As 2011 draws to a close, we take a look back at the highlights from some of our teams of what has been another great year of thought leadership for Zurich Municipal.
Local Authorities
Experts in our field – This year’s key outputs:
Total Cost of Risk – Report launched in April to inform customers and Government’s perception
of risk pricing.
Tough Choices: Different perspectives on long-term risks facing local government - Launched in June, this follow-up report contained important new research specific to local authorities. Key findings include the fact that 66% of respondents to the public survey felt that the budget cuts would have a detrimental effect on frontline services.
Risk and Reward – This report was launched at October’s SOLACE conference in conjunction with prominent think-tank LGiU. It highlighted the need for local authorities to adopt a more strategic approach to risk, to enable community involvement and thus create better service provision and cost effectiveness.
Collaborative approach to purchasing insurance, Innovative approaches to risk transfer – Weighing up the pros and cons of different collaborative models, this report ultimately recommends a “truly collaborative consortium approach” as the best option for local authorities. It also stresses the critical importance of considering the total cost of risk.
Leading from the Front – Andrew Jepp, Director of Public Services
In addition to writing articles on the future outlook for local authorities in both the Times and Guardian, Andrew shared a platform with Planning and Fire Minister Bob Neill MP at a New Statesman/Zurich Municipal Conservative party conference fringe event. Here he called for a new, panoramic and holistic approach to planning for major incidents such as floods. Andrew also participated in Zurich Municipal’s co-hosted roundtable with Public Finance magazine, where he discussed the Government’s Open Public Services White Paper with key stakeholders such as Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee.
Education
Experts in our field – This year’s key outputs
The Risk Curriculum - A website, launched in January, containing a range of useful guidance to help Education Sector customers manage risk, from fire guidance to school security.
School Design guide – The 2011 version of Zurich Municipal’s guide provided expert advice on design and construction of schools. It was exceptionally well received, and duly recognised as the Risk Management Awards’ Initiative of the Year in November.
Leading from the Front – Paul Tombs
Paul was quoted in the national media as an expert stakeholder regarding the Department for Education’s efforts to make it easier for schools to run school trips. In promoting the School Design Guide, he has led Zurich in a major lobbying campaign, calling on the Government to retain the requirement for sprinklers to be installed as standard in schools. This campaign has gained cross-party support.
Housing
Experts in our field – This year’s key outputs
Tough Choices: Different perspectives on long term risks facing the housing sector – Launched at the National Housing Federation in March, this report contained some updated research and highlighted the risks that are likely to face the sector over the next few years.
Achieving resilience in social housing – This publication, also launched at the NHF’s Finance Conference, looks at how registered social housing providers can use risk management to build a resilience approach and manage the new and emerging risks they face.
Greener Neighbourhoods – Zurich Municipal sponsored a campaign and best practice report, led by the NHF’s Neighbourhoods Green team, to promote more, and better quality, green space in social housing developments.
Leading from the Front – Simon Dixon
As well as summarising the key findings of the Tough Choices Housing report in an article for the Guardian in June, Simon enjoyed great success setting out the case for Zurich’s involvement at the two launches of the Greener Neighbourhoods campaign.. He said that Zurich wanted not only to help manage the risks for social housing landlords, but also to create the opportunities for tenants to have better living standards as a responsible market leader. This approach proved extremely effective as Zurich was publicly praised by Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Wakefield District Housing, Groundwork UK and DEFRA.
Community and Social Organisations (C&SO)
Experts in our field – This year’s key outputs
My Community Starter (MCS) – A free online resource to help individuals and small groups get started with their own straightforward community activities. It was launched in Parliament at an event for more than 70 people in September, and had 10,250 unique visitors during its pilot stage. MCS is continuing to build momentum and has support from DSC, DEFRA, NAVCA, CIPFA, Big Society Network, Locality and the Small Charities Coalition.
ACEVO Risk Management Guide – Zurich Municipal continued to support its C&SO customers in managing risks during service devolution, asset transfer and delegation
through this joint report with ACEVO, the charities body, in November.
Leading from the Front – Paul Emery
Paul worked tirelessly this year to spearhead My Community Starter and our C&SO offering as a whole. He met officials at 10 Downing Street in August to showcase MCS, with the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit agreeing to put the scheme before him. At the time of the website’s launch, Paul’s twitter promotion regarding MCS was retweeted 40,000 times. Elsewhere, he spoke at the ACEVO and NAVCA annual conferences and played a leading role in setting up a Government-sponsored liaison group with the volunteering sector to help cut red tape.
