually creates vulnerable queues outside the ‘protected zone’, which is far from ideal. It has been proven that some of these surface mounted blocks slide on impact, creating a crushing effect in close proximity to crowded places.

For temporary events, like Christmas markets, surface-mounted bollards and barriers which consider pedestrian flow offer a sensible alternative. These are barriers that don’t need bolting down, so are quick and easy to deploy, avoiding lengthy and disruptive road closures.

Safety without stress To make people feel reassured when visiting public events, like Christmas markets, visible security measures can go some way towards showing that steps have been taken to keep them safe. Indeed, our research last year revealed that 29 per cent of people would like to see more visible security measures put in place at events to make them feel safer.

However, sometimes the natural response to seeing extra security can sometimes be one of fear or concern that the extra measures reflect an increased level of danger.

A balance should be achieved where the public feel safe, reassured and comfortable, without the security measures creating a ‘fortress’ mentality or proving too disruptive.

Visitors should be able to enjoy the festivities of a Christmas market, without having their overall experience compromised.

One way of achieving this is to consider the appearance of barriers and bollards and how they will fit in with the surroundings.

While concrete barriers provide some protection, their size and crude aesthetic appearance can make them seem intrusive.

However, security systems don’t need to be an eyesore to be effective, as they can be specifically designed to subtly blend in with the environment they’re deployed to.

Permanent and temporary security barriers can be customised with sleeves, symbols or advertising slogans to look less imposing and fit in with their environment. Last year, some local authorities took particularly festive steps to soften the visual impact of anti-vehicle barriers at their Christmas markets. In the city of Bochum in Germany, authorities placed 20 1.2-ton pellet bags downtown for their Christmas market, which were then wrapped up to look like Christmas gifts. Hull took a similar tactic, turning the concrete barriers around Queen Victoria Square into Christmas trees.

With this in mind, authorities should give serious consideration to the design and appearance of their security measures to help Christmas market visitors to feel more comfortable this year.

With millions of visitors expected at Christmas markets in cities and towns across the UK and Europe this year, increasing security around these areas has to be of the highest priority. With a variety of innovative barriers now available that can either be rented or bought, and deployed in a matter of hours, there is no excuse for the general public to be left vulnerable this festive season. L FURTHER INFORMATION

Large concrete blocks are not only visually unappealing, but also prevent the free flow of pedestrians and restrict entrance and exit to designated points. This actually creates vulnerable queues outside the ‘protected zone’, which is far from ideal

Security

They can be pedestrian permeable, allowing people to easily manoeuvre in and out of the barriers, which aids the flow of visitors accessing the site and avoids queues or crowds from forming. Importantly, most surface-mounted barriers are specifically designed to withstand the force of a moving vehicle up to a certain speed and weight, so they are a highly effective form of hostile vehicle mitigation.

Security must be Christmas priority As part of the ACT: Action Counters Terrorism campaign, Counter Terrorism Policing is launching its biggest-ever winter advertising campaign for the public.

With Christmas upon us, the campaign encourages the public to remain vigilant, look out for suspicious behaviour and informs people how to report their concerns. The aim is that this will provide a ‘whole society’ approach where police, security staff, retail workers and the public come together to minimise the chance of attacks and mitigate the impact they can have.

The ‘Step Change’ initiative sees retailers and other businesses operating in crowded places also asked to play their part in countering the terrorist threat, similar to the ACT Awareness online training scheme, developed by Counter Terrorism Policing and Marks & Spencer. Free to use, the innovative course can be divided into short sections to suit business needs and takes just 45 minutes in total to complete.

Counter Terrorism Policing are also asking businesses to think about their contingency plans this Christmas, asking them to draw up a ‘Sixty Second Security’ plan which has the power to improve their reaction to emergency situations. This requires businesses to ensure all their staff know the answers to simple questions such as: how do you enter and exit the building in emergency?; how do

you lock down quickly?; where can you hide?; how do you communicate and how do you stay updated if you find yourself in a RHT scenario?; and have you briefed your staff?

Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth, national Coordinator for Protect and Prepare, said: “All staff working in crowded places – not just those who have a security role – can follow the ACT Awareness e-Learning course and be in a stronger position to help protect themselves, colleagues and the public. I would also like to ask retailers and other businesses to consider my ‘Sixty Second Security’ plan, which is a quick checklist of questions every member of staff should be able to answer in order to drastically improve reaction times in the event of an emergency.

“Last year on Oxford Street we saw a fight at a Tube station cause panic when people believed that a terrorist attack had occurred.

In the rush to keep themselves safe, some people suffered serious injuries and businesses were severely disrupted. By working alongside those businesses, we have learnt from that experience and I believe that our ‘Sixty Second Security’ plan will better prepare us to deal with something similar in the future.”

www.atgaccess.com

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Contract Management made simple.

Together, Saasam and Agiloft will revolutionise your contract management systems.

Automate, streamline and integrate your contract management with Agiloft’s Contract Management Suite. Agiloft has everything you need to manage the complete contract lifecycle and integrate contract information into existing business processes. With Agiloft you can easily link contracts with related accounts, vendors, opportunities, tasks, obligations, products, assets and more.

Solutions should work for you, not against you, which is why Saasam will customise Agiloft’s Contract Management Suite to fit your business model and provide quick-smart implementation.

We give you complete control – every contract at your fingertips.

Saasam is proud to be an Agiloft Platinum Partner.

For more information about our contract management and other business software solutions, get in touch. www.saasam.co info@saasam.co

www.agiloft.com

Research shows that over 90 per cent of contract management mistakes are down to human error. Saasam supports businesses through software solutions which drive efficiency across a range of sectors

You’d be surprised at how many large, established and prominent companies still use spreadsheets to look after millions of dollars’ worth of contracts and information – in fact, it’s pretty alarming. And when PC Mag says that 60 per cent of companies are using email to handle contracts, it’s clear that many contract management processes are ineffective and risky.

According to software company SpringCM, 64 per cent of businesses say that settlements are being hindered due to poor contract approval processes. Spreadsheets and emails can be messy, susceptible to human errors, not very intuitive and hard to consolidate, which is why more and more businesses are turning to contract management systems to better be able to record, understand and utilise their information.

No matter what your business industry – health, active outdoor, hospitality – contract management is something most companies deal with, and it’s not always a walk in the park. Whether it is signing a new client or creating a partnership, much energy goes into making it happen. For those in-charge of negotiating, delivering and renewing company contracts, streamlining the processes can be an unimaginable task.

Cloud based automation What happens once a contract is signed?

Just because the agreement has been sealed, it doesn’t mean the job is done! So how do successful companies efficiently manage workloads and prepare for things like renewals? They head to the cloud.

Heather McEwen, Saasam CEO, says: “Bringing cloud-based automation on board means companies can engage their own customised solutions, manage contracts across the board and integrate

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Getting rid of the risk – streamlining contract management systems see how a business software solution fits into ‘the bigger picture’ and can discuss its relevance at any level of the organisation.

information into other processes.”

Reduce the risk and embrace the features Maintaining visibility in all areas of contract management is essential. Transparency and accountability is necessary in order to maintain sound customer relationships, meet compliance standards and keep businesses moving forward. The independent International Association for Contract and Commercial Management states that organisations could also increase their revenue by 9.2 per cent each year with more careful contract management.

McEwen asserts: “Research has shown that over 90 per cent of contract management inaccuracies are due to human error. With a competent and adaptable contract management software system, contracts are less vulnerable, processed more quickly and safely stored.”

Agiloft is a trusted provider of agile business process software with a unique platform which enables pre-built and custom applications to be tailored to clients’ exact needs without writing custom code, so deployment times and costs are a fraction of those required for other systems. And the best team to implement those tailored changes is Saasam.

Solutions should work for you, not against you, which is why Saasam will customise Agiloft’s business management solutions to fit your business model and provide quick-smart implementation.

Agiloft sells their support solutions through providers – and Saasam is proud to be one of Agiloft’s Platinum Partners. By working with Saasam you’re not just gaining a local cloud application partner – you’ll benefit from dealing with senior consultants with decades of practical business experience. We

Simple and effective solutions If you manage several new contracts each year, deal with contracts signed by multiple departments, have contracts signed in different offices or don’t know where all your contracts are – cloud-based contract management is your solution, and it doesn’t mean overhauling your entire business operation.

McEwen explains: “One of our clients Outpac Designs Limited, makers of anti-theft travel gear PacSafe, approached us as they needed to centrally manage a large number of global contracts and agreements across 15 different contract types – alongside tracking and reporting upon their extensive range of intellectual property, including trademarks, copyright and patents. To stay ahead of the game, Pacsafe utilised specialist Agiloft technology to integrate contract information into its existing business processes.”

As a result, Pacsafe’s legal team can now easily link contracts with related subcontracts and variations, link partners and suppliers, tasks, obligations and products.

World-class workflow applications At Saasam we are passionate about helping businesses throughout the UK, Europe, Australasia and SE Asia transform through better business process applications, and we’ve got the people and the products to do it. Put simply, if you thought scoping and implementing world-class workflow management applications in your business was too costly – think again, because with Saasam everything’s possible.

With offices in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia we pride ourselves on the senior-level ongoing support we provide to our clients. Nothing is ever a problem for us and we work quickly to resolve any queries or support requests.

Get in touch to find out more about how we can simplify and revitalise your contract management systems. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.saasam.co info@saasam.co

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Everything your event needs‌ Swansea University is your ideal conference venue in South Wales.

With an extensive range of meeting and event spaces, excellent event catering and on-site facilities including on-site summer accommodation just a stones-throw away from our beautiful beaches, we are perfectly positioned to host your next conference.

Visit us at stand AVP3, Confex 26-27 Feb 2019

events@swansea.ac.uk 01792 295665

www.venueswales.com/confex

International Confex

Keeping pace with a changing events landscape

aspect of event creation. Destinations and venues from around the world will lead to event support services; event management companies will lead into event technology.

