 The big five
still beckon
THE Transformation Programme has a limited number of places
still available on its What's In It For Us event - Bagging The Big
5.
Bagging The Big 5 is on May 13 at Wigan Investment Centre and
will lead delegates on a safari through the various stages of
Transformation programmes; identifying your prey - or in this case
projects that will add value and the team to make them happen;
stalking your prey - have you set your sights on the right targets;
bringing home the spoils - how will you ensure your transformation
project gets the right results?
The sub-regions will also reveal and review their three-year
Transformation Programme strategies.
Motivational speaker Steve
Morris will lead the day and will open by looking at how animals use
their instincts and deal with change, and relating it to behaviours
during transformation projects.
To register click here or call Emily Turner on 0161 342
3982. |
 Carry on
collaborating
MEMBERS and chief executives are being invited to an exclusive
event that will reveal the opportunities available to councils who
collaborate.
The Carry On Collaborating roadshow will be held in Cumbria,
Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside in June and July.
The North West Improvement and Efficiency Partnership
Transformation Programme will show you how collaborations are
already working in your area - what benefits are being realised and
what value is being added to council services.
Carry On Collaborating will also lift the lid on new ways of
thinking around collaboration - what does collaboration mean to you?
How can it benefit your communities?
Carry On Collaborating will be in Cumbria on June 20,
Merseyside on June 27, Lancashire on July 11 and Cheshire on July
18.
Invites will be issued personally to all Members and chief
executives over the coming weeks but, please, put the dates in your
diary now. |
|
 Forum to the
fore
THE North West Improvement and Efficiency
Partnership (NWIEP) is a member of the new sustainable procurement
forum that has been launched for the region.
The North West Sustainable Procurement Forum, set up by the
NWDA working with the NWIEP and other regional agencies, will
identify priority areas for sustainable procurement activity in the
north west.
The forum is made up of procurement representatives from
councils and key agencies from across the region. It will also look
at the way in which councils co-ordinate their sustainable
procurement activity to ensure it is carried out efficiently.
It will be chaired by Dominic Lee, divisional director for the
NHS North West Collaborative Procurement Hub.
Neil Hind, NWIEP Programme Director, commented: "The NWIEP's
membership of the forum ensures that we will be able to directly
support and encourage local authorities to work together to ensure
an efficient and co-ordinated approach to sustainable
procurement." |
|
 On PlanIt
nine!
ONE of the
projects sponsored by the North West Improvement and Efficiency
Partnership (NWIEP) has been short-listed for a national
award.
The PlanIt
Merseyside project was given funding by the North West Improvement
Network, now the NWIEP, to develop a software programme that
promotes collaborative working and raises awareness of sustainable
communities to elected members, local government officers and local
strategic partnership members.
The
programme which was developed by Sefton Council, the other
Merseyside authorities and Pixelfountain has been short-listed for a
national Creating the Future award in the 'Bringing People Together'
category. The finals will be held in London on June 5.
PlanIt
Merseyside co-ordinator Chris Carlsen from Sefton Council commented:
"PlanIt Merseyside is a unique way of learning about a variety of
complex issues through an interactive computer programme. "It has
been a huge success and we are delighted to be short-listed for the
award." |
|
 Seven days and
counting...
THE North
West Improvement and Efficiency Partnership has now issued programme
proposal forms to all potential project providers in the
region.
The
potential providers now need to ensure that they return their
completed proposal forms to the NWIEP by midday, May 9, at
latest.
The forms
will enable the NWIEP Board to ensure providers' programmes are in
line with the Partnership's three-year improvement and efficiency
strategy and, therefore, be able to receive funding to deliver those
programmes.
|
 New web feat
for ProClass
A NEW
website has been developed with all the latest information on
ProClass - the common classification that helps councils across
England gain a new understanding of what they are buying and from
whom.
The website
contain case studies, toolkits, the latest version of ProClass and a
numbered version of the classification system to help
with computer implementation.
The website
also includes a forum, where those using ProClass can discuss the
latest issues, including how best to use and develop
ProClass.
ProClass is
owned by local government and easily fits in with existing
systems, allowing councils to
identify exactly what they are
buying and make direct comparisons with others. It also
encourages councils to work collaboratively and implement
category-management strategies.
|
|
 Interesting
communities
THE NWIEP is looking to provide
continued support to a number of Communities of
Interest.
The Communities of Interest,
formerly supported by NWIN, include the Learn Together Partnership,
Plan-IT Merseyside, Neighbourhood Works and Skills Academies which
you may have seen at the Sub-regional Exchange Day on April 16,
2008.
For more information about the work
of these Communities of Interest visit the IDeA CoP
site. |
|
 Safety is
child's play
FREE dvds and support packs are available to all north west local
authorities to teach staff about their responsibilities under
section 11 of the Children Act 2004.
The dvd has been produced by Cheshire authorities, with the
support of the former NWIN, now part of the North West Improvement
and Efficiency Partnership. The aim of the dvd is to raise
awareness and make sure that safeguarding children becomes a natural
part of the way authorities deliver services to the public.
Each local authority is entitled to two DVD and support packs
available free of charge.
For more information contact Phil Hickson of Vale Royal Borough
Council on 01606867740 or email phickson@valeroyal.gov.uk |
|
 Duty date
AN EVENT to look at the proposals for a local
authority assessment duty, is taking place on June 10, 2008 and will
be jointly hosted by the North West Regional Improvement and
Efficiency Partnership, The Centre for Local Governance, CLES, and
the IDeA.
The proposals are contained in the document
"Prosperous Places: Taking forward the Review of Sub National
Economic Development and Regeneration" which can be viewed here.
Invitations for this event will be sent out
soon. |
|
images courtesy of FreeDigitalImages.net | |
The
bi-weekly newsletter from the North West Improvement
and Efficiency
Partnership