solutions
APSE solutions to
interim management
Making it work in local government
Introduction
APSE has produced this booklet as a follow up to our ‘Guide to Interim Management’
published in September 2011. Interim management remains in demand as councils
continue to strive to meet budget pressures whilst delivering a high standard of service.
Interim management is an optimum way to support local authorities in the day-to-day
management of services. It is also a means to assist councils by supplying highly skilled
managers who are experts in their fields. Our interims can help to identify efficiencies
and redesign services, motivate and up-skill staff and formulate and implement
strategies aligned with the council’s vision.
APSE anticipates that interim managers will provide one way to assist councils during
a period of transition. For council officers who have never used interims before this can
seem like a large expense for what ostensibly is a temporary worker. However, APSE
does not believe that an interim manager is the same as a temp; an interim is a high
level professional who should exceed the expectations of the council, undertake a
multitude of responsibilities and projects, and leave a lasting legacy.
In order to help council managers understand the what, why and how of interim
management, APSE has written this practical guide, including case study examples.
These are recent interim assignments that APSE has undertaken for local authorities,
and they are designed to give you real life scenarios, illustrate the remit of the role, the
outputs, benefits and most importantly the long term impacts after the interim has left
the council.
What is APSE?
APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) is a not for profit local government body
working with over 300 councils throughout the UK. Promoting excellence in public
services, APSE is the foremost specialist in local authority front line services, hosting a
network for front line service providers in areas such as waste and refuse collection,
parks and environmental services, leisure, school meals, cleaning, housing and building
maintenance.
APSE provides services specifically designed for local authorities, such as benchmarking,
consultancy, seminars, research, briefings and training.
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What is an interim manager?
APSE has a large pool of over 200 interim managers and consultants who are
experienced senior local government practitioners. We have both operational and
strategic senior interim managers who will bring their expertise and experience to a
local authority for a determined period of time.
Interim managers are experts within their field and are often over qualified as a result,
entering into a situation and taking control immediately. They can provide a fresh
perspective, implementing strategies through hands on delivery, managing transition
and accelerating change.
Interim management is an excellent way for local authorities to maintain the smooth
running of a service when permanent recruitment is not immediately feasible. It is also
a solution to providing the council with an expertise or specialist knowledge that may
not be present internally at that given time.
How does it differ from consultancy?
An interim manager will work as part of the council and take responsibility for a range
of projects as opposed to being commissioned for one consultancy project. This usually
lasts for between three to six months and will be for a regular amount of days each week
so they are able to get a clear understanding of the needs and issues of the council.
The interim manager will work as part of the council team, managing and mentoring
staff as well as finding efficiency savings and service improvements to leave the council
with an up-skilled workforce.
What should I look for in an interim?
1. Experience – the interim should have recent experience in local government and in
the service area you want them to work in.
2. Additional skills – think what skills would complement the role, for example
negotiation, coaching or project management.
3. Flexibility – you want someone who is happy to take on additional roles and adjust
their brief regularly.
4. Support – you should consider what back-up the interim manager has, such as a
critical friend to explore ideas with.
5. Rate and expenses – ask for an estimate of expenses, or preferably an inclusive rate,
so that you avoid any unforseen costs.
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Why APSE?
As a local government organisation we have unprecedented hands on experience
and knowledge of the sector. We do not simply place an interim manager in a local
authority, we support them throughout the placement with our unrivalled sector
knowledge.
This support is essential to helping interim managers succeed and provide
exceptional value for money to the authority. Paying for an interim manager in this
economic climate is a big investment, and you are right to expect the best return for
your money. APSE will work with the interim manager to make sure that this is being
achieved, from project start to finish.
APSE is an ethical organisation offering interim management solutions. We are
owned by our members, who consist of local authorities across the UK. APSE is notfor-profit, meaning that we genuinely are looking for the best deal for local
authorities, rather than answering to shareholders.
All our interim managers are experienced practitioners with extensive knowledge
of their service area. They are supported through the APSE network with access
to seminars, advisory groups and briefings for up-to-date knowledge of key issues
and good practice in the field. We have a dedicated Principal Advisor resource for
all the various service areas, and our project knowledge is based on cutting edge
local government thinking.
We have access to 13 years of benchmarking data through our Performance
Networks service. Our experience in using this to undertake baseline assessments
of services is unavailable to others.
