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Cost Architecture

Welcome to the Cost Architecture Community Site

The Cost Architecture is esd-toolkits Activity Based Costing (ABC) method for local authorities and partner organisations. If you are a subscribing authority please use the links to the left to access a range of free downloadable products and reference materials including the Service Cost Calculator, a manual, examples of other authorities calculations and various publications.

The Cost Architecture may be used to:

  • Comparing service costs across functions with other authorities.
  • Identifying the cost of services over customer access channels to inform channel migration strategies and the return on investment from introducing on-line systems and processes.
  • Identifying how resources are being used and quantify potential efficiency savings.
  • Justifying additional resources by presenting current resource usage accurately and transparently.
  • Increasing accountability and identification of the gaps between resource usage and priorities.

There is also a link to the our 'Generic Process List' which defines everything an authority does in 50 or so high level process definitions, this is built into the Service Cost Calculator but may also be used independently as an aid to gathering organisational insight for service redesign purposes. 

 

Practitioner Training (NEW)

We are now offering 1 day starter workshops in Councils own premises (or a dedicated training venue at extra cost). The Training sessions will equip you to go out and use the ABC Method and understand more about how to apply the Generic Process Process list.

These sessions also provide detailed hands on sessions with the Service Cost Calculator. These will typically be given to Business Analyst or Project Managers who are about to embark on a service improvement project and would like to use the Service Cost Calculator to quantify the improvement in financial terms.

The ‘practitioners’ training” will take you through the background and application of the approach including establishing a project team and executing a project, good practice examples from other Local authority projects, benefits realisations and some of the potential pitfalls. A case study will be used to identify how the Cost Architecture can be used alongside other improvement tools such as process mapping and service metrics. More importantly you will spend time using the cost architecture to change from the ‘before’ picture to the ‘after’ picture.

Anyone who has  ‘hands-on’ involvement in running or supporting improvement projects and needs to gather better information on service costs, will benefit from this starter class.

Please take a look at the Course Outline.

Phase II - Cost Architecture Project

Following on from the successful Cost Architecture Pilot Project, we are now running Phase II of the Cost Architecture Project called 'ABC Choices'.

'ABC Choices' is designed so that you can choose various elements to get you started with the Cost Architecture - esd toolkit's Activity Based Costing method for Local Government. We already have a range of 'free' downloadable Cost Architecture products but 'ABC Choice' can give you a kick start, give you the reassurance that you are planning and executing your projects in the right way and save you time.

By being a Phase II project member you will also be able to meet with authorities at dedicated Cost Architecture workshops, these authorities will be facing similar challenges and it will provide an opportunity to share insights and good practice. You will also have access to our facilitators who are experts in all aspects of the Cost Architecture and esd-toolkit.

Please take a look at 'ABC Choices - Support Modules for Local Authorities' to see what it available to you.

To take advantage of the range of 'ABC Choices' services you must first enrol yourself as a Cost Architecture Project Member at an inclusive fee of £2,850. As a member you will be entitled to:

  • Attend a series of three workshops to familiarise you with the Cost Architecture and calculator, understand the context of the project, plan and initiate the project and undertake a project review.
  • A template project initiation document available to assist local authorities in writing their own.
  • Personalised telephone support that will enable you to understand how the Cost Architecture may be applied within your authority.
  • Access to a peer support network of participating authorities

By being a Project member you will be given access to the other 'ABC Choices' services from the esd-toolkit team of facilitators and esd-toolkit approved suppliers where appropriate. These services are not being made available to the other esd-toolkit subscribers.

If you  and would like more information on either the Practitioner Training or ABC Choices then please contact Peter Wrigley (e-mail: peter.wrigley@esd.org.uk or telephone - 07920 596969). Also please do feel free to pass this on to others who you think may be interested.