Council approves programme for way ahead

Orkney Islands Council is tackling predictions of continuing economic austerity head on – with the establishment of a special team to help explore and drive forward new and more efficient ways of delivering services.

The ‘Change Programme’ concept was considered and supported by councillors at the policy and resources committee meeting this week.

The aim of the programme is to look at innovative ways to deliver services – to help the council increase efficiency, make better use of new technology and reduce costs.

OIC’s Chief Executive, Alistair Buchan, said: “The need for change has been prompted by a number of factors.

“Like all local authorities, we have a duty to run cost effective services for the people and communities we serve.

“This will be particularly important in the years ahead – independent economic forecasts warn of continued and potentially serious reductions in funding for the public sector, from 2014 to 2018.

“It’s important to stress that at this stage there are far too many ingredients in the mix for us to make an accurate prediction of the level of savings we will need to find.

“But it’s clear that, looking ahead, we need to be sure we maintain financial stability and make the most of funding we receive from Government.”

The plan is for a small dedicated team to be set up to run the programme over a 15-month period starting next year. The team’s brief will be to work closely with the management team and staff across the organisation.

The Change Programme proposal will now be considered at the cull council meeting in December.