The next generation of Shared Services

A number of local authorities have looked to consolidate separate service, back office and management teams, sometimes working collaboratively with neighbouring councils as well as other local statutory agencies such as the NHS or the Fire and Rescue Service, since the Gershon review of 2004.

However, the scale and scope of shared services remains extremely limited. Managerial, political, geographic and professional protectionism have too often impeded these reforms and led to their untimely demise.

The UK’s fiscal deficit and the imperative to make huge reductions in public spending are now making such apathy and insularity an unaffordable luxury. While the Government is committed to avoiding formal local government reorganisation, Ministers have advocated once again a much more widespread take-up of shared services and functions.

All too often, there is an assumption about what shared services are and what they do, but the options can go far beyond these basics. NLGN will research a new generation of models for sharing and how these can be sourced, procured and implemented.


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