Event theming, branding and marketing will also be represented through some of the most innovative businesses in the industry.

The result will be an easily navigable experience for event professionals to get the information and inspiration they want quickly and easily, but also in their own time. The event allows visitors to preschedule meetings with specific businesses ahead of the event, however they are not As one of the largest gathering of event professionals, service hosted and so have the option to visit the stands they want, when they want. providers, thought leaders and buyers in the UK, International Confex Alongside the Keynote Theatre, which will returns on 26-27 February 2019 with a new Smart Venue Summit play host to a series of live debates, keynotes and discussions educating and inspiring For 35 years Confex has delivered ideas, programme that will speak to event visitors on what the future of the events inspiration and a meeting ground for the events professionals regardless of their level industry holds and how to successfully tackle industry. Over that period, the events landscape or expertise, and create a key challenges, International Confex 2019 has changed beyond recognition and Confex personalised experience will also feature the hugely popular has evolved with it, from a pure venue finding that will give them all EvenTech stream, offering two full For 35 forum to a vivid showcase of all the elements the tools, information days discussing latest trends, years C that make events great. Ground-breaking and relationships that emerging technologies as well onfex has del technology, crazy feature builders, standout they need to make as the practical application i v destinations, wow factor venues, out of the their event the very inspirat ered ideas, of technologies for events of box team building activities, creative finishing best it can be. all types. Augmented reality, meetin ion and a touches and, every year, the largest single In fact, within the virtual reality, beacons, the g gathering of UK event organisers in one room. walls of International integration of new technologies for the ground eve There will be event organisers of every Confex, you will find with traditional AV set ups and industr nts kind within the International Confex show, over 500 businesses top tech trends are just some of y from corporate, and public, to PA and with and brands that support the topics you can expect to see. a special welcome to our guests within the event industry around government sectors. Executives from the the world, every day - from Smart Venue Summit public sector will be able to learn from other venues, catering companies, International Confex has announced the launch event professionals, but also benefit from the event technology brands, to event support of the Smart Venue Summit, a networking and large quantity, and quality, of event support services. These businesses will be showcasing knowledge-sharing event set to take place on services and suppliers; making International new event products that will aid event the eve of the show on 25 February 2019. The Confex the perfect place to design and professionals in creating their perfect event. new event will look at the changing venue better execute your events programme.

The show will be split into multiple areas landscape as new technology and innovations Organisers have also curated an educational that allows visitors to negotiate every increasingly become a vital part of their E

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42

Savings in the city: How the public sector is stretching budgets in the capital

You could get more from your budget, improve quality and get a wider choice by procuring products and services with the London ICT Framework

commented: “We have an excellent track record of ensuring all council activities are delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible. The pan-London ICT framework set up by Westminster City Council and delivered by BT gives us everything we need.

It provides us with clear and transparent pricing and a more efficient and streamlined buying process, helping us to speed up the delivery of projects and save money.”

To help promote the London ICT Framework, we recently hosted a Pan London Frameworks event at the BT Tower. Hayden Edwards, client delivery director for London IT Frameworks, BT Business and Public Sector, answered questions from local government leaders.

Representatives from London Ambulance Service, the Greater London Authority, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea also shared their success stories.

Public services in the capital are working together to boost their purchasing power.

The London ICT Framework works with 24 public sector organisation, with £100 million of business passing through the framework each year, saving users up to 25 per cent on IT services. Better still, they enjoy a faster, more flexible procurement process.

by one intermediary – us. This speeds up the tendering process, so services can roll out months in advance.

You’ll get lots of choice and flexibility, with OPEX and CAPEX options. And unlike other frameworks that apply a surcharge, the London ICT Framework doesn’t cost anything to use.

Join the framework The London ICT Framework is open to all 33 local authorities in the capital, as well as other public sector organisations. That includes the NHS, Transport for London, schools, the police and even waste authorities and social landlords. L

What is a framework?

Simply put, frameworks are part of a system for buying products and services with public money. They help public organisations like yours evaluate suppliers based on suitability, capabilities and value. There are hundreds of frameworks across the country, helping organisations to buy anything from office supplies to cloud services.

Three London boroughs – Westminster City Council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham – joined forces to form the London ICT Framework.

We provide support for this framework, which means everyone who uses it gets the best UK fixed and mobile networks, powerful security and 24/7 support. We also offer partnerships with some of the wold’s biggest and best vendors, including Cisco, Mitel, Empowered, Netcall.

The London ICT Framework only lists companies recognised for their quality and value, so you know you’re getting the best deal. It’s easy to manage your purchases because they’re all handled

Empowering London public services Organisations such as Bromley Council are already seeing the benefits.

Stephen Carr, leader of Bromley Council,

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

FURTHER INFORMATION If you want to learn more about how you could save money with the London ICT Framework, get in touch with Andy Taylor on andy.j.taylor@bt.com.

The Association Event Forum Now a well-established date in the diary, the Association Event Forum (AEF) will again take place on day one of International Confex, 26 February 2019. Inhouse Association Event Planners demonstrated their resilience and tenacity at the event in 2018 where, despite the most challenging of weather conditions, attendance at the event showed 100 per cent year-on-year growth, a reassuring

International Confex

 infrastructure and offering to organisers, exhibitors and delegates.

The content programme will include: an organiser wish list from outgoing MA Exhibitions MD Ed Tranter; case study of an international smart venue – RAI Amsterdam; venue tech showcase – an overview of the marketplace; future of venue tech – discerning innovation from gimmick from must-have; 5G – what exactly will it mean for venues?; and getting it right from the start – build and refurb.

Liz Agostini, International Confex event director, said: “There is a huge amount of knowledge and experience amongst the venue IT & tech infrastructure directors both in the UK and globally. All are concerned with future-proofing their spaces from a tech perspective, whatever stage of development their venues are at, and are making decisions on huge sums of investment. The idea of the Smart Venue Summit is to create a forum where those at the coal-face can get together to share knowledge and benefit from each other’s experience and perspective.”

sign for the organisers that they are hitting the mark with compelling content.

Free to attend, the AEF takes place in a dedicated theatre at International Confex and delivers a variety of must-attend sessions, curated specifically for inhouse Association Event Planners and PCOs. The event is produced in partnership with the Association of Association Executives and Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO). Delegates are able to dip in and out of the one-day seminar programme according to their specific areas of interest and informal peer to peer networking and knowledge sharing is a crucial part of the day.

Agostini said of the event’s return: “The AEF has continued to grow in popularity year on year and we were thrilled to see such an enormous growth in attendance last year. Association Event Planners are

an incredibly important group of visitors to International Confex and we are proud to have created a forum which warrants inhouse planners and PCOs taking time out of their demanding schedules to learn and share knowledge. The feedback from our delegates in 2018 was fantastic and we look forward to developing the event further for 2019.”

Last year’s programme featured a strong line up of speakers including Heather Lishman, ABPCO association director, as the theatre moderator, Mike Hewitt, managing director, Adaugeo Media; Kate Sargent, deputy managing director, Bioscientifica; Leah Carter, global head of Events, Association of MBAs; and Rebecca Harper, membership and events officer, British Parking Association. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.international-confex.com

Conferencing, Meetings and Events in London

ORTUS boasts 1500 sqm of flexible event space divided into 22 rooms, over 7 levels.

Purpose built by the Maudsely Charity as an all-inclusive space for training and events, ORTUS is now open to everyone and regularly used by the public sector,and for corporate and private events.

ORTUS hosts a range of events such as conferences, meetings, academic lectures, training courses, workshops and receptions.

The beautifully designed building also lends itself to film and photography shoots.

Shortlisted for Best Sustainable Venue at the 2018 Global Good Awards and CHS Awards, sustainability has always been a part of the fabric of ORTUS.

Events at

Middle Temple Ancient splendour in the heart of London.

events@middletemple.org.uk 020 7427 4820 middletemplevenue.org.uk

DDR’s from £34.50 pp, which includes catering, LCD projector or plasma screen, microphones, complimentary wifi, flipchart, pens and notepads, whiteboard and still and sparkling water.

Discounted rates available for non-for-profit organisations and public sector. enquiries@ortusevents.com www.ortusevents.com 82-96 Grove Lane, London, SE5 8SN 020 3696 9760

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Taking place on 19-21 March 2019 at ExCeL London, the Cleaning Show is the UK’s largest trade event focused on cleaning and hygiene. Government Business previews the event

Last year, th Cleanin e g saw ov Show e r 5,500 profess io n al tr attende es bene ade fit the sho w over from the three d ays at ExCeL L ondon

Attracting thousands of contract cleaners, facilities managers, healthcare estate managers, hospitality, leisure and retail managers, public service providers, local government and distributors, the exhibition and conference provides a perfect opportunity for attendees to spend a highly rewarding day out of the office to source, network and discover new opportunities for their businesses.

Last year, the Cleaning Show saw over 5,500 professional trade attendees take part in the show over the three days at ExCeL London. Approximately 10 per cent of the visitors travelled to London from overseas to network and place orders with the UK companies exhibiting. Highlights included the free-to-attend seminar programme which attracted over 1,000 visitors who gained expert advice on health and safety, growing your business and an insight into the future and the new frontier of robotics.

This year, a number of major industry names signed up to attend the 2019 show.

These include Diversey, the international cleaning and hygiene technology business which employs over 8,500 people globally. Diversey is returning to the Cleaning Show after a ten-year absence and has agreed to sponsor of the show’s VIP lounge. Other leading brands and businesses returning to the Cleaning Show include Kärcher, Vileda, Northwood Hygiene, Numatic, Makita, Evans Vanodine and Prochem.

Window Cleaning World Cup Challenge In 2019, the show is launching a new World Cup for Window Cleaners and are encouraging competitors from around the world to rise to

The Cleaning Show

Focusing on cleaning and hygiene

the challenge for the chance to win the first ever Window Cleaning World Cup and prize of £1,000. The event will be professionally judged by Guinness World Record qualified adjudicators in the hope that Terry Burrows existing 10-year record can be broken.

