B&NES Council: Strategy for Upliftment of Local Communities(2016-2020)

This report, prepared by a strategy expert at McKinsey&Company, analyzes the organizational strategy of the Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Council, focusing on transportation services provided to local communities. It examines the council's strategic planning, particularly the Corporate Strategy 2016-2020, which aims to improve transportation routes, reduce vehicle intrusion, and enhance economic growth. The report includes an internal (SWOT) and external (PEST) analysis, evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the council's strategies. It reflects on the challenges faced by the council, such as poorly designed roads and increasing population, and recommends improvements, including modifications to existing roads, better parking facilities, and the use of advanced traffic signals. The analysis also considers the advantages and disadvantages of the implemented strategies, concluding that proper strategy formation and timely implementation are crucial for achieving the council's objectives.

Organizational Strategy

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................2
BODY................................................................................................................................................3
What is the strategy?...................................................................................................................3
Strategy Formation for the B&NES Council.................................................................................4
Local Communities’ View.............................................................................................................6
Internal Analysis...........................................................................................................................7
External Analysis..........................................................................................................................8
Reflection and Recommendation................................................................................................9
Advantages and Disadvantages.................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Organizational strategies are required by every organization for converting their long and short-
term goals into reality. This is applicable to both the business organizations and councils. The
organizational strategies are helpful for the councils that are working for the upliftment of the
local communities and societies to achieve their objectives on a wider range. This is because
they get the support of government and local communities as well. Being a strategy expert at
McKinsey&Company, this report has been created by me on the Bath and North East Somerset
Council i.e. B&NES. In this assignment, the transportation services are selected as the theme, in
which these services are offered to the local communities.
The transportation sector has been selected in this report because the roadways are designed
in a poor way and the number of issues related to the transportation problem has increased in
the recent years. This is also because of the increasing population. It has been estimated that
there will be an increase in the economic value by approximately £3 billion in the year 2020.
Overall description of the transportation strategies along with its implementation is explained
in this report.

BODY
What is a strategy?
The strategy can be defined as a method or plan which is chosen by an organization to bring
about the desired future, like the achievement of a goal and solution to a problem. In addition
to this, a strategy is also about deciding where you want to go and how you mean to get there
(Johnson, 2016). The strategic management will define the path that how the designed
strategies can be implemented in the business environment. Various factors of an organization
are considered while making the strategies that are directly and indirectly influence its
implementation. With the help of effective strategies, the goals and objectives can be achieved
by any organization.
The B&NES local council’s context, strategic planning is ensuring productivity level that is
matching with the wants and demands of the local citizens. Due to this flexibility, it is an ease of
the council in adopting the changing environment of the communities whether they are
internal or external.

Strategy Formation for the B&NES Council
Figure 1: Corporate Strategy Priorities at B&NES
[Source: Bath and North East Somerset Council, 2018]
Being one of the major local councils, B&NES is having a large number of responsibilities for the
upliftment and improvement in the local areas. Various strategies are made here which need to
be completed within the specific period of time in order to stratify the local communities. The
Corporate strategy 2016-2020 is one of the supreme strategic plans which are set out the
direction of travel for the Council over a period of 4 years. This strategy is all about the
description that how they will deliver their 2020 vision for the B&NES. Creating efficiencies
through innovative ideas, improving the working ways and increasing the turnover are the main
focus of these strategies (Wheelen et al., 2017).
The council is focused on different areas and one of them is the transportation services. The
development of better transportation routes is important because there are only 5 bus stops

which are covering the major local bus routes. By focusing the increasing population of the
area, it is necessary for the council to focus on the development of better transportation
services and routes. This is also because it has been forecasted that the population will increase
up to 11% till 2020. This strategy was formally adopted by the B&NES on 13 November 2014.
The long-term vision is that by adopting various measures which are helpful in sustainable
transportation, Bath will enable its unique status. There will be a reduction of vehicles’
intrusion in the historical core areas (Bath and North East Somerset Council, 2018).
There will be an increase in the economic activities and growth of the city and this can be done
by enhancing the special characters and environment of the city along with improving the
status of local people’s life (Bryson, 2018). Following are some main objectives that have been
made in this context:
 To promote sustainable mobility and this can be done by providing education to the
local people so that they rely on the importance of walking and cycling.
 To improve the air quality and health of the local people and this can be done by
reducing the vehicle carbon emissions.
 To safeguard and enhance the unique historic environment’s along with the World
Heritage sites (B&NES Council, 2013).
 To improve the living standard of the people by introducing better transportation
management facilities in the city.
 To introduce perfectly designed roadways this can handle the future traffic problems.
If all the above-listed objectives are met till the year 2020, there will be an increase in the
economic status of the city which has estimated as a total of around £3 billion. For achieving
these objectives the council is taking several steps like creating awareness in the local people's
mind about health benefits so that they will prefer cycling and waling practices for small
distance travelling. The council is also organizing various running and cycling activities like
"Marathon", which is attracting the people to a great extent.

