Centralising a service, step 6: create a full service catalogue to run your service

This final step will help you put the right things in place to deliver the service. Put together the service provider, finish the service catalogue and get a service level agreement in place.

Last reviewed on 22 January 2025
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 44045
Contents
  1. Get the right people to run the service
  2. Seek legal advice for new procurement
  3. Complete the full service catalogue 
  4. Communicate new roles and responsibilities 
  5. Create a service level agreement
  6. Put the central service into action
  7. Review it as part of your normal cycle
  8. What now?

Get the right people to run the service

Now that you have a project team and know what the service users need from the service (step 5), you can start appointing the service providers.

Remember, you're all on the same team 

When running a shared service internally, your trust's vision and aims (e.g. improving pupil outcomes) should be what drives you as a team. You're all:

  • Working with the same trust objectives in mind
  • Operating under one employer
  • Reporting to the same board

Don't approach this as you would outsourcing a service to an external provider. By centralising a service 'in-house' you don't need to worry about aligning your aims and cultures with a different organisation. 

Do you already have people with the appropriate expertise within your central team to deliver the service? For example, if centralising finance, do you have anyone with financial expertise already in your central team? If so, this is