Romford-based Terry ‘Turbo’ Burrows broke his own fastest time in 2009 by cleaning three 1.143m windows in just 9.14 seconds and, despite hundreds of challengers over the years, no-one has ever come close to beating it. Cleaning Show organisers now believe that the only way that Terry can be realistically challenged is to encourage competitors from other countries to travel to the UK and take a crack at his title.

Stan Atkins, chair of the British Cleaning Council which co-produces The Cleaning Show, said: “The Cleaning Show is going from strength to strength and continues to grow. It is attracting new international exhibitors and also welcoming back several major brands which have been absent for some time.

“In addition, we are seeing more specialist suppliers and niche service providers signing-up. This reflects how the cleaning sector is increasingly embracing innovation and is offering a diverse range of solutions to meet the cleaning challenges of not only today, but also those of tomorrow.”

Smart bins A partnership between Hull City Council and Connexin will see smart bins introduced across the city in a ground breaking pilot project to improve waste collection. The technology company will install sensors which will be responsible for gathering data in real time, turning every bin into an intelligent ‘smart bin’. This will enable the council to monitor waste levels so that street cleansing teams can see when they need emptying. The ability to communicate information on fill levels will help Hull City Council understand the optimal times for waste collections and can recommend time-effective collection routes.

The sensors will also be able to detect a sudden motion, which automatically triggers vandalism alerts, as well as sudden spikes in bin temperature, which trigger fire detection warnings. It is hoped that the pilot project will result in fewer unnecessary collection vehicle journeys, reducing congestion on the roads and cutting CO2 emissions. L FURTHER INFORMATION https://cleaningshow.co.uk

2019 conference and exhibition The Cleaning Show Conference is aimed at managers and business owners to address the big issues and opportunities that could have an impact on the future of businesses and public sector organisations.

These include HR challenges in the current political climate, the latest industry research, hygienic and sustainable waste solutions and preparing for the unexpected.

Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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cloud migrations need expert guidance DMW delivers complex cloud migrations to public and private sector clients Deploying your infrastructure is actually the easy part; moving your applications quickly and effectively is the real challenge. Having managed over £1bn of cloud projects and migrated over 250,000 workloads to the cloud over the last few years, we bring genuine insight to making your cloud initiatives successful.

“DMW’s hands-on technical, analysis and programme management expertise has been invaluable in designing and mobilising the delivery

At DMW, we provide independent Data Centre and Cloud Migration Services for IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. Our Smart Migration Services framework establishes a repeatable, low risk approach to simplifying the complexities with migrating infrastructure assets.

Visit www.dmwgroup.com/gcloud to find out more

IS 621783

of the health and social care network, a major public-sector infrastructure programme with a national reach.”

Programme Director NHS Digital

Management consultancy

The complete suite of management and business consultancy frameworks Business, procurement, supply chain and commercial, complex and transformation and strategic consultancy options are all now available following the launch of the Management Consultancy Framework Two on 4 September At the end of October it was revealed that overhaul regional NHS services last year.

NHS Digital paid management consultants The public sector is often berated for £1.2 million to assist with its overhaul of GP spending billions of pounds on management IT systems, which are set to happen in the consultants, as with the criticism directed new year. Board fees by the organisation towards NHS Digital after the board papers show a forecast overspend of £21.7 million were released. Therefore, it becomes even in ‘professional fees’, partly due to plans to more important to ask why consultants are launch a new GP IT systems framework. used and how can we be sure they are Carried out by McKinsey & worth the money spent on them?

Company, the plans were As public sector spending announced in August with becomes ever more Engage the launch of a contract scrutinised, those using tender worth £450 consultants will be in leaders d and million, meaning that the spotlight, having employ e GP practices could to justify expenditure e s d better p eliver be forced to switch and prove value. faster cerformance, patient record IT Hence, we return to hange providers. GP title an article written for a more a Pulse has previously Government Business ttractiv nd e reported that health magazine by Jerome workpl aces and social care bosses Reback, partner at spent £21 million on Engage for Change, before management consultants Management Consultancy to help draw up plans to framework agreements were

on the Crown Commercial Service’s radar.

Reback presented an eight point plan to ensure that businesses can drive value from their consultancy investment. His eight points are reprinted here below: Clarify the need What is the added value you are looking for that cannot be found internally? Consultants can be used for many reasons, accelerating change, driving better performance, building improved service, operational improvement, supporting reorganisation and restructuring, developing and supporting the delivery of strategy and change, advising on brand and reputation, and supporting cultural transformation. That’s quite a list, and there are many others too. Be clear about the specific deliverables you are looking for from consultancy support, ensure you are confident that this expertise is not available within your organisation.

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Tackling government’s problem debt The National Audit Office (NAO) recently issued a report detailing the government’s struggles to understand and collect debt

With 8.3 million over-indebted people in the UK, and a total of £18 billion estimated personal debt owed to government, utilities, landlords and housing associations, this is an issue which cannot be ignored. Indeed, the NAO’s analysis states that current government debt collection practices, including intimidating actions and additional charges, are 15-29 per cent more likely to make debts harder to manage and increase levels of anxiety and depression.

The issue only looks to be worsening too because four in 10 people in the UK cannot manage their money properly, and there are around 600,000 people who cannot get access to much needed debt advice.

However, tackling this problem may not be that straightforward, as the report also identified issues with government debt collection practices. For example, due to significant data issues it is not possible to gather a single customer view of an individual’s debt position; two of the largest four central government departments are not able to identify personal debt from overall debt data; and only 19 per cent of local authorities use best practice promoted by Money Advice Service (MAS) in relation to affordability of repayments.

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Learning from the private sector The Treasury Select Committee concluded this year that the government ‘could make a significant difference to the burden of problem debt by bringing government debt collection practices into line with industry best practice’. To understand this best practice, we need look no further than the transformation that’s happened across the private sector in the last few years.

Since the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) was launched, vast improvements have been made across retail banking and financial services, such as: debt collection targets based on cash collected have disappeared; most organisations have a view of the overall indebtedness of a customer both within its own organisation and externally (via bureau data); all organisations we deal with have embraced standard affordability measures that give focus to priority debts; signposting to money advice agencies is commonplace, and vulnerable customers now have a high profile focus.

Whilst the FCA still has work to do, it has been a force for good. Firms now take more time to speak to customers and work with them to set up affordable repayment plans, more money is being collected as a result of plans that have a much higher propensity to keep and instances of treating customers unfairly are reducing. For example, the proportion of typical credit card holders who say they were treated unfairly is at 21 per cent, vs. 52 per cent for bailiffs and 35 per cent for local authorities.

Positive public sector initiatives On paper, it looks as though some central and local government bodies are falling foul of practices that the FCA has already ruled out for private sector firms, and probably to their own detriment.

However, things are starting to improve as the NAO’s report identifies various initiatives including the Cabinet Office’s Digital

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

Economy Act 2017 which allows specified public authorities to share data (pilots to be completed by 2020) and the Fairness Group which is a forum to examine governments debt management practices and make recommendations on how to improve them.

How can Arum help?

Arum has been transforming collections practices and capabilities in retail banking, financial services, utilities, telecommunications, and the public sector for 20 years.

Arum is currently working with central government and local council on a current state assessment, which involves performing a diagnostic of collections strategy and analytics, performance management, operational execution, organisation and culture, and technology.

The output of this process is a benchmark of the operation against best practice along with a roadmap for improvement, providing quick wins as well as medium to longer term strategic change. Arum’s experienced operational delivery team can also implement the recommendations.

Our clients have seen hundreds of millions of pounds in savings, bad debt charges improvement in a range of 7-12 per cent, payments increase by c.16 per cent, and efficiencies increase c.18-27 per cent. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.arum.co.uk/NAO info@arum.co.uk/0870 383 1980

About Arum Arum is the UK’s largest and leading consultancy specialising in Collections & Recoveries with over 20 years’ experience We are fully vendor-independent Arum offers a full range of business and systems technology consultancy across all aspects of the collections landscape We work across government and public sector, retail banking, financial services, utilities and telecommunications All our consultants are industry experts who have held senior level collections roles We bring unique insights into business performance and challenges We are approved government suppliers listed on both the G-Cloud 10 framework and Management Consultancy Framework (MCF) 2

Management consultancy

 addressing similar challenges across a range of organisations and when they are able to transfer the knowledge, skills and capability they can bring to the recipient organisation in a way that will enable the in house team to sustain the improvement that has been invested in. Sometimes consultants are useful in breaking through internal politics or in bringing insight into the board room that otherwise might not find a ready access route. Whatever the intent, be sure to clarify expectations with your selected consultant in advance but also be ready to have preconceptions challenged – there just might be some further value to be gained that was not previously identified.

Purchase with knowledge Be clear about the range of consultant expertise and the breadth of service proposition on offer. When considering using a consultant be sure to consider the nature of the support being sought in order to more clearly define the nature of the consultancy organisation to invite to help.

The larger, well-known consultancy firms will have specialist areas dealing with a range of areas. Alternatively there are smaller, boutique firms that will specialise in specific disciplines. Some consultancies will sport large teams, others much smaller ones. Some will be respected for particular individuals who are recognised leaders in their field.

Expertise, approach and fit should all be determinants of your selection approach.

Where liaison with senior representatives of your organisation is likely as a key part of the consulting assignment, or where negotiating with or convincing the senior leadership team is a likely pre-requisite to success, you will want to be sure that the personalities in the consulting team have skills, confidence and experience to manoeuvre a successful path. The consultant is your ambassador.

Ultimately whether they succeed to transform or fail to convince, will reflect back on you as the champion of their appointment.

Target the investment Specify the objectives sought and be clear about measures to test attainment. You might well assume this is standard good practice, but it’s compelling just how many assignments can be either misdirected or shift off track. Clear objectives, specific outcomes, measurable targets and distinct milestones set against a clear project timetable will help to maintain focus and discipline.

