Case study

Horsham District Council

The challenge

Horsham faced a significant financial challenge and was looking to reduce its cost base, whilst improving services to a new generation of customers. A technology shared service solution working with two other councils was not providing the levels of service required, nor was it expected to deliver access to digital services. They also wanted to explore alternative back office shared services arrangements. The Council’s financial challenges required them to explore several options. The Future Model was used to challenge their thinking and potentially create new options for service delivery.

The result

Ignite undertook a ‘blueprinting’ exercise to develop options for the Council aligned to Future Model principles. This included developing a business case for the full implementation of the model, as well as a number of less radical options based on Future Model principles, but not completely remodelling the workforce.

Our business case was underpinned by highly sophisticated activity and financial model enabling us to forecast the scale of financial benefit delivery through phases of implementation. We were able to model different options for remodelling the workforce, some of which significantly reduced the achievable benefit. However, the cost of implementation remained the same leading to the Council deciding to explore other back office shared service relationships.

What made it successful

  • Starting with the vision – Working with the senior leadership team to understand the need to create a vision for the future council – helping them understand the need to engage with staff in developing this vision and how that would help them make decisions for the future
  • Extensive staff engagement – Working with a wide range of staff during the early stages of the Blueprint process, followed by engagement with middle managers across the Council helped develop a sense of overall aspiration and capacity for transformational change. This ensured the business case was based on achievable benefit.
  • Being flexible and adaptable – Ignite used the Future Model as a challenger model to test ambition and establish a baseline of what could be achieved. However, adapting the model to suit the Council’s ambition and challenge helped them make decisions based on local strengths and needs