Birmingham City Council has crossed the divide with central government, to strike a unique deal with the Department of Communities and Local Government sharing financial expertise.
As the largest local authority in the UK, Birmingham’s finance department claims to have more in common with a government finance department than any other council.
So, the two departments are to begin sharing skills, with a view to ‘improving financial systems and processes, and building finance teams of which to be proud’.
Birmingham’s corporate finance director, Jon Warlow, said: ‘By networking, Birmingham and CLG will be able to share experiences and identify opportunities for working together.
‘We have similar values and face the same issues, so can gain much from one another. It will help us improve our services using our combined expertise.’
While CLG’s finance director, Brendan Arnold, formerly at Birmingham, said: ‘This collaboration will help ensure both teams are using their experiences and expertise to best effect.’
The two departments have identified experts of their own on topics ranging from PFI to customer satisfaction. And the aim is to swap examples of good practice and dos and don’ts in these areas. Providing services in the new economic climate will also be an area for shared expertise.
The arrangement will be reviewed monthly, to see if it is productive. And this will be measured by staff motivation and retention, customer satisfaction, and efficiency.
Teams from both departments will meet in September to assess how successful the collaboration has been.
But Birmingham City Council’s leader has already welcomed the venture. Cllr Mike Whitby said: ‘The finance teams have taken the initiative to work collaboratively across the traditional boundaries of central and local government, making this something of a unique arrangement and offering an exciting range of opportunities for both organisations.’
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