A steering group of representatives from the various functions or teams with an interest in the end result of the project will be a good discipline for effective governance and, depending on the nature of your organisation, a range of project teams from areas with more specific interest in the outcome of the project, reporting into the steering group, will add further depth to input and insight as well as greater opportunity for managing the output and enabling effective take up of conclusions.

Work close and collaboratively Integrate the consultant and the consulting team with the internal team. Avoid a sense of

The public sector is berated for excessively spending on management consultant.

Therefore, it becomes important to ask why consultants are used and how are they are worth the money spent on them? external expertise creating solutions to be adopted by the indigenous staff who receive the guidance as spectators. The closer your partnership with the consultant, the better the insight they will be able to develop, the more effective the consultant’s rapport with you and the organisation the greater the likelihood of skills and knowledge transfer.

Work on the partnership, establish an effective collaborative working relationship and integrate the consulting team with your own.

Focus on results Research, insight and plans are essential to the consultants toolkit. Indeed these are all part of the process you are paying for to ensure proposals are well informed and effectively calibrated. At the end of the day, however, your success as a leader will be evaluated on what has been achieved, what has changed, how value has been delivered or whether service has radically improved.

This means a focus on outcomes, on actions and forward process more than a review of circumstances, conditions and opinions Ensure your consultancy insight and input is well balanced towards the future, towards ensuring how recommendations will be applied, how behaviours will change and how progress can be sustained.

Research insights are useful guides, but they are not essential navigators of future progress. Making change happen is where the challenge lies, keep the pressure on your consultant to ensure delivery of practical programmes that will enable change to happen and enhance performance in measurable ways.

Enable engagement Plans which are not applied are ideas that are simply pie in the sky. Effective employee engagement is the driver of value of your consultancy investment. Transferring the consultants proposals to practical activities which staff enjoy participating in, is the single biggest challenge to driving value and providing proof of the benefits of investment in your consultancy spend. Effective engagement requires more than good communication, although communication is a key ingredient. Engagement is not something we can demand of anyone. People elect to be engaged – they cannot be coerced into doing so. Successful application of the outcome of your consultancy investment will require colleagues at all levels to have a real opportunity to explore, and understand why the consultants have arrived at the conclusions they have. Methods of implementation are therefore key. Directions and instructions demanding change will never lead to enduring value or sustained success.

Personal exploration, learning and deduction supported with clear information about purpose and impact is the route to success.

Dive, don’t drive People are not good at responding positively to instructions other than in crises situations.

Driving instruction from the top will lead to a wide mass of employee spectators who have little sense of connection to the vision looking to be achieved and perhaps only temporary conviction to the process or approach proposed to deliver the desired result. Diving deep will, however, lead to more energy, wider ownership and, most likely, greater insight. E

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Can’t see the wood for the trees?

Take your first step Call today info@chrisalyst.com | 01628 485 469 | www.chrisalyst.com The boutique transformation consultancy

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£2bn

of services procured on behalf of our clients

£300m

of savings delivered across supply chains

Experience

recently advised DWP, NHS PS and the Cabinet Office

MCF2

Lot 1 and Lot 2 of the CCS’s MCF2 framework

Align and refine A systemic approach is required if consultancy assignments are to deliver wide benefit. Many organisations are presently aiming to break down barriers between different parts of the structure, looking for ways to encourage and improve innovation and hoping to gain the benefits of collaboration across different parts of the organisation. Consultancy assignments which enable reflection across organisation divides and which are licensed to impact cross-organisational systems or procedures will lead to greater and more sustainable successes than those which, for whatever reason, are stuck in a single part of the structure. Look to expand horizons and do so by creating cross-organisation steering groups and working parties to seek input in a collaborative fashion.

The alignment challenge comes in many forms. Another common consultancy blind spot can be the fit of the consultancy project with other programmes or initiatives impacting the organisation, either at the time of the consultancy programme delivery or previously that staff will recall and reference as a reason why this new programme is likely to fail. Use communication to ensure a clear understanding of the link between one initiative and another as well as between the suite of initiatives and the organisation’s overall Vision and strategic goals. Use collaboration to ensure that the impact of programmes are aligned, rather than competing and that their introduction to the organisation is practical, pragmatic and realistic.

Consultants add value where they bring experience, insight and proven results from addressing similar challenges across a range of organisations Engaging for performance Organisations with engaging leaders and engaged staff outperform less engaged competitors. Our research clearly shows that engaged leaders and employees deliver better performance, faster change and more attractive workplaces.

Employee engagement is a cross generation driver of oganisation performance. Engaging organisations attract and retain the most talented people and their people are creative, productive, challenging and committed.

But how can you spot an engaged organisation? First there will be laughter, enthusiasm and determination pouring from the people. It will be a place you come away from as a visitor thinking: “I would like to spend some time there too.”

Engaged organisations demonstrate ten engagement tell tale signs: devolved leadership; devolved accountability; devolved strategy; devolved structures; devolved processes; shared purpose; shared vision; shared responsibility; shared learning; and shared innovation.

CEOs talk about the challenge of engaging their leaders and people as being about devolving absolutely as much as possible but sharing purpose, vision and crucially responsibility for performance, social obligation and compliance with regulatory requirements.

The key to this balance between devolvement and sharing is being clear about what is not negotiable – the givens – and the invitation to others to share power.In moving to become an organisation that engages its people, the thrust of leadership shifts from control and supervision to guidance, freeing leaders up for more creative work and the encouragement of others.

Engaging leaders and employees is largely a question of leadership philosophy. What practical process can be followed to create such a way of working? We think there are six:

Management consultancy

 Diving deep requires seeking input on solutions from staff deep down in the organisation and licensing them to take responsibility to initiate change where they work. Some consultants adopt an external expert advisory type role others adopt a more facilitative, coaching approach. You will need to decide which approach is likely to lead to more sustainable added value in your organisation but, ultimately, it is employee ownership that will determine the long-term impact of your consultancy investment.

Engaging foundations: Organisations with vision, strategy, values and brand that clearly differentiate.

Engaging leaders: Leaders who are clear, believable and trusted; inclusive and appreciative; known and generous with their presence; connected; respected and standard bearers of ethics and reputation.

Engaging for change: change is managed in an inclusive way with the hierarchy being turned upside down to drive performance bottom up.

Engagement capability for the line: leaders at every level who are tuned into their impact on others and who have competences which enable those around them to contribute, be listened to and make a difference.

Engaging communications: communications which are inclusive and themselves a role model and a visible sign of the engaging organisation.

ROE – return on engagement: Clearly agreed expectations of engagement, how to recognise where it exist and the drivers which contribute to it that are specifically measured and reported on.

MCF2 Even for the most experienced procurement professional, the public sector consultancy landscape can often and understandably appear complex and confusing. Launched on the 4 September and worth £2.3 billion, Management Consultancy Framework 2 (MCF2) provides advice on business consultancy, strategic, complex and transformation issues, and procurement, supply chain and commercial matters, supplying a compliant, cost effective way for central government and the wider public sector to access a variety of consultancy advice from a range of suppliers.

Crown Commercial Service’s management consultancy frameworks offers users the benefits of assurance and ease of access, as all suppliers are Cyber Essentials accredited and the department provides a selection tool to help quickly shortlist suitable suppliers and a comprehensive guidance and templates to make getting started as straightforward as possible. Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective, government backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks. E

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Programmes | Projects | Business Analysis | Cost Reduction At a time when there is so much change and so little resource to manage that change, leaders need trusted partners who can quickly assist in designing and delivering solutions to problems.

SOLSUS

SOLSUS has over 15 years of experience in delivering lasting solutions across Central Government, Local Government, NHS and other government bodies. Using consultants with proven ability to manage complex projects, SOLSUS can help you drive strategy development and rapidly implement solutions.

Consulting Solutions

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Issue → Identified Solution → Accelerated Problem → Solved

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We care about the science and emotion of performance and work with our clients in three areas of specialism Leadership, Team & Talent Development People Change & Transformation Management Skills Training www.lane4performance.com

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Management consultancy

Launched in September and worth £2.3 billion, MCF2 provides advice on business consultancy, strategic, complex and transformation issues, and procurement, supply chain and commercial matters

 On top of this, there is value for money guaranteed, with maximum rates capped for the life of the framework, further competition the recommended way to ensure best value and a choice of pricing models including fixed, risk and reward or time and materials.

All suppliers will share their knowledge with USERS as part of their contract, meaning you can build your organisation’s future capability, with choice highlighted as a key component of the agreements. There is a wide range of suppliers from SMEs to large multinationals, and the sector based lots give access to a broad range of industry experts.

Scope Following on from the non-award of Lot 1 of RM3745 Management Consultancy Framework (MCF), MCF2 has been launched to provide both the wider public sector and central government access to a wider range of business consultancy advice and delivery.

The framework will contain four lots: Lot 1 Business consultancy services; Lot 2 Procurement, supply chain and commercial consultancy services; Lot 3 Complex and transformation consultancy services; and Lot 4 Strategic consultancy services.

Lot one, which addresses business consultancy services, comes with an estimated value of £800 million. Suppliers on this lot will be tasked with providing a broad range of business consulting services for both advice and delivery.

The second lot is for procurement, supply chain, and commercial consultancy services. It comes with a spending pot of £250 million.

Suppliers in this lot will be expected to consult the government on ‘complex commercial procurement transactions, [and] strategic, operational, and dedicated large-scale deployments’.

The third lot is worth an estimated £750 million, which addresses complex and transformation consultancy services. Chosen providers in lot three will provide advisory and delivery services related to ‘programmes or portfolios of work across government which are complex, multi-disciplinary, transformational, and large scale’.

The final lot is dedicated to strategic consultancy services. CCS said that services are likely to be assignments providing high-level strategic advice to permanent secretaries, ministers, and other senior civil [or] public servants. This lot has an estimated value of £500 million. L FURTHER INFORMATION https://ccs-agreements.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/contracts/rm6008

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www.ogelit.com

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info@ogelit.com

We have a highly skilled team with a proven track record in delivering quality outputs across a range of technologies and services. We are a nimble team able to adapt our approach to suit individual customer requirements to get the best result.

