To seek approval of recommendations arising from an Options Appraisal of Herefordshire Connects to determine the future focus, purpose and outcomes for the Council’s development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems required to achieve cost effective, service improvements for customers, in partnership with Herefordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT).

THAT:

                     (a)          Herefordshire Connects be re-focused on implementing the three updated business cases and further developing these business cases jointly with the PCT as Herefordshire Public Services partners, as defined in section 5.3 of the report attached;

(b)                   Cabinet note the critical risks to service continuity of key ICT system failures. This is due to the current large number of inadequately connected systems requiring upgrades that would not achieve the Council’s ambitions for improving customer services and satisfaction, provide poor value for money or that are no longer supported by providers due to their age;

(c)                    The Council’s ICT system application portfolio be rationalised to achieve the minimum number of integrated applications by Joint Management Team and Deloitte conducting a two month evaluation of:

a.      the four market proven system providers for an integrated back office system and associated integration tools to enable integration between Council systems and where jointly approved, Council and PCT systems, as stated in Section 6.4 of the report attached;

b.      the two market proven system providers for an integrated environment and planning system, as stated in Section 6.4 of the report attached;

c.      market proven system providers for an integrated performance management system, as stated in Section 6.4 of the report attached;

(d)                   A report on the recommendations arising from (c) above be produced for the Cabinet in October 2008;

(e)                   The Customer Relationship Management System Upgrade should proceed to secure the significant increase in system efficiency and customer service standards. Deloitte advise this upgrade is already delivering these for other Council users of this system;

(f)                     The current Finance System Upgrade should proceed; which will address imminent service continuity risks; and

(g)                   The Joint Management Team implement Connects Programme Management arrangements based on Section 8 of the report attached to provide assurance to the Council, and where relevant PCT, of compliance with the applicable Procurement Policies and best practice in the Project Management risks, costs and the realisation of benefits for customers and staff.

1                    The Audit Commission has been maintaining an overview of the council’s progress with Herefordshire Connects, and in its Annual Audit & Inspection Letter recommended that before progressing further elements the council take the opportunity “.to re-focus and clarify the purpose, outcomes and actions of Herefordshire Connects. This should include formally considering in a short paper what other options are still open to the council including the costs, benefits and risks of each option. It should also set out how the programme fits with the new joint working arrangements with the Primary Care Trust.”

2                    Joint Management Team has led an option appraisal with Deloitte, as the Council’s strategic partners for Connects, to implement this recommendation and address the  current and future impact on service delivery to customers and for staff caused by the pause in implementing the majority of the Connects Programme. The purpose of the option appraisal was to:

a.      ensure the vision for Herefordshire Connects is fit for purpose both now and for the future;

b.      update the business cases to take account of current and future needs and identify those benefits already achieved;

c.      ensure that governance arrangements are robust and appropriate.

The existing and new options available to the Council that are capable of meeting the Council’s requirements are identified in the Deloitte report attached (Section 6). These requirements are capability to deliver the Council’s priorities for service improvement; evidence of market proven systems; minimising application platforms; maximising systems integration; and enabling joint business case development with Herefordshire PCT.