Nickii Messer

All the geese [www.nickiimesser.com]

School Business Leadership Development

Optimising Efficiency and Value for Money

Overview

• Schools/Academies need to make efficiencies

Generally less money – but we want to do more

Schools/Academies need to ensure a culture of

VfM

across the board

We need to be smart with how we use HR

Facilities are resources too

What is value for money?

Economy – does the school purchase goods at the best price?

Efficiency – are the school’s strategies making best use of its resources, eg staff?

Effectiveness – do you get the desired results from your plans? Do you know what you expect to achieve??

Ethics/Equality – probity, tendering etc.

DfE: June 2013“How schools spend their money has a profound impact on pupils’ achievement and future prospects........All schools should be working to make savings, spending their funds prudently and looking to make the most of their money in order to invest in teaching and learning”.

Review of efficiency in the schools system. DfEwww.gov.uk

Prioritising procurement

In order to undertake efficient procurement it is important to have clear priorities and objectives and understand the key elements of what a successful outcome looks like for your school..... In other words: what do you want how important is it why do you want it?

The procurement cycle

Define/challenge Need

Develop business case

Identify & prioritise options

Assess: value for money,

relevancy, risk

Award contract with best terms

Manage contract – audit trail

Evaluate and Review

Review and evaluate contractsFind time for regular review and evaluation

Did/does it fulfil expectations?Check, benchmark, share the SLA/KPIsIs it still fit for purpose?How do you know: end-user response?If it’s not ok, what will you do?If you do what you’ve always done......

Challenge what you have always done.Review where the school is now – things

changeDon’t write off LA contracts but do

evaluate effectiveness and challenge price...

Bespoke contracts mean you only pay for expertise you don’t already have in-house

Consider taking contracts in-house collaboratively and buy in balance of need

Make sure SLAs include suitable exit terms

Work as a whole school team

Get staff on board – working together to ensure efficienciesRun INSET sessions to explain whole school

budget methodology and decisions to contextualise impacts

Put department expenditure into whole school context and examine the options

Achieving value for money should be whole school aim

Review of Efficiency in the Schools System. DfE. 2013: COLLABORATION

“Make use of school clusters, sharing expertise, experience and data, as well as accessing economies of scale when making shared purchases. All the schools we visited were part of some kind of cluster arrangement, and there is clear evidence that schools can drive far-reaching efficiency savings by working together with other schools.”

Two-can do it better

• Increased bargaining power – securing high quality, responsive & bespoke service with economies of scale

• Sharing knowledge, best practice, skills and ideas to reduce the effort

• Set up your own contract provision using collaborative expertise, eg of SBMs/ICT managers

Energy: ways to reduce costs Bulk buy collaboratively to get best dealsBenchmark costs and examine trendsLook long term – greener, more efficient,

energy solutions can even make moneySwitch off lights/heating/air-conditioning.........

encourage pupil energy leaders

"It's better to enlighten a child than to light a school room.” Thomas A

Edison

Review of Efficiency in the Schools System. DfE. 2013: STAFFING

“Manage down back office and running costs. There remains considerable variation in the amount that similar schools spend on running costs, such as energy or premises. The most efficient schools drive these costs down through improved procurement practices and a greater focus on value for money.”

School staffingStaff are your single most expensive and valuable resource so invest to make sure they are productive!

But first......

Regularly review JDs & staffing structures

Never appoint new staff without challengingthe status quo

Review of Efficiency in the Schools System. DfE. 2013: DEPLOYMENT

“Deploy the workforce effectively, with a focus on developing high quality teachers. Teacher quality is proven to be the single most important feature of successful education systems. The most efficient schools that we visited invest a great deal of effort to get the staffing structures right, recruiting the right people and ensuring that they are continually supported to improve.”

Get the best from your staffCommunicate effectivelyDemonstrate that you value themConduct skills and aspirations auditsConsult and respond to their needsExpect the best from everyoneCarry out appraisals and training for everyoneHave team SLAs and KPIsEncourage staff to visit other colleagues - and

schools

Process of improvement

JD/Person Spec

Advertise and interview

Induction, review and ongoing training

Review and evaluate

Ways to make CPD affordableLink appraisal targets & training to SI/DPShop around for CPD providers who

provide what your school needsUse expertise in yours and partner

schoolsBuy in experts & share bespoke training

with other schoolsPlan your training programme ahead to

secure best dealsGet trained up to deliver training yourself

Sell (a slice of) high cost staff

School business managersFinance managers – especially qualified accountants

ICT managersExam managers

HLTAsSENCO

And back-fill with admin/technical support

Productive premises?

“Employee comfort can helpcontribute to your bottom line....Research shows that environmental and comfort factors in the workplace have a direct effect on worker productivity. Employees who are uncomfortable, fatigued or stressed by conditions such as poor air or lighting quality may be less productive. By enhancing light levels, controlling circulation and temperatures.....you can help boost their productivity.” Grainger.com

Facility spending decisionsWhat proportion of your facility spending

decisions are based on “increasing productivity”?

Are your facilities a resource that contributes to the school’s vision for learning?

Change how you view your facilitiesSuggest a joint facilities and curriculum

governors’ committeeVisit classrooms: check lighting, air flow,

orientation, storage, general ambienceVisit your school as a pupilCompare classrooms across the schoolVisit other schoolsDo cleaners understand their impact on

school improvement?

“I hate waking up every weekday knowing that this day, one that is so valuable to me, will be spent in a giant magnolia prison. I want colours.....I want to be filled with inspiration by a place that I can call home from home” Angela, 15 yrs old, Croydon

(From The School I’d Like by Catherine Burke and Ian Grosvenor)

It’s not about spending less. It’s about spending better. What will you do to spend better in your school?Nickii MesserNickii.sbm@gmail.comwww.nickiimesser.com