• End User Compute • Identity Management • Infrastructure Hosting • Managed Print • Unified Communications • Networking & Firewalls • Security Monitoring • Support Services • Professional Services

You can find some of our offerings on GCloud, search term ‘ogel’ https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/ OGEL® and OGEL IT® are registered trademarks of OGEL IT LTD. All rights reserved.

G-Cloud 10

Government procurement: lining the cloud A total of 3,505 suppliers have been awarded places on the recent Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 10 framework, with more than 90 per cent of them SMEs The 3,505 suppliers on the G-Cloud 10 framework, which gives central government, local councils, NHS trusts and other public sector bodies a way to purchase cloud-based services such as web hosting from a single, central website, is 649 more than featured on the previous iteration of G-Cloud 9.

G-Cloud 10, which could eventually be worth £600 million, is the latest cloud-based framework agreement which has seen more than £3 billion of cloud and digital services procured by public bodies since 2012, with 48 per cent of that spend going directly to SMEs. Alongside the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework, the G-Cloud framework is transforming government procurement.

These two frameworks mean government can buy the right technology and services from the right suppliers at the right price.

By making procurement clear and simple, they are opening up the marketplace to suppliers of all sizes and from all parts of the country. They are creating a level playing field that means that all private sector enterprises can be involved in helping government work better for everyone.

It is for use by the UK public sector to buy cloud computing services covering hosting, software and cloud support on a commodity based, pay-as-you go service.

A commercial agreement of 12 months’ duration, CCS has said that the duration may

be extended for any period up to a maximum of twelve months from the expiry of the initial term, which is set at 1 July 2019.

Discussing the new framework agreement, which went live at the start of July, Oliver Dowden, Minister for Implementation, said: “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, delivering innovative solutions in partnership with the

Pu cloud is blic most co now the used fo mmonly compu rm of cloud council ting among s, council showing that sa ‘cloud are clearly ware’

public sector, fuelling economic growth and supporting the delivery of efficient, effective public services that meet the needs of citizens.

The success of G-Cloud demonstrates how we are breaking down the barriers for SMEs who want to supply to government.”

Simpler for suppliers Writing on the Government Digital Service blog, Ben Welby and Patrick Opoosun explained back in April how GDS has made things simpler for suppliers on G-Cloud 10, and, now that it is open for business, E

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them to simply copy over their G-Cloud 9 declaration and services into G-Cloud 10.

Watershed year for public sector cloud adoption

Three Lots There are three Lots to the G-Cloud 10 agreement, looking at Cloud Hosting (Lot 1), Cloud Software (Lot 2) and Cloud Support (Lot 3). To be included in Lot 1, are cloud platform or infrastructure services that can help buyers do at least one of deploying, managing and running software and provision and use processing, storage or networking resources. Lot 2 companies must be applications that are typically accessed over a public or private network e.g. the internet and hosted in the cloud, while those included in Lot 3 must help buyers set up and maintain their cloud software or hosting services.

A new survey has highlighted a dramatic rise in the number of organisations planning to migrate core IT infrastructure to the cloud.

Cloud adoption in 2018 Back in March, not-for-profit provider technology company Eduserv and Socitm published a report, Local government cloud adoption in 2018, which surveyed 373 local councils across England, as well interviews with a range of technology leaders on local government. It found that, five years on from the Cabinet Office’s first ‘cloud first’ policy, the majority of councils have yet to formalise the way they will use cloud in their organisations.

With previous research from 2016 finding that 39 per cent of councils had a cloud IT policy, the 2018 iteration of the research reports that 38 per cent of councils have a policy governing the deployment of Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud infrastructure, 43 per cent have guidance or a strategy for the use of Saas and 44 per cent have guidance or a strategy for cloud infrastructure. E

G-Cloud 10 is an iteration of G-Cloud 9, which means existing suppliers should be familiar with it. But a few important improvements and extensions have been made, with suppliers now able to sell cyber security services on the framework

G-Cloud 10

 the content is worth revisiting. G-Cloud 10 is run as a collaboration between the Government Digital Service and the Crown Commercial Service and is operated through the Digital Marketplace.

G-Cloud 10 in response to supplier needs to refresh services and open the market up to new suppliers, but, because CCs and GDS were able to meet these needs without overhauling or radically changing G-Cloud 9, it took a minimum viable product (MVP) approach, meaning it could launch quickly and give the market what it needed.

G-Cloud 10 is an iteration of G-Cloud 9, which means existing suppliers should be familiar with it. But a few important improvements and extensions have been made. As well as cloud services, suppliers can now apply to sell cyber security services on G-Cloud 10. This includes services that are assured under these National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) schemes: Cyber Security Consultancy; Penetration Testing (CHECK); and Cyber Incident Response (CIR).

GDS has also created a new supplier section on the Digital Marketplace, which lets suppliers store essential information such as company contact details and registration information centrally. The supplier section runs across both the G-Cloud and Digital Outcomes and Specialists frameworks and means suppliers no longer have to fill out information for each individual application. They can just enter the information once and use it again and again, saving time on applications.

While new suppliers should apply to G-Cloud 10 by creating a supplier account, existing suppliers on G-Cloud 9 will also need to apply, but to make things simpler for them, GDS has redesigned the process to allow

Examining the state of cloud adoption in the UK, Agilisys’ Harnessing the Cloud report suggests that 2019 will be a watershed year for the public sector as 80 per cent of organisations plan to migrate core IT infrastructure to the cloud in the next 18 months.

Surveying more than 200 govtech leaders responsible for cloud services and technology transformation, the report says that only 28 per cent of organisations are currently using cloud for core IT infrastructure, meaning that a significant task still lies ahead.

Agilisys suggests that in order to meet these cloud ambitions, organisations are already gearing up with 81 per cent having invested in additional training to develop specific cloud capabilities and skills amongst their workforce. Nevertheless, capacity and capability shortfalls remain, with 63 per cent regarding third-party assistance as essential during cloud implementation and optimisation.

Sean Grimes, managing director of Cloud & IT at Agilisys, said: “The report shows that cloud adoption rates across the public sector have risen dramatically since 2016, indicating that any previous fears and uncertainties have been dispelled. Organisations now understand adoption is critical to driving service transformation and they’re moving faster than ever to capitalise on new cloud capabilities.

“Our research also shows that organisations believe cloud is key to unlocking innovation across the public sector, with many respondents seeing it an essential platform to leverage emerging technologies such as IoT, data & analytics, AI and robotics, which will revolutionise services for the future. And while cost reduction is an increasingly important driver, it’s the cloud’s ability to improve capabilities that’s now the deciding factor, which is really encouraging.

“Of course, the right skills and experience are crucial to making cloud transformation a success. With demand accelerating, we’ll likely see more organisations leaning on private sector partnerships to support their cloud ambitions, or to transfer essential skills. Indeed, growing awareness that there are proven paths for success and thirdparty experts ready to help may explain today’s confidence in cloud.” tinyurl.com/yd9pnohc

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www.marjolo.co.uk

letstalk@marjolo.co.uk

0844 8844 705

At Marjolo, we prepare you for taking the next step We bring an approach that puts people first, working with you to simplify complex change.

Our Transformation Services place you in control of your technology, making it work for your Department.

We filter through the noise around new digital tools. Brining innovative solutions that complement your culture, master data and integrate seamlessly with your processes; leaving you free to deliver great public value.

Marjolo ensures that your IT acts as an enabler, meaning that you see a tangible return on your investment.

Talk to us to learn about how our services have already solved many of the transformation challenges faced by the Public Sector, building capability across key programmes and changing the way that people see technology.

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Journey

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Developing Proof of Concepts to test out new and exciting ideas

We bring our great people who excel as technical specialists

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The UK government’s initial introduction of the G-Cloud framework was groundbreaking and provided a level playing field for government technology suppliers that has been copied across the world

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G-Cloud 10

PSI-ADVERT.v6-green.pdf 1 15/11/2018 10:48:07

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 Public cloud is now the most commonly used form of cloud computing among councils. The two authoring organisations claim that councils are clearly ‘cloud aware’, and while there may not be a formal strategy for the whole organisation, they are making decisions on a case-by-case basis and being opportunistic about where cloud IT can play a role.

With policy taking a long time to filter down through organisations, the somewhat strange decision of not having an organisation-wide cloud strategy becomes slightly more understandable. It appears that council IT teams are content to adopt cloud as and when, especially if they can support operations areas which will see immediate benefits.

Roy Grant, head of ICT at York City Council, said: “In the past, councils have focused on delivering big IT infrastructure projects, often across the council and normally in partnership with the big IT suppliers. In doing this, we have ended up with the equivalent of a slow-moving oil tanker where changing direction takes time and is far more complicated than it needs to be. The way we are approaching our IT is to focus on our users and bring in agile ways of working which can deliver change at a faster pace. That means working at different speeds with different parts of the business. It also means identifying and deploying applications and infrastructure which allows us to meet the priorities of the business as they emerge. Moving away from ‘big IT’ has allowed us to quickly deliver projects which in the past have taken a long time to go nowhere.”

Other figures from the report highlight that 62 per cent of councils store data in the cloud, up from 52 per cent in 2016. Furthermore, 81 per cent use one or more on-premise datacentre(s), 42 per cent use a third-party data centre and 64 per cent of councils use both on-premise and cloud hosting. Society pinpoint the decision of councils to run cloud alongside on-premise systems rather than displace existing IT infrastructure.

The result is that a ‘hybrid model for IT’ is now domanant in local government, with nearly two thirds of councils deploying IT in this way.

However, for many organisations, greater cloud use is being delayed by the need to first bring stability and then rationalise existing IT infrastructure. There is no escaping that the demands of legacy IT will continue to consume resources which might otherwise be directed at delivering a more rapid move to cloud. L CM

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Recent engagement examples:

When the outlook is rough… we can help you find your way

Large Children’s Charity: Development of data integration strategy, review of services and outlining GDPR compliant shared data platform

Practical & Pragmatic – Doesn’t that make a change?

