To receive a presentation reviewing past performance, identifying key issues and commenting on future plans.

The Committee received a presentation by the Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement) reviewing past performance, identifying key issues and commenting on future plans.

The Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement) presented the agenda report and highlighted significant savings had been made through the re-tendering of the Community Network Contract and through the investment in upgrading the Thorn Data Centre.   A number of ICT systems had been implemented for directorates including an SMS service which could be further developed to accommodate the requirements mentioned in the Review of Winter Weather.  Progress and benefits were being delivered by the Social Care System – Frameworki.  A survey of system users indicated that there were still a number of concerns to be addressed and further training would be provided.  Priorities for 2010/11 included a significant amount of organisational change including the establishment of the Joint Venture Company (JVCo) which would include ICT.  Following a fire at Plough Lane which housed the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) causing significant down-time, work had already commenced on increasing resilience to the system.  The Herefordshire Connects programme had now been subsumed into the Shared Services work programme.  The implementation of the ‘Agresso’ system, which, through closer working with NHS Herefordshire, had enabled further contract savings to be made, would be a significant enabler of shared services.  Items likely to be put to Cabinet were listed in the report.

The principal points noted during discussion were:

• Responding to the issues raised through the Frameworki survey of users and comments by the Committee concerning the lengthy implementation time for the whole system the Joint Director of ICT reported that the survey had been undertaken soon after implementation and therefore had indicated a number of teething problems which would be addressed through further training.  He also pointed out the benefits of the system, listed in the agenda report.  However, due to legislation more information was required to be recorded and this inputting time may be the cause of some initial irritation. The Committee noted that financial and HR elements were due to be implemented later in the timeline.  The Committee welcomed that a user survey had been undertaken and suggested that a similar survey be undertaken after 6 months to see what improvements had been made and to ensure that the system was meeting the Council’s requirements.

• Comment was made that the APP (Authority Public Protection) supplied by Civica was unsatisfactory and cumbersome for use by the Planning Service and that the Document Management System for scanning planning applications (the EDRMS) was still awaited.  The Joint Director of ICT responded that there had been significant engagement with key planning team staff before the installation.  While other local authorities typically used 2 or 3 modules of the system Herefordshire were using significantly more modules concurrently as configured under the contract.  He assured the Committee that issues identified were the subject of ongoing discussions with the provider.

• Work had started on the design and build stage of the Agresso system and financial information would be transferred in time.

• In relation to contract periods and the medium to long term planning for ICT the Joint Director of ICT commented that in view of the rapidly moving technical advances in ICT, Herefordshire was well placed to see how technology developed and then take advantage.

• Responding to whether Plough Lane had adequate broadband speed to accommodate the Shared Services JVCo, the Joint Director of ICT reported that good capacity and speeds were available.

• Questioned on the barriers to the development of a joint ICT network across Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire the Committee noted that while not complex from a technical point of view the development of a joint network had raised significant security and information governance issues.  An overarching governance agreement had been reached and lower level agreements were being developed.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement) for providing the agenda report and for answering member’s questions.

RESOLVED: That

1. the report by the Cabinet Member (ICT, Education and Achievement) be noted; and
2. the Committee’s concerns regarding the efficient roll-out of the new ICT systems e.g. Frameworki, Agresso, EDRMS and Civica be noted by the Cabinet Member.