We offer good value for money. In most projects, our fees are more than recovered
by the first year savings through the implementation of our proposed strategies
and recommendations. We have a proven track record with 100% of clients
surveyed this year rating the completed project as excellent or good.
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Introducing....
Peter Appleton, APSE Associate
Key service areas:
All cultural and leisure services including: arts,
events, community venues, heritage, libraries,
museums, parks, sport and leisure, tourism,
change management, performance reviews,
service re-design and transformation
Experience
Peter is an experienced senior manager with an extensive public sector background
developed within a complex and challenging London Borough. He has a strong
track record in change management, improvement, service re-design and
transformation.
Peter has led a number of initiatives that gained national recognition across a broad
range of sectors.
With proven leadership skills, he has delivered a diverse range of corporate and
service projects, providing options and solutions with the ability to think and work
at a strategic level whilst maintaining a close focus on service delivery impacts and
outcomes. Stakeholder engagement alongside Peter’s strong people and
performance management skills have been used to good effect to deliver high
quality outcomes.
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Coleraine Borough Council
Length of assignment: 18 months
Associate: Peter Appleton
Service area: Leisure
Post: Director of Leisure
Following the retirement of the previous Director and a period of internal acting up
arrangements, the Council took the unprecedented step to source an APSE interim
manager, for a trial period of three months.
Given that the Council had not previously engaged an interim, there was a need to
find an interim that was not only technically experienced across an extremely
diverse portfolio, but somebody who could lead a strategic service review, develop
a performance culture, deliver service improvement and efficiencies with the
necessary gravitas to effectively engage key stakeholders including elected
members and staff.
Key objectives
• Strategic management of the Leisure Services Department including an initial
scoping exercise of the key issues to be addressed.
• Establish common, cohesive performance measuring and reporting systems across
the Department.
• Deliver budget efficiencies and improve sickness absence management.
Key outputs
• Key issues and risks identified, performance framework and performance
monitoring process developed and implemented.
• Business planning introduced, identifying efficiency and service performance and
development options.
• Performance framework and performance monitoring process developed and
implemented.
Key benefits
• Budget management and monitoring process revised, efficiencies delivered and
sickness absence reduced.
• Strong leadership and clear direction for major regeneration projects including
key stakeholder engagement.
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• A fresh approach to performance management and business planning helped
identify performance improvement opportunities.
Business as usual (performance and progress after the interim has left)
• Supported the Chief Executive to deliver corporate change and revenue
efficiencies through a senior management review, resulting in the successful
appointment of a new Leisure and Development Corporate Director.
• Service structure redesigned, comprehensive changes to job profiles providing
enhanced sustainability, along with accountability and revenue efficiencies.
• Savings of approximately £1,000,000 over a three year period identified as a
consequence of the corporate restructure.
Project summary
The service portfolio was very diverse with a mix of community and commercial
services representing some 43% of the Council’s net expenditure in a high profile
tourism region.
The first task was to identify key issues and risks. This was achieved by listening to
key stakeholders including Councillors, service managers, staff and external partners
and assessing perceptions and evidence. The original brief was re-defined and
further developed based on the initial ten day report. Given the diverse nature of the
service, this interim assignment required a flexible approach and regular review to
deliver multiple outcomes.
Working with service managers and other corporate managers, based on the
principle of empowerment, accountability and responsibility a performance
management structure was designed and implemented across the service.
The introduction of a fresh approach to performance management and business
planning helped identify performance improvement opportunities, created
operational budget efficiencies through service re-prioritisation, whilst significantly
reducing a reliance on overtime and reducing departmental sickness absence by
approximately 8%. Unit costing was introduced and a comprehensive value for
money report produced covering each service element creating scope for reviewing
income generation potential and introducing leaner operational practices.
In addition to the service transformation activity, there was also the need to bring
structure and leadership to two major town centres and gateway regeneration
projects that were at very different stages of development. For the more advanced
project, a final review of financial impacts and funding bids was required, whilst the
gateway project required strategic stakeholder engagement and support alongside
development of scope and vision.
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Drawing on experience from a number of other authorities, the Interim Director
supported the corporate change process that led to the redesign of the senior
management structure yielding a saving of around £1m over a three year period.
