Local Government Case Study

North East Local Authority Development Control

Business process evaluation

Department now on target to achieve top quartile performance against statutory targets

The Development Control department within a North Eastern based Local Authority

Whilst currently meeting its statutory targets, the department required a fundamental examination of its business processes to ensure maximum effectiveness, efficiency and value for money
Currently upgrading IT (Uniform) and introducing (IDOX) document management systems
Had experienced problems of workload and resourcing with recent major applications
Inconsistency of advice given to applicants leading to complaints
Department aim – to achieve top quartile performance against statutory targets

Formed a joint project team to carry out a detailed review of all processes, workloads and skills within the department
Constructed full-scale, detailed process maps and critiqued with full involvement from all members of staff – approximately 200 individual process critiques identified
Held a series of reviews with members to gain their insight and involvement
Carried out a detailed analysis of workloads and resources examining:
- Time spent on core (planning and associated) activities
- Time spent on (disproportionately time consuming) 'other' office activities
- Amount of time spent by key work-groups (grades) on core vs. other work
Utilisation of key workgroups, who was fully loaded, who had spare capacity
Skills available within key workgroups
Opportunities to discontinue, re-distribute, raise performance on key tasks / activities
Carried out a series of re-engineering workshops – redefined processes for:
- Enquiry and pre-application processes / Improved registration and allocation of workloads to case officers / Determination by officers / Committee preparation and post committee work / Appeals / Enforcements
- Improved visibility and management of workloads throughout the entire process
- Improved use of IT systems, e-planning and document management processes
- Improved performance reporting
Detailed implementation plan developed and agreed
All process definitions captured in detailed procedures

Vastly improved and consistent business developed, now being implemented
Training plans in place to ensure consistency of advice to applicants
Spare capacity within key workgroups identified
Workload analysis formed the basis of further internal job evaluation
Alignment of organisation structure
Improved management of whole applications process
Department now on target to achieve top quartile performance against statutory targets