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A lot of debate recently at meetings of Warwickshire Chief Executives has centred on the development of shared services. The drive for ‘joined-up' working between district and county councils is a key issue in two tier areas, but hasn't this been the case for many years, so why will results be any different this time around? In Warwickshire there is real commitment from Council Leaders to transform local government services. Drivers include the financial situation in local government even before we know the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. However, there is also a commitment to make things better for citizens, a desire to improve access to, and quality of, services. Perhaps the biggest frustration we have faced is the time it takes to deliver really effective shared services. Joining up different cultures is testing, but anyone who has overseen a merger or outsourcing of services in a Council faced similar problems, although on a smaller scale. Learning from others' experience is invaluable in overcoming these ‘wicked' issues, but ultimately success is most dependent on leadership, clarity of vision and high quality project management. Our biggest challenge though is maintaining local identity and policy flexibility to meet the needs of our service users in services operating across two or more council areas. Casting my mind back this was a very real issue when outsourcing services as well, which we overcame. This convinces me that we have the talent in local government to successfully deliver shared services. With more confidence we might also shout loudly about these successes, as well as share learning, because surely we can create a better reputation for local government as being innovative and rightly proud of its achievements. All councils are looking for reduced cost and better performance, shared services is seen as one of the solutions, but I do wonder what will follow when we have done all we can in this initiative. I, for one, hope, local government decides its own destiny and shows central government how modern local services are best delivered! Paul Lankester is chief executive of Stratford upon Avon DC

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WHITEHALL

District View

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