JOINT SERVICE DELIVERY ARRANGEMENTS AS THE BASIS OF CO-OPERATION
BETWEEN LIBRARY AUTHORITIES
Following the excellent regional workshop Joint Arrangements - an East
Midlands perspective held on 13th April at Beaumanor Hall,
Loughborough, we now go on to explore the wider implications of joint
arrangements and related issues at the national workshop Casing the
Joint Arrangements on 4th May at the Quality Hotel, Loughborough.
What was interesting at Beaumanor Hall was the contribution of joint
arrangements not simply to library co-operation but to informing the
process of best value and offering solutions to this year's buzz words
"joined-up government".
Some of the key points to arise from the vigorous debate at Beaumanor
Hall were
· Joint arrangements can contribute to the achievement of Best Value,
a process which may provide a framework for their review.
· Some local authorities more readily embrace the regional dimension
than others, which may limit the scope for regional joint
arrangements.
· There is a good case for joint arrangements, particularly for such
core activities as Bibliographical Services and Information
Technology. Other potential areas of benefit are training, cultural
activities and benchmarking.
· Entering into joint arrangements stimulates an examination of
service needs - a useful discipline which has often resulted in a
better service and improved monitoring.
· Joint arrangements can be difficult to manage and are more likely to
succeed where core activities are involved.
· There may be an optimum size for a joint arrangement, beyond which
management requirements and the need to accommodate the political
and professional aspirations of the partners outweigh the economic
benefits.
· Joint arrangements vary in their formality. A formal contract may
not be essential, but a major benefit of having one is that it will
provide a clear exit strategy, with provision for staff and assets.
· Great importance is placed on the ability of library computer
systems to communicate with each other, but this may be better
achieved by promoting inter-connectivity than by a widespread joint
system.
· If a crisis arises for one partner, such as a loss of funding, the
contribution of the other partners may help to sustain critical
mass. On the other hand, the other partners may also be placed at
some risk.
· A joint arrangement which leaves control in the hands of the
partners, rather than with an arms-length agency, is more likely to
find political acceptance.
Some of the key questions to arise were
· Are joint arrangements relevant in a regional perspective? Are
there benefits to regional consortia or regional joint arrangements?
· How should best value be applied to joint arrangements? Should this
be outweighed by local political considerations?
· How different do library services need to be?
· How can the benefits of wider co-operation best be presented to
members?
· Will the modernisation of local government make it easier or harder
to develop and sustain partnerships?
· Does a greater number of partners demand a more formal contract?
· If joint arrangements are extended to regional level, are there
models from other library sectors which can be followed?
· How would joint arrangements involving many partners reconcile
economies of scale with local accountability?
· What external factors might stimulate the growth of joint
arrangements and increase their size (e.g. changes in trading rules,
legislation)?
· Will "joined-up government" stimulate joint arrangements, or,
indeed, will joint arrangements stimulate "joined-up government"?
These will inform the discussions at the national workshop on 4th May,
when leading members of the profession and authorities on issues such
as best value will provide a day of high quality papers on and around
these issues.
Margaret Hawkins
Director, National Workshop on `Casing the Joint Arrangements`
Tel. 0116-2656097.
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The contents of this message do not necessarily represent the
opinions, views, policy or procedures of Leicestershire County Council.
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