Mr Benn announced that, as a result of Defra's delivery landscape review, WRAP is to take over leadership of the six other Defra-funded bodies which are currently also responsible for delivering the government's resource efficiency strategy, including Envirowise and the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP).
This decision is a vote of confidence in WRAP and will make it less confusing for business to access the wide range of resource efficiency programmes on offer
Liz Goodwin, chief executive, WRAP
He said: “All these organisations have done a great job in helping businesses and households to use resources more efficiently. But we know that some customers were confused by the myriad of services and bodies, so that is why we are making these changes.
“Now, under WRAP leadership we will provide a one stop shop for resource efficiency advice, and this should make it quicker and easier for people to get what they need,” he added.
The other bodies that will come under WRAP's leadership are: the Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse; Construction Resource and Waste Platform; Action Sustainability; and, the BREW Centre for Local Authorities.
The Defra delivery landscape review was originally launched in February 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story), as part of government plans announced in the 2006 Budget to reduce the number of publicly-funded business support schemes from over 3,000 to less than 100 by 2010.
Changes
Today's announcement means that, over the course of the next 12 months, WRAP will work with the six other bodies and Defra to look at just what changes should be made to allow it to provide “better and more efficient” services.
But, the picture with regards the amount of funding available for both WRAP and the other bodies affected by the change has not been revealed, and a Defra spokeswoman today said that the budgetary and staffing implications of the changes were “yet to be confirmed”.
It had been thought that, as a result of the review, WRAP's budget, which is largely provided by Defra, could be cut by between £5 million and £10 million for 2009/10 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Cost savings
Speaking to letsrecycle.com today, WRAP's chief executive Liz Goodwin, confirmed that WRAP had not yet received its final budgets from Defra for 2009/10, but said that, with the bodies being brought together, “we'd like to make cost savings as a result of that over the course of the year”.
Ms Goodwin said that the next 12 months would be “a transition year” and that funding for all the programmes run by bodies such as NISP would continue, but that “the money will flow through WRAP”.
Commenting on the decision to put WRAP in charge of the delivery of Defra's resource efficiency policies on the ground, Ms Goodwin said: “We welcome this opportunity to lead a single organisation for resource efficiency. This decision is a vote of confidence in WRAP and will make it less confusing for business to access the wide range of resource efficiency programmes on offer.
“We believe it will help bring clarity for those seeking advice and support on resource efficiency – many of whom have already said they would prefer to deal with one organisation.
“It also provides an opportunity for economies of scale as we will now share services and support over a wider range of activities than WRAP or any other organisation has been able to achieve to date,” she added.
Implementation
Ms Goodwin also revealed that WRAP's director of business growth, Steve Creed, would be put in charge of a “small” implementation team, to ensure the changeover did not impact on the day-to-day work of staff.
And, Mr Creed told letsrecycle.com that his work would include looking at whether the names of the separate bodies would be retained.
“The name of the organisations and things like that are all in the pot for going forward,” he explained.
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