mitigating this risk, particularly by ensuring a robust baseline cost measurement which can be held open to challenge. Weak cost information is an area where Audit Scotland has criticised public bodies and of course, weak fi nancial information systems can undermine any case for change. Mitigation of this risk will be further strengthened by the use of experienced project and change managers who can maintain the forward (but balanced) focus on active benefi ts realisation. A risk that the scope is either too narrow or
broad will be realised where the services are either too narrow in scope to deliver a gain worth the investment or, so wide as to make change too complex and cumbersome. T is risk is mitigated by ensuring that there is a clear understanding by all stakeholders of all the opportunities and drivers for change. In practical operational terms, this means that they should be broken down into modular projects so that ideally, implementation commences with well understood projects with reasonably low complexities and also with near-term benefi ts. T e risk of damaged labour or community
relations means that valuable time and energy could be diverted into repairing and
rebuilding relationships rather than being focused constructively on future plans for service delivery and improvement. Leading from the top and working with professional HR advice forms part of the eff ective mitigation of this risk. Being able to clearly explain the benefi ts of change and ensuring eff ective communication with all stakeholders are of course the more obvious but essential features of mitigation. T e risk that knowledge transfer is poor or
incomplete, could lead to errors in delivery which means that time is then spent to recover the service delivery situation with additional time then spent rebuilding customer relations. By ensuring that business and systems analysis is properly funded, this should draw out clearly documented systems and service knowledge thereby ensuring that the ‘as is’ service is refl ected in the way the new service is operated and supported. And so the list of risks goes on and these
of course are only a few of the risks and even CIPFA’s 50 identifi ed risks is not in itself an exhaustive list. It does, however, represent a comprehensive and practical analysis of shared service risks which will be essential reading for shared service ‘champions’ who are
focused upon new business structures, process improvement and the implementation of new systems. So whatever the much anticipated Christie
Commission report will say about shared services in Scotland, the professional process towards implementation of change will require to be supported by eff ective risk management, especially if eff orts require to be accelerated. T e benefi ts of shared services can then be realised by balancing the professional eff ort required to manage risk with the public service rewards which will inevitably be realised.
Don Peebles is Policy & Technical Manager, CIPFA Scotland
CIPFA has published a major report and accompanying guidance on shared services entitled ‘Sharing the Gain’ T is publication, together with CIPFA’s 50 shared service risks is available for download free of charge at www.
cipfa.org.uk/sharingthegain/
CIPFA has also published guidance entitled ‘Counting Costs’ which is available at www.
cipfa.org.uk
CUSTOMER SERVICE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION
The award-winning Customer Service Professional Qualification is helping Scotland’s public sector deliver top-class customer service during a period of unprecedented change.
Scottish local government’s only online qualification certificated by the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority), the Qualification is available to candidates at three levels and is transforming national customer service standards – enabling organisations to achieve more first-time resolutions of enquiries.
The winner of a 2011 Cosla Excellence award in the ‘Securing a Workforce for the Future’ category, the Qualification is firmly established but there is scope for even greater impact.
Since the 2008 launch, 27 public sector organisations have adopted the Qualification and around 200
graduates have been produced. As the Qualification enters its next phase, there is a commitment to extend the reach across the wider public sector, bring more organisations on board and produce more graduates.
The versatility of the modern, cost-effective Qualification is what makes it so unique. Graduates have emerged from diverse backgrounds – from traffic wardens to librarians– and it is portable across the entire public sector, helping staff earn promoted posts within different organisations.
Councillor Pat Watters, President of Cosla, has championed the Qualification since its inception and regards it as an invaluable asset.
“Groundbreaking initiatives like the Qualification are helping us through this difficult time,” he said. “It
makes a huge difference to the quality and speed of service, and the customer benefits.”
Lauded by the SQA as “innovative”, the Qualification’s impact was praised by Inspire Research in an independent evaluation study, while graduates are unanimously positive.
“The Qualification has had an unbelievable impact on my working life,” said East Lothian Council’s Janet Farrell, the Qualification’s current Candidate of the Year. “It improves customer service across the board.”
To find out more about the Qualification, visit
www.customerserviceprofessional.co.uk or email
enquiries@customerserviceprofessional.co.uk
27 June 2011 Holyrood 23
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