Foreword from Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, Leader of Woking Borough Council
“I am pleased to present Woking Borough Council’s Productivity Plan which summarises the steps we have taken in recent times to reduce costs, as well as our strategy for becoming an ever leaner, more efficient council in the face of the unprecedented financial challenges we face.
“These challenges culminated in government intervention in May 2023 which required us to publish an Improvement and Recovery Plan to ensure we comply with our best value duty on a sustainable basis. Since then, we have taken significant steps towards becoming a council that is focused on core services for residents whilst maximising value to the public purse.
“We are committed to delivering our long-term recovery programme through strategic initiatives designed to optimise operational efficiencies, leverage technology, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
“I am confident that this plan will enhance our ability to serve the public, deliver value, and build a more vibrant and resilient community. As requested, the Plan also contains suggestions for how government could help both Woking and other authorities too, deliver productivity improvements.”
Introduction to the Productivity Plan
Woking’s Productivity Plan needs to be understood in the context of the unprecedented financial challenges faced by the Council, which culminated in Government intervention since May 2023. This required the Council to produce an Improvement and Recovery Plan (IRP). The Council’s Productivity Plan is therefore based on its Improvement and Recovery Plan.
During the first year of the intervention, the Council has implemented significant changes, efficiencies and improvements, some of which are highlighted in this Productivity Plan.
The progress against the IRP is monitored on a monthly basis at the Improvement and Recovery Board. Regular, six-month progress reports are reported through scrutiny and full Council and Commissioners, who then report to the Secretary of State.
A contributing factor to the historic difficulties faced by the Council is the lack of investment in technology and the capacity of key corporate support services, such as legal, financial, Human Resources, and procurement and commercial management. Delivering genuine transformation and further productivity gains is likely to require an expansion of capacity and investment in these areas.