BRIEFING
A road map to service efficiency
The Public Sector Mapping Agreement enables local authorities to access centrally- funded mapping data from Ordnance Survey. Ian Carter says the agreement helps local authorities to improve the planning and delivery of waste collection services
nder the European Union Waste Management Directive, the UK is required to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by 75%. With waste management accounting for one of the largest areas of expenditure for councils, several local authorities are mak- ing strenuous efforts to improve the efficiency of their col- lection services.
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Geographical data lies at the heart of an efficient deliv- ery of these services, yet in the past the existence of dif- ferent collective agreements between various parts of the public sector and Great Britain’s national mapping agency, Ordnance Survey, led to inefficiencies and was often costly to the sector. However, help is now at hand from the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA), which allows public sector organisations to improve the planning and delivery of ser- vices through the innovative use of digital maps.
The 10-year agreement provides access
to centrally-funded core datasets from Ordnance Survey
Having all members under the same terms means there are no limits to sharing data
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to almost every public sector organisation in England and Wales, regardless of size or resources. This includes all local authorities, as well as central government bodies. Over 2,000 organisations have already signed up since the agree- ment came into place in April 2011.
The agreement was set up as part of the Government’s response to a consultation on Ordnance Survey’s prod- ucts and services in March 2010. Following the exercise, the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) decided to move to a central relationship with the mapping agency. The PSMA replaces earlier agreements and, for the first time, it offers a larger portfolio of data sets, comprehensive technical support and wider and simplified licensing conditions to the entire public sector in England and Wales.
The PSMA provides access to the raw Ordnance Survey data and local authorities use their existing mapping soft- ware in order to read and manipulate that data. The PSMA makes access to Ordnance Survey geographic data both
6 Local Authority Waste & Recycling March 2012
quicker and simpler and the fact that it is centrally funded delivers additional savings for the user.
The PSMA supports the Coalition Government’s localism
agenda, which aims to decentralise the institution and put local authorities firmly in charge of their own affairs. The localism policy is additionally giving more powers to town and parish councils and there is an expectation that the sec- tor will take more responsibility for service delivery, asset management and community projects.
There are many benefits for local authorities that sign up to PSMA. The datasets available allow them to make informed decisions based on a common framework. This reduces duplication and results in time and cost savings as well as efficiency improvements. Having all members under the same terms means there are no limits to sharing data between organisations, as part of delivering public sector “core business” activities. This includes sharing data with con- tractors and other parties that are working with local authori-
ties on a particular project (see feature case study on page 16). Another example is the London Borough of Harrow, which embarked on the “waste collector project” and set out to revolutionise the way the council collects rubbish using Ordnance Survey data. A new system allowing residents to have up-to-date information on bin collections will deliver savings of £3.2M over 10 years and reduces waste sent to landfill sites by almost 19%. The service is also now used as a benchmark by other local authorities. The PSMA promotes cross public sector partnerships, enabling local authorities to work together to meet e-gov- ernment targets and initiatives.
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For more information and to register for the PSMA, visit the public sector section of the Ordnance Survey website:
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/psma
Ian Carter is strategy manager, Local Government at Ordnance Survey
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