Following the corporate review a comprehensive review of Leisure was presented
and approved by Members, providing a sustainable structure, career opportunities
and further efficiencies of approximate £200,000 over a three years period.
A joint management and trade union project team was formed as a corporate pilot
to progress the restructure including a fundamental shift away from restrictive and
tightly drawn job descriptions to competency based flexible job profiles. Led by the
APSE Interim Director, with Human Resources support and Trade Union
representation the restructure saw significant structural and operational changes.
The change process provided a model for change across the Council whilst
developing internal change capacity and a shift in organisational culture.
The assignment concluded by leading the recruiting of key management positions
within the new departmental structure and supporting the recruitment of the new
Corporate Director of Leisure and Development, providing a managed handover
and induction with some on-going support for a period of time.
Feedback received from the Council
‘Peter brought an enormous range of skills to the organisation, both in terms of his
leisure background as well as corporate and strategic management. The culture of the
organisation needed to change as a more strategic and commercial approach to service
delivery was being developed and Peter brought a wide range of experience to the table.
This was not an easy role as he had to challenge long established conventions and
traditions; however he successfully managed this and gained the support of members
and officers. He was also responsible for driving a number of significant and difficult
capital projects to the next stages’.
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Introducing....
John Bedwell, APSE Associate
Key service areas:
All soft facilities management services with
a focus on catering and building cleaning
Experience
Following a successful career rising through operational to general management
and client roles within Catering and Life Support Services, John has been involved
in consultancy in support of Local Authority/Public Sector Service Organisations
since 1994.
Now one of the UK’s leading authorities on Education Catering, he has been an
Associate of APSE for more than 16 years during which time, he has supported the
development and maintenance of Catering and Building Cleaning Performance
Networks modules and has helped scores of authorities to develop and improve
their services.
Equally at home in a strategic or operational environment, John has also supported
numerous local authorities clients across a range of other soft Facilities
Management service areas, with the common theme to constantly improve
efficiency and performance outcomes.
Leading reviews or as a ‘critical friend’ he brings focus to process and performance
‘benchmarking’ in the search for efficiency and places particular emphasis on
service redesign and improvement planning.
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Edinburgh City Council
Length of Assignment: 17 months
APSE Associate: John Bedwell
Service area: Catering
Post: Catering Manager
Under its transformation agenda, Edinburgh City Council’s Alternative Business
Model (ABM) established three work streams for its Service Improvement and
spending reduction options, one of which was Integrated Facilities Management
(IFM). A process of Competitive Dialogue leading to proposals from prospective
private sector partners was established alongside the development of a Public
Sector Comparator (PSC) by the in-house service provider teams, to drive strategic
and commercial decisions about the future shape and delivery of Council services.
APSEs engagement in this process developed from initial support to the council’s
building cleaning and then catering teams, where, following a series of diagnostic
workshops, the need for an interim catering management support role was
identified to complement and feed into a wider consultancy team resource.
Objectives
• To provide a strategic focus on Alternative Business Model priorities and objectives
within the catering team and review performance against programme objectives,
advise and decide on any remedial action and set new targets for service
improvement.
• To undertake and support consultation and engagement with principal clients and
stakeholders.
• To assess and engage with cross cutting initiatives arising from the development
of the in-house public sector comparitor.
Outputs
• An outline business case and financial projections for the catering service which
supported interim consideration of the PSC for transition to ‘Stage 2’ - detailed
proposals submission.
• Extensions of the initial interim role to align with key milestones in the wider
alternative business model timetable.
• Development of a detailed Service Improvement Plan (SIP).
• A business case for necessary investment to underpin a successful PSC submission
and outcome for Edinburgh’s in-house FM service providers.
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Benefits
• Staff confidence and enthusiasm to improve performance and outcomes for
customers, particularly school pupils.
• Planned investment of £1.3 million in Edinburgh’s schools and other catering
environments as an integral part of budget and service improvement.
• A net financial benefit to the Council of circa £1.7m (or 15%) over 7 years.
• A realistic projection of significant improvement in meal uptakes in Edinburgh with
the potential to contribute to longer term child health outcomes.
Business as usual
• An average of 6% improvement service uptakes and a projected saving of circa
£180,000 in the year to March 2012.
• Approval for the first of a three year programme of investment in School Catering
environments.
