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Forget iris and fingerprint scans, scanning noses could be a quicker and easier way to verify a person’s identity, according to scientists at the University of Bath. With worries about illegal immigration and identity theft, authorities are increasingly looking to using an individual’s physical characteristics, known as biometrics, to confirm their identity.
Unlike other facial features used for biometrics, such as eyes or ears, noses are difficult to conceal and also aren’t changed much by facial expression.
Dr Adrian Evans and Adrian Moorhouse, from the University’s Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, decided to investigate whether images of people’s noses could be used to recognise individuals.
They used a photographic system called PhotoFace, developed by researchers at the University of the West of England in Bristol, to scan the 3D shape of volunteers’ noses and used computer software to analyse them according to six main nose shapes: Roman, Greek, Nubian, Hawk, Snub and Turn-up.
Instead of using the whole shape of the nose, the researchers used three characteristics in their analysis: the ridge profile, the nose tip, and the nasion or section between the eyes at the top of the nose.
They combined the curvature of the ridge with the ratios of the tip and nasion widths and ridge length. This combined ratio was then used to distinguish between a database of 36 people.
Whilst the researchers used a relatively small sample, they found that nose scanning showed good potential for use as a biometric, with a good recognition rate and a faster rate of image processing than with conventional biometric techniques such as whole face recognition.
Dr Evans said: -Noses are prominent facial features, and yet their use as a biometric has been largely unexplored. We wanted to find out how good they could be at recognising individuals from a database.
There’s no one magic biometric – irises are a powerful biometric, but can be difficult to capture accurately and can easily be obscured by eyelids or glasses.
-Noses, however, are much easier to photograph and are harder to conceal, so a system that recognises noses would work better with an uncooperative subject or for covert surveillance.
-We’ve only tried this on a small sample of people, but the technique certainly shows potential, perhaps to be used in combination with other identification techniques.
Professor Melvyn Smith led the team at the University of the West of England (UWE) who developed the PhotoFace system.
He said: -This collaborative project with Bath is very exciting work with great potential. PhotoFace is an innovative 3D face data capture system developed as part of an EPSRC funded project involving UWE, Imperial College, the Home Office (Scientific Development Branch) and General Dynamics Ltd.
“It works by taking photos lit by a flash from several different angles so that four images are taken in very rapid succession of every point on the face, each under different controlled lighting conditions.
-The technique is known as photometric stereo and UWE’s Machine Vision Laboratory is one of only three UK centres with expertise in this area. The software then works out the colour, surface orientation and depth of each point on the face by analysing the shading within each of the photos.
“The technique is able to achieve a level of detail that is beyond current competing technologies and can be extended to a myriad of other applications, ranging from industrial surface inspection to cosmetics.”
The researchers plan in the future to build up a larger database of noses to test and refine the software to see if it can pick out individuals from a larger group of people, or distinguish between relatives from the same family.
A woman who sparked a rape investigation after claiming to have been attacked by two men has been sentenced. Sarah Wood, of Romford Close, Oldham, admitted perverting the course of justice at an earlier hearing.
Today, Friday 26 March 2010, she was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for 12-months at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Shortly after 2am on 7 March 2009, Wood contacted police stating two men had raped her near Emmott Way a short time earlier as she walked home following a night out in Oldham.
When GMP receives a report of rape a team of highly trained detectives are sent to investigate. The victim receives support from specially trained officers who offer help and assistance through the entire criminal investigation and beyond.
The victim is also offered the specialist services offered at St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Rape Crisis, Survivors Trust, the Victim Support and Witness Service and Manchester Action on Street Health (M.A.S.H).
Wood however maintained her account during both a video interview with Police officers and a subsequent attendance at St Mary’s Hospital, utilising both their medical and counselling services.
The subsequent investigation disproved her account of what happened. She continued to lie to police and only admitted the offence following legal advice.
Detective Sergeant Jason Byrne, from the Sexual Offences Unit at Oldham, said: “Wood repeatedly lied to police, prompting a full and thorough investigation at considerable expense.
“A number of officers spent many hours on this investigation when they could have been better served out in our communities and she has also wasted valuable resources at St Mary’s.
“To lie about something as serious as being raped really undermines the awful experiences of genuine victims.
“I want to stress that we treat all reports of rape extremely seriously and I would hope Wood’s foolish and reckless actions do not discourage genuine victims from coming forward.”
Robert Napier, Chairman of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), visited Merseyside this week to see the positive impact the Agency’s investment is having in the area and to assess what still needs to be done.
He was joined by a number of key partners during the visit, which took in the Anfield/Breckfield area of Liverpool. His first stop was to look at the area directly around the Liverpool Football Club stadium followed by an extensive tour of the adjacent Streets. The party then moved on to see the completed works at the Rockfield project and saw the proposed school site at Adam/Davy Street.
Robert then went on to visit Birkenhead, seeing several ongoing schemes, including the Group Repair at Craven and Paterson Street, as well as being shown the extent of the problem of derelict housing in the area. Finally, he visited the Castlefields regeneration project in Runcorn, looking at new housing, the village square local centre and a subway art gallery project.
The Housing Market Renewal programme for Merseyside is managed by NewHeartlands. It works with local councils and the HCA to allocate funding to projects in some of the sub region’s most deprived communities.
Robert Napier, Chairman of the HCA, said: -There is no doubt that HCA funding is starting to have a real impact in Merseyside. I was particularly pleased to get such positive feedback from residents who are feeling the benefit from the improvements that we, along with our partners, are bringing about. That said, there is no denying that there is still an awful lot to do in the area; my visit has put that firmly in perspective. I was keen to get the chance to speak to residents at Anfield as we are very much aiming to bring about changes for people. With our partners, we must continue to rebuild communities and tackle related issues such as poor landlords, crime and antisocial behaviour.
Brendan Nevin, Managing Director of NewHeartlands said, -We were delighted to welcome Robert Napier to the Pathfinder so that he could witness not only the vast improvements that are being made across our HMR areas but also the level of regeneration still needed in order to revitalise these neighbourhoods to make them sustainable for future generations.
Wirral Councillor and NewHeartlands Board Member George Davies said, -A key part of the visit for us was the chance to show the Chairman an area of the Pathfinder which he hadn’t visited before. Birkenhead is an area of high deprivation and we welcomed the opportunity to show Mr. Napier the neighbourhood, how the programme is working on the ground and why the continuation of funding is needed to complete the programme.
Cath Green, Executive Director Community Services at Liverpool City Council, said, -Residents from Anfield Breckfield appreciated the opportunity to speak directly to Robert Napier about the plans for their area and their hopes for a New Anfield.
Chief Executive of Halton Borough Council, David Parr, said: -This visit was an excellent opportunity to showcase Castlefields and what partnership working can deliver on the ground.
-Castlefields has seen a real transformation in recent years, with new homes and facilities already delivered and more investment planned, to improve the quality of life for residents.
Social media has taken the world by storm. More specifically, Twitter, with its simplicity and powerful outreach, has rapidly grown in popularity and usage. With the general election looming and public sector budgets tighter than ever, Adrian Moss, head of Web 2.0 at Parity, discusses the benefits of social media and how new communication mediums can be used effectively to engage voters, disseminate information and create an affinity with communities further and wider than previously possible.
