2018

COM009 - Staffing structures for trading standards services - 090718

This APSE member authority is considering staffing structures for trading standards services. They would be pleased to receive details as follows to assist in their review :-

• What is the staffing structure that exists within the Trading Standards teams? Is it a standalone service or linked to another e.g. Licensing?
• Do you only deliver statutory functions? If not, what other functions are you undertaking?

Any further information you are able to provide would be gratefully received. As ever responses will only be shared amongst respondent member councils.

COM008 - Provision of central schools broadband service - 060718

A local authority is seeking to review their broadband service to schools and as they do so, would be very grateful to hear what broadband services other local authorities are providing to schools:

In particular, they would be very grateful for your feedback on the following questions:

1. Does your council provide a central schools broadband service? - Y/N

2. If yes, how many schools do you supply to? (If it is possible to break these down by school type below, please do so)

Primary -
Secondary -
SEN -

3. Of these schools, approximately how many are maintained by the local authority?

4. What prices do you charge for delivering schools broadband to your customers?

5. What does your schools broadband include? i.e. Does it include, Broadband, Telephony, GDPR compliance, Training, Monitoring service etc.?

6. What Broadband speeds to you provide?

7. What is the standard length of contract for those you provide schools Broadband too? Eg. 1yr, 2yr, 3yr etc?

8. What external companies are the main providers of schools broadband to your schools?

9. Would you be happy to have further discussions?

COM007 - Commercialisation of Information / Data Sets - 25.05.18

This authority is looking at the commercialisation of information as part of their income generation / new revenue streams.

They would be keen to discuss lessons learned with other Local Authorities who have already been down this road and explored or are currently receiving income from the commercialisation of information.

They would be interested to hear about the approach undertaken, markets to target and what further analysis could be undertaken to increase the value of data sets.

COM006 - Business Acquisition - 13.04.18

A member organisation is reviewing the possibility of Business Acquisition to form part of their commercial strategy, partly as a means to bring in entrepreneurial skills but primarily as a means to
successfully establishing a commercial venture as part of their operations. To assist with their review, they would be very grateful to hear from those within other member authorities who have either
considered or enacted this approach.

If you have considered or actively pursued Business Acquisition as a part of your Council’s commercial strategy or have any advice to offer in respect of the idea and would be happy to discuss this
further, please drop a note with a contact telephone number and brief details of your approach.

COM005 - Setting Up of a Shareholder Board - 20.03.18

Following a Cabinet decision, a member authority is to set up a Shareholder board which the five companies they own will report into, and are unsure of what documentation they would benefit from
implementing.

They would be very grateful if colleagues within other Authorities would kindly share supporting documentation, in any/all of the areas listed below:

• Terms of reference;
• Format and frequency of financial reports and performance reports
• Shareholder Board structure and appointment process(es);
• Complaints Procedure;
• Code of Conduct;
• Frequency of meetings and format of meeting structure;
• Allocation of roles and responsibilities for those sitting on Shareholder Board;
• Procedures and processes relating to shareholder involvement in company activity (i.e., budget setting, staffing changes, dealing with under performance, strategic direction).

Any information you are able to provide on the above areas would be greatly appreciated.

COM004 - Commercialisation and Income Generation Strategies - 19.02.18

This member authority is in the initial stages of developing a Commercialisation and Income Generation strategy. To assist in the project scoping stage of their work, they would very much value
sight of other local authority Commercialisation and Income Generation Strategies and Policies, to help identify ideas and options for their approach.