Issue - meetings

    Report by Executive Director Dr Carlton Brand

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Portfolio Holder for IT and Digitalisation, presented the report seeking approval for the Council’s ICT and Digital Strategy to cover the period April 2019 to April 2022.

Cllr Blair-Pilling reported that Information Technology (IT) was fundamental to all the operations undertaken and services delivered by the Council. With technology constantly evolving, users expectations continue to change and appropriate investment in IT is required. The last ICT strategy was written to cover the period up to 2015. Since that time the infrastructure has become old, expensive to maintain and increasingly unfit for purpose, especially since the recent introduction of the Microsoft Digital Programme.  He explained that the adoption of coherent ICT and Digital Strategy would ensure that the operational services in the Council are undertaken efficiently, through the provision of appropriate technology that is supportable and updated when needed, and users are assisted in making best use of it.  The Cabinet noted that this approach would extend to users of Council services in the community.

Cllr Philip Whitehead referred to the addendum attached at supplement 2 to the Cabinet papers, detailing the costs associated with the ICT and Digital Strategy which had been refined since the publication of the main report.  The addendum identified those budget elements already approved, and those seeking approval by Full Council.      

The Cabinet heard from Cllr Graham Wright, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee. Cllr Wright reported that the Digital Strategy and Implementation Task Group raised concerns at their February meeting about the pace of work within ICT and the Task Group felt that the Strategy did not adequately detail how the Council would achieve its ambitions.  It was confirmed that this was now identified in the most recent version of the Strategy.  Following a meeting with Senior Management it was agreed that the task Group would help the Programme Office to shape Policy in this area.

In response to a question from Cllr Thorn about the identification of savings against investments for each scheme, Cllr Whitehead explained that the decisions already taken by Cabinet detailed the savings to be made.  and future schemes would identify savings to be made. Financial implications of future schemes would be considered by Cabinet at the appropriate time.

In response to a question from Cllr Jones MBE about the recent internal ICT survey not being made available for Councillors to complete, Cllr Whitehead apologised that the survey had not been available for Councillors and that arrangements would be made for this to take place.

Cllr Blair-Pilling thanked the Interim Director, Digital Transformation & IT for his contributions in the preparation of the Strategy.  

Resolved:  To recommend Full Council

1.    To approve the ICT & Digital Strategy, which covers the period April 2019 to April 2022.

2.    Approve an additional capital budget for Applications and Key IT of £11.100m for the period 2019/2020 to 2023/2024.

Reason for Decision:

The council has not had an ICT strategy since 2015, and it is vital that it has one to allow:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51