Agenda item

Behavioural Insights

Rhian Gladman (Programme Manager – Productivity) introduced Tim Pearse (Head of Local Government at the Behavioural Insights Team) who gave a presentation on the Behavioural Insights Team’s work with the LGA and pilot councils using nudge techniques to influence service demand. 

Tim Pearse outlined the basic principle of Behavioural Insights around encouraging the public to replace instinctual automatic decision-making with more deliberative decision-making practices and thereby encourage them to make the desired for choice. He outlined three trials currently underway in Leeds, Lincolnshire and Liverpool around adult social care signposting, skills training and sugar consumption in hospitals respectively. The reports are expected shortly with phase 2 trials in Brighton and Hove, Kent, Lambeth and Southwark and Tunbridge Wells, Swale, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling and Maidstone.

Discussion

Members discussed:

1)    The modelling used to assess the success of these trials and how to assess whether value for money was achieved.

2)    The viability of ‘nudge’ theory in the digital sector and the need for the online option to be as good as, if not better than, the non-online option.

3)    The opportunity to make some quick wins by sharing good practice around simple nudges ie letter wording already proven by experience to be effective.

Action

Officers to explore with BIT how we can promote simple and effective ‘nudges’ for councils to adopt.

Productivity Report

Councillor Ron Woodley introduced the productivity report including successes for this last year and priorities for the 2017/18 political cycle. He particularly highlighted the re-launch of the Shared Services Map which went live a few days prior to the meeting showing substantial savings up to £643 million since 2012; the re-launch of the Enterprising Councils guidance; two successful workshops around digitisation (transformation and cyber security) at the LGA Annual Conference; the successful Conference Innovation Zone and a further 18% reduction in audit fees as negotiated by PSAA.

Discussion

Members discussed:

1)    Whether the savings shown in the Shared Services Map are increasing, decreasing or remaining static on a year on year basis and requested this be noted for future reports.

2)    Whether the LGA is doing enough around cyber security considering the recent NHS cyber-attack. Officers reassured members that local government was protected during this attack because security systems are more up-to-date and compliant than other groups. However this was an issue of growing importance and the LGA was working through the Cyber Security Stakeholder group to raise the profile of the issue at senior levels within councils.

3)    Whether the three categories used as a framework for this work (transforming services, smarter sourcing and generating income) are still appropriate for guiding the LGA’s future activity in this area.

4)    Reported concern in the Treasury around councils buying high value development sites using the public works loan board and the possible danger of large borrowing if the property market crashes. Members highlighted the potential need to help councils invest and identified the potential need for communications support to help councils explain to their residents the drivers behind commercial activity and how this can mitigate against the pressure to raise council tax levels.

5)    The importance of promoting the positive outcomes identified in the report to councils and ensuring that opportunities to participate in the work, eg as pilots, are widely promoted. 

Decisions

Members noted the updates and progress on the Productivity Programme and provided guidance around the direction of the programme and detail in the report.

Actions

Officers to:

1)    Include in future reports, details as to the year on year increases or decreases of savings demonstrated in the Shared Service Map.

2)    Review whether the three categories used as a framework for the productivity programme are still appropriate for guiding the LGA’s future activity in this area.

Consider members’ suggestions for further support to help councils pursue the commercialisation agenda.