Keeping in touch with people and learning what they are up to, where and when, are all natural human instincts. Social media allows Internet users to do this with ease. Some people treat this means of connectivity as a numbers game; the more ‘followers’ or ‘friends’ the better, whereas for others it is the quality of the contacts and the kind of information those people share that is most important. Personally, I am not interested in who had what for breakfast. I’d rather receive warnings about problems on the trains, driving conditions, or the latest news on topics I care about. Furthermore, using social media platforms for advice provides great insight, and fast. Asking a question to your followers with a quick ‘tweet’ for example, can provide a response within minutes, rather than hours or days, as can be the case with email. Instant feedback can be garnered from dozens of sources from just a single tweet; a great ‘return on investment’, bearing in mind this is all free of charge.
Twitter and Facebook continue to be the subject of media frenzy, further heightened by high-profile public figures adopting the platforms and engaging with communities directly. And now brands are really starting to embrace social media platforms too. IBM’s twitter feed has 14,000 followers, and the company’s management encourage staff to share details of their work, interests and activities. This activity results in a lot of people hearing about really interesting developments at IBM, generating positive PR and marketing sway. It also adds customer group interaction – all via the same portal, with zero traditional marketing budget cost. It additionally gives the brand a cheap and powerful conversational tool to contact users in the public arena.
As well as the likes of Twitter, statistics released in December 2009 revealed Facebook’s membership has reached over 400 million. These stats, coupled with mass adoption of Twitter, illustrate precisely why political parties are now looking to social media channels as avenues to promote policies and promises to current and future voters.
The Labour Party recently launched a social media drive in the run-up to the imminent general election, with what’s been dubbed the “first word-of-mouth husting. Twitter and online video postings are core to this campaign, allowing the party to deliver daily online video messages from senior campaign politicians and gain real-time feedback directly from the public. It is reassuring to hear that the organisers for this outreach have undergone new media training, to ensure this is handled appropriately. The Labour election coordinator, Douglas Alexander MP, commented on the use of social media, saying: “It’s at the school gate, in the workplace, on the doorstep and on social networking sites, where people talk to one another, that this election will be won.”
The delivery of videos as part of the Labour social media or ‘SocMed’ campaign is a powerful and personal platform for potential MPs to consult and engage with people, giving a more personal and direct feel than written text. YouTube users are another key social community – one that includes visitors of all ages and backgrounds that has been used very successfully in the past by leading brands to enhance relations with the public. Top viral videos have seen hundreds of millions of ‘hits’ online, delivering messages direct from the horse’s mouth.
We see more users in the Government and public sector emerging every week. From only a handful of MPs using Twitter twelve months ago, there are now well over one hundred, and the number is growing rapidly.
Councils who run active Twitter accounts used them in the recent snowy weather to warn the public of poor road conditions as well as roads and school closures, and interruptions to refuse collections. This information was also available on their websites, but Twitter feeds allow them to actively push the message and respective URLs out to the wider community. This is where the real power of social media lies: giving people access to communities. In the US, authorities are actively using Twitter to help ‘fast track’ information and updates on emergencies, public health and safety alerts and we can expect the UK to follow suit.
Socitm have just released a report on councils use of Twitter over the recent snowy weather called Twitter Gritter
(www.socitm.net/news/article26/twitter_gritters_new_briefing_shows_how_councils
_are_using_the_web_and_social_media_to_help_manage_local_emergencies) that shows the practical value of Twitter as a news gathering and distribution tool. Also, Peter Horrocks, the BBC’s Head of Global News recently highlighted the critical value of social networking sites as both a source of breaking news and platform of collaboration to investigate and develop the story and said to their journalists, “I’m afraid you’re not doing your job if you can’t do those things. It’s not discretionary.”
From the offset, managing a Twitter account can seem a lengthy and time-consuming task, when in fact a tweet takes just a few seconds to deliver. At 140 characters it is just a sentence or two. Followers can from here consume that message where and when they deem fit, as well as ‘retweeting’ messages, escalating the potential audiences that can be reached. Government and public sector organisations will soon start using it as a way to share important information and direct the public to points of reference online, be that their own website, or other noteworthy outlets. Additionally, it gives figureheads the chance to voice their feelings on a matter, which is increasingly seen as a more genuine and trusted source, without the manipulation or mediation of press or PRs. Tweeting opens up the dialogue to members of the public, and political parties must remember that many ‘floating’ or ‘undecided’ voters are online, so this could be their chance to swing that crucial vote.
A valid example to highlight is President Obama’s White House campaign. He took the time to participate in approximately 15 social media networking sites during the Presidential race. This demonstrates how important it is nowadays to use all possible tools to help engage with communities, that in many cases outstretch that of traditional communication mechanisms. Some networks have a different profile based upon areas of interest, age and even geographic location. It is critical that social networks are seen as being part of the overall communications strategy, used in conjunction with traditional comms. Forums, wikis, social networking, blogging, micro-blogging, audio podcasts and video clips all have a role to play. Further, these tools exist that allow people to interlink various platforms. For example, if a senior figure at a local authority were to share a tweet, they can then, if appropriate, post the same message to LinkedIn and Facebook accounts and really maximise the number of people that the message reaches.
The recent launch of Data.gov.uk also recognises that UK authorities are taking online delivery seriously, as another key part of the e-transformational agenda for delivering enhanced services for citizens via the web. With any luck, this in turn could help the government and public sector bodies engage with wider audiences that would usually be missed or under-serviced by local and central government, as well as creating a more dynamic, two-way dialogue. If recent statistics from Socitm are a true representation, then there is however, a great risk that large parts of local and central Government will miss these opportunities, as over 60 per cent ban the use of social media tools from their offices.
For a nation that now craves immediate access to information and a quick return on queries, it is essential that authorities nationwide embrace social media techniques. This will reflect our culture in dynamically sharing conversation and data, and taxpayers will be pleased to hear that it makes for a cheaper form of delivery, meaning funds can be put into other areas.
@Dos and don’ts:
Don’t hope it will go away social networking is here to stay (for the immediate future in any case). Social networking fills strong human needs to communicate and develop relationships with others. It also provides a platform for communities of interest to grow.
Do utilise employees’ existing skill sets for social media activities. You will already have within your organisation people who use these tools in their private lives. Leverage that internal experience to help others.
Do review all the functions and responsibilities of running an effective social media campaign, so your organisation or body can engage with the most appropriate members of the public to inform or be informed by.
Do be selective in the outlets you opt for as part of a social media campaign. One size does not fit all and Government and public sector organisations should not use all outlets for the sake of doing so. Evaluate which platforms will allow the organisation to communicate messages most effectively to specific target audiences.
Do use social media integrated alongside traditional marketing and PR activities, rather than necessarily using it as a replacement or some sort of special project. Social media should be a complementary effort for most and used in an effort to assist the delivery of wider messages. It should further open up the opportunity to converse with the public; some people will take longer to use this as their way to access information.
Do set targets and monitor results and Return on Investment (ROI) This could be the total number of ‘followers’ or ‘friends’, number of re-tweets or mentions, visits to a promoted web site page or microsite, it could be numbers of comments or downloads of a report. Remember with social media it is the ‘Word of Mouse’ that is the real value for ROI. The passing of information around the online community without additional effort from you.
Don’t be scared to start internally. Some of the best social media initiatives have been tested internally to obtain the best practice for an organisation. It allows users to understand the logistical mechanisms and decide which sites and platforms suit wider strategies, as well as the ultimate aim of such a campaign.
Don’t leave it to one person to manage. Social media is useful for anyone who has a need to communicate with or listen to an external person or organisation. Leaving the responsibility on one person or department is failing to see the value of open and honest dialogue.
Do use as an effective customer service tool. Social media offers the chance for opinions to be thrown into the public domain, but if acted upon speedily and effectively, citizens can be assisted and a quality service can be openly delivered. A problem can be rectified before it becomes a major issue.