Government Agency: Strategy development approach & definition of their business architecture

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Outcomes Strategy review Operating model definition & improvement Digital transformation Business Design Assurance Critical friend Technology landscape review Architecture roadmap Technology selection support Enterprise Architecture setup ICT service transformation & coaching

London Borough: Supporting their cost saving ICT restructure & implementation of Enterprise Architecture approach

Helping clients move HR and Finance Systems to the Cloud HR Transformation Technology agnostic Hands-on central government experience Client-side, business-led support

Contact us

Email: helena@veranperformance.com Phone: 07929797504

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From our recent analysis of the government’s The government’s commitment to the procurement approach we shared our digitisation of public services, and the criticisms of the numerous framework democratisation of its procurement agreements that have been established in procedures are beyond question. However, recent years to make it easier for businesses with many businesses – and SMEs in to bid for government contracts. particular – still locked out of most public The UK public sector currently spends in sector contracts, we believe there is more excess of £200 billion on procuring goods work to be done. Improving the G-Cloud and services from third parties every year, but framework is a good place to start. despite its efforts, a disproportionate amount of this is still spent with the same large The problem of design outsourcers. The government has committed Now in its 10th iteration, a stated aim of the to spending 33 per cent of public sector G-Cloud framework was to improve access for procurement directly with SMEs by SMEs. While it started well – with 2022, and has launched numerous 80 per cent of its suppliers framework agreements said to be SMEs, this Reform to support this aim. The has not necessarily is urgen government can also be translated into needed tly applauded for creating the proportionate sales only he to not Government Digital Service for SMEs. The most (GDS) – the Cabinet Office recent sales figures break in lp SMEs to t ‘centre of excellence’ show that only 56 o t he sector, b which aims to drive the per cent of total ut to dr public digital transformation sales by value were iv digitisat ion of t e the of government across awarded to SMEs in he public s all departments.

G-Cloud 9, leaving ec

to a whole r as

It ain’t no Google…

The G-Cloud struggles to manage the sheer volume of suppliers listed on the platform (2,847 were approved for G-Cloud 9 for example) with a search function that is largely ineffective at matching the most relevant suppliers for a given task. The G-Cloud therefore fails at its primary role as the matchmaker between buyers and suppliers. Government purchasers are often forced to enlist the services of a third party just to help them navigate the G-Cloud and find the right SME suppliers to solve their problem. If you have to hire consultants to use your own tools, clearly something has gone very wrong indeed!

Written by Romy Hughes, Brightman

Romy Hughes considers what else the government can do to accelerate the digitisation of public services and improve its G-Cloud offering

G-Cloud 10

Is G Cloud fit for purpose?

44 per cent of value to be picked up by a handful of the usual suspects.

From our analysis, the fundamental challenge of the G-Cloud framework is a technical one – it doesn’t support the way in which SMEs actually generate business (and likewise, how government customers like to find suppliers).

As a platform, the G-Cloud is unwieldy, difficult to navigate, has an ineffective search engine and often fails to match contracts to the most relevant suppliers. At the same time, there is not enough of an incentive for public sector purchasers to use it, so a lot of business is still awarded outside of the framework anyway.

Additional deficiencies in the search function include: • Filters are either not relevant (e.g. sellers/ resellers) or are not business-solution focused, making it very difficult to find what you want.

Common business and technology terms are not listed on the platform so buyers cannot filter for the solution they need. If you are looking for a change management expert E

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• Many service categories do not align to real-world use cases because it can take years for the latest IT trends and terminologies to be reflected on the platform. This forces innovative suppliers to shoehorn their proposition into a category which is not truly reflective of their service offering, ultimately making them harder to find.

G-Cloud 10

Government purchasers are often forced to enlist the services of a third party just to help them navigate the G-Cloud and find the right SME suppliers to solve their problem

• The GDS is trying hard to get a consistent message out to public sector organisations, but with so many different framework agreements to choose from, each with their own flavour and terms, the choice for buyers and suppliers is too great. This leads to inconsistency of contract terms for the same work and a fall back to describing work in a particular way that only those directly involved in it can truly understand and perhaps, bid for successfully.  to help manage the delivery of a major new system for example, you’re out of luck, because ‘change management’ does not exist as a category.

• The same is true for ‘digital transformation’.

Such terminology is very broad and means different things to different people. The tendency is to assume that ‘digital’ just means IT when actually it can mean a large organisational change process involving not just the usual IT elements.

Introducing a definition of the terms

used might be a step forward towards consistency of use and understanding.

• Search results do not appear to be in any discernible order. It is unclear on what basis the G-Cloud search engine algorithm prioritises its results, making it nigh-onimpossible for government buyers to use the platform to shortlist the most relevant suppliers. This is also highly detrimental for suppliers who invest significant time in building their G-Cloud listings when they do not know how effective their listing will be.

Fundamentally, all of these factors mean the G-Cloud is currently failing to achieve its core objective of matching government buyers with the most appropriate suppliers for their needs.

Reform is therefore urgently needed to not only help SMEs to break into the public sector, but to achieve the government’s own ambitions to drive the digitisation of the UK public sector as a whole. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.brightman.uk.com

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Frameworks

Lower billing and improved servicing through public sector procurement We take a look at how the Crown Commercial Service is helping customers gain better value for money by accessing lower billing and improved servicing in water services, as well as through the new Network Services 2 agreement The Crown Commercial Service has expires in July, achieved substantial recently announced that the Network savings and similar savings are also Services 2 framework agreement, believed expected under the new agreement. to be worth £5 billion, has gone live.

Network Services 2 includes the provision Telecom service providers, large and small, of Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) are now being encouraged by the Crown services through supporting infrastructure.

Commercial Service to compete for a place The agreement’s lots have also been on a new government framework, which has expanded, while retaining ease of use, been designed to drive further technological to allow a broader range of small and change across the public sector. As such, medium-sized suppliers on board.

Network Services 2 is for central Crown Commercial Service has just government and wider public completed a major customer and sector bodies which supplier engagement phase.

T e lecom require access to various It included key central service telecommunications government IT leads, provide services, including and workshops, held in being e rs are now internet, Wi-Fi, conjunction with trade voice, mobile, and body Innopsis and Tech the Cro ncouraged b wn Com y cloud access.

UK involving more Service mercial Customers than 100 suppliers. to using the previous Ieuan Trigger, for a pl compete a Network Services Crown Commercial c e on a new go agreement, which Service’s Category ve

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Director for Networks, said: “Network Services 2 is a flagship agreement for Crown Commercial Service, due not only to its financial scale, but also its ambition.

This agreement has been designed collaboratively with customers, suppliers and industry bodies; it aims to be a catalyst which will drive transformation within government and the wider public sector.”

Teacher recruitment solutions With the Supply Teachers framework now live, schools can recruit all temporary roles ranging from supply teachers and classroom assistants, to admin support and cleaners, through to head teachers. The framework will help organisations fill both urgent short term positions and longer term assignments and is available to all UK schools, colleges, academies, trusts, nurseries, pupil referral units, children centres and further education institutions. As such, it is not available to independent (for-profit) schools. E

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Frameworks

 The framework has been brought into place to ensure consistent high quality in the provision of supply teachers by employment agencies, at the best possible value. Of the thousands of recruitment companies in England, 140 agencies have been awarded a place onto the framework following a stringent bids and tendering process.

With transparency on agency mark-ups you will know exactly what you are paying, and have the peace of mind that agencies adhere to standard levels of practice, including no temp-to-perm fees after 12 working weeks (subject to four weeks notice being given). This means you can manage costs without sacrificing quality and standards, safe in the knowledge that agencies are audited and accredited and comply with the best safeguarding standards in education recruitment, including the Departmnet for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. If you are a multiacademy trust, local authority or part of a group of schools that collaborate and have a high volume of requirements, you can also choose a managed service provider who will source all your temporary staffing needs to the same audited, accredited standards.

Accessing the deal You should have received an email from DfE at the end of August giving you access to an Agency Selection Tool, helping you find suitable suppliers in your area that can meet your needs.

Crown Commercial Service will be adding more suppliers who have been through its procurement process to the tool over the coming weeks, once they have demonstrated their robust assurance processes.

Blackpool Council will be able to supply its own water and wastewater services to its 120 sites after becoming the first public body to be awarded a self-supply licence by economic regulator Ofwat Lot 1 is the preferred supplier list supported by an agency selection tool. You will need to know the type of worker and length of assignment you require, then use the tool to search for suppliers by distance from your organisation. You can contact suppliers identified using the tool directly. When you have chosen a supplier, sign an order form and send it to them. You only have to do this once per supplier and there is no limit to the number of suppliers you can use.

Lot 2 is for the master vendor managed service. A master vendor can provide all your temporary recruitment needs from a single supplier. If you choose a master vendor, they will supply whatever candidates they can, and where they can’t, they will find other suppliers who can.

Several suppliers on the deal can provide a master vendor managed service. Please contact all of the suppliers listed with your requirements to run a further competition to select the one that’s right for you. Take a look at the Crown Commercial Service guidance on how to run a further competition.

Once the further competition is completed and you have selected a supplier, sign an order form and send it to them. You should also send all your requirements

for workers to the winning supplier and notify the unsuccessful suppliers.

Lot 3 caters the neutral vendor managed service. A neutral vendor can also provide all your temporary recruitment needs. A neutral vendor will contract with other suppliers to fulfil your requirements but don’t provide candidates of their own. There is one neutral vendor managed service provider on the deal. Contact them to sign an order form and to send all your requirements.

