This document is also available in pdf format (116k)
EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT FUND
Stage 1 application - expression of interest
Part 1: Summary Table
Bid number (for EG use) | |
Lead bidder | Lothian and Borders Police:
Mr Peter Thickett
HR Director Tel: 0131 311 3070 email: peter.thickett@lbp.pnn.police.uk |
Brief description of the aims of the project | To design a standardised recruitment processes for 4 Scottish police forces, with potential to expand, aligning all 8 Scottish forces through 1 common process; To build and implement an off-site shared recruitment services model and organisation; To support the transition from current local force recruitment organisations to future shared approach |
Clear description of what the EGF money would be used to buy | Consultancy services addressing requirements for set up of shared service model;
Police resource to work full-time on the project;
Agency fees to locate suitable site |
Partners to the project likely to commit resources | Fife Constabulary
Central Police
Tayside Police |
Names of other organisations with whom the project has been discussed (to assist the introductions process) | All police Organisations via ACPOS Personnel & Training Business Area (Chair Mr Andrew Cameron, CC Central Scotland Police). ACPOS will formally approve the project before any Stage 2 submission Capgemini - Consultancy Services for feasibility study/benefits case |
Evidence that suggested approach has been deployed successfully elsewhere | Full set of credentials available from Capgemini to demonstrate added value of implementing a shared service model to both public and private sector organisations covering full range of support functions including HR/recruitment. Examples of HR including recruitment are: FCO, DWP, Syngenta |
Are there any restrictions to potential for enlargement of the project (i.e. technology, number of partners etc) | No restrictions. The model can be expanded or replicated Scotland-wide across all police forces and could provide services to similar organisations. Centre numbers & staffing levels would be scaled as required. |
Benefits projected from the project | Reduction in operating costs through partner forces operating one standard recruitment process and sharing back office support for the handling, screening and administration of applications to the 4 partner forces. Reduction in salary cost as recruitment operating model streamlined and senior police and support resource re-deployed to front-line operational duties and service. Improved level of service provided to police forces and prospective candidates through one shared service centre housing all application information and acting as single point of contact for candidates and colleagues across initial 4 forces. Potential to expand to include all 8 forces across Scotland and generate increased cost savings. |
Estimated financial projections | Total | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | 2008/9 |
Overall project cost | £1,072,000 | £1,072,000 | | | |
Estimated projected benefits | £2,315,915 over 5 years to 2010 | £383,628 | £383,628 | £383,628 | £383,628 |
Is a pilot required - see guidance notes | No |
Additionality: why is EG funding required | To facilitate the implementation of a "spend to save" initiative. The shared service model will only be successfully realised and delivered by a joint partnership approach, combining the knowledge of the forces available in local police teams with practitioner process experts supported by external consulting resource with experience in the field. The EGF funding will specifically provide funds to release force project resources quickly and acquire 3 rd party support. This will enable accelerated implementation and earlier release of benefits. This has been assumed in the projected benefits. |
Is this project complementary in anyway to other EG work | It is complementary to other shared back office initiatives and can further demonstrate the principle in a functional area not often explored |
Is there a request for stage 2 bid dev support? | Yes, though a good proportion of work has been completed as part of developing the stage 1 bid, there may be a requirement for support to deliver the depth required for stage 2. Requirements will be confirmed should the stage 1 bid be successful and will be based on the cost of internal project resource and external business case expertise. |
Part 2: Narrative bid
Significant interest is expected from across the Scottish public sector and not all applications will be asked to make a formal stage 2 bid. This element of the application therefore provides an opportunity to expand on the summary information. It should clearly explain the objectives behind the application, the essential elements of the project. It should provide compelling reasons why the approach will work, the likely benefits and the commitment of partners to the project.
Summary
This application relates to the opportunity for Shared Service implementation between four Scottish police forces which will deliver a projected £2.3 million of benefits by 2010, as set out in the initial benefits case.
Building on best practice in each force, a standard recruitment process has been designed as the basis for the future state model. The process capitalises on current strengths and addresses weaknesses to introduce an efficient and effective recruitment process that will:
* Deliver the right volume of consistently high quality recruits across all four forces
* Balance the need for efficiency with the requirements of individual forces
* Enhance the candidate perception of the forces as they compete for resource.
