Business
Link is a government funded service for the business community. The
service is delivered by independent operators and Key Performance
Indicators are used by the DTI to control service delivery and to
assess performance of operators. The role of Business Links has
recently changed and a result a review of the existing KPI was
commissioned from an independent party.CNR undertook this review, which involved interviews, meetings and workshops with over 60 contributors, ranging from stakeholders and 'data users', to external trade associations and lobby groups.
CNR combined this feedback with the existing, and anticipated, requirements of managing the network, to produce a set of recommendations for the KPI the operators will be reporting on. The recommendations also established a process, showing how the revised metrics should be aligned with the new business model and additional, anticipated changes, which are in the pipeline.
This assignment was challenging three respects. Firstly, the timetable was tight, with only 10 weeks being available for consultation and recommendation. Tight project management and flexible resources were critical to our ability to meet this timetable. Secondly, a number of external trade associations were openly and very publicly critical of the existing measures. The task needed to be completed with a high degree of sensitivity. Thirdly, the interests of the stakeholders differed widely from, for example, the Treasury down to the individual adviser who were delivering the service. CNR needed to satisfy the commercial requirements of the network, whilst at the same time building a consensus amongst key stakeholders.
The task was completed in the agreed timetable. CNR both presented the recommendations and actively supported the approval process, through the various managing boards.
