Local Government Delivery Council

The Local Government Delivery Council (LGDC) drives forward local service transformation. It is part of local government’s commitment to delivering services that meet the needs and expectations of citizens and businesses.

The LGDC provides a forum where activity related to transformation can be brought together, monitored and developed. The council was established in 2007 under the auspices of the Local Government Association (LGA). It held its first meeting in September 2007 and now meets quarterly.

• LGDC Annual report 2008/2009
• Objectives of the LGDC
• Who are its members?
• What is the background to service transformation?
• What are the national arrangements?
• What does transformation mean at a local level?
• What is the LGDC’s work programme?
• LGDC Newsletter
• How can I get more information?

LGDC Annual report 2008/2009

LGDC Annual Report 2008/2009  (PDF, 32 pages, 632KB)

The LGDC has produced its first Annual Report. This document outlines what our objectives are, the projects that we have helped support and the key areas of focus over the coming year. We hope you will find this document useful and if you wish to contact us please email: siobhan.coughlan@idea.gov.uk

Objectives of the LGDC

• To act as the link between local and central government on service transformation, providing a strong local voice in national discussions
• To highlight, learn from and share good practice already taking place at local level
• To identify the support that is required or the blockages that must be overcome if transformation is to become a reality.

The council works closely with other relevant bodies at national, regional and local level, which includes regional improvement and efficiency partnerships (RIEPs).

Regional improvement efficiency partnerships – for more information.

LGA advice note on RIEPs – on the LGA website.

The council’s detailed terms of reference reflect these ambitions:

Local Government Delivery Council: terms of reference

Who are its members?

Council members include senior local government officers from all nine regions in England. Unitary, district and county councils from rural and urban areas are all represented.

Individual members have been invited to join on the basis of their interest and involvement in the transformation agenda. But they also very active in national and regional networks.

The membership covers other bodies involved in transformation and involves representatives from:

• key central government departments
• national local government bodies, such as the LGA
• the third sector
• customer focus.

View LGDC membership

What is the background to service transformation?

Transforming how services are delivered in ways that bring benefits to citizens – staff and taxpayers alike – is central to better local services and to the government’s ambitions for the public sector.

In November 2005, the Transformational Government White Paper set out initial ideas.

Transformational Government: Enabled by technology – on the Chief Information Officer Council website

Proposals have been developed on how transformation can be achieved in:

• The Varney Review – on the Treasury website 
• October 2007's pan-government service transformation agreement – on the Treasury website
• Operational Efficiency Report – on the Treasury website
• Smarter Government White Paper – on the HM Government website 
• Total Place – on the Treasury website.

What are the national arrangements?

Regional improvement and efficiency partnerships (RIEPS)

RIEPs play a key role in supporting councils.

The nine RIEPs were created in April 2008 with a three-year funding package of £185 million from the Department of Communities and Local Government. The RIEPs have now received their year-three funding of £67.5 million for 2010/11.

Regional improvement and efficiency partnerships

Chief Executive Task Force    

The Chief Executives Task Group provides leadership and direction to the nine regional centres. The membership of the task group includes the chief executive of the host authorities of the Regional Centres of Excellence (RCE) or the Regional Improvement Partnerships, along with representatives of the LGA and IDeA.

Regional Centres of Excellence

Contact Council

All citizens and business should expect high levels of customer service and value for money when they are in contact with the public sector – whether by phone, online, by email, letter or face-to-face.

The Contact Council was established as one of the recommendations of 'The Varney Report' and is supported by the Cabinet Office. It has oversight of all customer contact in the public sector.

The membership of the Contact Council includes contact directors and service transformation leads from customer-facing central government departments. It also includes broader public sector representation from local government, the emergency services, Ofcom and other relevant bodies.

Contact Council – on the Cabinet Office website

A Local Government Contact Council was established in early 2010 to focus on issues of specific interest to local authorities and their partners. It will report to both the Contact Council and the Local Government Delivery Council.

Terms of reference for the Local Contact Council and list of members

What does transformation mean at a local level?

The LGDC’s work is informed by a vision that puts councils and their local partners – including the third sector and the local offices of national government agencies – at the heart of any transformation of public services.

Local Government Delivery Council: Vision (PDF, 5 pages, 327KB)

However, local transformation can only happen if appropriate policies, funding and support arrangements and operating mechanisms, including performance management regimes, are in place at national and regional level.

The LGDC therefore has a focus that is at once national, regional and local.

What is the LGDC’s work programme?

The council’s work programme is currently being developed and is likely to focus on four areas:

1. Strategic projects, such as the review of face-to-face contact and assets that government is expecting local government to lead
2. Best practice, including continuing research into front office shared services (FOSS) – see our FOSS resource
3. Enablers and blockages, including support for major national projects such as 'Tell Us Once'
4. National frameworks, helping to ensure that mechanisms such as comprehensive area assessments encourage and support transformation.

Our FOSS resource

LGDC Newsletter

This newsletter is to help share updates on these projects plus highlight work on projects happening at a local level as reported by LGDC representatives.

LGDC Newsletter May 2010

How can I get more information?

Contact

Siobhan Coughlan
Improvement and Development Agency
email: siobhan.coughlan@idea.gov.uk

Page updated May 2010.