Hedra is a specialist public sector consultancy. We have over 150 consultants working across central and local government and the health service. We have developed a deep knowledge of e-Planning from our work with:

• PARSOL – a Hedra consultant programme manages the National Project. Hedra consultants have also worked on a number of the projects making up this programme, including a review of Best Practice in e-Planning;
  
• Planning Portal – Hedra programme managed the initial creation of the Planning Portal for the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) and continues to manage follow-on projects;
  
• ODPM – Hedra has been selected by ODPM to formulate a strategy for better delivery and support of e-Planning at a national level; and
  
• Local Government – Hedra's staff have worked in planning offices throughout the country and have an unparalleled insight into the best practice that exists in the e-Planning market. Our e-Planning clients include Dacorum, Eastbourne, Harrow, High Peak, Leeds and Manchester Councils.

Why Hedra?

We believe Hedra is uniquely placed to provide support to councils seeking to modernise their Planning Service because:

• We have the knowledge of the national programme and the ODPM's long term objectives arising from our work with PARSOL and PINS;
  
• We have delivered e-Planning strategies and improvement plans for both large and small councils – demonstrating that we have confidence in our recommendations, and have the skills to follow-through on them;
  
•  We have used the PARSOL Quick Assessment Guide effectively with clients; and
  
• We offer an affordable initial service review, and competitive rates for any further work that may be required.

Case study - Manchester City Council

Hedra have been working with the council since February 2004. Originally contracted to undertake an investigation of existing practice within the Planning Service and write a strategy outlining requirements for meeting the e-Government target of 2005, we have also been contracted to programme manage the delivery of the project. This has involved working with a number of software suppliers including CAPS Solutions, I-Dox and Ideal Technologies. It has also involved the implementation of on-line applications in partnership with the Planning Portal and consideration of the toolkits and standards available through PARSOL. Future phases will involve public accessibility including Internet development, workflow and document management, business process re-engineering and project review. Since we have been working with Manchester, it has raised its PPA score from 3 to 10.

For a reference on our work, please contact: Andrew Short, Planning Manager, Manchester City Council, Town Hall Extension, Manchester M60 2LA. Tel: 0161 234 4869.

Our approach

We have developed a standard five-day review, which is summarised in the diagram below:

Our report will provide the results of the Quick Assessment Guide and an indication of progress against the PARSOL service delivery standards. We will then identify the timeline, resources required and other factors to be considered against the following:

• Existing technology – suggestions for how current systems can be used to their full capability;
  
• Quick wins – suggestions that can be implemented quickly and at minimum cost;
  
• New components – the selection and installation of the main additional components (if any) required to deliver a comprehensive e-Planning service;
  
• Processes and procedures – new processes to be defined to align the new technology with existing procedures, plus guidance on a formal programme of training, testing, user acceptance and support;
  
• Users and customers – advice on how to improve the user experience of the service;
  
• Other issues – any other relevant recommendations.

We are also happy to discuss alternative approaches in order to be sure that our work meets your requirements.

Fees

For most councils, we believe we can conduct a basic five-day review of e-Planning services for a fixed fee of £4k, plus reasonable expenses and VAT.

However, we recognise that not all councils are the same, and we would be happy to discuss appropriate fees if additional services or interviews are required. Our current daily rates (exclusive of expenses and VAT) are: principal consultant – £1200; managing consultant – £1000; senior consultant – £900; consultant – £800. We are happy to work to standard S-Cat terms and conditions.

Contact details If you have any questions regarding this proposal, please contact:
Mike Coker,
Hedra plc,
60 Trafalgar Square,
London
WC2N 5DS.
Email: mike.coker@hedra.com.
Tel. 020 7389 8080.