Decision details

To agree the purpose for the Corporate Group and the Policy & Partnerships Unit.

This report summarizes the outputs of the research and development phase of the Our Cambridge corporate design programme. It focuses on the proposed Corporate Hub which brings together functions from across the Corporate Group and the Chief Executive’s Office. It sets out the purpose of the proposed Corporate Hub, what it will do, and what functions it will have. It also sets out how it will co-ordinate those functions across the organisation. This is an integral part of the wider Our Cambridge programme.

Decision of the Leader of the Council

The Executive Councillor is recommended to:

      i.          Agree the purpose, value statements, high-level functions and operating model as set out in this paper;

     ii.          Agree to delegate decisions in relation to the detailed operational design to the Chief Operating Officer, and for consultation and implementation of changes to staffing structures, in line both with the direction recommended in this paper and our Organisational Change Policy.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Chief Operating Officer said the following in response to Members questions:

      i.          Fundamental role of corporate hub was to work with managers to understand how they know they were achieving their goals. That would be monitored by senior management.

     ii.          Rather than doing work for managers, need to ensure managers had the tools and capacity to do this for themselves.

   iii.          Regarding shared services, were in a position to be clear what the council wants and to work with partners.

   iv.          Regarding a question as to whether a more detailed organogram of staff would be useful, stated would look into it. The current ‘who does what’ document which had corporate management team on it, should be able to find the right entry point for any query.

The Committee unanimously endorsed the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.