CIPFA Statistical Information Service

Below we provide some examples of projects we have undertaken during the last few years.

BT commissioned us to analyse the cost and performance of the services it provides for South Tyneside Council through an outsourcing arrangement. Drawing on data from CIPFA’s benchmarking clubs, VfM indicators and the council itself, we produced a detailed assessment of its HR, Finance and Revenues and Benefits services, benchmarked against a range of different comparator groups.

CIPFA have recently completed a two year project, on behalf of the European Commission, that measured progress in the digitisation of Europe’s cultural heritage. The project, known as Numeric, defined a framework of concepts, definitions, classifications and methodology for the collection of comparable data, and developed measurement tools to collect funding sources for digitisation costs and investments, volume and growth of digitised resources, and digitisation output characteristics. On completion of the survey period, over 750 questionnaires from sample institutions across Europe were collected and analysed.

Further details, including access to the report can be found at the Numeric website.

CIPFA was commissioned by LBRO to review data collections in regulatory services, covering functions provided by environmental health and trading standards services in local councils. The work was requested as part of LBRO’s World Class programme data sharing ‘module’ and involved mapping all data requests made by Central Government upon local councils within regulatory services, with a view to identifying areas of overlap and calculating the adminstrative burden placed upon councils.

The final report can be viewed here.

We produced a comprehensive report for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children that analysed the trends in local authority spending on children’s social care between 2001 and 2011. It also projected how future cuts in expenditure, particularly on preventative and early intervention services, might affect

Further details, including access to the full report, can be found here http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/smart_cuts_wda85751.html

WAG commisioned CIPFA to provide a review of funding options for public service provision within the current devolution settlement in Wales. The review of alternative funding methods supports the overarching work of the Holtham Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales, clarifying the extent to which alternate sources of funding can be further utilised for the benfeit of public services in Wales.

CIPFA was commissioned by West Midlands Police to undertake the collection of financial data relating to the new Police Objective Analysis from 43 Police forces in the United Kingdom. This information was used to build a benchmarking tool that allows all police authorities to self-assess performance and spend.

The tool is interactive and is currently available online.