Meeting documents

Chairman of the Improvement & Review Commission expressed his disappointment that neither the Cabinet Member or Deputy Cabinet Member for ICT, HR & Customer Services had been able to make the meeting and give this update on progress in respect of the recommendations of the Commission’s ICT (Information Communication Technology) Task and Finish Group as considered by Cabinet 19 September 2017.

However Head of ICT, HR & Customer Services; John McMillan was welcomed to the meeting, he after all was the chief officer responsible for the IT Service and his expert and comprehensive input would be most valuable to the Commission in consideration of the Report.

Mr McMillan outlined the key points of the report:

·         Three major phases to the action plan were outlined, those of:

1.      an immediate change to incident responses with a new regime and personnel in place;

2.      addressing key issues, i.e. fixing applications and systems that were failing regularly; and

3.      projects for the future where applications could be improved / replaced / upgraded.

·         The gaps present on the appendix which outlined progress against recommendations were explained; in that these were where Cabinet had not agreed with the recommendation concerned.

·         A sustained improvement by Capita in respect of day to day management had occurred.

·         Page 8 of the report outlined the projects to be completed by the end of the 2017/18 financial year:

Ø  Laptop device refresh by July 2017

Ø  Replacement of VDI servers and software by May 2017

Ø  Replace Uniform server and application upgrade by December 2016

Ø  Update telephony and introduce Skye for Business by July 2017

Ø  Implement Office 365, and

Ø  Upgrade internet capacity by February 2017.

·         Progress had occurred against the vast majority of the recommendations.

·         The use of the ICT PAG (Portfolio Advisory Group) and IRC members as a ‘sounding board’ for officers along with the trialling of various applications and equipment with them had proved invaluable.

·         In respect of Windows 10 the planned laptop replacements were 10 compatible, yet a number of key applications at WDC were not. The Council’s ‘thin client’ used Windows 7 which was to be supported centrally until 2020. Work to ensure continued use of all applications was complex but achievable.

Members received clarification on a number of points and made observations as follows:

·         The need to ensure photos sent (predominantly here in respect of planning) were viewable by members, was noted.

·         WDC were not contemplating the delivery of documents to members online by the comparatively insecure Drop Box method as utilised by BCC (Buckinghamshire County Council).

·         It was acknowledged that Members accessed IT in a variety of ways, some utilising WDC equipment some using their own, any training on a one to one basis required, was available. Members were just to contact John’s officers. Mark Lansbury (Business Systems Manager) had been most helpful in this role.

·         The prompt availability of finance in budgets for ICT projects and improvements was emphasised.

Given the technical complexity of the Action Plan appended, which it was acknowledged was necessary as the document was the foundation for the ongoing dialogue with Capita the IT providers; Members asked for a lay man’s summary by means of Information Sheet to be issued, summarising the Report and this update.

It was agreed that the Cabinet Member and / or Deputy be invited to the next Improvement & Review Commission Meeting to further update on progress against these recommendations in person.

RESOLVED: That the Improvement & Review Commission note the updates and actions being taken in relation to the recommendations made by the ICT Task & Finish Group following consideration by Cabinet.