Strategic Review and ASD Options Appraisal
The Context
Publica, a not-for-profit Teckal company, was established in 2017 to deliver public services on behalf of Cotswold District Council (CDC), Forest of Dean Council (FoDC), West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC), and Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC). These four councils are equal shareholders of Publica. Since its inception, changes in political control and reinstated Chief Executive positions at the shareholder councils prompted a review of future service delivery options. A recent LGA peer review recommended that CDC assess the viability of continuing certain services with Publica and revisit the commissioner/provider relationship. This comprehensive review aimed to explore future service delivery options for several key services.
The Requirement
Human Engine was engaged to conduct a detailed review of Publica, focusing on the following deliverables:
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Analysis of current service delivery and governance structures.
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Stakeholder engagement to gather diverse perspectives.
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Development of options for future service delivery.
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Evaluation of benefits and risks associated with each option.
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Creation of a transition plan for the preferred option.
The Programme
Our team employed a thorough review methodology, engaging stakeholders and analysing service data.
The key steps included:
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Stakeholder Engagement:
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Conducted interviews with council chief executives, retained officer teams, political leaders, and Publica leadership.
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Engaged with Assistant Directors and Business Managers for services in scope.
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Data Analysis:
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Analysed service data provided by Publica and the councils.
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Reviewed existing strategies and external best practices.
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Options Development:
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Developed a range of options for future service delivery, from maintaining the status quo to complete dismantling of the current model.
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Evaluation of Options:
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Assessed benefits and disbenefits of each option through workshops with retained officer teams.
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Concluded that the needs of the councils had fundamentally changed, necessitating a different model for future service delivery.
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The Outcomes
The strategic review provided a clear roadmap for the future of service delivery, balancing cost-effectiveness with the need for control and flexibility.
Key outcomes included:
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Identifying with the councils the preferred option. This included repatriating most services to be directly managed by the councils, with selected services retained within the Publica model on a case-by-case basis. This approach offered flexibility, strategic oversight, and ownership while minimising corporate overheads. ​
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Benefits of this approach included:
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Greater flexibxility and responsibility for councils in delivering strategic objectives.
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Increased capacity within council teams and better management of strategic direction.
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Reduced recruitment challenges for public sector-specific roles.
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Minimised disruption to large stakeholder groups by prioritising services for retention.
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We identified potential risks, such as two-tier staffing models and increased costs, with corresponding mitigations like governance reforms and a phased transition approach.
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Developed a detailed transition plan with phased activities over 18 months, including the creation of transition teams and staff consultation processes and estimated the net additional cost of the proposed model.
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Outlined the flexibility of existing contracts, allowing for a phased repatriation of services to reduce disruption.
The review equipped Publica and the shareholder councils with a strategic framework to navigate future service delivery, with recommendations moving into a delivery phase.
About Us
Human Engine is a Financial Times top-ranked management consultancy with specialisms in strategy, change, digital, commercial and projects.
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It was founded in 2018 with a belief that the public sector deserves better than it gets from traditional consulting firms – more human, more personal and more knowledgeable of the reality of delivering modern public services.
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We have worked with dozens of public sector organisations to help transform their strategies, operations and cultures to be more agile, commercial and entrepreneurial in order to achieve financial sustainability and improved outcomes for customers and communities.
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Our mission is to help individuals and organisations to do the best work of their lives.  We do this by blending first-hand experience of the problems we help our clients solve with award-winning consulting expertise and an approach based on trust, collaboration and partnership.
