Issue - meetings

To receive the ICT Work Programme 2024/25.

The Panel received a summary of the ICT Work Programme for 2024/25, which included

• Background to the ICT work programme

• Programme summary

• How the programme would be delivered

The ICT work programme budget for 2024/25 was £625K. This was an assumed annual sum in the Council's Medium Term Financial Plan. It was anticipated that this work programme budget would make a contribution of circa £1m towards the cost of the Transformation project over the financial years 2024/25 to 2026/27.

Additional resources had been identified and formed part of the Transformation Business case, which members had discussed in a previous agenda item.  There was therefore a strong correlation between the ICT work programme activity, and the development of the Transformation programme, as well as the Corporate Plan Objectives.

Alongside this, projects included a new Customer Relationship Management system (CRM), Contact Centre Software, and new Housing, Revenue and Benefits, and  Regulatory Services systems.

Details were given of governance and review mechanisms to monitor overall

progress. There was a continued focus on improving the customer experience with all online systems. Details were also given regarding project risks and identified mitigations.

Regarding a question on maximising end user benefits, it was explained that customer engagement measures were an important tool in enabling good communication with residents, as well as close attention to processes and listening to resident feedback.

In response to a query about sufficient staff to ensure systems resilience, it was reported that at least 2 technical analysts were always involved in delivering projects, and knowledge was shared with service partners and teams, and well documented.  

In response to a question on learning from other organisations, officers reported that they often looked at other authorities via networking events, benchmarking, and gleaning best practice on things such as digital skills training,  as well as observing working systems in situ when NFDC projects were in the procurement phase.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.