To achieve certainty of delivery of this critical project, a joint project team is proposed. The implementation team will comprise both police and consulting resource to deliver the best blend of skills and experience. The combination of internal knowledge of the process areas and force requirements coupled with external expertise in best practice shared service implementation, process re-design, and project management will work in collaboration together with officers, support staff and force recruitment practitioners. This approach will ensure the full potential for shared service implementation for the partner police forces will be realised and significant efficiency savings generated.
Shared recruitment services will deliver an efficient and effective process for forces, practitioners and candidates alike, whilst releasing resources to support front line services.
Vision
To provide a professional, flexible and effective regional recruitment service for East of Scotland police forces, to strengthen and develop standards and partnership opportunities across the area, whilst meeting resourcing demands and requirements.
Objectives
The key objectives contained within this proposed project are:
- To design a standardised recruitment processes
- To build and implement a shared recruitment services organisation
- To support the transition from current local recruitment organisations to future shared centre state
Strategic Drivers
The project has recognised and seeks to address the key strategic drivers of:
- The Efficient Government and Common Police Services programmes are a compelling call for Public Sector change to release resources to frontline operations.
- In the HR discipline 2006-2010 are critical years for each force as a significant number of Officers retire.
- In the employment market there is increasing competition for quality candidates.
- The 'Independent review into policing and race relations in Scotland' ( CRE Scotland, 15 th July 2005) included in its Executive Summary: "The establishment of a uniform national recruitment process is an issue which has been debated between police forces for years. We are of the view that there should be such a process to ensure that there is an identified process which can be shown to have been uniformly followed. It would also assist recruitment on a nationwide basis thus potentially increasing the number of minority ethnic candidates and reducing parochialism."
Benefits
Benefits of the project comprising the 4 partner forces are:
NPV:£2.3m | |
|---|
Annual Net Savings: | £383,000 |
|---|
Net saving per recruit: | £1,072 |
|---|
Average end-to-end recruitment process Duration reduction: | 40 days |
|---|
For each partner force, the values are:
Lothian & Borders
NPV: | £0.78m |
|---|
Annual Net Savings: | £154,000 |
|---|
Net saving per recruit: | £854 |
|---|
Average end-to-end recruitment process Duration reduction: | 47 days |
|---|
Fife
NPV: | £0.69m |
|---|
Annual Net Savings: | £93,000 |
|---|
Net saving per recruit: | £1,905 |
|---|
Average end-to-end recruitment process Duration reduction: | 48 days |
|---|
Central
NPV: | £0.64m |
|---|
Annual Net Savings: | £83,000 |
|---|
Net saving per recruit: | £1,270 |
|---|
Average end-to-end recruitment process Duration reduction: | 53 days |
|---|
Tayside
NPV: | £0.172m |
|---|
Annual Net Savings: | £52,000 |
|---|
Net saving per recruit: | £902 |
|---|
Average end-to-end recruitment process Duration reduction: | 13 days |
|---|
Through the preparation of a high-level business case, a steady state annual saving of £383,000 has been identified. This projected benefit is attributed to four key areas of the shared service:
- Process efficiency; the "To Be" process has been designed to "front-load" the stages with high attrition levels to enable removal of candidates who do not meet quality standards as early as possible.
- Process rationalisation; a number of high cost, low value stages in the "As Is" recruitment process have been removed.
- Appropriate role definition; ensuring admin tasks are carried out by support staff rather than officers to reduce relative cost.
- Non-personnel costs; a number of non-personnel costs attributed to the "To Be" process, such as accommodation, will ultimately reduce the cost saving.
The table below illustrates the breakdown of savings by each of the key areas:
| | AsIs | ToBe | Total Saving |
|---|
Personnel Costs per annum |
|---|
1. | Process efficiency | £158,752 | £63,817 | |
|---|
2. | Process rationalisation | £32,557 | £0 | |
|---|
3. | Appropriate role definition | £188,821 | £20,051 | |
|---|
| Salary Cost | £380,130 | £83,868 | |
|---|
| Loaded Factor | 1.5 | 1.5 | |
|---|
| Loaded Cost | £570,195 | £125,802 | |
|---|
| | | | £444,392 |
Non personnel costs per annum |
|---|
4. | Total costs | £5,086 | £65,850 | |
|---|
| | | | -£60,764 |
Net Steady State Saving per annum | £383,628 |
|---|
Further details can be found in the ACPOS Report - Project Feasibility Findings