Lisa Forsyth is Principal Consultant at MAX Associates and has been working as a leisure and culture consultant for the previous five years. Lisa’s work as a consultant has been predominately supporting Executive Directors and senior managers seeking to deliver services more efficiently and effectively across the leisure and cultural sector.

A number of projects have encompassed the analysis of leisure and cultural provision set against demand and supply and assessing the requirements for new or refurbished leisure and cultural provision. However, assessing how service provision can assist Councils in achieving their key wider objectives relating to health, education, community safety and social inclusion has also been given the highest priority.

Lisa has specific knowledge of how library services are delivered, both in-house and through alternative governance models, for example through the outsourcing of the library service at Hounslow. At Hounslow, Lisa was closely involved with both the strategic assessment of the future options for libraries and the subsequent change programmes that the new contractor (JLIS) commenced once they were appointed as the Council’s library partner. Lisa therefore adds both a theoretical and operational view on the options and potential effect on service delivery.

Shared service delivery and co-location was the outcome from the procurement process at Hounslow. MAX Associates work at Hounslow was commended by the Mayor and Lead Member for Leisure and Cultural Services, of which we are especially proud. This can be viewed on our website at www.max-associates.com

Due to the number of options appraisals completed, Lisa is aware of the potential issues under various governance models of risk transfer, central charges, capital investment and TUPE implications. Having worked for both local authorities and the private sector, Lisa can provide a unique balance of assessing the opportunities and risks in all types of leisure and cultural projects.