Agenda item

A report was considered which provided an update on the progress of the integration of the MCA and PTE.

The Committee was informed that the Programme Board had set two milestones to support integration prior to the new financial year 2022/23.

• Agree and mobilise an integrated operating model and organisational design.
• Agree with government the order to formally dissolve the PTE as a legal entity.

The work to agree the integrated design and operating model had concluded and all employees had been briefed in December. Directors were now in the process of meeting all teams, with HR, to undertake detailed clarification session.

The proposal of having the new organisational design and operating model mobilised by 31^st March 2022 was on track.  Planning for additional activity linked to embedding a single way of working, corporate culture and values was planned to commence in April 2022.

Government had confirmed that it was not in a position to pass the order to dissolve the PTE until after the May elections. This meant that, although the organisation would operate as a single body from April 2022, there were several matters of finance and governance that would have to be continued, for example a separate set of the accounts would need to be produced for the PTE for 2022/23 and the PTE bank accounts would have to be kept open to transact its legal obligations.

Members acknowledged that the integration would give enhanced responsibilities for the committees of the MCA as their scope would be widened to consider public transport.  The Audit, Standards and Risk Committee had created a sub-Panel to focus on integration and public transport to ensure that risks and assurance was maintained during the transition.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee would need to consider how to develop its future work programme to take account of the public transport remit whilst balancing the scope of scrutiny responsibilities.

The report gave details of the next steps including mobilising the integrated design and model in consultation with staff and the Trades Unions and implementing longer term change which included embedding and realising the benefits of the integration.

The Chair commented that the Betts report had been highly critical of SYPTE’s performance and response to customers and questioned how the Committee could be assured that the new organisation would not just have a different name but would operate differently and be more responsive.

R Adams commented that within the PTE the Customer Service function had other responsibilities.  In the new organisation Customer Service would be a sole function and would focus on customers, residents and businesses who were at the forefront of the Corporate Plan.  It was intended to build a culture with greater innovation matched by clear lines of accountability.

D Smith commented that every member of the PTE had been spoken to and there was no shortage of desire or motivation.  The issue had been the organisational arrangements.  In the new organisation there would be one directorate whose focus would be operational customer service with a clarity of purpose; there should be demonstrably different outcomes.

Cllr Smith commented that it would be important that the Directorate had the responsibilities and budget to make the necessary improvements.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

i)         Note the update and the governance assurance undertaken.

ii)        Agree to consider the role of the OSC and the forward work programme in light of the additional MCA responsibilities for public transport.