We are highly experienced in change management. Following identification of the change required, the options available and their implications we are skilled in gaining support for change across service delivery, organisations and management. We address both practical and cultural issues, identify any associated risks and barriers, look at resources and both devise and support the effective and efficient implementation of the changes.
We undertake planning service reviews to enable authorities to work more effectively internally and with their stakeholders and to make better use of public sector resources and provide a more cost-effective means of service delivery
Recent and current projects include:
Essex County Council
Commissioned to undertake a review of the spatial planning service for Essex County Council to identify “what an effective and efficient county spatial capacity looks like, how is it resourced, and how can it remain flexible and adaptable in a time of significant organisational and external change?”
Telford & Wrekin Council
We undertake a comprehensive review of the planning and transport service for Telford & Wrekin Council. The aim was to identify the potential for improving the overall efficiency of the services, ensuring value for money, identifying quality improvements to ensure the authority is implementing best practice and highlighting any service re-engineering improvements where the outcome will contribute to overall service objectives. November 2009
West Northants Joint Planning Unit
Review of West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit – a review and preparing a report detailing the issues, with recommendations and a draft action plan. June 2008
Nottingham City Council
A wide-ranging review of the planning service including Development Management, Building Control, Planning Strategy and Transport Strategy, the aim of the review was to assess the service and ensure it is ‘fit for future purpose’ in the light of the introduction comprehensive area assessments (CAA) and the ongoing planning reforms and incorporating elements around culture and structures, as well as budget and other resources. The principal output of the review was a detailed report plus two action plans, one strategic and one operational, which addressed the following: 2009
Undertook reviews of Local Development Framework and development management services – London Borough of Newham
Undertook interim management roles to deliver change – London Borough of Newham, West Northants Joint Planning Unit, Nottingham City
IDeA - Infrastructure Planning and Delivery (IDP) Support Module
This project involves working on-site with 6 local authorities and LSPs (Sheffield, Leeds, Bolton, Durham, Central Lincs and Liverpool) to support them in the preparation of infrastructure delivery plans as part of a pilot study of the steps approach to infrastructure planning and delivery published in June 2009. The project draws upon project planning and management, facilitation, presentations and engagement skills.
The objectives for this project are to:
1. test and update the Steps IDP support material using the pilot authorities’ experience
2. speed up the production of infrastructure plans for the pilot authorities
3. at the end of the project leave the authority with an establish governance and on going process of corporate /LSP engagement within the authority
4. provide quarterly snapshots to allow PAS to draw together and publish interim lessons learnt
5. make a package of IDP support for broader use amongst authorities
We also ran workshop sessions at a series of seminars ‘Facing the future’ run by PAS on infrastructure planning. Client: The Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government. September 2009
Other relevant projects:
Advised on new practices in development management and established protocols - Wealden
Reviewed cross cutting’ procedures on enforcement - Camden
Worked with two authorities to evaluate different ways of providing planning services – Blackburn with Darwen and Hyndburn