Resource Hub

Supporting transport and infrastructure projects

We have recently supported local authorities and delivery partners to progress a range of high value transport projects and keep them on track for delivery. Our support has included help to resolve contract issues, support with procurement processes, programme and project management and capacity building.

The Internal assurance Toolkit (IAT) is a strategic approach to strengthen corporate governance, and robust decision making. It is a process designed to improve the rigour and discipline in procurement, commissioning, change management and contract management, particularly for projects/programmes of work that don’t warrant an external review.

• Can you strengthen corporate governance?
• Have you reduced the risk of nasty surprises, project failures, and increased the quality of work across the authority?
• Will you provide increased transparency on the state of programmes and projects?
• Did you embed a culture of continued improvement?
• Are you increasing best practice within your authority?

If your answer is yes to some or all of the above, then your Authority should seriously consider joining the new Local Partnerships Internal Assurance Toolkit (IAT) community

Local Partnerships provides short, inexpensive but effective reviews on high impact, high risk projects or programmes to help ensure you’re ‘on track’ and maximise your chance of success.

Assurance reviews are carried out at key points in the life of a project or programme. They are peer reviews undertaken by trained and experienced consultants as well as experienced professionals working in local public sector organisations. Reviews consist of a series of interviews with stakeholders preceded by key document review and followed by a short focused report with findings and recommendations delivered before the review team leave site. Reviews offer informed constructive challenge and recognise good practice as well as setting out areas for improvement and recommendations for success.

In 2018 we produced the first Local Partnerships Impact Report and we made a commitment to produce one every year.

All our Impact Reports reflect the activities of Local Partnerships and the successes we have helped our clients achieve in that year.

Impact Report 2018-19. To celebrate our tenth birthday we have launched our 2018-19 impact report, celebrating the successes we have achieved over the last year and looking back at those achieved since our inception in 2009.

At a time when public sector finances are under ever-increasing pressure, crowdfunding has the potential to offer a new model of finance via an investment-based business model that generates social, environmental and economic returns.

A cross sector team lead by the University of Leeds, and in partnership with Abundance Investments and Local Partnerships, researched the viability of crowdfunding as an alternative source for funding public sector infrastructure.

A report was published in April 2019, concluding that the public sector is yet to make the most of the opportunities offered by crowdfunding, and is yet to realise the financial and non-financial benefits it has been shown to generate.

We have developed a EU Exit Commercial Impact Assessment, to help assess contracts and procurement activity for the impact of Brexit and supports development of plans to mitigate areas of risk. Using a phased approach, the toolkit ensures you prioritise those contracts most impacted, taking into account key factors such as workforce, lead times, grants and currency considerations.