There has always been a tendency in public service organisations to treat all challenges as technical in nature and therefore to utilise known and trusted solutions to try and address them. This approach has traditionally and usually worked and has become naturally the "way that things get done". But, imagine if the problem was not a technical one and was of an entirely adaptive nature? The global recession and resultant cuts in public expenditure within the UK have tested emergency services to an unprecedented degree. The expectations, often public, were undiminished but the resources were reduced. The traditional methods are unlikely to deliver satisfactory solutions.

Recognising that cuts to emergency services often create public anxiety, staff outrage and political tensions, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service conceived a novel, and successful transformational approach to budget reduction which sought to use fundamental business principles whilst adjusting stakeholder expectations.

• We stated our ambitions and modelled for the long term
• We created political buy in
• We revised policy frameworks
• We gave guarantees - to those we serve (rather than those we employ)
• To show leadership we made cuts in senior management first
• We worked to create productive collaborations
• We aimed to bring business to the area, creating value for our local taxpayers by generating economic advantage for the area served by the FRS
• We worked hard at image management and encouraging senior leaders to be high profile and outspoken

Demonstrating a range of strategies at political, strategic and operational level, the presentation will show how England's poorest funded fire authority produced one of the safest areas in which to reside with good performance being maintained across a range of measures with high customer satisfaction.