To respond to the challenge of carbon reduction and the increasing role of councils in promoting sustainable development, Elmbridge Borough Council created a Sustainable Energy Officer post to coordinate and lead their Sustainable Elmbridge Strategy. With limited funds of £30,000 to cover both the work programme and the post, the Council could only afford a part time appointment. However, it anticipated that it would struggle to attract a suitable candidate if the job was offered on that basis.
Action taken
The Council learnt that neighbouring Epsom and Ewell Borough Council was also looking to initiate work in this area. Since the district councils already had a strong working relationship, they decided to recruit a full-time Sustainable Energy Officer to be shared across the two authorities.
The councils’ HR departments worked together to produce joint recruitment material for the post. And in July 2007, the councils were able to appoint a jointly funded, jointly managed full-time Sustainable Energy Officer.
Resources
- Elmbridge Council pay 60 per cent of the costs for the Officer's salary, with Epsom and Ewell funding 40 per cent, but providing procurement advice, at the estimated value of approximately £15,000, to balance the costs.
- The Officer is on a two year renewable contract.
Outcomes
Instead of buying in resources from other authorities, using consultants or recruiting individually, both councils were able to recruit a high quality candidate at a lower cost.
The Officer has since implemented programmes to improve energy efficiency and sustainable procurement, reduce CO2 emissions and raise the profile of sustainability work across both councils. Since they face similar issues, the councils have been able to minimise duplication and have benefited from shared learning.
The Officer also benefits from the experience of working in two organisations and taking on a wider variety of work. Although the councils have different priorities, they have common goals for the sustainability agenda and a strong relationship, which means each council is trusted to manage the work and staff member responsibly.
Both councils feel that the creation of the joint post should improve their chances of retaining the Officer as the variation in work enables them to compete with similar roles in London boroughs nearby.
The success of this shared post initiative has prompted the councils to consider this arrangement for other roles and they are currently recruiting a shared head of procurement.
Learning
- Although more variation in work is provided by working with two councils, there can be increased pressure involved in understanding two organisational cultures and working to two sets of deadlines and managers. Both organisations will need to be flexible to respond to the Officer’s needs and find the best way of working between them.
- The established trust and working relationship between the councils was key to the success of the scheme.
- The scheme has worked for two councils but adding more than two partners might increase the difficulty of managing a shared post arrangement and complicate the terms and conditions for the role.
- Shared posts may not be feasible for all roles; it would be more complicated for management posts than those requiring technical or specialist expertise.
- A full work programme that benefits both authorities has led to the success of the role.