Field forces protocols

Earlier in 2007 the then DfES reviewed the way its field forces provided support and challenge to local authorities. The review highlighted a number of issues including the need to better co-ordinate the support and challenge offered by field forces.  A specific action and procedure for the new ways of working fell to the Star Chamber Board to take forward. This fell around 'new initiatives'.

National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy

More recently the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy sets out an ambition that, over time, local government will increasingly be given responsibility for its own improvement and that Government Departments will increasingly devolve the tools of improvement, including field forces to the sector. New Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) are being established and will be expected to take a lead role, working alongside Government Offices, in coordinating improvement support. The strategy also requires the Department to consult the Central Local Partnership (between senior local government representatives and central government ministers) about new improvement support bodies or programmes. 

As a result of the above drivers the DCSF needs to:

• consult Government Offices, LAs and other key stakeholders about how best to support implementation; and,
• consider options for delivering support other than the creation of new programmes or field forces, including the devolution of funding to the sector and the role of RIEPs.

Star Chamber role

The review of field forces considered that, where new initiatives and policies are being developed, the DCSF needs to consult Government Offices, LAs and other key stakeholders about how best to support implementation. And that the Star Chamber should scrutinise the business case for any new field force or for any changes to the remit where there are field forces already in place. 

The business case

With this in mind all teams or policy officials who are either responsible for one of the existing field forces and are considering a change to their remit or where policy teams are considering using a field force to deliver a policy to the front line should submit a case for any change to the Star Chamber Board. 

The business case should address the following issues:

a) the key purpose and functions of the field force;
b) why support from a field force is required in the delivery chain;
c) how the field force will contribute to the achievement of targets and outcomes;
d) the nature of challenge and support that will be provided by the field force;
e) duration of the field force;
f) the competencies required by advisers to fulfil customer needs and expectations;
g) the availability of people with suitable experience and skills to fill adviser posts and the likely salary costs;
h) the demands likely to be made on the time of DCSs and other senior staff in the authority from the field force;
i) assessment of alternative options, including consideration of delivery in whole or in part through Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships, to a field force for supporting capacity building and performance improvement;
j) how the field force will join with the GO Children's Services Adviser and other field forces;
k) accountability and governance;
l) stakeholder views on the proposed field force;
m) how burdens on schools and others will be minimised
n) recruitment and working arrangements;
o) costs, funding and value for money assessments (including any possible opportunity costs to local authorities);
p) how proportionality will be achieved (that is, ensuring that the time expended by the field force is proportionate to identified need and to identified risk).
q) the criteria against which the ongoing work of the field force will be evaluated and how those evaluations will be used to improve the field force or to modify or terminate it.
r) launch arrangements;
s) exit strategy.

And together with, specifically for any change of remit for existing field forces,

1) rationale for such a change in remit;
2) impact on any other existing field forces;
3) consideration of potential role of Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships;
4) communication plan for transmitting the new role to the front line;
5) review points (in checking that the new remit is understood). 
    
Submitting cases to the Star Chamber

Policy teams will need to work up a case based on the headings set out in the preceding section (we have considered and rejected the idea of a common template being used given that each case will need to be judged on its merits and each case will be different).

Once received, the completed case is submitted to the Star Chamber Board for discussion at their next meeting. In helping the Star Chamber Board with its scrutiny, we will invite those policy officials in the lead and with an interest to attend the Board meeting to discuss the business case with members and clarify any issues that need to be covered.

Further information

For further information on the National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy and Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships please contact Julian Ward or Amanda Barrett in DCSF.