Do issue simple and clear guidelines on employee use of social media within a working environment and integrate into your HR policies. Social media is like any other ‘business tool’ such as a company car, phone or computer – it can be abused or misused. What is different is the public nature of the ‘conversation’.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is to write to the police forces with the most disproportionate use of stop and search tactics to raise its concerns over possible breaches of the Race Relations Act. The Commission today published a comprehensive review into the use of stop and search across England and Wales, which concludes that a number of forces are using the tactics in a way that is disproportionate and possibly discriminatory.
The review into 42 policing areas during the past five years has found that few police forces have made improvements and most continue to use their stop and search powers disproportionately against black and Asian people. In fact, some police forces have actually increased their use of stop and search against ethnic minorities (see bottom of release for stats for each police area).
Nationally, black people are still stopped and searched at least six times the rate of white people. Asian people are about twice as likely to be stopped and searched as white people. The evidence suggests racial stereotyping and discrimination are significant factors behind the higher rates of stops and searches for black and Asian people than white people.
The Commission’s research reveals that some of the police forces with the most disproportionate use of stop and search powers against black people were Dorset, Hampshire, Leicestershire and Wandsworth. In Hampshire, the ratio increased dramatically in 2007/08 (see attached table).
However, the report found evidence from some police forces that fairer use of stop and search powers can go hand in hand with crime reduction and increased public confidence in the police.
For example, a Practice Oriented Package initiative introduced in Stoke on Trent, which sets out best practice in stop and search, has resulted in the disproportionality ratio in Stoke dropping to 1.5 when comparing black stops and searches to white.
The results of the Stop and Think Report were supported by an independent study produced for the Commission and also launched today. It examined how much control was influenced by the police on the ethnic composition of young people entering the youth justice system. The researchers found that black and ethnic minority youths were over-represented in the criminal justice system. This over-representation started at the point of entry into the system, and largely continued as young suspects and defendants passed through it.
The report, Differential treatment in the youth justice system (3) argues that an adversarial style of policing risks creating animosity and distrust towards the police, especially amongst youths from ethnic minorities. It says that when police forces adopt a professional ‘rule of law’ approach, the result is fewer arrests of black and mixed race youths and improved relationships with their community. Researchers found that officers were also more likely to give white youths more lenient reprimands or fines, while black and mixed race youths were more likely to be charged with crimes. This was the case even when the alleged crimes and the individuals’ criminal histories were similar.
The Commission’s Stop and Think report uses data from the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the Office for National Statistics, to analyse trends in stop and search use around the country.
Across England and Wales there were 22 stops and searches per 1,000 people in 2007/08. Breaking this down for the different ethnic groups it reveals that the black population had the highest rate of stop and search at over 110 per 1,000; the rate for Asian people was over 30 per 1,000, and it was 17 per 1,000 for white people.
If black people were stopped and searched at the same rate as white people in 2007/2008, there would have be around 25,000 stops and searches of black people. Instead, there were over 170,000.
Other findings include:
Some of the highest Asian/white disproportionate rates during the past five years were seen in the West Midlands, Thames Valley, West Mercia and South Yorkshire.
The biggest impact in terms of numbers of ‘excess’ stops and searches is seen in London where the stop and search rate is highest and where a high percentage of the black and Asian population lives.
Outside London, large excesses are also seen in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Thames Valley for black stops and searches and in the West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Thames Valley for Asian stops and searches.
The Commission concludes that a National Policing Improvement Agency initiative due for roll-out in 2010 which aims to address the disproportionate use of stop and search tactics, needs to be rigorously implemented and monitored, if it is to be effective.
Commissioner Simon Woolley from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: -It is time that we saw real improvement in these statistics. It is not enough for the police simply to launch new initiatives if those initiatives don’t produce results.
-There is little evidence to suggest that targeting black people disproportionately with stop and search powers reduces crime. In fact, this report shows evidence that police forces, like Staffordshire and Cleveland, which have used fairer stop and search tactics have not only seen reductions in crimes rates in line with overall trends, but have also increased public confidence in the police.
-It is unrealistic and unhelpful to demand that policing should be perfect. However, police services should strive to work fairly and effectively while respecting basic human rights and discrimination law. Only then can they be said to be ‘good enough’.
-The Commission will be looking closely at this research and will be writing to police forces with the most concerning statistics to gain a better understanding of how they are meeting their obligations under the Race Relations Act. We cannot rule out taking legal action against some police forces.”
Lesley Strathie, Permanent Secretary at HMRC, responded to the recent review from the Cabinet Office with a spirited defence of her leadership team and the changes they have already made to improve processes and structures within the organisation.
Of course, it’s a fair recognition that the right efforts have been made by those who will further drive her vision going forward.
Staff within HMRC are well known for their tenacity and passion to do a great job. However, despite all the change that the organisation has undergone over the last few years, only 11% of staff feel that change has been well-managed and that this is ‘preventing the department from building a unifying culture which inspires pride and passion’.
The key to successful change is usually to be found in engaging key operational staff, then motivating them to drive the whole process forward quickly and effectively.
This in turn requires a clear view, not just of the strategic goals but also a comprehensively-thought-through model for the entire new organisation, which encompasses vision, strategic performance measures, organisational structures, new projects and business-as-usual activities, together with the right combination of skills, competencies and behaviours needed by all staff.
More important than any of these areas individually is the need to demonstrate clear alignment between all of them. Research shows that organisations that do not seek this rarely achieve their performance goals; whereas those that do, often achieve 200%+ of their targets. As Ms Strathie recognised in a recent article, top-down and bottom-up alignment are vital to the future success of the organisation.
If HMRC staff understand the organisation’s goals at strategic and operational level, they will also understand how their own job contributes to those goals, and they are likely to be well-motivated and strive even harder to achieve their own targets.
The Cabinet Office Review suggested that morale has been low and that at least one layer of management remains more likely to be focused on building the profile of their own area than looking out across the silos as a system that would benefit the Department as a whole. This is unlikely to change, however, until they feel that their advancement is clearly linked to HMRC’s overall success. Ms Strathie’s comments suggest that this will be one of the first areas to which she will turn her attention.
The answer for HMRC lies in governance, leadership and culture harnessing the passion and work ethic of the majority of staff and persuading those who currently see no need for change. The kind of detailed alignment model, mentioned earlier, is at the heart of such a programme but time to implement it fully is limited, given the proximity of the General Election which tends to change everyone’s priorities.
For HMRC, the challenges have never been greater nor the public scrutiny so intense. The Cabinet Office Review makes it clear that internal change is required: in Ms Strathie at least it seems they have found the right leader at the right time to meet those challenges.
Chris Mills is a Partner at PIPC, a global management consultancy. www.pipc.com
There has never been a time when leaders, managers and businesspeople have not sought and obtained advice from external experts. Modern capitalism and the development of a welfare state increased this requirement for additional support.
In recent years, organisations have grown even more complex, technology has developed at unprecedented pace, and citizens have demanded that their governments deliver higher standards of public services but accompany this with lower taxes. The use of outside consultancy services has expanded significantly as a result. Today’s UK-based management consultancies earn fees each year of around £9bn.
This should not be a surprise. We know that it would be uneconomic and probably impossible for organisations to recruit and retain all the knowledge and expertise that they need in order to stay efficient and up-to-date. There are what the economists call ‘economies of knowledge’ available via the consulting industry and other outside sources; making use of them makes economic sense.
This thinking applies in the public sector as well. Recent transformations and waves of modernisation mean that it, too, is now very much alive to the important role of consultancy, often wanting to draw on the best thinking and practice from the private sector. The past decade saw a significant growth in the sector’s use of consulting, fuelled by the need to bring more services online, to deliver greater efficiencies from the use of IT, to update and reform management and organisational structures and to deliver complex government programmes.