In order to improve the traffic management services, the council is also focusing on the
development of proper parking areas at the core historical areas. The main aim is to reduce the
time of travelling and this can be done by smoothening of transportation services. The In order
to focus on effective parking facilities, three teams are formed that are looking at parking
services and passenger transportation along with the public transportation services. Public
safety is also focused at the time of travelling on the road by preventing them from disasters
and road accidents.
Local Communities’ View
All the above-listed strategies and steps are helpful in making the local communities
independent. This is proved by evaluating the results of various surveys and it is found that the
people are now more comfortable and feel safe while travelling. So, they are not dependent on
the local and central government for the minor funding that is required for the transportation
services. Also, 65% of the local communications are satisfied with the transportation strategies
at the Bath and feel prioritize as the council is taking many steps for their upliftment
(Rothaermel, 2015).

Internal Analysis
Figure 2: Micro Environmental factors
[Source: Grant, 2016]
In order to analyze the microenvironment of strategies, following are the main outcomes that
are evaluated on the basis of SWOT analysis.
Strengths Weaknesses
Local people are supportive and contributing
to the achievement of transportation
objectives.
Increase in the living standard of people.
People are less dependent on the
government for funding.
It is difficult to redesign the traditional
roadways as they are
A large amount of funding is required to
redesign the narrow as well as poorly
designed pathways.
Dependency on the government’s funding can
expand the achievement of various targets
Micro
Environment
factors
Strengths
Weakness
Oppotunities
Threats

In the year 2011, the council saved an
amount of £3 million.
and objectives.
Opportunities Threats
North-South Connectivity will be one of the
biggest projects for the council.
Introduction of Sustainable tourism will
increase the economic condition of the city.
Increase in economic status will make the
council independent.
Redesigning will affect the local communities
that are residing near the roadways.
Unexpected Increase in population can result
as a threat for the strategies.
(B&NES Council, 2018)
External Analysis
In order to analyze the macro environmental factors, following is a PEST analysis of the
strategies:
Figure 3: Macro environmental factors
[Source: Ho, 2014]
Macro
environment
Political
Economic
Social
Technological

Political factors Economic factors
Governmental support in the form of Central
government’s funding for the large projects is
helpful for the council in achieving the set
objectives.
Policies and regulations are effective in
educating the local communities of Bath
(B&NES Council, 2014).
Transportation services are supported in the
city by the rise in the economic condition
Increase in the tourism sector is boosting the
local economy and providing various
employment opportunities to the people.
With increasing tourism, the government is
also focusing on the betterment of the
transportation facilities along with proper
parking services.
Social factors Technological factors
The transportation strategies are supported
by the positive response and behaviour of
the local communities.
Local people are preferring cycling, walking
and pedestals for travelling which is helpful
in reducing the pollution which is one of the
main objectives of the council.
Use of social technologies in promoting
various campaigns is attracting a large number
of people to participate.
Air quality index machines are also helpful in
increasing awareness among the people
(B&NES Council, 2014).
Reflection and Recommendation
Till now, it has been observed that Bath and its local communities are facing various issues that
are related to the traffic problems which are the resultant of the poorly designed roads in the
city. Pollution and parking problems are also faced by the people at the major areas as the
population is increasing at a continuous rate. The strategies that are formed with reference to
this are helpful in eradicating all these problems (B&NES Council, 2014).

It is recommended that the government should not overlook the modifications and repairs to
existing roads that are the main travel routes in the city. Also, proper funding must be
requested for the betterment of parking facilities. The people of Bath need to participate and
contribute to each and every activity of the council in a large number. Also, the use of advanced
traffic signals like traffic robots can be used at every signal to reduce the possibility of accidents.
Other than this, shortcuts and diversions need to be created so that it will be an ease for
reducing the traffic problems (Khisty and Lall, 2017).
Advantages and Disadvantages
The transportation strategies that are formed by the B&NES council are having numerous
advantages along with some disadvantages like:
Advantages Disadvantages
 Lowering the traffic and population
problem in the city
 Job opportunities for the people
 Improving the economic and social
status of local communities
 Quality of environment will increase
due to the use of cycles and pedestals
by the people
 The increase of tourism in the city due
to proper facilities
 The council is facing problems in
implementing the strategies due to
increase in population and tourists.
 Sometimes the less support from
people and government is also taking
extra time for the implementation of
strategies.
 The council is finding difficulties in
providing enough space for packing
due to the availability of limited
resources.
(B&NES Council, 2018)

CONCLUSION
Proper formation of strategies and their implementation at the proper time is important in
achieving the objectives that are stated in the strategies. From the case study of B&NES Council,
it can be concluded that there are various factors that need to be considered at the time of
strategies' implementation as they are affecting a high rate. Also, with the positive efforts these
factors can be turned towards positive ways, therefore they guarantee the conversion of
strategies into reality.