RCUK SSC Ltd History
A key driving factor for creating the RCUK Shared Services Centre was the 2003 Gershon Review of the efficiency of all public sector organisations in order to identify the scope for efficiency savings. One of the outcomes was a target for all public sector organisations to deliver at least 2.5 per cent efficiency savings each year. This combined with a drive for greater efficiency and harmonisation of processes across the seven UK Research Councils, working together as Research Councils UK (RCUK), led to the decision to create RCUK Shared Services Centre Ltd (the SSC).
The shared services framework would unify key back office processes in HR, financial, procurement, ISS and grant processing across the seven Research Councils within the RCUK partnership and offer an integrated and efficient service to each Research Council.
The SSC would provide benefits that would strengthen the Research Councils' abilities to support over 2,000 employees including approximately 45,500 researchers and doctoral students. It would help the Research Councils to more effectively manage their supplier base, enable savings in procurement spend and lead to more efficient back office administration.
The Project
In 2006, the UK’s seven Research Councils, working together as Research Councils UK (RCUK), set up a cross-council project team to deliver shared services. Drawing on internal and external specialist expertise, they reviewed existing shared services offerings in the public and private sectors to help them identify what they needed to achieve.
The project plan was developed to reflect the specialist needs of the service that would be needed to fulfil the needs of seven similar, but ultimately very different, organisations.
The SSC began live operation in May 2008 with functions migrating over from the Research Councils in a phased transition, ending with the transfer of grants from the Medical Research Council in March 2011. This marked the completion of the Shared Services Project.
If you have any enquiries regarding the Project and setting up the SSC, please contact RCUK.
The Company
RCUK Shared Services Centre Ltd (the SSC) was set up as a separate legal identity in August 2007 with shares jointly owned by the Research Councils. The SSC is governed by a Board of Directors with each Research Council having an equal vote in board decision making. The Board has an independent Chairperson. The SSC is a new, customer focused organisation, employing around 600 people, many of whom transferred into the SSC from the seven Research Councils.
The goal of the SSC is to provide a top class centralised service solution across the functions leaving the Research Councils more time to devote to their individual specialities.
Its aims continue to be:
- To streamline the key processes used by our clients and customers, by developing shared and centralised resources and by adopting best practices throughout
- To provide a greater consistency of services, increasing the efficiency, flexibility and effectiveness of clients and customers
- To bring financial benefits that will allow the Research Councils to invest more funds in research, training and knowledge development
Our Client list includes the following organisations:
Arts and Humanities Research Council - AHRC
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council - BBSRC
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - EPSRC
Economic and Social Research Council - ESRC
Natural Environmental Research Council - NERC
Medical Research Council - MRC
Science and Technology Research Council - STFC
Technology Strategy Board - TSB
If you have any enquiries relating to RCUK SSC Ltd and the services it provides, please contact us using the details on our Contact Us page.