Total Place: Better for less
Total Place is a new initiative that looks at how a ‘whole area’ approach to public services can lead to better services at less cost. It seeks to identify and avoid overlap and duplication between organisations – delivering a step change in both service improvement and efficiency at the local level, as well as across Whitehall.
There are 13 pilot areas participating in the scheme, each area ensuring a diverse mix of economic, geographical and demographic profiles. These pilots have a real opportunity to rip up the text book and redesign the way public services are planned and delivered.
The impact of the economic downturn means all of the public sector needs to find radical new solutions to not only deliver better value for money, but also better local services more tailored to local needs.
Total Place is the next big step to redesign how we do things and by doing so, improve the quality of life for all communities across England.
Sir Michael Bichard
Total Place is not just another Whitehall initiative. It is about giving local providers the incentive to work together in new ways for the benefit of their clients and citizens – and the opportunity to tell Government how it could behave differently to make this kind of collaborative action more likely. As we enter a period when resources will inevitably be constrained, Total Place is also a chance for local agencies to ‘get ahead’ by examining how they can deliver better services at less cost. So the hope is that Total Place will provide good experience to share about service improvement, suggestions about cost savings and proposals for changes in Central Government. There is no time to lose!Sir Michael Bichard, Executive Director of the Institute for Government and Chair of the high-level officials’ group
Cllr David Parsons
Total Place presents significant opportunities for local government to set the direction for the next phase of public sector reform. Success will depend on strong leadership, innovation and strong partnerships based on an expert understanding of the needs of residents, customers and citizens.
Cllr David Parsons, Chair of the Local Government Association Improvement Board
Highlights
Putting the Front Line First task force report: A report published on Monday 1 March by the Putting the Frontline First Task Force sets out ten steps that councils should act on to protect frontline services. The Task Force, chaired by Sir Steve Bullock, the Mayor of Lewisham, and Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, looked at the best ways to share resources to invest in frontline services; to make frontline innovation a reality and how to restructure councils so they can deliver more efficiently. Read more about the report.