• Detailed implementation of the Catering Service Improvement Plan is now ongoing.
Project Summary
During the initial stage a Financial Performance Review was undertaken to establish
a baseline and prepare budget modelling tools to aid in future projections and
targeting. Shared objectives were developed with clients and process reviews
carried out to ensure there was clarity in reporting formats and Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs) appropriate to each level. Process reviews were carried out against
future needs and an ICT review was conducted for quality assurance and inspection
processes, updating/developing cashless and pre-order systems as well as
improving internal communication systems.
A PSC Stage 1 (High Level) Service Improvement Plan (SIP) was then prepared for the
Primary, Secondary and Other Catering sector. The next stage built on the Stage 1
plan and included:
• Developing structure and content into the SIP by area, activity and task allocation
including methodologies, time lines, KPIs and target outcomes.
• Developing a seven year business plan and budget incorporating annual growth
projections and investment timetable.
• Commencing the focus on growth and removal of waste through early
implementation of the SIP and Stage 1 process mapping outcomes (lean review).
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The APSE interim manager ensured that the catering service team were involved in
every part of the service improvement planning and budgeting process, and helped
them build confidence in their ability to achieve the initially daunting objectives set
by the ABM programme. This included guidance and support to operational and
support staff in the delivery of Catering Services to the standards required and
within budgets agreed with Corporate Finance and the optimum allocation and
coordination of management/supervisory and manual staffing resources.
The penultimate stage involved maintaining focus on the operational support role
and providing service specific clarification at and for ABM evaluation meetings. This
included the preparation and delivery of presentations to support the financial and
child health outcomes projected by the catering PSC submission.
Following the Council’s decision in January 2012 to pursue the in-house
development of Facilities Management services, the final stage of the assignment
concentrated on team preparation for the implementation of the SIP and the
effective handover of its methodology to the management and board set up to
deliver project objectives derived from the ABM process.
During the development of the PSC the catering team looked at including plans for
growth and the removal of waste from systems and processes, delivered an average
of 6% improvement service uptakes and a projected saving of circa £180,000 in the
year to March 2012. Subsequently, the plan for a three year programme of
investment in school catering environments has been approved and
implementation of the SIP is now on-going.
Feedback received from the Authority
‘The APSE contribution to interim management of the Catering Service and its response
to the ABM and PSC processes was a key factor in a successful outcome for the service
and its customers. The APSE staff provided detailed knowledge of catering services,
systems and structures and comparisons with experience nationally and specifically in
other areas. Consistent guidance and challenges were provided to ensure that
improvement planning achieved.
The trust and respect built up meant that the staff team contributed to a positive and
soundly costed Improvement Plan and felt confidence that they could deliver
challenging performance increases and cost reductions. The Service took ownership of
clear objectives to improve quality and performance for main customers, in a
competitive Public Sector Comparator with key investment in plant, systems and staff
training.
The links to the main APSE project were very valuable in ensuring understanding of the
ABM and PSC, with their demanding timetable and careful objectivity and separation of
processes. This was critical for the Catering teams and also for management links with
the Council at a time of considerable change of structures and personnel.’
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Introducing....
John Holden-Ross, APSE Associate
Key service areas:
Procurement, project finance, Private Finance
Initiative (PFI), partnered projects, mergers
and acquisitions and general commerce
Experience
Legally qualified procurement and projects specialist who has many years
operating experience in procurement, project, partnering and construction
environments.
John is typically involved in large and complex change programmes from planning
through to delivery. Mainstream PFI, working under recent assignments to Oldham
Borough Council and assisting on their major projects, including its Building
Schools for the Future, Street Lighting, Academies and Housing Programmes along
with development of new Council Guidance relating to the impact of recent EU
Case Law.
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Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley Councils
Length of assignment: 12 months
APSE Associate: John Holden-Ross
Service Area: Waste PFI
Post: Project Director
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Doncaster Borough Council and Rotherham
Metropolitan Borough Council were jointly procuring through a complex PFI
solution for Waste Management, after they had lost their previous Project Director
in the run up to Call for Final Tenders it was critical to fill the position with a
competent Interim Manager who could hit the ground running. APSE Associate
John Holden-Ross who has a proven track record was able to swiftly step in and take
charge of the project.
