Management Consultancy for local authority planning and development services
Trevor Roberts Associates has specialised in management training and consultancy for nearly 25 years, focusing mainly on the particular requirements of local authority planning and development services and the staff involved in them. In this time, we have built up extensive experience and a strong team of consultants, many of who combine consultancy/training assignments with contemporary practice in the relevant fields.
With TRA, clients benefit from a clear-eyed, independent and expert external assessment, but from a team and an organisation which has an understanding of the particular technical, legal and professional context which applies in the planning and development field. This awareness of context is vital, and it is what distinguishes TRA from more "general" management consultants.
Consultancy topics
We will provide consultancy in any aspect of management/organisation which is within our range of expertise, as outlined above. The main categories of consultancy we offer are set out below, but it is always worth approaching us with a more general enquiry if what you are looking for does not appear in this list.
Staff, team and organisational structures
Generally speaking, TRA is more concerned with how people do their jobs than with how an organisation is structured; our experience is that the former has a bigger impact on service delivery and achievement than does the latter. However, structure does have implications and we have extensive experience of advising authorities on the operation and organisation of their services. This has covered, for example:
- the way that work and functions are organised
- process and procedure analysis/review, with specification of operational procedures
- assessment of staff resources, staff management, training needs etc
- delegation, reporting lines, accountability systems.
Quality management and procedures
As well as analysis and specification of operational procedures, we review and advise on quality management and associated procedures, which provide a systematic underpinning for consistent service delivery. These aspects of management are assuming increasing significance in planning, development and renewal services; especially in services which are interested in moving towards ISO 9001/2000 accreditation. TRA can review existing systems, recommend modifications, specify the necessary procedures and assist with calibration and implementation.
Internal and external communications
Good communication with its own staff and with the outside world are key factors in healthy and effective service operation. It is a particularly critical factor for organisations embarking upon change and improvement programmes. TRA advises on effective arrangements for internal and external communication, with the active involvement of staff, elected members and partner organisations. We review existing arrangements, assess resources involved, make recommendations about mechanisms and techniques, suggest any training requirements etc.
Team building/team development
We classify this service as consultancy, even though it involves techniques more closely associated with management training. Groups of staff in local government frequently want to improve their performance by "working as a team". TRA assists them in doing this where possible (it is not always possible, and not always appropriate). Asssignments of this nature involve a mixture of staff development sessions and advice on procedures, structures etc. It may be addressed to a staff team (ie a group of people who regularly work together); a departmental management team which wishes to weld itself into a more cohesive and effective unit, building on its inter-disciplinary nature; or a project team, wanting to generate ideas, action plans, co-ordinated implementation, commitment etc in relation to a defined project or service.
The officer/councillor interface
The relationships between officers and members, at both a formal and informal level, are critical to the functioning of most aspects of local government, and especially so in the potentially very sensitive areas of planning, development and regeneration. TRA advises on the protocols, mechanisms and informal relationships which underpin a successful relationship. We work with officers and members, individually and jointly, to review issues, identify options and recommend improvements. We emphasise the institutionalisation of good practice, not leaving this significant factor to the vagaries of personalities and personal relationships, which can obviously change dramatically.
The organisation of customer care and the public interface
Many authorities have invested heavily in the facilities and technology associated with the customer interface - call centres, customer service centres, IT, websites etc. TRA specialises in the staff skills/training and the organisational systems which must always accompany this investment if it is to be effective. We advise on the operational systems and procedures associated with customer service; the relationships between expectations and service delivery; the link between material service and personal service; arrangements for monitoring customer service; review/specification of customer service procedures; the critical links between front-line and back-line on which consistent and successful service relies; complaints and compliments systems; staff job specification, training, structures and supervision; and the role of senior managers in ensuring an overall customer service framework.
Performance, business and service planning
The system of corporate performance, business and service planning is a central feature of local authority organisation these days. Planning, development and regeneration departments have to integrate with this system, articulating their components of the corporate and communtiy strategies, and producing service plans, programmes and strategies of their own. TRA can undertake all or any part of this process; advise on a business planning structure; provide critical reviews of existing plans and documents; relieve local authority staff of the specialist business planning and management workload; and/or provide training/follow up in the operation of business planning systems.
