Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Transformation

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/158

Contact: Will Harper, Head of ICT (Interim) Tel: 07920 708233

Report by Head of ICT (Interim) (CA6).

he ICT strategy covers a 5-year period and is designed to ensure the ICT service and technology roadmap are well placed to meet the current and future needs of the organisation, partners and residents over the lifetime of the strategy.

The ICT service undertook a heath check exercise, completed in Feb 2019, with the aim of identifying the current state and the transformation activities required to ensure the service meets the needs of customers going forward.

The Digital Framework covers a 3-year period and sets out our digital vision to achieve the best outcomes for Oxfordshire’s communities, residents, businesses and visitors using digital services and systems that work for all.

The Local Digital Declaration is a common aspiration for the future of local public services created in collaboration between the UK Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the Government Digital Service (GDS), Local Government Association (LGA) and a collection of local authorities and sector bodies from across the UK.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          Agree the proposed Information Technology Strategy and the Framework for Digital Service Delivery; and

(b)          Adopt the Local Digital Declaration and become a signatory.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report setting out the Information Technology Strategy and the Framework for Digital Service Delivery and seeking approval to adopt and become a signatory on the Digital Declaration.

Councillor Mark Lygo, Shadow Cabinet Member for Transformation asked about the timescale for the Digital Declaration which he would want to see as soon as possible. Councillor Lygo asked for more detail on the finance information set out in the report and queried whether it would come to the Transformation Cabinet Advisory Group. He was advised that a meeting of the Group had already been set for January 2020

Councillor Eddie Reeves, Cabinet Member for Transformation in moving the recommendations introduced the contents of the report. Responding to the query from Councillor Lygo Councillor Reeves detailed the capital investment and expected savings and reduction in ongoing revenue commitment. This would be built into the Medium Term Financial Plan.

Claire Taylor, Corporate Director for Customers and Organisational Development, responding to the query from Councillor Lygo on the Digital Declaration advised that it was about a commitment to the Declaration and that at this stage there was no specific timeframe. What was important was how it linked into how our services can be accessed. On the expected savings Ms Taylor added that an early assumption had been the development of one large new system. However, it was more important to sweat the existing assets and to use effectively the existing digital capability. The business case was the investment profile referred to by Councillor Reeve. If it was ever decided to go with a big new system, then a business case would be developed for approval.

During discussion Cabinet welcomed the proposals and thanked officers for their work. The opportunity to share the work with partners was welcomed. Cabinet highlighted the energy efficiency of the cloud-based systems with it being noted that since 2012 Microsoft had declared all their data centres were carbon neutral.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)          agree the proposed Information Technology Strategy and the Framework for Digital Service Delivery; and

(b)          adopt the Local Digital Declaration and become a signatory.