Welcome to the Towards One Council Website, a one stop shop for all news relating to the transition to one council for Wiltshire.

Towards One Council Glossary

Term Explanation
Benefits The quantifiable and measurable improvement (cashable or non cashable) resulting from an outcome that a single or multiple projects have undertaken to deliver.
Business Case A description of the reasons for the project and the justification for undertaking it, based on the estimated costs, risks and the expected business benefits and savings. The Business Case is the most important set of information for the project as it drives the decision-making process.
Cross Cutting Resource Managers Accountable to the programme manager. Responsible for supporting the technical aspects of the transition by developing frameworks that will meet the requirements of the new organisation e.g. HR, ICT, Finance etc.
Gateway Review An agreed point in the programme/workstream/project where an independent formal review is carried out as to progress against objectives and proposed benefits. The review will recommend any actions that need to take place to ensure that ‘weak’ areas are addressed.
Highlight Report A fortnightly report on project/workstream progress to the appropriate board and the programme office.
Implementation Executive This group will be made up of county and district councillors and will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the new authority. It will be obtain official authority early in the new year after the necessary secondary legislation is passed.
Joint Implementation Team The Joint Implementation Team is composed of Chief Executives, Directors and Workstream Owners from across the County and District Councils. It will work during the transition to provide top level leadership and direction to shape the establishment of the new authority and to determine key strategy and policy issues.
Lead Officer/Senior Responsible Owner Responsible for the delivery of the new redesigned service and its associated benefits
Programme Board The officer group responsible for successfully delivering the transition programme. this group has representatives from county and district councils.
Programme Director The chair of the Programme Board and the officer accountable for the delivery of the programme objectives and benefits.
Programme/Workstream/Project Initiation Document (PID) A Programme/ Workstream/ Project Initiation Document (PID) contains the detailed key information needed to gain authorisation from the appropriate board. This document also provides the basis for its day-to-day management and the assessment of overall success.
Programme Manager Responsible for the day to day activity of the programme, ensuring that the Workstreams and their associated projects are delivering to agreed deadlines and specification.
Programme Office

The primary responsibility of the ‘Towards One Council’ programme office is to ensure the overall programme vision and its objectives are met. This will be done by carrying out the following activities:

  • Managing the connections and dependencies across the programme.
  • Managing and deploying the cross cutting resources that support the delivery of the overall programme
  • Ensuring that the cashable and non-cashable benefits identified by the programme are delivered
  • Managing and maintaining all necessary programme documentation and information.
  • Implementing effective budget management procedures
  • Design, implementation and updating of standard programme and project management procedures
Project Brief A summary description of what the project is to deliver. Its purpose is to allow appropriate decision-making body to assess whether the project has enough merit to be worth continuing to the initiation phase in which a detailed business case and project initiation document will be prepared.
Project Manager Responsible for the day to day activity of the project, ensuring that objectives are delivered to agreed deadlines and specification. Accountable to the Lead Officer/Senior Responsible Owner however will also receive direction from the workstream manager.
Quality Assurance Ongoing activities that are built into the workstreams and projects to ensure that quality/performance standards are met .
Risk Management The identification and management of any circumstance that might threaten the successful completion of the programme objectives.
Towards One Council The name of the programme
Towards One Council Overview and Scrutiny task group This group will hold the Implementation Executive to public account and co-ordinate wider member engagement.
Transition Programme The programme by which we will design and implement the new authority from the five existing ones

Workstream

 A workstream is a description of a collection of projects which are grouped according to theme (these groupings may change as the programme moves on).

Workstream Board

 The governing body of the workstream; responsible for offering the necessary support to the workstream owner and for overseeing the successful delivery of its objectives and benefits.

Workstream Manager

 Accountable to the Workstream Owner. The Workstream Manager will also receive direction from the programme manager and be responsible for the day to day management of workstream activity.
Workstream Owner Accountable to the Programme Director for the successful delivery of workstream objectives and its associated benefits.