Strategic Aims

• Learning and Growth
  • Develop the organisational culture, skills and environment to embrace and embed flexible and hybrid working
  • Improve organisational resilience
• Workforce
  • Improve employee motivation, morale and wellbeing
  • Attract and retain quality, creative, motivated and productive staff
• Process
  • Provide seamless access to sustainable, modern working environments which support delivery of high quality, efficient and effective services
  • Reduce the environmental footprint of our working practices
• Financial
  • Increase efficiency and effectiveness of utilisation of functional spaces within Moray Council office accommodation, reducing the cost of running the council by better use of assets

SMARTER

Sustainable
Modern
Accessible
Responsive
Transforming
Efficient
Reliable

Prior to Covid Strategic, planning for transforming ways of working was being taken forward through the Improvement and Modernisation Programme (IMP) via the Flexible Working Project and thru the Property Asset Management Assessment (PAMA) via the Office Review project. Both projects were approved in the first phase of IMP in December 2018.

The Flexible Working Review/Expansion was underway prior to Covid and was seen as an enabler for the Office Review

The change in working practices as a result of Covid has increased the need to review office accommodation.

These elements were combined to form the Smarter Working project at the Council meeting on 28 September 2022 and strategic objectives agreed are shown here as a quick reminder.

Smarter Working is not just about where you work from but also about how we make best use of our assets, communicate and work with a shared purpose. We will build on the learning and experience that has already taken place through Covid.

A benefit mapping exercise has been undertaken and a set of performance indicators identified that will assist with monitoring the progress and success of the project – these are described in the outline business case in detail.

Manager Workshops are being held commencing 14 February through to end of March 2023. Your manager should engage with yourself and your team to determine how you want to deliver your services going forward, where people will operate from and how the team will function and communicate effectively.

There will also be an opportunity to highlight service requirements which may have changed over the Covid period or there may be other opportunities that have arisen that we can make the most of. These will be captured in the service requirements that will be returned via the head of service to the Smarter Working Delivery Group.

The Group will then review the requirements and determine how best to meet service needs and make efficient and effective use of available office accommodation.

It is likely that there will be some office moves but these will be discussed with the teams prior to scheduling.

Manager Engagement Workshops

• Joining instructions
• Framework for conversations
• Checklist for conversations
• Smarter Working Service Requirements

Smarter Working standards and principles

• Furniture and Equipment
• Functional Spaces
• Office etiquette
• Hybrid Meeting Rooms Map

Flexible Working

• Flexible Working Policy
• Flexible Working Application Form
• Flexible Working toolkit

Team briefs

• 30 Jan 2023 - Smarter Working Project Update
• 22 Sept 2022 - Smarter Working

Connect

• Feb 2023 – page 26
• Nov 2022 – page 10

• Governance Structure and People involved
• Outline Business Case - Full Council Report - 02/02/2023
• Outline Business Case - Appendix 1
• Project timescales - Coming soon

One aspect of this project is to assess how the changes we make to the way that we work will help the Council achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

If you have to travel by car further than 10 miles to work it is likely that by working from home you will be reducing your carbon emissions overall.

There is a lot of information out there but our Carbon Strategy team will help you determine how you can help make a difference through the actions you take at work.

How we can all help as individuals – things to consider https://www.positive.news/environment/what-can-i-do-about-climate-change-how-to-lower-your-carbon-footprint/