Agenda item

To consider a joint report of the Head of Commercial Strategy, Business Innovation and Performance, Cheshire East Council, and Director of Resources, Cheshire West and Chester Council on the Shared Service Governance arrangements between Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council

Consideration was given to a report which detailed the governance model for future delivery of Shared Services.

Since April 2009 when the governance arrangements had been agreed, the number of Shared Services had reduced to 32 to 8 – these being:

• ICT
• HR and Finance
• Occupational Health
• Libraries Support Services
• Archives and Local Studies
• Emergency Planning
• Farm Estates
• Rural Touring Arts

Alternative governance arrangements had been suggested for Emergency Planning and Rural Touring Arts.

The Emergency Planning Shared Service fell under the remit of the Joint Emergency Planning Liaison Board as well as the Joint Committee; therefore the governance of the service was duplicated.  There had been little requirement for the Joint Officer Board to be involved in operational issues and it was therefore proposed that the governance of this shared service be transferred to the Joint Emergency Planning Liaison Board. 

The Rural Touring Arts Shared Service was totally grant funded and consisted of two FTE staff employed by Cheshire West and Chester Council.  The Shared Services Joint Committee had not been asked to consider any operational issues other then the Business Plan.  It was considered that this should cease as a shared service and become a service provided by Cheshire West and Chester to Cheshire East under an appropriate Service Level Agreement.

Due to the anticipated reduction in work, it was proposed that that the number of meetings scheduled for the Shared Services Joint Committee be reduced to five per annum in future years.    The work of the Joint Officer Board was also likely to reduce and it was proposed that its frequency of meetings be reduced to monthly and its terms of reference amended accordingly.

The introduction of the SLE Executive Board and SLE Programme Board to oversee the transition of the ICT and HR & Finance Shared Services to a separate legal entity, there was a requirement to add these as temporary additions to the governance structure. 

The SLE Executive Board would meet monthly and had been scheduled to meet before the Joint Committee.  Formal terms of reference for the Board were being drafted.  This would be a task and finish group as once the SLE was established it would be replaced by a Shareholder Board.

The SLE Programme Board would be responsible for the delivery of the SLE.  The formal terms of reference were being drafted.  It was envisaged that the Programme Board would meet fortnightly and report monthly to the Executive Board. This was also a task and finish group as once the SLE was established the company’s Executive Board would take responsibility for the strategic business planning and operation delivery.

The key to ensuring that issues were dealt with at appropriate body was a more discipline approach to business decision making and a forward plan of business was to be introduced to ensure that decisions were made at the right time at the right forum.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)       the governance arrangements for Emergency Planning be transferred to the Joint Emergency Planning Liaison Board.

(2)       the Rural Touring Arts service be provided by Cheshire West and Chester Council under a Service Level agreement to Cheshire East Council.

(3)       The Shared Services Governance Structure be amended to included:

(i)         the temporary inclusion of the SLE Executive Board and Programme Board until such times as the ICT and HR and Finance Single Legal Entity had been delivered.

(ii)        the formalisation of the Terms of Reference for the SLE Executive Board and Programme Board.

(iii)       the revision of Joint Officer Board Terms of Reference to remove the Client Board and to more accurately reflect the membership of the Programme Board.

(iv)       the introduction of a Forward Plan for Shared Services business to ensure that decisions are made at the right time at the right forum.