It is striking however that, while there has been plenty of analysis and probing of the cost of management consultancy particularly in the public sector there has been relatively little discussion of the value that it generates. Clients are traditionally either reluctant or unable to quantify the benefits of working with consultants, and many consultancies have assumed that, since their services continue to be used, they must be fully appreciated and understood. The public conversation about consulting is unbalanced and distorted as a result.
The MCA (Management Consultancies Association) is seeking to address this gap. A pioneering piece of research, guided by a working group drawn from consultancies together with Tim Morris from Oxford University, suggests that the value of consulting projects is equivalent, on average, to around six times the fees paid. We don’t claim that this is the final word on the subject; it is, however, the strongest indication yet of the scale of return on investment that clients can expect from their use of consultants.
Our research began by collating the results of the largest ever survey of client satisfaction, analysing data from more than 1,800 projects. Firms submitted complete sets of data, enabling us to draw reliable conclusions.
In total, 58% of clients reported that they were ‘very satisfied’ with the work of their consultants; a further 41% said that they were ‘satisfied’. If anything, levels of satisfaction have improved in recent years, suggesting that consultants are learning from past mistakes and are attentive to the need to deliver an improving level of service.
We then conducted 30 in-depth interviews with clients and asked them about their experience of working with consultancies. Using our own model and framework, it is clear from this part of the research that consultants add value in three main ways:
they provide specialist knowledge that helps clients take better decisions
their experience in delivering projects helps clients to achieve their objectives more effectively and efficiently
the skills of individual consultants improve the capability and team work of managers in client organisations
We discovered that clients are happy, in this context, to judge the value that they attribute to the contribution of their consultants. To help our understanding, we asked them whether this was less than their fees, around the same as their fees or a multiple of their fees.
Very satisfied clients reported that the value of consulting ranges from around twice up to twenty times the cost, with most groups around multiples of eight to twelve. Assuming an average of ten times the fees paid, and taking account of other projects where value is equivalent to price (the ‘satisfied’ group of clients), this suggests that the benefits provided by consultancies are equivalent in value to around £56bn to UK clients, a return of £6 for every £1 spent.
These findings are certainly not comprehensive. But the methodology is robust and objective. And the results have major implications for how decision-makers view their use of consulting.
In this context, for instance, it makes little sense to set a ‘consulting budget’ for a government department or local authority without a full analysis of that organisation’s needs and the opportunities that may be lost as a result of under-investment. No decisions should be taken – by politicians or anyone else without a full analysis of the risks involved particularly at a time when the whole sector is looking for ways of saving money and reducing the public sector deficit.
At the same time, it is clear that consultancies must work even harder to increase the proportion of clients who are ‘very satisfied’ with their work and who therefore see this healthy return on their spending. A focus on value as well as price, and benefits as well as cost, will help both consultancies and their clients to deliver the best possible outcomes.
Living up to its reputation as a specialist in the field of leadership and learning development, pearcemayfield, has launched an audio series on the 2009 edition of project management method PRINCE2.
PRINCE2, which stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments, is recognised as the de facto process based method for effective project management, widely used by the UK Government and the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. It was first launched in 1996 but since then the content has been regularly updated and refreshed to make sure it is in harmony with the way people are actually handling projects in the real world.
pearcemayfield was the only training organisation involved in the authoring of the most recent update of PRINCE2, launched in the summer of 2009 – when John Edmonds, head of training, joined the authoring team. Managing Director Patrick Mayfield was involved in the original version of PRINCE2 in 1996 – more than qualifying the company to give an insight into the latest version.
John Edmonds explains: -The audio guide is aimed primarily at registered PRINCE2 Practitioners who are about to refresh their qualification through a re-registration examination. However, people new to PRINCE2 will also find this series an invaluable introduction.
-Many projects are cross functional and can involve people from different parts of an organisation, who speak a different language. Projects have an air of uncertainty which has to be managed and PRINCE2 provides that control.”
There are sixteen episodes in the series full of insights and examples. For more information visit www.pearcemayfield.com/audio/ and download two free podcasts which talk about the importance of projects in the fast moving workplace of the 21st century.
Public Health Wales, established as a new NHS Trust in October 2009, was set up to provide professionally independent public health advice and services to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Wales.1
The relatively poor health status of the Welsh population was highlighted in the Chief Medical Officer’s Health Status Wales Report in 20052, which noted that:
mortality rates in Wales are among the worst in Western Europe;
death rates from heart disease in Wales, and the UK, are substantially higher than in many western European countries;
Wales has amongst the highest rates of cancer registrations in Western Europe;
Consistently poor health persists in the South Wales valleys – in 2000-2002 death rates in Merthyr Tydfil (one of the most deprived communities in Wales) were almost 50% higher than in Ceredigion (one of the least deprived);
Wales has a much higher percentage of people reporting a long term limiting illness than in England – with the highest levels in the South Wales valleys;
mortality rates from cancers are worse in Wales than in England and Northern Ireland, although better than in Scotland;
in the 2001 Census, the percentage in Wales reporting that their health was not good was 12%, compared to 9% for England, and all Welsh local authorities had rates above the English average.
In June 2009, Mrs Edwina Hart AM, the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services, announced the establishment of Public Health Wales to the National Assembly, following consultation on the Welsh Assembly Government paper on the unification of public health services in Wales. This statement included the following announcements1:
The establishment, in shadow form from 1 August and fully operational from 1 October, of a new Trust to be known as Public Health Wales
The incorporation in Public Health Wales of the functions and services provided by the National Public Health Service for Wales, the Wales Centre for Health, the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, the Congenital Anomalies Register and Information Service, and Screening Services Wales
The appointment of Professor Sir Mansel Aylward CB as Chair of Public Health Wales (and Chair Designate with immediate effect) following a public appointments process
The Board of Public Health Wales will comprise seven non-executive directors and five executive directors
The non-executive directors will have experience of local government, trade unions, the third sector and Welsh universities. There will also be two independent non-executive directors
Of the five executive directors, there will be a Chief Executive, a Director of Finance and the roles of the other three will be at the discretion of the Board
The new Director of Public Health posts will be employed by the Health Boards and will be an integral part of the public health system
Mrs Hart stated: -Public Health Wales will build upon the success of its constituent services and will provide the national resources for effective delivery of public health services at national, local and community level.
Public Health Wales, formally launched on February 1 2010, has four statutory functions:
To provide and manage a range of public health, health protection, healthcare improvement, health advisory, child protection and microbiological laboratory services and services relating to the surveillance, prevention and control of communicable diseases;
To develop and maintain arrangements for making information about matters related to the protection and improvement of health in Wales available to the public; to undertake and commission research into such matters and to contribute to the provision and development of training in such matters;
To undertake the systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of information about the health of the people of Wales in particular including cancer incidence, mortality and survival; and prevalence of congenital anomalies; and
To provide, manage, monitor, evaluate and conduct research into screening of health conditions and screening of health related matters.
As an integrated public health organisation, Public Health Wales is in good position to help tackle the serious public health issues in the Principality, working in close partnership with Health Boards, other statutory and voluntary organisations, and the communities of Wales.
References
1. howis.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/888/, last accessed 1 March 2010.
2. www.wales.nhs.uk/documents/health-status-wales-e.pdf
This week there is a very real chance that Egon Von Bulow, who shot dead Surrey Constabulary’s PC John Schofield in 1974 and shot and injured two of his colleagues, may be released, as he has been cleared for release by the parole board.
