Operations Appraisal of ELC Contract

CASE STUDIES

At a Glance…

Wandsworth Council sought Peopletoo’s support to review its outsourced services contract, a not-for-profit provider managing multiple services, including Biodiversity, Sports Centres, Grounds Maintenance and Arboriculture. The goal was to assess performance, identify improvements, and explore options for extending or altering the contract to ensure better value for money.

The Challenge

The current contract was underperforming, with concession fee payments 20% lower than originally tendered. The Council lacked visibility of key performance data, had limited input into service strategy, and saw insufficient evidence of measurable social value. Additionally, the Grounds Maintenance, Arboriculture, and Playground Maintenance contracts, managed externally, required evaluation for potential re-procurement in partnership with Richmond Council.

Our Approach & Delivery

Peopletoo conducted a comprehensive review of services and made the following recommendations:

Reporting and KPls: Introduced a revised performance monitoring framework with clear KPls to address gaps in reporting and accountability.
Annual Planning: Restarted the contractual commitment for Enable to provide an annual action plan, which had ceased five years earlier.
SMART Objectives: Recommended applying SMART principles to social value initiatives to assess and measure their impact effectively.
Contract Management: Suggested insourcing roles duplicated between Enable and the Council for better oversight.
Concession Fee: Advocated reinstating the pre-pandemic concession fee, which had been temporarily reduced but remained unchanged despite full service recovery.
Extension & Market Alignment: Proposed extending the contract with Enable under a revised model to enhance value and attract long-term market interest.
Partnership with Richmond Council: Recommended joint procurement for Grounds Maintenance and other contracts to achieve economies of scale and update outdated specifications.

The Impact

Outcomes Achieved

Peopletoo’s recommendations identified £193,000 in savings by improving the outsourced service model and a further £400,000 through changes to Grounds Maintenance and Arboriculture contracts. The Council adopted all recommendations and is now implementing these changes, ensuring greater financial, economic, and social value.