mietool training

1
mietool training

• Brief introduction

2008
Kate Newhouse / Olivia Crill / Joanne
Humphries RSe Consulting
2
Context
National agenda and how mietool fits in
Councils need to do more with the resources
available

• Why? Because there is
• Rising customer expectation for service delivery
• Increasing demand for services an ageing
  population, environmental pressures and the need
  for more housing
• Continued drive for efficiency savings - CSR 07
  requires 3 a year cashable savings over 3 years

Efficiency and Improvement
mietool (measurement of efficiency and
improvement tool)
3
Context
Background
The story of mietool so far

• Project brief To develop an efficiency and
  improvement tool that can be used at each stage
  of the project process from an option appraisal
  to benefit tracking
• mietool has been developed by the Regional
  Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships in
  association with RSe Consulting, Department of
  Communities and Local Government and the London
  Borough of Brent
• Was created as a response to the growing emphasis
  on the need for consistent, robust and effective
  end-to-end project management

4
Context
The thinking behind mietool
A tool can effectively support key project
decisions

• Makes you ask the right questions
• Identifies gaps in knowledge
• Delivers transparency and accountability
• Communicates effectively
• Prioritises investment consistently
• Starts arguments

• No guarantee of realising benefits
• Pseudo-scientific - false sense of security
• Dependent on data rubbish inrubbish out

In additionmietool supports CSR07 reporting
requirements and assesses qualitative benefits
It doesnt just focus on financial outcomes, but
helps you tell the story of the project
5
Context
Aims
mietool fits into the national agenda

• The tool is designed to support Local Authorities
  and you
• in assessing, planning and monitoring the
  delivery of high quality, low cost public
  services
• to identify and monitor efficiency gains and
  service improvement within their organisation

In the recent publication by the DCLG 'Measuring
and reporting Value for Money gains', the use of
the tool was highlighted To assist councils
with the monitoring of efficiency plans and
achievements, the Department and Regional
Improvement Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs)
have commissioned RSe Consulting to develop a
simple spreadsheet tool.
6
mietool
When to use the tool
mietool can be used in a number of different
scenarios
I have three options but dont know which one to
pursue
I need to know how much this programme will
contribute to my authoritys efficiency gains
I want to adhere to end of year reporting
requirements
I want to know how the benefits of project A will
compare with those of project B
When will this work start making savings?
When will efficiency gains be realised?
Is there something to help me monitor regional
projects?
Will there be any qualitative improvements?
7
Context Aims
mietool offers practical help in a number of areas

• The tool is designed to
• offer practical help in the following specific
  areas
• Reporting against National Indicator 179
• Developing option appraisals
• Developing business cases
• Supporting project management
• Monitoring benefits realisation
• strike a balance between remaining user friendly
  and challenging the user to be as comprehensive
  as possible

8
Context
mietool development
We liaised with many stakeholders to develop
mietool
9
Context
Status of national rollout
Where we are now

• Delivered training sessions to local authority
  representatives in 8 of the 9 RIEPs
• Gathered feedback from each of these sessions
  which has been overwhelmingly positive
• So far, we have delivered training to
• representatives of 130 organisations (of which
  105 local authorities)
• total of 260 delegates (of which 200 from local
  authorities)

10
Training
Feedback
Here is some of the feedback that we have received
Interesting, highly relevant and a great tool to
aid improvements
I've been trying to communicate how to do this in
practice without any tools to help. This will be
a huge breakthrough in our speed of analysis
Can see the benefits of using the tool,
particularly the tracking functions
Good looking, impressive product. Good work -
good luck rolling out
Looks a very good tool
Session was very good and I will be taking the
tool back to my organisation and trying to
roll-out
Excellent session - I am sure tool will prove of
real value
Excellent to have time to work though the model
and ask questions
11
Training
Structure
The training has five key sections, main focus on
practical application we make follow up calls
to check on progress

• How training is delivered
• 1 day session, up to 15 delegates, interactive
  exercises, mietool pack
• An explanation of the national context
• Overview of methods to deliver efficiencies
• Training on the mietool
• An exercise using the mietool
• Post training
• Follow up phone calls
• Any further queries - mietool email address

The training is structured into 4 key parts
12
Training
Aims
Key aim is to ensure that you leave the session
and are able to begin using the tool straight away

• Understand the national reporting requirements
• Have a better understanding of Value for Money
  analysis and methods for realising efficiencies
• Introduce mietool and explain the benefits it
  offers you
• Provide comprehensive training on how to use the
  tool, through
• Learning key data gathering techniques
• Trying out the tool using project examples
• Ensure you understand the information it
  generates / how to use it
• Provide an opportunity to try the tool out and
  ask questions

13
Training
mietool and data
A key element of the training is the focus on
getting data
Solid data

• It is essential that people make guesstimates.
• Your skill lies in
• making people feel comfortable about making
  educated guesses
• knowing when it is worth spending more time
  investigating the variable
• is it difficult getting the data?
• is it a key driver of my benefits assessment?

Lacking this
Good at this
Costs
Benefits
Uncomfortable with doing this
Ok at this
Guesses
14
Next steps
Training roll out

• mietool is free for all local authorities within
  the region
• RSe deliver the training and provide the mietool
  helpdesk support
• mietool training is being channelled through the
  Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships
  (RIEPs) initially
• Training can be also be commissioned directly
  from RSe Consulting at a cost
• We can tailor training sessions for local
  authorities/ RIEPs/ LSPs/service areas

15
Contact details
Further information
There are contact details for both the training
and mietool

• mietool
• If you have any questions/comments about mietool
  then please email mietool_at_RSe-TribalGroup.co.uk
• Training/National roll out
• Kate Newhouse
• Kate.Newhouse_at_RSe-TribalGroup.co.uk
• 020 7808 1136