Speech on scrutiny call-in of Executive Performance Improvement Programme report

Speech by Cllr Andrew Dakers, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group delivered to Overview and scrutiny committee on Fri 12th Jan 2007

I feel I should start by making clear that whilst I fully support this call-in and review of the Performance Improvement Programme, I personally have no in principle objection to the council routinely standing back and reappraising the way it operates. We live in a world changing faster than ever before, so much driven by the technological advancements of the past few decades. As such our citizens own lives and their expectations of local government services and community leadership are changing rapidly.

However unsettling it can be at times, change is the only constant. The borough will not and can not stand still. Instead we must embrace whole heartedly the opportunities for delivering services differently, continuously improving, and supporting our community's development in creative and innovative ways.

Having said all that my own professional life has meant that I've been on the delivery teams of so-called 'change programmes' and I've also been the recipient of restructure and process change - who hasn't these days. Both sides have their particular difficulties, whether its persuading staff and colleagues to change their ways of working or adopt new behaviours, or when the largest changes - often involving restructure -are implemented, having to urgently scan the job market. It can be a daunting prospect.

In recent years I've seen change managed well, with due compassion and respect for the people involved, and I've seen it delivered with a sledgehammer …with all the loss of confidence and good will that can generate.

Responsible change in a well led organisation will be driven by thorough research, clear vision, well defined outcomes and a carefully consider management approach - not change for changes sake alone. This is why fully exploring and understanding the range of areas up for discussion tonight is so important. Specifically:

• impact of so many redundancies on the Council's finances, as well as the programme's projected costs and benefits

• capacity of the consultants Knox D'arcy to carry out this work

• impacts and benefits of removing 20 junior managers from day to day duties

I will also be looking to better understand:

• the Executive's thinking in bringing in external consultants

• how the preliminary Knox D'arcy report was produced

• very importantly the proposed change management approach

• and finally how the change programme will integrate with the political process to ensure accountability throughout its lifetime

Thank you.