Fife Council

The Local Services Network at Fife Council have been applying UIMPROVE within their directorate for the past 10 years. This has involved training managers on Improve Your Projects in order to ensure that projects are delivered as successfully and efficiently as possible. Realising the need for a consistent approach to organisational improvement, over the last couple of years they have adopted the wider approach and now use UIMPROVE not only to run projects but as the way they 'do business'.

Initially, a pool of Facilitators were trained. This was followed by a refresher programme for all of the managers that had previously been on Improve Your Projects in order to align people to the new way of working. As a result the Facilitators have been directly involved with over 40 projects in the last twelve months which has helped turn their strategies into routine operation and transform the service into a benchmark for local authorities in Scotland.

Achievements include their highest ever EFQM assessment score, being awarded Investors In People accreditation 3 months ahead of schedule and Care Commission accreditation. Internally, the Local Services Network won in 5 out of 7 categories at Fife Councils own excellence awards. They are currently working in partnership with Support Councils In Scotland with regard to spreading best practice to other local authorities North of the border.

Not only has the application of UIMPROVE helped them with their achievements, it has also delivered a 14% saving in their budget.

Currently, they are using the approach to project manage a service restructure. As part of this, they will be training the members of the Council Board in the UIMPROVE approach so that the success achieved by the Local Services Network can be spread council wide.

To see Business Managers Rab Lindsay and Mhairi Mullen talk about their achievements at Fife Council, click here.