Objectives
• The three Northern Councils required an interim project director to lead the
existing interdisciplinary project team to financial close of the project, ensuring
continuity with the Client Contract Management Function which was to take over
from that date.
• To deliver a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD)
when the councils entered into a contract for the treatment of black bag waste.
Outputs
• Planning permission granted to build the treatment facility.
• The facility will treat up to 265,000 tonnes per year of leftover household and a
small amount of commercial waste.
• 50% of treated waste will be converted into Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF).
Benefits
• SRF will be used to generate electricity and the proposed MBT and AD facility will
drastically reduce amounts of waste going to landfill.
• Saving 114,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
• Maximising recycling opportunities available as MBT and an AD plant delivered on
the same site.
Business as usual
• Strengthened vision for collaborative shared service for waste across three Councils.
• Knowledge capture for the benefit of the client authorities and their Contract
Management Function.
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• Demonstration of effective cross authority working to deliver the required result.
Project Summary
APSE Associate John Holden Ross was assigned as Project Director shortly before
Call for Final Tenders and at a difficult and sensitive time. The assignment was to
ensure the effective financial close of the Project within value for money parameters
utilising the Competitive Dialogue procedures under EU Procurement Regulations.
The assignment involved:
a) Managing internal and external expectations around timescales
b) Managing the internal cross Authority Project Team, successfully empowering
and motivating them to Achieve Financial Close
c) Negotiation with the Private Sector and Funders in a difficult banking market to
deliver the Project Timelines
d) Managing the interface with relevant Government Departments who were
providing PFI Credits and overseeing the form of the legal agreements through
which the Project was constituted.
The Scheme, which reached financial close at the end of March 2012, saw all three
Councils entering into a contract for the treatment of black bag waste. The
agreement will deliver a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Anaerobic
Digestion (AD).
In the week following financial close, planning permission was granted. The
contractors will therefore build the facility by 2015 and operate and maintain it over
a 25-year period from 2015 until 2040. The facility will treat up to 265,000 tonnes per
year of leftover household and a small amount of commercial waste from the three
councils.
After treatment, nearly half of this waste will end up as a solid recovered fuel (SRF).
This SRF will be used to generate electricity at a new multi-fuel plant to be
constructed. When the MBT and AD facility is operational it will drastically reduce
amounts of waste going to landfill and lead to a saving equivalent to 114,000 tonnes
of carbon dioxide every year.
It will be the first time that the contractors have delivered an MBT and an AD plant
on the same site - maximising the recycling opportunities available. The project is
also significant in the development of the vision for a collaborative shared service
for waste across the three Councils.
Feedback received from the Authority
‘John performed strongly in terms of his professional knowledge and experience, his
interpersonal skills, his leadership, his ability to get the team motivated and delivering
in a period of intense resource demands.’
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Introducing....
Julia Robinson, APSE Associate
Key service areas:
Leisure management, cultural services,
town halls management, management of
historic buildings, event and venue
management, project and programme
management, asset management, facilities
management, capital planning, delivery of
capital projects, wedding co-ordination,
benchmarking, performance management
Experience
Julia has over 25 years experience as an Events and Venues Manager/Arts
Administrator/Arts and Entertainments Promoter/Facilities Manager/Asset Manager/
Project Manager. Her competencies include managing people; managing finance;
results oriented; continuous improvement and change management; team working
and partnerships; customer focus; communication and leadership. Skilled at bringing
resources together, building capacity and making things happen.
She has over 17 years experience of Operational Management and Strategic
Development of the four Town Halls in Kirklees (Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Cleckheaton
and Batley) – all of which are Grade 2 Listed victorian buildings, heavily used by their
diverse local communities.
Julia was responsible for over 80 employees whilst Town Halls Manager and has led
several organisational reviews. She was responsible for the day to day operational
management of the buildings, including event management, bars and catering,
bookings and ticket sales, stewarding, caretaking and cleaning, technical services,
licensing, health and safety and all related budgets.
As Asset Development Manager for Kirklees Council Culture and Leisure Services; she
was responsible for the strategic direction and successful delivery of all property
related capital and revenue investment plans for the service. This included
development and delivery of a £10 million capital investment programme for Town
Halls and Museums.
Julia was Directorate Asset Manager for Culture and Leisure/ the Regeneration
Directorate at Kirklees Council from 2007 - 2011; with a portfolio including Town Halls
and Public Halls, Theatres, Library and Information Centres, Registrars and Museums.
