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High performing local authorities: how do they do it?
Researchers from Manchester Business School (MBS) have been investigating how high performing local authorities improve their services. The project - funded by the North West Improvement Network (NWIN) - concluded that "intelligent application" is fundamental to service transformation. Particularly if this is brought about by energised staff who are supported to bring about change, informed by a deep understanding of their service and of the organisational environment within which they operate.
MBS experts interviewed over 100 officers from six North West local authorities, with a Comprehensive Performance Assessment rating of either "good" or "excellent", to generate the findings which highlighted the need for a good understanding of customers, their requirements, and how those needs might be best addressed.
Alan Boyd, public sector expert at MBS, headed up the research:
"The ideal is to be able to see things from the customer perspective, not just factually, but emotionally too. Asking yourself - what if the customer was your mum?"
The research showed that frontline staff are crucial to achieving this because they have the most contact with customers. So managers need to understand each individual they manage and use that knowledge to develop a 'can do' culture where improvement really is everybody's business. A positive, inclusive management style that encourages calculated risk-taking is required, supporting staff who want to improve services, and not tolerating 'passengers'.
John Schultz, Chief Executive of Stockport Council, said:
"We didn't reach four stars or achieve the rating 'improving strongly' overnight. One of the reasons we were happy to be involved with this project was that we were keen to share the learning from our improvement journey - in particular to share the importance of sustained, sustainable improvement rather than boom-and-bust, roller-coaster changes that don’t stick.
"The key findings of the report resonate strongly with Stockport's approach of strong leadership, attention to customer focus (even if we haven’t got it completely right every time), a workforce committed to delivering the best possible services, positive partnerships and a drive to improve even further. We also want to learn from others, about how to deliver even better services and community leadership in the future."
The research also indicated that officers should continually seek to improve their knowledge: learning from others, both within and outside the local government sector; and gathering data to evaluate their services, actively seeking challenging feedback that might challenge current assumptions. It is not a case of copying 'what worked' elsewhere, but of understanding the underlying mechanisms that made it work, in order to adapt things appropriately.
Gemma Edghill, Performance and Value for Money Manager, Stockport Homes ALMO explains how this has been put into practice:
"Stockport Homes has demonstrated improvements in performance year on year since its inception. For example 96% of the targets in our Corporate Scorecard are being achieved or exceeded, up from 80% two years ago. This research confirms my view that staff and customer involvement are two key factors underlying our achievements. Our performance management system both challenges and supports staff at all levels to improve performance through schemes such as our staff award scheme, 'Bright Sparks', staff suggestions scheme and Organisational Development staff group.
"Similarly customers are at the heart of everything we do. Our 'Skills for Life' customer training programme supports them to instigate service improvements and challenge performance through a wide range of mechanisms, including mystery shopping, customer inspections, customer action groups and area forums."
Managing relationships, both externally and within the authority, is crucial to creating the space to innovate and the resources to do it with, especially when values are not shared. Similarly, strategic planning, performance management and project management systems can support improvement provided they are used in service of improvement, rather than becoming ends in themselves.
Graham Frost, Service Manager in the Department of Adult Services at Wigan Council, said:
"The Chartermark Wigan Council was awarded for our EMI day service three years ago has been renewed and now also encompasses the more general older people's day services. This has been a real energiser for the managers and staff in the service, and also for the older people and their carers who were involved in the preparation and presentation. An important factor in achieving this award was changing staff's approach to an enabling rather than ‘just’ a caring role. It's good to see that there is backing from research across other councils for such approaches which engage staff positively in reinventing themselves and the services they provide."
For further information, please contact:
Kate Jeffery
0161 275 7090
kate.jeffery@mbs.ac.uk
