To help us respond to these challenges, the we have commissioned an efficiency programme to identify how we can transform the way we work while continuing to deliver high-quality services for Derbyshire residents.
Why are we doing this?
We need to modernise how we work to ensure we can continually improve our services to our residents and to remain financially sustainable. The efficiency programme review found that while many services perform well, some of our current ways of working aren’t as effective or efficient as they can be, making it harder for us to meet future challenges. These include manual processes, duplication across services, the numerous fragmented ways customers can contact us for support and information, and opportunities to make better use of technology, data and artificial intelligence.
Why now?
Having made significant progress in strengthening our finances, now is the right time to build on that progress and prepare for the future. Rising demand for services, continued financial pressures and the possibility of Local Government Reorganisation mean we need to consider how we can operate more effectively and efficiently from a position of strength.
What has the review recommended?
The review concluded that long-term savings and improvements will come from changing how we work rather than simply reducing budgets. It recommends a more connected 'One Council' approach based on 4 principles:
- consolidate: reducing duplication and simplifying processes
- integrate: improving how services work together
- modernise: making greater use of digital technology, automation and AI
- empower: giving colleagues the tools, skills and authority to improve services and make decisions.
The review also identified opportunities to:
- improve customer experiences and make services easier to access
- reduce administration and automate routine tasks
- strengthen procurement and contract management
- improve workforce planning and organisational effectiveness
- build stronger leadership, performance management and transformation capability.
The efficiency programme and Future Derbyshire
The efficiency programme has been referred to in a number of different ways as it has developed. It will now sit at the core of a broader collection of transformation and improvement work known collectively as Future Derbyshire. Other programmes and areas of work are likely to be brought within Future Derbyshire over time.
Last year’s One Council project was the initial stage in this transformation journey, centralising and realigning business services across the council and delivering £2.6 million of savings. The Efficiency Programme, within the wider Future Derbyshire approach, builds on that earlier work rather than starting afresh. Subject to Cabinet’s decision, the proposed next phase would represent a further step in developing a more joined-up, modern and resilient Council.
What happens next?
A report will be presented to Cabinet on 26 November. The Cabinet report will be published on 19 November and available to all to read on our website. Cabinet will consider the findings and recommendations from the efficiency programme and decide the future direction of the programme.
No decisions have yet been made about implementation.
If Cabinet approves moving forward, the proposed next phase of the programme would focus on 4 areas:
- customer and communities: improving customer journeys and access to services
- service productivity: expanding the use of AI and digital tools to reduce administration and free up time for frontline work.
- operating model: improving organisational design, workforce management and controls.
- commissioning and third-party spend: delivering better value through procurement, contract management and commercial practices.
What does this mean for colleagues?
At this stage, the review has identified opportunities and recommendations. Cabinet will determine what happens next. There will inevitably be questions about how any future changes could affect teams, services and ways of working. At the moment we don’t have all the answers, but when this becomes clearer we will share this with you. When proposals are made, colleagues will receive clear information about what they may mean for them, what happens next and when further information will be available.
Our latest staff survey results through WorkBuzz highlight areas where colleagues would like to see improvements. The opportunities identified through the efficiency programme and wider Future Derbyshire approach have the potential to help address a number of these concerns, including how we work across the council, the tools and technology colleagues use and how effectively we work together.
The aim of Future Derbyshire is to create a simpler, more modern and resilient council that makes better use of technology, reduces unnecessary bureaucracy and gives colleagues more time to focus on activities that add the greatest value for residents and communities.
Keeping you informed
We are committed to providing regular updates throughout the process, including when there is no significant change to report. Managers will be supported with briefing materials and opportunities to discuss what this means for their teams, and colleagues will have opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback as the programme develops.
Our ambition is clear: to build a modern, resilient and financially sustainable Council that continues to deliver excellent outcomes for Derbyshire residents, communities and businesses, now and in the future.