Agile working plan could save council millions/ Gallai cynllun gweithio ystwyth arbed miliynau i’r cyngor

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council could save up to £2.5million by freeing up surplus desks and rationalising office space.
Council officers, as part of ongoing efficiency saving measures, have developed a plan detailing how new agile working practices could streamline offices and staff working arrangements to save £480,000 a year after an initial investment.
The report will be considered by Executive Board later this month.
New working practices could mean some staff being equipped to work ‘on the go’, and sharing desk space instead of having a fixed desk.
Hot desk areas would be introduced in offices around the county, similar to that already successfully introduced at Ty Elwyn in Llanelli.
Agile working is a key strand of the council’s wider digital transformation programme, under which staff have already been helping the council make savings in a number of ways, including cutting down on printing costs, and reducing travel by holding meetings via online video links.
Rationalising desk space would mean some buildings being released and offered for sale or rent to local businesses to support local employment, generating capital receipts and revenue savings of over £200,000 by 2020.
Three buildings have been identified as likely to become surplus as part of the review – Nant-y-Ci and 5-8 Spilman Street in Carmarthen, and Parc Amanwy in Ammanford.
It is intended that staff currently working in these buildings should be relocated where possible within the same town to reduce any negative impact of footfall in town centres, something the report says should be a key consideration.
To implement agile working arrangements the council would need to invest in IT infrastructure and spend around £1million reconfiguring buildings and creating hot-desk facilities.
Relevant services and staff affected by the proposals would be consulted as part of the process.
Cllr David Jenkins, executive board member for resources, said: “We are grateful to officers for putting forward a comprehensive plan for executive board’s consideration.
“As an authority, we have been working hard to identify efficiency savings in order to protect frontline services from the worst of budget cuts. It is only right that we consider how we can save money by working more efficiently – not only saving money but giving the staff the right tools and environment to work in better ways.
“We are of course mindful of the impact any potential rationalisation of office space could have on staff and on towns who rely on trade and footfall generated by staff and customers of council buildings. This is why we asked officers to revise an earlier version of this report to develop a more prudent proposal that would have less impact in some areas, including Ammanford which has been the source of much speculation in recent weeks.
“As an executive board we have been clear that it has been too early to make any assumptions about the future use of council buildings in certain areas. We look forward to receiving this report and having a full and frank discussion before any decisions are made.”

Gallai cynllun gweithio ystwyth arbed miliynau i’r cyngor

GALLAI Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin arbed hyd at £2.5 miliwn drwy ryddhau desgiau diangen a rhesymoli swyddfeydd.
Mae swyddogion y cyngor, fel rhan o gamau parhaus i wneud arbedion effeithlonrwydd, wedi datblygu cynllun sy’n manylu ar sut y gallai arferion gweithio ystwyth newydd symleiddio swyddfeydd a threfniadau gweithio staff er mwyn arbed £480,000 y flwyddyn ar ôl buddsoddiad cychwynnol.
Bydd y Bwrdd Gweithredol yn ystyried yr adroddiad yn ddiweddarach y mis hwn.
Gallai arferion gweithio newydd olygu bod rhai staff yn cael offer i weithio wrth deithio o amgylch ac yn rhannu desgiau yn hytrach na chael desg sefydlog.
Byddai gweithfannau cyfleus yn cael eu cyflwyno mewn swyddfeydd o amgylch y sir, yn debyg i’r hyn a gyflwynwyd yn llwyddiannus eisoes yn Nhŷ Elwyn, Llanelli.
Mae gweithio ystwyth yn un o brif linynnau rhaglen trawsnewid digidol ehangach y cyngor, a dan y rhaglen honno mae’r staff eisoes wedi bod yn helpu’r cyngor i wneud arbedion mewn sawl ffordd, gan gynnwys lleihau costau argraffu a lleihau teithio drwy gynnal cyfarfodydd drwy gysylltiadau fideo ar-lein.
Byddai rhesymoli desgiau yn golygu bod rhai adeiladau yn cael eu rhyddhau a’u gwerthu neu’u rhentu i fusnesau lleol, er mwyn cefnogi cyflogaeth leol, gan greu derbyniadau cyfalaf ac arbedion refeniw o dros £200,000 erbyn 2020.
Nodwyd bod tri adeilad yn debygol o fod yn ddiangen fel rhan o’r adolygiad, sef Nant-y-ci a 5-8 Heol Spilman yng Nghaerfyrddin, a Pharc Amanwy yn Rhydaman.
Y bwriad yw y bydd y staff sy’n gweithio yn yr adeiladau hyn ar hyn o bryd yn cael eu hadleoli, yn yr un dref lle bo’n bosibl, er mwyn lleihau unrhyw effaith negyddol o ran nifer yr ymwelwyr yng nghanol trefi, sef rhywbeth a ddylai fod yn brif ystyriaeth yn ôl yr adroddiad.
Er mwyn rhoi trefniadau gweithio ystwyth ar waith, byddai angen i’r cyngor fuddsoddi yn y seilwaith TG a gwario tua £1 filiwn ar ad-drefnu adeiladau a chreu gweithfannau cyfleus.
Ymgynghorir â’r gwasanaethau perthnasol a’r staff y bydd y cynigion yn effeithio arnynt, fel rhan o’r broses.
Dywedodd y Cynghorydd David Jenkins, yr aelod o’r bwrdd gweithredol dros adnoddau: “Rydym yn ddiolchgar i’r swyddogion am gyflwyno cynllun cynhwysfawr i’w ystyried gan y bwrdd gweithredol.
“Fel awdurdod, rydym wedi bod yn gweithio’n galed i ganfod arbedion effeithlonrwydd er mwyn diogelu gwasanaethau rheng flaen rhag y toriadau gwaethaf yn y gyllideb. Mae’n iawn ein bod yn ystyried sut y gallwn arbed arian drwy weithio’n fwy effeithlon – gan arbed arian a rhoi’r offer a’r amgylchedd iawn i’r staff weithio mewn ffyrdd gwell.
“Wrth gwrs, rydym yn ystyried yr effaith y gallai’r posibilrwydd o resymoli swyddfeydd ei chael ar y staff ac ar y trefi sy’n dibynnu ar fasnach ac ymwelwyr a grëir gan staff a chwsmeriaid adeiladau’r cyngor. Dyna pam roeddem wedi gofyn i’r swyddogion ddiwygio fersiwn cynharach o’r adroddiad hwn i ddatblygu cynnig mwy darbodus a fyddai’n cael llai o effaith mewn rhai ardaloedd, gan gynnwys Rhydaman, sydd wedi bod yn destun cryn ddyfalu yn yr wythnosau diwethaf.
“Fel bwrdd gweithredol, rydym wedi ei gwneud yn glir ei bod yn rhy gynnar i wneud unrhyw ragdybiaethau ynghylch y defnydd o adeiladau’r cyngor mewn rhai ardaloedd yn y dyfodol. Edrychwn ymlaen at dderbyn yr adroddiad hwn a chael trafodaeth lawn a heb flewyn ar dafod cyn bod unrhyw benderfyniadau yn cael eu gwneud.”