Water supplies Since April 2017, public sector business customers have been able to choose their water provider for retail services. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS), in collaboration with public buying organisations YPO, Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO), North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), West Mercia Energy and The Energy Consortium (TEC), have put in place the first public sector water framework agreement to enable customers to access the market Recognising customers pay anything up to 13 per cent for retail water services, CCS wanted to help customers gain better value for money by accessing lower and transparent billing and improved servicing. It therefore delivered the UK’s first aggregated further E Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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“Absolutely set a benchmark for a PMO.

Not often PMO teams are mentioned in a CQC report”.

“There is no doubt that substantial improvements have been made. The leadership team is now fully established and there is a strong sense of forward momentum”.

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“We are better than we were before. We are a much more capable organisation in terms of capacity and capability”.

“In a report that is strikingly different from those received following previous inspections, no services are rated as inadequate, and many are commended for the changes that have been made in the past year”.

“The executive team, although fairly new, was performing as an effective unit with a shared vision and clarity of purpose”.

“Couldn’t have done it without the best PMO team”.

“The improvements the leadership and staff have made are especially commendable - and especially necessary”.

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Background The Water Act 2014 established the framework to create a new market that will be the largest water retail market in the world, allowing 1.2 million businesses and other non-household customers

By 31 December 2017, 34 customers had signed call off forms, with customers achieving an average four per cent reduction against the retail market average, with some customers achieving up to 10 per cent reduction of providers based mainly or wholly in England to choose their supplier of water and waste water retail services.

The key organisations responsible for delivering the new market are: Defra (Policy/Legislation), Ofwat (Regulator) and MOSL (Delivering core IT systems that enable registration, switching and settlement between wholesalers and retailer). Collectively they and the programme for overseeing and managing the implementation of the new market are known as Open Water.

Historically non-household customers have received water supplies and sewerage services through a statutory, regionally based licensed water supply company. For public sector customers with cross regional estate, this results in one organisation having to manage and process billing through multiple suppliers. In the new market, customers will have a single point of contact for water - a contracted relationship with the retailer who transacts with the wholesalers and delivers front end customer service, metering and billing.

Frameworks

 competition for water and wastewater services for public sector customers, with the RM3790 framework enabling customers to switch supply as early as 1 January 2018.

A further competition, which took place in October 2017, brought together the water and wastewater services of 122 public sector customers, amounting to £40 million spend. The results of the competition were communicated to participating customers.

The recommended suppliers for the monthly billing and quarterly billing options were Castlewater Ltd and Business Stream Ltd. By 31 December 2017, 34 customers, comprising central government departments, councils, NHS trusts, schools and colleges, had signed call off forms, with customers achieving an average four per cent reduction against the retail market average, with some customers achieving up to 10 per cent reduction.

In financial terms, this equates to between £100 and £10,000 saving per year depending on the size of the estate. All customers who participated in this further competition and submitted call off forms by mid-February will benefit from these great rates and other framework benefits for the next two years and will have the option to extend by one year. All public sector customers are still able to access the framework via further competitions.

Resilience is a key issue for customers. A changing climate and growing population will require the water industry to find new and more efficient ways of allocating, treating and using water. This needs to be done while protecting the environment and keeping water bills at acceptable levels. The Ancillary Services offering will help to support customers with reducing consumption and wastage.

Lot 1: Water supply and sewerage services is for customers who wish to compete their supply to achieve better value for money and compliance from competing their supply. The includes: water supply including emergency provisions; sewerage services including wastewater, trade effluent, roads and property drainage; metering; billing; data; and customer service.

Lot 2: Ancillary services is for those customers who wish to implement water efficiency or water quality measures at a time to suit their requirements. This includes: automated meter reading goods and services; water audit; water footprint; leak detection and repair; cost/spend recovery; bill E

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Frameworks

 validation; benchmarking; tariff optimisation; and legionella services.

Lot 3: One Stop Shop is for customers who require supply and sewerage services and want their supplier to help them reduce their water consumption and improve efficiency at the same time. Lot 3 includes goods and services from both Lot 1 and Lot 2.

Self-supplying water retail market Blackpool Council will be able to supply its own water and wastewater services to its 120 sites after becoming the first public body to be awarded a self-supply licence by economic regulator Ofwat. The water retail market launched in April 2017 and is the largest of its kind in the world. Self-supply licences offer eligible businesses and other organisations the opportunity to manage their own water retail services, giving them more control over the service they get and helping to reduce administration costs.

Using around 170,000 cubic metres of water per annum, Blackpool Council is hoping to reduce water costs through a sustained approach to water monitoring and reducing water consumption across the borough.

Although Blackpool Council is the first public sector body to be awarded a self-supply licence, four private sector businesses have already been licenced to self-supply: Greene King, Marston’s PLC, Whitbread and Coca-Cola.

Emma Kelso, Ofwat’s senior director for Customers and Casework, said: “The water retail market offers eligible businesses of all sizes an opportunity to renegotiate their water services with their existing supplier or shop around for a better deal.

Some larger organisations are starting to see the benefits that self-supply can bring – such as more control and reduced costs and we expect more public bodies to follow Blackpool Council’s lead.”

Fred Jackson, cabinet member Responsible for the Environment at Blackpool Council, said: “This is an exciting initiative and we are looking forward to the opportunities that a self-supply licence offers us in managing our water usage responsibly, efficiently and cost-effectively. We are the first public sector organisation to apply for this licence. There are

With the Supply Teachers framework now live, schools can recruit all temporary roles ranging from supply teachers and classroom assistants, to admin support and cleaners, through to head teachers many benefits such as reducing administration costs and cutting out the margin that goes to others in the supply chain. We will pay the price that retailers pay to the water company which will deliver significant savings.”

University of Central Lancashire Through the Crown Commercial Service’s Water, Wastewater and Ancillary Services framework agreement, the University of Central Lancashire has saved £25,500 on water each year. As one of the largest universities in the UK, with a student and staff community approaching 38,000 across campuses located in Preston, Burnley, Westlakes and Cyprus, the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) sought to reduce its water bills across their UK estate by taking advantage of the recently deregulated water market. By reducing their bills, valuable savings could be redirected back into education and support services at the university.

By using RM3790, and signing up to the CCS led aggregation, UCLan appointed Castle Water Ltd as their sole water supplier for their UK estate. Based on their first invoices, UCLan is set to save approximately £25,500 on their annual water bill.

Laura Carter, Energy and Carbon Management Officer at the University of Central Lancashire, said: “Joining the CCS tender was the best option for us, it took all the hassle out of the process and saved us a lot of time. I have been very impressed by the team so far. The customer service has been excellent and the transfer was very smooth.”

Utilities Management Software Having opened in April 2018, the Utilities Management Software, Metering and Ancillary Services framework agreement will provide

customers with the key data required to unlock savings across their utilities portfolios.

With no current framework agreement of its kind within the CCS, this relatively new agreement will complement the department’s existing energy supply contracts covering half hourly electricity, non-half hourly electricity and gas and assist customers in reducing their utilities consumption requirements.

As the framework agreement can be used by the whole of the UK public sector (including central government, wider public sector, health, and third sector) bidders must be able to provide full national coverage. The framework is for a duration of three years with an option to extend for a further year. Within the industry it is estimated that on average consumers using energy management software can deliver a five per cent reduction in their energy consumption, according to the Carbon Trust.

The agreement is free, with no charge to contracting authorities, fast, providing a streamlined route for all customers to access a comprehensive range of external suppliers, flexible, designed to cater for a wide range of customers, and simple to use.

CCS claims that the framework is very good value for money, ensuring customers have access to and understand their current consumption profile is essential for identifying additional savings opportunities and driving behavioural change within organisations. Customers will have access to management information to track/capture spend based on a common set of service codes allowing in depth analysis. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ crown-commercial-service

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Back in October, the Crown Commercial Service announced that the Digital Outcomes and Specialists 3 (DOS3) framework agreement had opened for business, with 94 per cent of suppliers SMEs The public sector in this country is keenly aware of the opportunities that digital provides for bringing government closer and make it more comprehensible to ordinary citizens. Thousands of digital projects are ongoing in local authorities, police forces, NHS bodies and hundreds more public sector entities as I write this, demonstrating just how crucial it is that government is able to aggregate its demand and leverage its size to maximise commercial benefits and make public money go further.

A few examples to begin with. Glasgow City Council and project partners have marked the construction of Europe’s first ever ‘smart canal’ scheme, using technology to mitigate flood risk. Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said that the pioneering £17 million project will unlock 110 hectares across the north of the city for investment, regeneration and development, paving the way for more than 3,000 new homes.

The project, being delivered alongside Scottish Canals and Scottish Water will use

sensor and predictive weather technology to provide early warning of wet weather before moving excess rainfall from residential and business areas into stretches of the canal where water levels have been lowered by as much as 10cm. This will create 55,000 cubic metres of extra capacity for floodwater - equivalent to 22 Olympic swimming pools.

Known as the North Glasgow Integrated Water Management System, the project will see North Glasgow passively absorb, clean and use rainfall intelligently, in what has been described as a ‘sponge city’. Before periods of heavy rain, canal water will be moved safely through a network of newly created urban spaces - from sustainable urban drainage ponds to granite channels - that absorb and manage water in a controlled way, creating space for surface water run-off.

In the West Midlands, £1.5 million of new government funding is being used to pioneer cutting-edge technology by the Midlands Engine Partnership and the Geospatial Commission.

The two bodies will use the funding to develop a digital map of the region combining vast amounts of existing

Digital Outcomes

Levelling the playing field for SMEs

public and private sector data linked to location – covering infrastructure, local services, housing and other developments.

The collaborated Midlands information together will allow for better, faster and more informed decisions around health, education, housing, trade and tourism.

In Wales the government has begun its Rural Education Plan by connecting rural schools with other classrooms via video technology.

Based on the successful ‘E-Sgoil’ initiative introduced by the Scottish Government in the Hebrides, ‘E-sgol’ will use video technology to connect classrooms. This means that pupils from one school can join classes at other schools remotely, and can access a greater range of subjects in both English and Welsh.