Reacting to this news, Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, says:
Together with colleagues across the country we are absolutely horrified that Von Bulow is likely to be released from prison. PC Schofield was brutally slain by this monster who then attempted to murder the officer’s two colleagues, Sergeant Harley Findlay and Constable Ray Fullalove. Von Bulow was jailed for life three times over in 1975 and that should mean he spends the rest of his days behind bars.
It was not that long ago when the murderer of a police officer would have faced the death penalty. When the death penalty was abolished we were assured that anyone convicted of murdering a police officer would spend their life in prison. But if the criminal justice system can consider releasing someone as vile, vicious and unrepentant as Von Bulow then they will consider releasing anyone, and it makes a complete mockery of our justice system.
For a sense of justice, for the families and friends of PC Schofield and to ensure we send a message loud and clear to anyone holding a gun or knife when confronted by a police officer, Von Bulow must not be released and must stay imprisoned for the rest of his life.
We have received another report of mysterious low flying black aircraft, we reported other instances of these in the past, another was spotted yesterday near the Huddersfield on the Yorkshire and Lancashire border. It was described as being the size of a jumbo jet, matt black and hugging the hills at around one hundred feet from the ground.
One eye witness, who doesn’t want to be named, said she was convinced it was about to crash and pulled over on the hard shoulder of the motorway. She descibed it as a huge black craft, ” it was flying so low, much lower than i’m sure any aircraft would be allowed to fly, it was only feet above the hills and terrain, i was convinced it was about to crash, it wasn’t grey or green but pure matt black all over with no markings. It was totally weird.”
“It was a bright sunny day with clear blue sky and this should have made the colour more obvious but it was just pure black all over, i’m sure even the military are not allowed to fly that low over a populated area”.
A similar craft described as matt black and looking very much like a large cruise missile around the same area was spotted 12 months ago, Manchester air traffic control reported nothing on radar for that area.
If you have seen anything similar please contact our news section.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority has today (March 5) welcomed the end to the industrial dispute over work hours. Chairman Cllr Jim Andrews says the Fire Authority is now looking forward to working with the management, unions and workforce to maintain and build on the -professional first class service provided to communities across South Yorkshire.
He said: -In situations like this there are always lessons to be learnt. Rest assured the Fire Authority will work with all interested parties to ensure the challenges we face in the future are tackled together.
-We will continue to take into account the views of those who work within the Fire Service and most importantly those whom we serve, the members of public in South Yorkshire.
Cllr Andrews added: -All future public service funding will face dramatic cuts over the coming years and the county’s Fire Service will not be exempt from this position. The Authority is now working hard to look into how savings can be made to cope with this change, without affecting services to the public.
The move to an 11 hour day and 13 hour night shift pattern will enable additional safety critical training to be delivered to firefighters and provide capacity for greater community fire safety work to take place across the county.
In a country that boasts some seven hundred listed learned and professional societies, including over thirty bearing the prefix ‘Royal’, it is not likely to excite the attention of the general readership to learn that there is such a society committed to antiquarian clocks. However, it may well come as something of a surprise for them to know that there is an organisation in the United Kingdom that is devoted to the study of sundials, namely the British Sundial Society. It may be even more of a surprise to find that, to date, there are eighteen established national sundial societies, scattered around the globe, including one in Japan, as well as a fledgling organisation in New Zealand and embryo societies in Hungary, Pakistan and Poland.
How then can there be so much interest in what most people think of as a somewhat rare; but rather dull garden ornament, namely the common or garden horizontal sundial, mounted on a stone pedestal, situated on the lawn of a stately home? This instrument comprises a horizontal brass or bronze plate, delineated with hour-lines and engraved with numerals, featuring a perpendicular triangular device with a sloping edge, aligned with the polar axis of the earth, the shadow of which indicates the time. So, perhaps the answer lies in the history of this fascinating scientific instrument, the purpose of which was to regulate the household clocks and watches of the owner, and in the fact that there are many different classes and forms of sundial. These fall into two main categories, either fixed or portable. The latter are those which, nowadays, are to be found in the collections of museums and private individuals, which were once carried by travellers on their journeys from place to place, even at sea and around the world. The former are those which may be placed on a building, or a pillar, set up on a pedestal, or laid out on the ground.
The origins of the sundial go far back into antiquity; but the earliest to be found in Britain date from Saxon times, although evidence suggests that they were brought to this country by the Romans. These dials were of the vertical kind, finely sculptured and carved, although they were far from being precise and few examples remain extant today. Their function was principally religious, to determine the times of church services, as laid down by canon law. In the so-called ‘dark ages’ of the mediaeval period, this form of sundial degenerated into the rather crudely incised ‘scratch’ dial or mass dial, to be found on many historic churches scattered about the country. However, probably at sometime in the late 15th century, sundials of a more accurate nature were introduced into England. These had their origins in the scientific discoveries and inventions of outstanding Arabic astronomers, whereby the indicator or gnomon of the dial was inclined parallel to the polar axis of the earth, thus indicating equal hours, in the system which is in use throughout the world today.
In the reign of King Henry VIII, the so-called Art of Dialling, that is to say the design and construction of sundials, had taken root and was beginning to grow into a flourishing scientific art. At the suggestion of Sir Thomas Moore, Henry invited Nicholas Kratzer, the Bavarian diallist, to his court and appointed him to be the King’s Horologer. Kratzer was no doubt responsible for introducing multiple sundials into England, such sundials incorporating a surprisingly large number of smaller component dials in one large ornate edifice. Henry himself had a vertical sundial placed on the south-facing wall of Nonsuch Palace, as well as ordering some twenty of more horizontal sundials for his garden at Hampton Court! Sundials became fashionable, as well as having the practical function of indicating the time in sunny weather. By the late 17th century, this mathematical art had probably reached its zenith, when it was virtually a university subject and when every educated gentleman was expected to have an understanding of this discipline. Apart from those forms of sundial already mentioned
horizontal, vertical and multiple – the other principal classes include equinoctial dials, such as are aligned in the plane of the celestial equator, polar dials, aligned in the plane of the earth’s polar axis, and numerous ancillary groupings. Perhaps the most prolific was the vertical dial, or rather the vertical declining sundial, since most of this class were on walls that were not facing a cardinal point of the compass.
Sundials continued to be used for the purposes of regulating clocks and watches throughout the 18th century. Only in the 19th century, with the advent of the railways and the electric telegraph, did there popularity start to decline; but it was not until the early 20th century that they were finally eclipsed as a useful scientific instrument. Many were allowed to fall into disrepair, particularly vertical dials on walls, although common or garden horizontal sundials still retained their ornamental appeal. Remarkably, however, there was a European renaissance in this science of gnomonics or the mathematical art of dialling, such that, in 1989, the British Sundial Society was founded by a small group of enthusiasts. The Society quickly grew into the established organisation that it is today, with some five-hundred members.
The British Sundial Society welcomes all those who are interested in sundials or related matters, whether as professional sundial designers and makers, mathematicians, artists, sculptors, letter-carvers, amateurs in the field, or those who love the mottoes that are often found on dials. The Society’s objects include the advancement of public education in this scientific art, advising on the restoration of sundials and, mindful of our sundial heritage, the cataloguing of the existing dials throughout the British Isles. In addition to publishing an attractive Bulletin, it organises meetings and a major conference every year, which are interesting, enjoyable and friendly occasions. New members may judge for themselves as to whether our sundial heritage has really been lost!
The full feature will appear in the Spring 2010 edition of GPSJ.
Network Rail’s brand new car park at Birmingham International station has been shortlisted in the best new car park category of the British Car Parking Awards 2010. Up against three other entries, the winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on 12 March.
