Admin and business services project scope

Project ID - MT04.

Project Name - Review of Administrations and Business Services.

Organisational Challenge Statement (including local and services issues)

The review will include Corporate Administration, Business Support, Mail and Courier Services and Receptions.

Corporate administration

The centralised administration team is based in main council buildings and other offices in their locality using a hub and spoke model with three categories of support:

• office resource hubs - multiskilled resource teams delivering council wide administrative support
• specialist resources - service specific teams of pooled resources, providing specialist functions, may have some dependency on location and degree of interaction with service users or service
• embedded administration - services closely working with a specific team, tasks that are location dependent and require face to face interaction with service users like receptions

A full review of the functions carried out will be undertaken with a view to identifying if the functions carried out are needed,  delivered in the most efficient way and best placed in individual service areas or in a centralised corporate team.

Business support

Some services across the council incorporate their own business support teams and or individual business support roles. The review will attempt to identify these and consider whether the functions link to, or are similar to, those carried out in the centralised corporate team. Where links or similarities are identified the review will identify if the functions are needed, delivered in the most efficient way and, best placed in individual service areas or in a centralised corporate team.

Mail and courier services

A review of mail services was undertaken in 2018, this identified potential savings by way of deletion of first class mail, promotion of royal mail's clean option and cancellation of timed deliveries. Progress has been made however exploration of a hybrid mail solution may identify further savings. The Design and Print team do some bulk printing of mail at present and therefore this will be captured and considered alongside external providers.

The courier currently transports mail between council buildings, including Darlington, schools and Members home address'. The centralisation of office accommodation and alternative options for delivery of documents will be considered in the review.

Reception services

The corporate administration service currently provides reception services for 6 council buildings. Reception services for Municipal Buildings is provided by customer services, reception services for Halcyon Centre or Dementia Hub are provided by adult services. The centralisation of office accommodation will reduce the need for reception duties. Future needs will be considered in the review.

In scope

The following is in scope:

• admin and business support functions
• admin structure of SBC and adjusting to business needs 
• promotion of self service

Out of scope

There is nothing applicable in this project.

Constraints

Constraints include:

• temporary displacement of staff and confusion and uncertainty that comes with being moved around the organisation
• adjusting to new processes that comes with centralisation

Outcomes to be achieved

This section covers the impact of activities on the organisation and customers and or the wider population.

The outcomes to be achieved are:

• to generate savings
• to have clearly defined admin and corporate functions that fit well in a centralised team
• to have clearly defined specialist functions that can be placed in a specific team
• simplification and standardisation of processes with bettter utilization of ICT

Interdependencies

Work within other tasks or projects both in the POF or wider organisational activity that has a potential to impact the project progress or sequence of activity.

Services in wider organisation that depend on admin functions are: 

• Inclusive Growth & Development (Learning and Skills, Business Support and Building Control)
• Legal Services
• Childrens Services (SEND & Inclusion, Emergency Duty Team, Education, Childrens & Young People)
• Adults & Health (Carers Service, Halcyon Centre, Dementia Hub, Learning Disability & Mental Health)
• Community Services (Business Support)
• Personal Assistants

Approved by CMT POF Programme Board.

Date - 31 October 2023.