The project aims to bring all schools in Wales into the digital age by introducing innovative teaching techniques. It is just one of the measures in the Rural Education Action Plan which also includes the introduction of a presumption against closure of rural schools, a new Small and Rural School grant, and working alongside BT to improve connectivity in schools in difficult to reach areas. The 21st Century Schools capital investment programme which aims to create modern and sustainable education communities across rural Wales will play an important role in achieving this.

Th Governe ment Digital S e r v ice says that 2,9 5 3 s u ppliers have be places oen awarded agreem n the new en cent of t, 94 per the SMEs m

Local government and digital In recent months, NHS Digital and the Local Government Association have awarded funding to nine social care digitisation projects that will use digital innovation to create social care of the future. Funded under the Social Care Digital Innovation Programme, councils are tasked with creating digital pilots that will advance frontline practice, improve systems and enable integration across adult social care. E

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Thousands of SMEs are now signed up to provide their digital, data and technology services to government, and public bodies are utilising their expertise to drive the UK’s digital transformation  Commissioned by NHS Digital and managed by the Local Government Association, 12 councils were awarded £20,000 each in the first ‘discovery’ phase of funding earlier this year. Up to £700,000 has been made available and nine projects have now been chosen to design and implement their solution.

Among the innovations, the London Borough of Havering developing an app for social care workers to aid in sharing employment information securely and easily when moving on from care home or home care organisations, while Bracknell Forest will install interactive digital information kiosks and digital advertising with user designed content in key public locations, providing information on community support and activities for residents to encourage participation and combat loneliness.

Additionally, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has made £1 million available to support programmes helping charities to improve their digital skills. Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright has stated that the Digital Leadership Fund will give industry leaders’ free access to training or heavily subsidised courses to boost their digital skills and develop a wider understanding of how technology can help them fulfil their mission.

This may include learning how to maximise online fundraising tools, build a social media presence or modernise their operational delivery by embedding updated IT systems.

Even more recently, at the start of December, Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak announced that almost £1.3 million has been awarded to councils to find solutions for how digital technology can improve services for the public.

The winning applicants, who will receive money from the first round of a £7.5 million fund aimed at harnessing digital technology to improve their work, have a range of projects including chatbots, artificial intelligence and one-stop shop websites.

As such, some 16 projects across the country were awarded grants of up to £100,000, with 57 councils working in teams to shape new digital services and explore the potential of modern technology. Other areas of research include exploring how virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa can improve the lives of people in need of care, giving frontline social workers better access to information to make crucial decisions and improving software used by council planning departments.

A key pillar of the government’s Local Digital Declaration, launched in July, the government’s new Local Digital Collaboration Unit will also work with LocalGov Digital, an organisation made up of people who work on digital solutions in local government, to create a place to see details of all the digital transformation happening in the sector.

Sunak said: “Embracing digital technology can revolutionise public services. Within local government, I firmly believe it has the potential to improve a range of services in a host of different ways. Ultimately, our aim is to make services better for users but it is likely to reduce costs for councils too. This could be by improving the experience of someone in care, streamlining the admin that comes with the stress of moving home, or offering a simpler way to license taxis. And these are just some of the successful ideas which I am delighted to announce government funding for. I’m excited to see these projects come to fruition.”

Supplying the government At the same time as these developments, the government’s go-to provider of common goods and services, Crown Commercial Service (CCS), is committed to facilitating the growth of SMEs and increasing opportunities for small and medium-sized providers to supply to government.

Upon opening the third iteration of the agreement, the CCS revealed that £500 million has been spent through the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework since its inception, with over £198 million going to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). Digital Outcomes and Specialists (DOS3) will support new companies to supply government, while also giving current suppliers the opportunity to update their service offer and pricing.

Digital Outcomes and Specialists 3 (DOS3) framework opened for business in OCtober and is perfectly placed to help public sector organisations find suppliers that can buy, design, build, test and deliver software. Solutions available on the framework are: digital outcomes; digital specialists; user research studios; and user research participants.

DOS3 is the latest in a line of agreements that is enabling SMEs to reap the benefits of a flourishing Digital Marketplace by accessing almost half of public sector spend on digital, data and technology services. Minister for Implementation Oliver Dowden has reiterated that over £1.9 billion has been spent with SMEs since 2012, the equivalent of £1.35 out of every £3 spent by government.

Thousands of SMEs are now signed up to provide their digital, data and technology services to government, and public bodies are utilising their expertise to drive the UK’s digital transformation. In the last year alone, £1.3 billion has been spent through Digital Marketplace, with £602 million going to SMEs. One example is i-movo Limited, an SME based in Southwark, who won a DWP contract through Digital Marketplace. The company now delivers an online voucher system to support benefit claimants who are not able to access their payments through the bank. E Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Digital Outcomes

 David Tymm, CEO of i-movo said: “The process of joining and winning through the Digital Marketplace is straightforward even for niche solution providers like us. We worked in partnership with our customer to deliver a solution which supports vulnerable citizens to access government services, and which at the same time will enable us to grow our reputation and our business.”

Digital outcomes and specialists According to the Government Digital Service, 2,953 suppliers have been awarded places on the new agreement, 94 per cent of them SMEs. Around £500 million has been spent through the framework since its inception, with over £198 million going to SMEs. Having opened for applications back in July, DOS3 will support new companies to supply the public sector, while also giving current suppliers the opportunity to update their service offer and pricing. A supplier list, leaked ahead of CCS opening the agreement, revealed that nearly 3,000 firms have gained a place on the new iteration of the government digital services framework, an increase of 935 on the previous version.

The success of DOS2 was built on creating a Community of Practice, called the digital buying community, to help share best practice to clearly define problems and this will continue to be built on with DOS3.

Niall Quinn, Director Technology Strategic Category at CCS, said: “DOS3 enables hundreds of new suppliers to be able to

DOS3 enables hundreds of new suppliers to be able to provide services to the public sector and further underpins the government’s work to level the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses provide services to the public sector and further underpins the government’s work to level the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses. The success of DOS2 was built on creating a Community of Practice to help share best practice to clearly define problems and we will continue to build on this with DOS3.”

Dave Draper, managing director of SME Valtech, said: “This latest version of DOS continues to provide the consistency and transparency that SMEs need to engage on a level playing field. The inclusion of data roles represents the acceptance of this critical capability in

delivering joined up digital government, something Valtech is passionate about.”

DOS3 is accessed through the Digital Marketplace, created in 2014 by Crown Commercial Service and Government Digital Service to make government procurement easier and more transparent. L FURTHER INFORMATION https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/741497/ digital-outcomes-and-specialists3-framework-agreement.pdf

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Cyber systems implementation, remediation and secure configuration

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Volume 25.6 | GOVERNMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE

77

SECURITY

SPORTS

Security bollards to protect people and places

The UK’s premier artificial grass manufacturer

Macs Automated Bollard Systems Ltd specialises in the nationwide supply of security bollards, automatic barriers, traffic calming and vehicle restriction solutions, and retractable power units.

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, the company has worked successfully with numerous large contractors and local authorities, installing automatic security bollards in towns and city centres all over the UK. Macs Automated Bollard Systems Ltd supplies a variety or semi-automatic and automatic bollards for applications ranging from urban regeneration, vehicle restriction, and traffic calming projects, to PAS 68 and IWA 14 crash rated systems for counter terror projects.

Customer satisfaction is the organisation’s number one goal, and its team will thoroughly discuss and assess your specific needs, and work to deliver a

Founded in 2000, the UK division of TigerTurf designs and manufactures artificial turf for sport and landscape applications, and is a major supplier to the European, African and Middle Eastern markets.

Thanks to an unrivalled investment in product development, TigerTurf utilises innovative manufacturing processes to develop a comprehensive range of artificial turf which meets a variety of sports and leisure performance standards.

TigerTurf selects the most advanced yarns from parent company TenCate – market leader in yarn extrusion – to create a full range of artificial turf for a wealth of sports and education facilities.

To support its expansive product range, TigerTurf has a network of highly-skilled construction and design partners, each of

solution to fit. The company only works with manufacturers that it believes offers the most reliable and highest quality products, and Macs also offers a full technical support and aftercare service, always having someone at the end of the phone or email when you need.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0161 320 6462 enquiries@macsbollards.com www.macs-bollards.com

whom is able to extend the organisation’s industry-leading attention to detail to the installation and maintenance of its artificial turf products.

TigerTurf is a FIFA licensed supplier and maintains close affiliations with the FA, World Rugby, RFU, RFL, GAA, and ITF, whilst also having relevant products approved by FIH through the Preferred Supplier status of parent company, TenCate.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01299 253 966 https://tigerturf.com/uk/

ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service 4 Net Technologies

33

DMW Group

46

Marjolo 58

Aecom 16

Enonic UK

63

Megger 14

Airbus Group

30

Evac Chair International

Alauda Aerial Surveys

35

AMDH Services

74

Mercator IT Solutions

76

Evaccess 6

Middle Temple

43

Flabba 12

Ogel IT

54

Arum 48

Flick Learning

59

Ortus Conferencing

43

Auth0 56

Fotheringham Associates

60

Red Box Recorders

33

Axiom Utilities

53

Gofore UK

72

Saasam 38,39

Basis Technology

58

Incendium 50

Safe4 Information Management

BSRIA 16

Intelligent Incite

28

Solsus 52

BT Plc

42

ISS Mediclean

IFC

Stonegate IT

70

Capricorn Ventis

62

JC Applications

70

Swansea University

40

System Store Solutions

16

KHIPU Networks

Chrisalyst 50

Lane4 Management Group

52

Tazio Online Media

66

Clearview Intelligence

Leap Beyond

62

Templa Computer Systems

44

Daimler 20

Learning Technologies Show

26

Veran Performance

60

Danubius Hotel Regents Park

Long Rake Spar Co

25

Westcotec 24

Macs Automated Bollard

78

Xpertex 77

IBC,18

10

OBC

64

Caterpillar 4

Discidium 68

78

8

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR LOCAL AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT | www.governmentbusiness.co.uk

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