More than 200 council shared services projects up and running or under consideration

Analysis by the Local Government Association has revealed that more than 200 council projects to save money through shared services are up and running or under consideration.

The predicted saving from the 200 shared services projects comes on top of various measures already introduced by councils, which delivered £3bn of savings between 2005 and 2008 and a further £1.7bn in 2008-09. In 2009-10 councils made efficiency savings equivalent to more than £4.8m every day.

In creating the Shared Services and Management Guide the LG Group produced a number case studies examining existing projects, including Nottingham and Leicestershire County Councils, who will generate estimated savings of £2m a year sharing HR, payroll and finance services, and South London Waste Partnership – The London Boroughs of Sutton, Croydon, Kingston and Merton have saved £3.5m by joining forces to procure waste management services, cutting landfill and boosting recycling rates and composting in the process.

Cllr David Parsons, LG Group Improvement Board Chairman, said: "Even though councils are widely acknowledged as the most efficient part of the public sector they are always looking at ways to deliver even better value for local residents."

"Major organisational changes like the introduction of shared services take time and money to implement. However, the savings can be long lasting and significant."

Further information:
Local Government Association