Highland Council seek staff views on efficiencies

The Highland Council is asking staff for ideas on how the council can be more efficient and how income could be generated. The Redesign Board is seeking views on how to adapt to the changing needs in our communities and to do this with less public funding.

The Council is using a new online digital dialogue tool to gather ideas. Staff can suggest ideas and people can vote on the ideas if they think they are worthwhile.

The questions posed are “How can the council save money and raise income?” and “What ideas do you have for running business more efficiently? Where can we remove waste in time and money?”

Chair of the Redesign Board, Councillor Isobel McCallum said: “We recognise that staff are experts in their own fields of service and are valuable sources of information and ideas when considering change and new ways of delivering those services. We recognise too that staff are also service users. We hope that with their in-depth knowledge and insight, they can help us identify what we can do to make the Council more efficient and where we could generate more income. The Board will take this information into account when making decisions.”

John Gibson (Unison) Staff-side representative on the Redesign Board welcomed the decision: “People who work for Highland Council have chosen to work for the council and to live and work in their communities. The best people to give advice on how to improve services and make them more efficient are the people who deliver them.”

The Council will also soon use this digital tool as one of the methods to consult members of the public on budget savings.

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