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Wyre Council
Length of assignment: 4 months
Service Area: Arts and Leisure
(Subsequent placement June 2012 on-going)
APSE Associate: Julia Robinson
Post: Venue Manager
Wyre Council approached APSE when they required an interim. The role was to act
as Venue Manager to oversee the day to day management of the Marine Hall and
Thornton Little Theatre during an organisational review and work on their key
strategic objective to improve financial performance. They needed a skilled
manager who has in-depth operational knowledge but could also work on the
strategic development of the venues and make recommendations about future
programming.
Objectives
• Responsible for the day to day management of the Marine Hall and Thornton Little
Theatre during an organisational review, and ensure resources are allocated
efficiently and effectively.
• To assist with the key strategic objective to improve financial performance in order
to reduce subsidy for the council tax payer.
• Implementation of recommendations made in a recent audit report and review
day to day operational processes and procedures to identify efficient practices of
working and income generation opportunities.
Outputs
• Financial performance improved due to hire charges being streamlined, moving
from hourly rates charged for various event services, to package/session rates, thus
making the process easier for customers and more cost effective for the Council.
• A major review of the bars and catering operations, involving a complete
reorganisation of the bar service and the introduction of an independent stocktaker to ensure financial management.
• A more robust cleaning schedule that improving the standard of housekeeping
and created a cleaner and more attractive venue.
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Benefits
• Reviewing security and cash handling reduced risk to council and the service
became more customer focussed, cost efficient and streamlined resulting in
improved customer satisfaction and enhanced financial management and
performance.
• Informed decisions could be made about hire charges and programming as
budgets with clear and realistic income and expenditure targets were set up and
accurate costing for events identified.
• Increased staff participation within the decision making process boosted morale
and the team were keen to move forward and be part of the new improved and
developing service.
Business as Usual
• The newly appointed General Manager acquired a more efficient and successful
service and the capacity of the team increased due to training initiated by the APSE
Interim.
• Changes and improvements to the operational process recommended by the
interim manager taken forward by the new team.
• Communication improved through the introduction of team meetings and one to
one discussions with employees, as well as improved documentation for events.
Project Summary
Julia was responsible for managing staffing issues and assisting with the recruitment
and team restructure as part of the review. She was required to assist with the
implementation of recommendations made in a recent audit report and review day
to day operational processes and procedures to identify more efficient practices of
working and methods of income generation.
Julia was able to allocate resources to events efficiently and effectively, and worked
on the introduction of pre and post event budget processes as well as advice on
the strategic development of the venues. Recommendations about future
programming were made and a base budget line for future years was agreed. New
hire charges and other income/ expenditure were also approved.
During the three month period that the APSE Interim was at Wyre, the theatre was
able to maintain and improve its service to the public, despite reducing the numbers
of staff and despite the team going through a major organisational restructure,
involving several redundancies. Communication was improved through the
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introduction of team meetings and one to one discussions with employees as well
as improved documentation for events. Accurate costs of events were identified so
that decisions could be made about hire charges and programming. Staff were
involved in this process so they understood the reasons behind decisions and
changes made.
A more robust cleaning schedule was introduced, improving the standard of
housekeeping at the venue. A major review of the bars and catering operation was
carried out and security and cash handling was also revised and improved to
minimise risks to the authority. This involved a complete reorganisation of the bar
service and the introduction of an independent stock-taker, thus resulting in a more
streamlined and cost effective service. Hire charges were also streamlined, moving
from hourly rates charged for various event services, to package / session rates, thus
making the process easier for customers and more cost effective for the Council.
A new management team was put in place whom Julia supported by assisting with
the strategic development of the venues, making recommendations about future
programming and assisting with the budget setting process for future years
including a review of hire charges and other income/ expenditure.
Before the Interim left in January, she assisted with induction and handover to the
new General Manager who gained an improved service and a more motivated,
skilled and enthusiastic Operational Team. All new posts had been filled, budgets
had been agreed for the following financial year allowing the new General Manager
time to focus on developing a new identity and vision for the venues including a
new programme.
Management at Wyre Council were extremely pleased with the work that Julia had
carried out and subsequently asked her to return in June 2012 to provide some
additional temporary support during the further organisational change as an APSE
interim manager.
