Vision
Overview
The Vision stage of the toolkit aims to help organisations in the UK public sector review and articulate their ambition for improving performance and assess the opportunity for improvements through the sharing of service provision. Sharing services in central Government has, to date, predominantly focused on corporate services and this is the toolkits focus. However, possibilities exist across all operational support and front line services.
The vision and strategy for service delivery is of equal importance to customers and providers of shared services. For customers, the vision and strategy specifies the vision for the future including what activities should remain within the organisation, those that possibly could be shared and the identification of the options for sharing services. For shared services providers, it sets out their ambition for continuous improvement, service scope and customer growth.
The toolkit identifies key activities in this stage such as the creation of service strategies and business plans and the identification and initial evaluation of delivery options.
It also includes templates, guidance and example documents.
Key Considerations
- Have you identified all of the options for the delivery of corporate services?
- Does your corporate services strategy support your organisation’s objectives and commercial, IT and people strategies?
- What are your organisations key drivers? Do you have a ‘burning platform’ for change e.g. a system that is no longer supported, challenging efficiency targets to meet, a need to improve service quality?
- Do you already have an integrated HR and Finance system (ERP system)? The majority of shared services solutions are underpinned by an ERP system.
- Are shared services an acceptable option for your organisation and are they likely to deliver efficiencies? Or, can process standardisation and improvement initiatives deliver efficiencies?
- What level of risk is your organisation prepared to carry?
- Are you big enough to stand alone and set up your own shared service?
- Would you gain greater efficiencies from sharing services with another public sector organisation?
- Have you identified the options for who you could share services with?
- Do you have the capability and capacity to deliver shared services to others? E.g. IT, space, resource, skills, contracts with suppliers?
- Have you considered the cost implications of setting up a shared service function or providing to, or sharing with, others. Do you have a funding source?
- If you are a provider of shared services do you have a business strategy and route map for expansion? Do have clearly a documented standard service offering? Does your business plan take account of the rules around VAT, procurement and funding.
- Have you considered the options for your delivery model? e.g. unitary, joint venture.
- Have you considered what will be in the scope of shared services? Have you assessed the impact on the organisation and culture and identified the benefits this could bring?
- Have you considered the implications on the retained corporate service functions?
- Have you considered the implications for employees and managers? Will their roles and behaviours need to be different?
- Have you identified someone with the relevant skills and experience to lead your transformation programme?
- Have you identified your stakeholders and do they support your strategy?
