The challenge facing local authorities right now is to deliver transformational change i.e. fundamental analysis, re-thinking and radical redesign of service delivery to achieve dramatic performance improvements in cost, quality, service and speed. This is different from Service Improvement incremental change by efficiency & capacity improvements.
 
This transformational change is needed because of some pressing issues facing Councils today that add to the importance and urgency of this work.  These include:

• Inflation

• Higher pensions costs

• Less income from Government

• Increase in costs of recycling service

• Less income from the Council's investments

• Increased drive for efficiencies and improved performance from the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR07)

Together these mean that Councils must save millions of pounds in cash-releasing savings over the next three to five years, specified by one of the latest indicators required by Government, NI179.