The facts
Location: London
Client: London Borough of Lewisham
Start Date: 2007
Completion Date: ongoing
Contract Type: Consultancy
Project Value: £150,000
Services provided: Business Transformation
and Innovation
The project
On behalf of the
Council, Capita Symonds undertook the business case development for
the programme including the property rationalisation. This is
a long term, ongoing project which is only part completed.
Capita Symonds have been managing the ‘Worksmart
Transformation programme’ – by leading the change management to
introduce new ways of working across various council services
involving 1800 staff.
Our team developed the asset management strategy and business
case development for the Worksmart Programme. This included the
change management approach for the programme. We have acted as
advisors on the programme since 2007 and have been delivering
change management activity for the delivery of the programme since
late 2008.
Acting as ‘New Ways of Working’ subject matter experts we have
further contributed to the implementation through provision of
advice to internal resources on ICT deployment, Electronic Records
Management, HR policy, and moves and refurbishment approach.
To ensure sustainability of the Council’s future
programmes, we have also been working to transfer our
experience to the internal resources to allow them to replicate
lessons from the programme in future projects
All of the main buildings will be 90% open plan, with a few offices for senior managers. We have significantly reduced the amount of space per person, but it doesn"t feel cramped
Steve Gough, Lewisham Council's Director of Programme
Management and Property.
Successes
- Peter Jones, illustrates the advance in paper use
reduction - "if it was all stacked up on end, it would
amount to 360 metres - twice the height of the BT Tower - and we
haven't finished the programme yet"
- Through the deployment of more energy efficient lighting, power
systems and ICT advances, along with the greater level of
utilisation of the physical office space, significant CO2
reductions will be achieved by the end of the programme in the
Autumn of 2010.
- In 2007 only 39% of employees were ‘satisfied’ with their
working environment – this figure has now increased to around 54%
satisfied. This represents the largest improvement in employee
satisfaction recorded by the Council since their surveys
began.
- Over half of employees affected by the programme to date now
have the ability to work flexibly whilst performing their role,
with new mobile technology and access to on line documentation. As
a result, the London Borough of Lewisham has seen an increase in
customer satisfaction with the council’s services.
- This is all in advance of the remainder of the full change
being implemented with Community Services employees, all of
Children and Young People and the remaining Customer Services
people by changing their workstyles and moving to their final
refurbished workspace.