Jo Kaye, Network Rail’s route director, said: -This facility delivers more than just additional parking spaces. With the innovative architectural design, use of renewable power, a new parking payment system, full CCTV coverage and upgrade to the remaining ground level car parking, this is a state-of-the art parking facility dedicated to the rail users of Birmingham International station.
The six-storey car park was opened in late September last year, nearly four weeks ahead of schedule and provides an additional 835 parking spaces for people using the station. It is managed by Virgin Trains and is just one of 17 new or upgraded facilities being provided by Network Rail at Virgin managed stations on the west coast main line in a £90m project.
Anne Grant, Virgin Trains station manager at Birmingham International said: “The new car park is a much needed and welcomed addition to the station. Our customers tell us that provision of parking facilities is very important to them and now users of Birmingham International have a much needed facility.”
The project was delivered by Network Rail’s infrastructure investments team in Manchester and the work was contracted to Geoffrey Osborne Construction Ltd.
Already well respected as an innovative provider of project and change management training, pearcemayfield has added risk management to its range of training products.
The learning and development specialist company has been accredited through the APM Group to offer the Office of Government Commerce’s (OGC), Management of Risk (MOR) training, which can help an organisation sharpen up its risk management procedures.
pearcemayfield Head of Training, John Edmonds says: -Any project carries an element of risk and effective management can mean the difference between success and failure. That involves training a team, or individual, how to implement an effective framework throughout the lifetime of a project. The beauty of MOR is that it can also be applied outside of projects, both to programmes and to the organisation’s operational and strategic levels.
We are already accredited in PRINCE2, MSP, P3O and Change Management. The addition of MOR strengthens our portfolio.
One of the first organisations to experience pearcemayfield’s unique delivery of risk management training is global logistics company, DHL.
For further information on the range of training solutions from pearcemayfield, visit www.pearcemayfield.com or John’s blog: www.theopsimath.typepad.com
Rising energy costs and increasing awareness of environmental issues have created a growing demand for access to funding for green initiatives. The NHS is UK’s largest public sector emitter of carbon emissions, being responsible for a million tonnes of carbon a year costing an annual £500 million. Alastair Keir, Chief Executive of Salix Finance explains how NHS Trusts can lead by example in the bid to manage their emissions and fund projects.
Numerous legislation and targets such as The Climate Change Act, the Energy Performance in Buildings directive and Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme coming into force in April are putting NHS Trusts under considerable pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. The CRC alone will affect an estimated 180 NHS organisations with strict penalties for those that do not take bold steps to cut their emissions. The NHS Carbon reduction strategy also sets an ambition for the NHS to help drive change towards a low carbon society.
In short, there has been a shift in focus on making CO2 savings, taking it from the fringes into the heart of political and management attention. In this environment, Carbon reduction is now not something that is optional – it is a must.
But with all these tough targets how can NHS organisations translate them into reality, as targets, while essential, don’t bring about change on their own. Without proper management, the pressure to meet them can lead to short-termism and poor decision making, and without ring-fencing, budget cuts be diverted to other areas.
Although long term cost savings are easy to achieve, reducing CO2 emissions often requires targeted, carefully planned up front investment to put the right technology in place and guarantee long term benefits. Often, the simplest of measures can yield the best results such as better insulation or new heating systems, but an assessment should be undertaken to ensure that the most cost effective solution is identified, and implemented.
The government has recognised that setting targets needs to be supplemented with practical support. To assist NHS and other public sector organisations, it has made available interest free funding through Salix Finance to drive such efficiencies. In the last budget a £51.5millon loan fund was announced, building on an existing conditional grant programme that sees every pound invested many times over in energy efficiency schemes, as energy cost savings from one project are reinvested in another. Money is only allocated to projects that can meet sensible energy and cost effectiveness criteria in advance – so money is only saved, never wasted. And rigorous monitoring ensures that the focus is kept on ensuring that projects are completed in full and savings are achieved.
Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey has already taken advantage of the Salix funding. It focused on six key areas: reflective panels behind radiators, boiler replacement, low energy bulbs in residences and in street lighting. It has also replaced the old pumps to the boilers that heat the main building with direct drive pumps with inverters, so that the motors will only work on demand (the old technology meant that the boilers were working all the time and are therefore energy inefficient). This work is projected to achieve an overall saving to the Trust in excess of £300,000. The Trust is currently looking at replacing the fluorescent lighting tubes in corridors and non-clinical areas.
Kwan Cheng, Business and Performance Manager, at Frimley Park says: -The real advantage to the Salix funding was that the money was ring-fenced for energy efficiency initiatives. So any savings made are put back into the pot for more energy-saving projects. The support from Salix is more than just funding though; it offers a resource of expert advice when called upon. Through the regional meetings with other Salix fund holders, we have also been able to share good practice, experience and knowledge from other public sector organisations, which has proved to be invaluable.
The current economic climate means budgets are set to be tight for the foreseeable future and there are real economic benefits from cutting carbon emissions. Investment in properly implemented energy efficiency projects will reap long-term financial dividends that can’t be ignored. The £175 million total Salix Finance funding that is being allocated for energy saving projects will achieve £600 million lifetime cost savings and 3.5m tonnes of carbon savings.
Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust obtained funding from Salix Finance in March 2007 because it needed help with its drive to reduce energy consumption, carbon and costs.
Since then the Trust has increased in size and capacity with the additional building of the north east surgery centre comprising 60 beds, four operating theatres, a breast diagnostics treatment centre, and a 100 bed Jubilee building. Despite these extra facilities, the Trust has seen a 22% fall in consumption of Gas and a 7.5% fall in consumption of electricity.
With Salix funding, the Trust has been able to implement energy saving schemes that otherwise would have been difficult to get off the ground. Salix funding of £120,000 matched by an equivalent amount from the Trust itself has enabled the Trust to fund additional projects including the installation of lighting upgrades, point of use water heaters, zone controls and a steam boiler controller, which will enable total expected lifetime savings of £665,540. Over the lifetime of these technologies at least 5,607 tonnes of CO2 will be saved.
As this is a recycling fund, with the initial Salix investment being reinvested in further efficiency measures, the trust will enjoy savings over a potentially indefinite period.
For further information on how to access interest free funding for energy saving projects visit
www.salixfinance.co.uk
Public sector managers are living in challenging times when it comes to preventing data loss for their organisations. Compliance with security regulations has become a real headache for managers within the NHS, local and central government and other public sector bodies trying to manage their complexity whilst at the time battling with the ever growing pressure to reduce IT spending.
Council IT departments alone are under heavy pressure to reduce costs. The latest SOCITM IT Trends Report forecasts that capital spending will fall by 20 per cent in 2010, with central IT spend falling by eight per cent. This is the largest decrease since Socitm began producing the report in 1986.
But can we really afford to cut corners on data loss prevention? The answer is definitely not. It is now more critical than ever for public sector organisations to focus their attention on data security because not only is it their responsibility to ensure that sensitive information isn’t leaked to the outside world, but they will suffer heavy penalties for not doing so.
New powers, designed to deter personal data security breaches are expected to come into force on 6 April 2010. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will be able to order organisations to pay up to £500,000 as a penalty for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act (DPA). A University Hospital NHS Trust recently found in breach of the DPA would have been given far more than a wrap on the knuckles after April this year, when an unencrypted laptop containing sensitive personal information was stolen from one of its vehicles.
