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Dave Coward Management
university professional advisory and consultancy services to Universities
Dave Coward Management

Local Government

We are specialists in organisational, managerial and operational analysis, development and change.
We develop and implement practical, measurable, sustainable improvements in performance, productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.

Reviews can include:

  • Developing management information systems
  • Drafting service specifications
  • Managing market testing
  • Establishing service level agreements
  • Business / strategic planning
  • Benchmarking
  • Developing performance related payment systems
  • Promoting partnerships
  • Challenging the efficacy of services through critical review, competition and market testing

Best Value Performance Reviews

  • Evaluate productivity & efficiency
  • Critically examine working procedures
  • Review organisational structures
  • Identify practical, achievable improvements
  • Reduce costs
  • Improve utilisation of staff and other resources
  • Access training needs

Management Consultancy

  • Through diagnosis, identifying & prioritising improvement opportunities
  • Detailed analysis of systems, procedures, working practices & related staffing issues
  • Practical solutions leading to measurable performance improvements
  • Develop Best Value cultures
  • Management & organisational structural reviews
  • Quality management, measurement & monitoring

Strategic Procurement

  • Procuring the processes and outputs to meet the needs of your customers, visitors and stakeholders
  • Harnessing the ability, skills, knowledge, ideas, innovation, productivity and experience of the people you employ, internally and externally
  • We can help you drive high performance and continuous improvement

Best Value

  • Do you know how well your service performs?
  • Can you demonstrate value for money?
  • What improvement opportunities exist?
  • How do you compare with other providers?
  • Could you compete if necessary?

HOW DO YOU KNOW?
 

Local Government faces a range of challenges; these include:-

  • increased scrutiny, internal and external
  • the need to demonstrate efficiency, effectiveness and value for money
  • increased customer demands and expectations
  • continuing demand to achieve better results with fewer resources
  • increasing need to demonstrate the effectiveness of in house services compared to other providers
  • pay & conditions modernisation / harmonisation
  • minimising risk on the predictability of cost outcomes
  • the need to continuously improve and to develop new and innovative approaches

How Can We Help? By:-

  • providing independent, objective analysis
  • identifying opportunities for improvement
  • developing practical, sustainable solutions
  • working with and supporting managers to implement change
  • applying the principles of Best Value - Challenge, Compare, Consult, Compete
  • market testing, benchmarking and competitive tendering

Benefits

  • Improved efficiency, effectiveness and productivity
  • A detailed, objective and challenging evaluation of managerial and operational performance
  • Identified opportunities for improvement and change
  • Reduced costs
  • Cost effective service procurement
  • Improved staffing and organisational arrangements, working methods, systems and procedures
  • A developed performance culture, supported by key objectives, targets and performance indicators
  • Customer focused services
  • Effective deployment of staff and other resources
  • Identified training and development needs
  • Stores
  • Waste Management

Reviews cover a wide range of services including:-

  • Refuse Collection and Waste Management
  • Building Maintenance
  • Grounds and Gardens Maintenance
  • Cleaning / Domestic Services
  • Caretaking
  • Catering & Vending
  • Printing and Reprographics
  • Procurement
  • Helpdesk Operations
  • Administrative, Clerical & Secretarial Support
  • Stores
  • Housing Management

At a strategic level, we provide advice and support in a number of areas:-

  • Interim Management
  • Procurement, including market testing and tendering, drafting specifications and contract documents, developing evaluation procedures
  • Best Value reviews and performance plans
  • Service level agreements / statements
  • Strategic and service planning
  • Change management
  • Resource planning
  • Performance management, measurement and monitoring
  • Organisational structures
  • Benchmarking and market testing
  • Job evaluation and pay structures
  • Systems development
  • Organisational and workplace development strategies
  • Recruitment
  • Efficiency / value for money audits

Previous Work Undertaken

  • Best Value Service Reviews
  • Grading Reviews
  • Job Evaluation Schemes
  • Management Structure Reviews
  • Performance Management
  • Recycling - Productivity Reviews
  • Refuse/Recycling Collection Service, Review of Operations
  • Review of Administration, Secretarial and Customer Relations Services
  • Review of Senior Secretarial Posts
  • Review of Grounds, Gardens and Cemeteries  Maintenance
  • Facilities Services and Building Maintenance