Best value consultancy associate consultants

The best value consultancy has over 200 associate consultants, a selection of whom are listed below:

Arthur Nicholls

Arthur has over 16 years experience of working at strategic and senior levels in local government managing broad portfolios of services in large multi-disciplinary organisations including 8 years as Director. He has successfully delivered major organisational change projects and delivered major improvements and savings to service processes and operations. This has been achieved in the fields of corporate management, general management, the maintenance and construction of the build environment, planning and facilities management related activities.

Colin Edwards

After a successful career in private sector industry operating at strategic, executive and operational levels mainly specialising in Project and Operations management he became a consultant working in both the private and public sector.

Colin has a wealth of experience in managing projects and operations ranging in size and complexity from small local business support to executive responsibility for major national systems engineering programmes.  With a proven ability to adapt and provide appropriate support sympathetic to the differing scales of requirement to successfully fulfil the client’s needs.

Dave Henrys MMS (Dip)

Dave has been an associate since April 2006 offering support in efficiency, productivity and performance through traditional work study and management services. He is a member of the Institute of Management Services and was previously employed by Wrexham, South Bedfordshire and Delyn Councils in this field before being appointed as Business Support Manager for Flintshire County Council’s Contract and Construction Services, 25 years service in total. 

Dave has been involved with Performance Networks for many years, particularly Street Cleansing and Streetscene/Neighbourhood services and undertakes data checking and validations as part of the benchmarking process.

This experience has been utilised on many projects for APSE, particularly using work study to assess the efficiency and productivity of front-line services.

David Mason, BSc(Hons), CEng, FICE, DMS

David has wide experience as deputy director of developing technical services to meet current challenges. He has run highways, civil engineering, waste management, streetscene, transport and building services.

He has experience of the PFI at both bid and contract management stages and of job evaluation; he is trained and experienced in the use of both the Hay and NJC job evaluation schemes.

Gwen Booth ACIS, CMIM

Formerly Assistant Head of Personnel and Finance with Lincolnshire County Council and their partner HBS, Gwen uses executive coaching/mentoring to enhance personal and organisational performance utilising tools such as 360 feedback and psychometric assessment. Other consultancy work focuses on PPPs – service specifications, KPIs, employee transition; Performance Appraisal & Competency Development.

Jacky Edwards

An established public sector consultant working with various organisations including APSE Jacky believes in the value of local authority services to the citizen, community and local economic environment.  She enjoys the challenge of supporting authorities in the consideration of their performance, opportunities for improvement and planning for change.

Experience of working with front line and support services at a senior level mean that Jacky is able to operate effectively as a performance and change consultant, interim manager, project manager, mentor and critical friend.  Her key aim is to assist in demonstrating added value in order to gain the respect and support that services deserve from their stakeholders

Jamie Ward DPA MCIPD

Jamie Ward has over 35 years experience in the Public Sector within the Human Resources field working in the Transport Industry the Water Industry and latterly in the Housing and Construction Industry

Employed since 1996 as Personnel Services Manager with South Lanarkshire Council (Scotland`s 5 TH largest authority) specialising in Employee Relations and Involvement. Employee Development and Diversity and Health and Safety .

John G Bedwell

John has been a member of APSE, is an associate consultant and has supported the development and maintenance of Catering Performance Networks for many years.

With a proven background in FM and commercial catering, John has supported numerous LA clients across a range of service areas, through CCT, LGR, BV and other Government initiatives, with the common theme to constantly improve Performance and Efficiency.

The consultancy has also developed a unique insight into School Meals provision and the impact of this service has on children’s social, dietary and welfare needs.

Lindsay Graham

Lindsay is an associate with a public health background. Former roles include 'National Development Officer Eating for Health'  with Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit and 'Delivery Manager' with SFT. Much of her local, regional, national and international work has focused on identifying best practice and innovation on the implementation of government policy in school food and health. She now works independently throughout the UK giving advice and support to Government agencies, Local Authorities, Primary Care Trusts, the private sector and voluntary organisations. Her areas of special interest are free school meals, childhood obesity, families affected by disability, the healthy school environment and poverty. She is skilled in health promotion, policy development, change management, facilitation, project management, children’s consultation, evaluation and research.

Margo Blair

Margo is a Chartered Civil Engineer with a wide experience spanning 30 years in Local Government. Her experience ranges from “hands on” design, construction and project management through to second tier management posts. Over the last ten years she has been, amongst other things, an APSE associate consultant working across a range of services that include Roads, Building Maintenance, Waste Management, Parks and Open Spaces latterly with a focus on Process Benchmarking. 

Mick Hannon, B.A. (Hon.s), M.A., B. Phil., M.L.I.

Mick is an experienced (20years+ in a wide range of authorities) public sector senior manager with a successful career delivering the Cleaner, Greener, Safer Agenda, specialising in the planning, design, maintenance and management of open space. He has served on the C.A.B.E. Space Enablers’ panel.