This begs the question, why were so many records downloaded, unencrypted, onto laptops in the first place? Furthermore, since 2008, NHS organisations have been able to procure free encryption, as a result of a directive & bulk purchase of licenses by CfH, the agency responsible for the NHS National Programme for IT. The new Data Protection Act will be a real wake up call for organisations to more carefully examine their IT security strategy and take action.
There is added compliance pressure from other regulations, such as the official IT security standards set by the Government’s Code of Connection (CoCo), the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) which regulates the disclosure of communications data and access to electronic data, and the Freedom of Information Act 2005 which is diametrically opposed to the requirements of CoCo and RIPA.
There can be no shortcuts when it comes to protecting data and it is up to business managers within public sector and private organisations to understand and act on the risks involved rather than delegating the task to the IT department.
One of the major issues when faced with tackling data loss prevention is working out exactly where the data is that you need to protect. This is a huge task for many public sector organisations which have numerous departments with data saved on numerous servers on different types of platforms. Each department may have its own data which is accessed in various ways by office based or mobile workers. Furthermore, the shift towards closer integration and data sharing between public sector services has cast the net of access to data even further beyond the realms of the organisation that originally ‘owned’ the information.
So what steps can be taken to ensure that new and existing compliance is met and a high standard of data loss protection is in place?
1. Security Policy – Critically, a business manager needs to work with the IT department to ensure that there is a security policy in place that outlines the acceptable usage of data in and out of the organisation. There needs to be clear direction for each employee on their level of access to data and the level of usage, for example whether data can be downloaded onto USBs, laptops or whether data can be pasted into an email or accessed out of hours. Communication of the policy should become part of the induction process and most importantly regular workshops need to be held with employees to ensure that the users are educated in a positive way to avoid future transgressions.
2. External threat prevention – It is imperative to make sure that there is adequate malware protection and intrusion detection in place to prevent individuals outside the organisation trying to access any data.
3. Encryption – The security policy needs to enforce encryption if data is copied onto removable devices such as USBs, and CDs, or stored on laptops. Policy should also dictate who within the workforce can be permitted to copy or manipulate information outside of the realms of normal use.
4. Data classification – By discovering what data you have it is then possible to classify it by its content as being highly confidential, confidential or for everyday business use. A consultancy provider can help an organisation to classify their data and discover their data through specialist data discovery tools. Once data has been classified it is easier to apply data loss prevention policies for different types of users.
5. Identity and Access Management – Data security should be closely tied with an identity and access management solution which allows a business manager to set the rules on who has access to what data in the organisation. By setting specific rules, it will manage any changes in the workforce in relation to data access, e.g. if an employee leaves the organisation or changes role.
6. Consolidation – With various types of software and hardware required for effective data loss protection from both external and internal threats, it is often the case that an organisation may need to approach multiple suppliers. It can be more beneficial and cost effective to work with technology solution providers who can provide more objective recommendations and a better understanding of the public sector’s requirements.
Data loss prevention is unquestionable. In the face of compliance, budget cuts and multiple IT systems it can seem like data security is too big a mountain to climb. But by investing some time in your IT security strategy, consulting with technology solution providers who understand your constraints and ensuring that the whole organisation is on board with security policies it is certainly an achievable goal.
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Peter Wenham, who is an IA consultant and the Leader of the Crime & Security Forum of the Communications Management Association (CMA) gives the following tips to tackling data classification.
1. Understand what data you have – by holding well constructed workshops with senior management led by an external consultant experienced in Information Assurance (IA) matters.
2. Find out where the data is – managers of each department need to discuss with their staff where the organisation’s data is located, for example, on file servers, laptops, databases, email, or desktops, with a view to identifying duplications and copies (known or otherwise).
3. Identify the sensitivity of the data – whether it is public, protected, secret or top secret and decide who should have access to it.
4. Set standards across the organisation – by setting standard definitions of roles within the organisation it makes it possible to identify consistently the grading of your workforce and each individual’s access rights to data. For example, some employees may be able to access data, but not edit, others may be given no access at all.
5. Conduct a final gap analysis – to ensure that the new grading system of the workforce matches up with the existing access controls.
6. Work out a plan of action – whereby the IT department could look to tightening up its security strategy and senior management may need to provide a budget to enable the IT department to generate better data access controls.
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It is a worrying fact that the legislation covering eyesight requirements for driving was set in the 1930s, when driving conditions and cars themselves were radically different from today. At present the only prerequisite for any driver, even those who drive in the course of their work, is to be able to read a number-plate at a distance of 20.5 meters. All this is, however, about to change.
New legislation, passed in the EU Parliament in 2006, is set to be introduced to member states in 2011. The current proposal is that holders of commercial licences will have to have their eyes tested every 5 years, and holders of private licences will be tested every 10 to 15 years. Each member state has until 2013 to translate the directive into national law. This could have a big impact on individuals who drive in the course of their work and for their employers both in the Public and Private sectors.
Research* carried out by Specsavers Corporate Eyecare suggests that an update in the law is badly needed. A disturbing majority of 53% of employers said they were worried that some employees may be driving during the course of their work, when their eyesight is not good enough to do so.
It is interesting to discover just how seriously public sector employers and fleet managers take the issue of the eyesight of their driving staff. Most employers (84%) classed it as ‘very important’ that employees who drive during the course of their work have their eyes tested regularly. However, the vast majority of employers (60%) did not have a policy to test the eyesight of these employees. Of those who did have a policy to test their employees’ eyesight, only 13% did so on a regular annual basis.
There also seems to be a discrepancy between what fleet managers think should be the case and what actually happens in the workplace. The research revealed that 60% of employers had their own eyesight tested within the last 12 months but only 13% had a policy to do the same for their staff.
Whilst not every company always welcomes new EU directives, the research shows that nearly all employers (90%), believe legislation should be in place to ensure employees who drive during the course of their work have their eyes tested regularly. For the public sector, this is vitally important; not just because of the sheer numbers of people driving whilst at work but also with respect to the Corporate Manslaughter Act. The 2007 Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act places responsibility for fatal work-related injuries firmly on the shoulders of the employer. The Ministry of Justice states: -Courts will look at management systems and practices across the organisation, providing a more effective means for prosecuting the worst corporate failures to manage health and safety properly.” Essentially, juries will be able to decide if the death was a result of failed company systems. Companies found guilty of Corporate Manslaughter are open to an unlimited fine – something which no Public Sector company can afford to risk.
This, paired with the moral issue of caring for the safety of employees, has led some forward-thinking companies to already provide regular eyesight checks for their staff. Undertaking a full eyeexamination, at least every two years, with a fully qualified optician, can improve the chances of staying safe on the roads. Loss of vision is not always immediately noticeable; a gradual deterioration may not be picked up on by the individual. Similarly, someone with already borderline eyesight can easily slip into the category of vision that is not good enough for driving.
There are two important eyesight tests for those who drive: sight and field-of-view. Sight involves checking the distances over which a person can see. Field-of-view is concerned with their peripheral vision, vital for overtaking, approaching a junction, etc. If either of these is not adequate then driving ability will be seriously impaired.
Equally, full eye examinations are important in relation to general health. Conditions such as glaucoma, diabetes and high blood pressure can be detected during a thorough eye examination, so the benefits of good eyecare are far reaching.
Fleet managers need to take greater responsibility for their drivers’ eyesight. Whilst they would not consider letting a car onto the road without a valid MOT or the right insurance, it makes sense that they also ensure the driver is fit to be behind the wheel. It’s a good idea for this to form part of the HR policy and for regular checks to be made standard.
Far from being an extra expense, introducing eyesight tests can actually save an organisation money. One Hull-based company recently introduced eyesight testing as one of a number of measures in their extended duty-of-care programme and, as a result, their insurance company reduced their proposed premium increase by 9%.
