The Shared Service Architect’s Business Case Toolbox

The tools in this business case toolbox, and the accompanying seminar, are based on research into the content of over a dozen shared service business cases that have been prepared by public sector organisations in the UK.

The tools support the shared vision route map shown below and on the A4 laminate accompanying this book.

How much of the £75,000 baguette can you consume in-house?

The reason for the developing this book and the accompanying seminar, which are part of a

Post Graduate Certificate in Shared Services, is to build the capacity of public sector managers to effectively draft as much of a shared service business case as possible, in-house.

£75,000 appears to be a rough guide to the fees paid to external consultants to develop single service business cases for a district council or college. If there are 10 services in an organisation for sharing with partners, that is £750,000 of external spend.

So if we use the metaphor of a baguette, is it possible that maybe you could consume some of the £75,000, in-house, and only externalise the parts you do not have the skills to deliver? This toolbox, and the seminar, equip public sector managers with effective tools to potentially delegate elements of the drafting to colleagues to reduce the external spend. Just how much of that notional £75,000 could be ‘consumed in-house will vary from organisation to organisation.

The ambition is to shave at least 30% or more off the external cost of each business case written in the public sector.

There is no implied criticism of consultants here...

Consultants are an important part of the public sector economy and it would stall without them. Many possess unique skills, tools and experience necessary to the development of shared service activity.

However the government are clear that consultancy costs must be cut. Therefore, public sector managers will need to equip themselves, and colleagues, with skills and techniques to draft the parts of a business case that do not need the unique skills, tools or experience of a consultancy.

A positive outcome may be that those financial savings could justify the retention of skilled managers posts in an organisation.

Quick to read and quick to create

The tools, each described clearly in its own four page layout, are designed so that what you read in the morning you could be applying in the afternoon.

Pages 1 & 2 of each tool explain the background to why each tool is important.

Key documents are referenced in footnotes for each tool. This enables you to explain to colleagues why you have chosen the tool and the evidence for its need.

On page 2 are recommendations on how to use the tool in a step by step format.

Page 3 provides an example layout for the tool so that you can develop and adapt it for your specific purpose.

All of the tools or templates have been designed so that they can be replicated rapidly in MSWord, MSPublisher or MSPowerPoint.

Page 4 is a user log for you to keep a record of when you used the tool, the outcomes and any adaptations you would make when using the tool again.

Click here to download the introduction and contents page

Product Code: ABC000