An applied strategic thinker, with a successful track record of delivering change management, organisational development, and performance management, he is customer/outcome focused, good at building relations with excellent interpersonal skills and is strongly committed to public sector values.

Peter Appleton MA MSc

Peter is an experienced senior manager providing consultancy and interim management services to the public sector with a forte for managing change and service re-design. His strong people management skills add value to successful service transformation and project delivery. Whilst specialising in the broader Cultural & Leisure portfolio, Peter has considerable experience of the design and effective delivery of a number of broader corporate and cross cutting projects, service inspections, organisational re-engineering and knowledge transfer projects utilising his corporate management knowledge and experience to good affect. Peter has the ability to combine challenge and innovation with both strategic and pragmatic thinking that have successfully delivered tangible outcomes.

Peter Heaton

Peter is a seasoned interim and consultant at senior levels in the public, private and third sectors who has headed communications for seven councils. A skilled strategist and hands-on tactician who can get to know your organisation fast and deliver creative, innovative solutions to make a significant difference, working with people at all levels in a confident, collaborative style. His experience covers every aspect of the marketing communications mix including  strategic communications, change, issues, and crisis, management, internal communications, all media relations, acclaimed public engagement and stakeholder management, event management, Royal and ministerial visits and web development. He has strong experience in reviewing organisations’ communications, recommending improved arrangements and recruiting, establishing and leading new communications teams.

Peter Moffatt BA (Hons), DPA

Peter has 32 years’ experience in local government, most recently with Warrington Borough Council, as Head of Service (Property & Facilities), with responsibility for Architecture, Energy, Building Maintenance, Estates, Markets, Building Cleaning, and Caretaking.

Previous roles in Warrington, St Helens, and Liverpool City Councils included management of the full range of DLO/DSO, and Housing functions, to Acting Director level. As Assistant Chief Executive at St Helens, Peter managed central services including HR, ICT, Strategic Planning, and Press &PR.

A former National Secretary of APSE, Peter retains a firm commitment to high quality, value for money public services, that respond flexibly to changing local needs.

Peter Wenham

Peter has spent 20 years as Director of Commercial Services responsible for a wide range of functions within local authorities in Hertfordshire and Essex.

He then completed several assignments as an APSE consultant/interim manager responsible for Waste, Recycling, Streetscene and Parking as well as various consultancy projects such as Service Health Checks, Training, Mentoring etc.

Rab Bird

After twelve years in the private sector steel industry, he spent twenty five years in local government. He worked in economic development, as a policy adviser on competition and procurement, and then in direct services management. This process included gaining a Diploma in Accountancy and an MBA from Nottingham University. For ten years he successfully directed Nottingham City Neighbourhood Services Department (formerly Contract Works).

Since 2004, Rab has worked on a variety of consultancy projects. Latterly, he has project managed a successful waste management partnership arrangement for APSE, worth over £150M for the life of the partnership, for a major unitary authority.

Richard Blackburn, BSc (Hons) MEd, MBA

Richard was previously Chief Executive of Banff & Buchan Council and later Managing Director of commercial services at Dumfries & Galloway. His wide expertise allows deep strategic involvement across an entire local authority when seeking major change.

Rodney Cook

Rodney Cook has over 30 years experience of managing front line services in local government, 
including Building Maintenance, Cleansing, Refuse Collection, Highways Maintenance, Grounds Maintenance, Parking Services, Customer Services, Facilities Management, Fleet Management, Administration and Vehicle Maintenance.

From 1998-2000 he participated in the Local Government Management Board’s Top Managers’ Programme.

Rodney’s key skills include change management, cultural change, project management, industrial relations, employee communications and consultation, political awareness, performance management, quality systems, improving organisations and increasing competitiveness, and delivery of quality services.

Stewart Gilchrist

Stewart was a Director at Strathclyde Regional Council and a Corporate Director at South Lanarkshire Council with particular responsibility for Housing, Technical, One Stop Shops, Council Tax Collection and Benefits Processing. His experience in developing and managing large multi-disciplined organisations through improvement and performance management provides expertise for strategic reviews and change management. He has carried out reviews of Building Services, Technical/Property Services and Housing Services as well as interim management and supporting the implementation of review outcomes.

Trevor Hawkins

Trevor has over 22 years experience as a Local Government Officer; his last position being Assistant Director at the London Borough of Hounslow. Trevor's main area of specialisation is Sports and Leisure Management, where he has considerable experience in the evaluation of Leisure Trusts.

Trevor was also previously head of APSE's Best Value Consultancy and Performance Networks for five years, giving him a unique perspective on performance improvement.

Vivianne Buller

Vivianne specialises in providing advice on all aspects of the management and development of School Catering and Facilities Services. She works with clients in an open and creative way seeking fresh, innovative ideas to create new solutions.

She has a proven record as a senior manager in Local Government with over 30 years experience and served as both Regional Chairman (North & Scotland) and National Chairman of the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA Ltd)

Vivianne is an associate consultant with APSE and a member of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) for the Food Standards Agency

Please contact Andy Mudd at the APSE Office for further information on the BVC Associate Consultants.