Feedback received from the authority
‘APSE was an easy organisation to work with and was extremely successful in finding a
strong candidate. Wyre Council are highly impressed with Julia, who demonstrated has
both strategic and operational ability.’
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Typical Interim Process
At APSE we pride ourselves on responding quickly and effectively to all interim
requests. APSE understands the local government interim market; we are the
foremost specialist in local authority front line services. This is translated over to our
understanding of what you will need from an interim manager meaning that we
can quickly pinpoint what you will need to succeed.
Below is a diagram which shows the assignment process from first enquiry to
successful conclusion. Selection to start date can take as little as five days to quickly
help your authority achieve results.
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Sample Process
Below is the detailed process that APSE recentlyused to source an interim
manager for a North Wales Council - Facilities Manager
1. Enquiry:
APSE was approached on Monday by the client to source and provide an interim
Facilities Manager prior to the departure of the current post holder.
2. Brief:
APSE arranged a convenient time to speak to the client on Tuesday, to create a
comprehensive brief.
3. Selection:
APSE matched suitable interims from our comprehensive database to provide the
best candidates to the authority. APSE had an in depth discussion with all the
potential interims to negotiate the best rate for the authority and to check availability.
4. Selection:
On Friday APSE provided the authority with three experienced candidates, along with
a proposal for interim support which included their CVs, rates and availability.
5. Interview:
The authority decided that they would like to speak to all three of the APSE interim
managers, and a time and date was set for interviews at the Council.
6. Appointment:
An APSE interim was chosen and a start date was decided which allowed for a
handover period.
7. Sucess:
Since starting, the APSE interim has been involved in a number of projects and
completed a number of tasks including:
• Full budgetary reviews of catering, cleaning and campus management
• Introduction of financial reporting procedures for catering
• Review and implementation of catering staff hours to bring into budget
• Review of campus management to include implementation of lock down
procedures for evenings and weekends and consultation with building users
• Branding and dining room improvements for high school catering
• PR and marketing of primary school catering to parents
• Management of the kitchen ventilation upgrades in 18 schools
8. Follow up:
Six weeks into the placement APSE’s Senior Consultant met with the APSE interim and
the Council’s Head of Development and Resources to discuss the objectives set and
progress made so far and ensure both parties were satisfied with the arrangements.
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FAQs
How much will it cost?
It is important to strike a balance between price and quality, and APSE will do most
of the hard work for you by agreeing the best rate possible and discounting those
who are outside of your budget. We aim to give you a choice of rates alongside the
relevant CVs, so that you can make the final decision.
APSE provides a guidance policy regarding expenses, asking interims to exercise
restraint. In cases where we believe the expenses will be high (due to travel and
overnight stays) APSE will provide an inclusive rate to the client, in order to maintain
transparency and provide an open and honest service.
What if an interim leaves for a better offer?
APSE has a policy of not offering new jobs to those already in placements.
Unfortunately, occasionally an interim will leave an assignment for an offer from
another provider. If this happens APSE has a wide pool of interim managers which
we can turn to in order to avoid problems.
What if we want to offer the interim manager a permanent position?
If during an assignment the interim manager has made such a successful impact
that you would like to offer him/her a permanent position APSE does not charge
any ‘finders’ fees. Our aim is to help the authority become the best it can be, and the
best lasting impact APSE can make is to provide you with an invaluable officer.
How long will the selection process take?
APSE aims to provide you with CVs within 24 hours of your enquiry. An interim could
be in place within a week.
What if the assignment isn’t working out?
If your situation changes, through budget or staffing changes for example, you are
able to end the assignment after speaking to APSE and the interim manager and
agreeing a suitable exit strategy.
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Contact the interim management team at the
APSE Manchester office on 0161 772 1810
Andy Mudd
Principal Consultant
email: [email protected]
Gayle Gibson,
Senior Consultant
email: [email protected]
Davina Rai,
Client Coordination Officer
email: [email protected]
http://www.apse.org.uk/interim.asp
LOCAL SERVICES
LOCAL SOLUTIONS
Association for Public Service Excellence
2nd Floor, Washbrook House
Lancastrian Office Centre Talbot Road,
Old Trafford, Manchester, M32 0FP
Tel: 0161 772 1810
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.apse.org.uk