Audit Commission

Risk averse/control culture

• Have you considered the cost of not changing?
• Will the customer benefit? (this can help to break down potential barriers)
• Has a full cost benefit analysis been undertaken?
• Is the existing culture ready for such a change?
• Can the cultural change be managed?
• Have risks been assessed and are they being managed?
• Can CPA ratings be used as a guide to assist partnership working?
• Are there any other supporting indicators (BFI rating, awards, IiP) to provide confidence to support partnership working?
• Can external expertise help increase capacity and effectiveness?

Service policies

• Are there differing local policies are in place?
• Is it possible to administer different local policies?
• Have you identified the reason for the policy
• Can the same outcome be achieved in a different way?
• Is the policy consistent with what the council is trying to achieve?
• Have you evaluated the advantages/disadvantages for customers if policies change?
• Can costing structures be agreed to take into account local policies?

Partnerships

• Can improvements and efficiencies be gained from working with others?
• Do external relationships already exist?
• What similarities exist between near-neighbours?
• Are there other alternatives?
• Have you considered which sector is likely to be most suitable - public or private?
• Have you considered the best place for the back office be based?
• Have you considered the issues for all the councils/agencies involved?
• Can the potential savings be used to help create more local jobs?
• Have the views of councillors been fully considered
• Is the business case and cost benefits clear?
• Are there any opportunities for a shared accommodation close to the authorities?
• Could better quality staff be recruited in other areas?
• Could recruitment problems be resolved by locating elsewhere?
• Has the potential saving to the taxpayer been identified?

Staffing issues

• Has consultation taken place?
• Have all options been explored and communicated?
• Is the cost and cost benefit situation clear and has it been communicated?
• Will customers benefit?
• Will staff benefit?
• Have quality of life and health and safety issues been considered?
• Can improved IT help?
• Have you considered the arrangements for : monitoring; training; communication; and management?
• Can the partnership be broadened, so that other services are included and giving potential for each council to have a back of office of a different service?
• Can staff groups help to take forward potential HR issues?
• Can improvements in efficiency and staff capacity be used to improve the service for customers?
• Have you considered the options for the best location of the back office?
• Have you identified all the issues for other councils/agencies involved?
• Can the potential savings be used to help create more local jobs?
• Have you considered the views of councillors?
• Is the business case and cost benefits clear?
• Are there any opportunities for a shared accommodation close to both authorities?
• Could better quality staff be recruited in other areas?
• Could recruitment problems be resolved by locating elsewhere?
• Have you identified the potential saving to the taxpayer?

IT systems

• Have you identified the terms lengths of all the existing contracts?
• Do you have the right expertise to administer the systems?
• Can efficiency improvements be made in spite of the differences?
• Have you fully considered the appropriate scale of the potential partnership?
• Have the cost implications been identified?
• Are there other opportunities to share and build trust before the IT issues have to be addressed?

External pressures

• Do you have information to help evaluate the options?
• Do you know of other councils delivering services with different IT systems?
• Can examples from the private sector approach help you?
• Is it something that could be worked towards?
• Have the benefits of 'being first' been assessed?
• Are there possible additional benefits to the local area that could be achieved through the arrangement?
• Have site visits to other innovative arrangements been made?
• Can you identify other research to assist in decision making?

Benchmarking

• Do you have the right data available?
• Does it tell the whole story?
• Are there any local issues that may skew existing cost information (erg, old IT system, one stop shops)?
• Are SLAs in place and have they been reviewed regularly?
• Has the whole picture of the existing service delivery arrangement been considered?
• Has a site visit been considered?
• Can you identify the information which would help inform your decisions and how can it be obtained?