The most important aspect in the safety of a car is arguably the driver. Whilst the government is working to improve safety, and individuals must play their part, it makes financial and moral sense for the employer to take control.
*Research undertaken on behalf of Specsavers Corporate Eyecare by Emedia in April 2008
For a full copy of the findings readers are invited to contact Specsavers Corporate Eyecare on 0115 933 0800 or corporateeyecare@uk.specsavers.com
Carbon emissions represent an increasing and potentially significant cost for private and public organisations. The case that carbon reduction and reporting systems can help organisations make significant reductions in their emissions and costs has been well made but there is a general expectation that UK public sector should be forging ahead and setting an example in meeting mandatory requirements. Yet according to Ram Ramachander, Chief Operating Officer at Greenstone Carbon Management, the public sector risks not meeting its carbon targets as it gets overloaded with bureaucracy and inadequate reporting systems.
Public sector organisations currently has a broad range of reporting requirements from the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (formerly known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment) due to start in April 2010 , the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) targets , and the Government’s own estate carbon neutrality 2012 targets to name but a few and each scheme will require a specific report for each stake holder.
Take the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme for example. The granularity of data required to report against this legislation will mean that public sector bodies will have to capture data at an individual site level on a regular basis, whereas today they may be capturing data at a high level, once a year. The data must also be accurate to ensure that they do not fall foul of the fines associated with inaccurate reporting, or the costs associated with inaccurate forecasting of future allowance requirements. Estimates show that the administrative costs of reporting against legislation could double if not treble over time.
With very little probability of funding for additional administrative resource over the next few years, public sector bodies face having to absorb the reporting burden within the existing teams. This has created a real threat of not meeting their targets. It is becoming clear that the public sector now needs to transition towards a more automated approach to carbon management.
Carbon reporting with the right tools
In the private sector, large global organisations that face growing legislative burdens are migrating from manual and spreadsheet based measurement and data gathering tools and processes to fully integrated Enterprise Carbon Management (ECM) tools. These tools remove a large portion of the data gathering and reporting burden, as well as giving sustainability practitioners the ability to model and manage reduction programmes. It is anticipated that the use of these solutions will increase five fold by 2011.
The larger public sector bodies such as the central Government departments and County Councils have already started examining the possibility of transitioning to such systems. The business case for the implementation of ECM software is very strong. Cost savings can be gained in reduced administration (including future staffing costs for meeting the CRC burden) and improved capabilities and capacity in carbon reduction programmes. In modelling the impact of such a deployment in one large department we were able to demonstrate FTE savings and increased carbon reductions – with a consequent ROI of less than 12 months.
Examples of current carbon emissions targets and associated reporting requirements:
Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) targets, which require the entire central government estate to reduce its carbon emissions by 30% by 2020. This information is reported to the OGC on a quarterly basis.
CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, which requires all eligible public sector bodies to report their energy consumption and associated carbon emissions to the Environment Agency and, in future years, will require the purchase of carbon allowances on an annual basis.
Carbon Budgets to be issued by Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
Government estate carbon neutrality target by 2012
National Indicators 185 and 186 include a wide range of key performance indicators for carbon emissions covering both internal emissions and community wide emissions in local government.
A variety of department specific targets and requirements, for example: the Higher Education Funding Council requires Universities to commit to carbon reductions in their funding applications and the NHS Sustainability Unit drive to encourage Health Authorities to engage in carbon reduction programmes.
Readdressing the balance
In addition to these targets, sustainability teams regularly respond to ministerial and senior civil servant needs on an ad hoc basis. In our experience of working with the sustainability teams, they are highly committed and motivated individuals, focussed on meeting these targets and doing more to become exemplars in sustainability. Instead of spending their valuable time and experience on executing successful reduction programmes the sustainability teams are collecting data, managing complex spreadsheets and generating a broad range of reports to suit the needs of very different stakeholders.
Adopting a Shared Service approach to Enterprise Carbon Accounting
As public sector organisations start to migrate towards automation in this area, they need to consider the opportunity to procure these systems collaboratively as a possible shared service. This will also enable UK public sector to have a consistent way of measuring carbon across its various entities which will allow it to perform meaningful analysis at a macro level and benchmark performance of different organisations. This will give individual organisations the ability to manage and report their carbon as separate entities whilst allowing centralised organisations to receive reports, analyse and benchmark automatically. A shared service approach will meet the complex multiple stakeholders’ requirements and avoid a proliferation of incompatible solutions while at the same time allowing sustainability managers to get on with the business of reducing carbon rather than being held back by the burden of reporting.
Ram Ramachander is Chief Operating Officer at Greenstone Carbon Management. Ram has over 15 years experience in management consulting and business development within the IT and public sectors. Carbon Management Limited is a specialist carbon solutions company – based in London, United Kingdom. For further information please visit: www.greenstonecarbon.com
Public sector chief executives and managers believe they lack the skills needed to deliver services when funding cuts start impacting in 2010 and beyond, according to a survey, undertaken this month by Hays, the leading recruiting experts in public services.
Only 16% of managers said their organisations had the resources to manage a reduced budget in 2010, and even fewer junior staff (12%) thought that was the case. One fifth (20%) of junior staff don’t consider their organisation has a clear strategy in place to cope with the challenge of offering more services with fewer resources.
More than two-thirds of managers (69%) and junior staff (66%) polled believe that the private sector will have -an increasing role in helping the public sector meet its obligations. Over half of those polled (52%) agreed -completely or -to some extent that this was a positive development and that they should look to the private sector for leadership guidance. The majority of managers (63%) also agreed that they were now being encouraged to look outside the public sector for solutions to their management and delivery problems.
The Hays Public Services Leadership Survey, which was carried out across local and central government, the NHS and social housing sectors, found that whilst the majority (78%) of managers have a framework in place to identify competencies which will make them better leaders, over a third (35%) believe their leadership training programmes are ineffective or not available to them.
There was agreement over the qualities that a leader should possess: an ability to communicate, forward vision and integrity.
-We found that everyone knows what good leadership looks like, but there are gaps in the training needed to acquire those skills,†said Andy Robling, Public Services Director at Hays.
Robling said that conversations with public sector chief executives revealed unease about how they would be able to balance cuts and delivering services in the year ahead.
-There is a level of challenge which understandably no one is prepared for. This will require an unprecedented level of change to ensure the delivery of services remains economically viable in the future. However, it is clear from our survey and conversations that the public sector funding crisis means a much broader acceptance of the need to change and to do things that might have seemed unpalatable five years ago.
-Within some UK regions across the public sector, for example, emergency services, local government and the NHS are looking at ways to share services and collaborate more effectively, said Robling.
-More could be done across the country in anticipation of the cuts, particularly in terms of sharing best practice between sectors, which would give people in the public sector more experiences to draw upon. It really is a given that if you bring people in with different experiences they are more likely to see where efficiencies could be made. For example, the public sector needs to improve its redeployment of staff through more effective use of outplacement services.
Robling anticipates more outsourcing of recruitment across the public sector, particularly of permanent jobs, as the financial squeeze tightens. -Traditionally, permanent jobs have been kept in house with recruitment agencies used mainly to fill temporary posts. But what we’re seeing now is interest in agencies managing the complete recruitment process to support more effective workforce planning.
The Hays Public Services Leadership Survey was conducted in January 2010. It received over 1,200 responses from chief executives, managers and junior staff across the public sector; encompassing those working across central and local government, NHS and social housing nationwide.
For further information contact Andy Robling, Public Services Director at Hays, on 0117 927 5494 or visit
www.hays.co.uk/publicservices
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