“The challenge of delivering a centrally managed ‘back-office’ estate – driven by service requirements yet providing a strategic corporate asset – is a daunting task for any organisation. I urge you to make a bold decision and embark on a similar programme to the one that has been so successful for us in Birmingham.” Peter Jones, Director of Property, Birmingham City Council

A period of constant change throughout Birmingham conducted by Customer Plus to provide sustainability and efficiency

The Client:

Birmingham city council is the local government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974.

Key Benefits:

  • A reliable assessment of the current level of stakeholder engagement
  • Huge financial savings achieved by successfully moving 10,000 employees from 55 offices to 8
  • Risk reduction – due to working with experienced engagement consultants with a proven track record in delivering results
  • Much improved staff engagement

The Challenge:

Following a change in austerity measures Birmingham city council saw their budget reduced by 28% which equates to £300m between 2011 and 2015. What started as an efficiency and value for money programme became imperative as the council entered a period of constant change to protect frontline services.

The Work:

Customer Plus created a communications strategy to support employees through the transformation and implementation of the council’s Working for the Future programme. Our consultants were based on site for the duration of the programme to drive change from within and transfer expertise. The communications programme encompassed a wide range of channels including press releases, training workshops, branded collateral, film production and award entries.

Customer Plus conducted post move and post occupancy surveys for the Working for the Future programme in order to assess engagement levels and the success of the project. The survey was conducted by telephone, online and on paper to ensure maximum reach.

The Results:

Customer Plus’s work enabled Birmingham City Council to:

  • Move 10,000 employees from 55 offices to 8 successfully, adopting new work styles and saving the council £100m
  • Engage all 50,000 internal stakeholders and external stakeholders (including the 1.1m citizens of Birmingham) at all stages of communication taking them from unawareness to action
  • Win prestigious national awards including the coveted British Council of Offices Best Corporate Workplace 2013