Issue - meetings
ICT Service Provision Strategy
Meeting: 07/12/2009 - Executive (Item 85)
85 ICT Service Provision Strategy 
PDF 90 KB
Report of Head of Customer Service and Information Services
Summary
This report seeks Member approval for a major strategic project to improve the resilience of the Council’s computer systems, and to progress the means of identifying options for the medium and long term delivery of ICT services.
Recommendations
The Executive is recommended:
(1) To approve the project to complete the virtualisation and thin client projects and related staffing changes using the £125,000 already approved for ICT investment, but released by reducing the 2009/2010 ICT capital programme.
(2) To approve a supplementary estimate of up to £150,000 for the purposes of (1) above.
(3) To request that a Member and Officer review group is established to review the options available to the Council for the future delivery of strategic ICT services.
(4) Approve the proposal for interim arrangements for ICT service delivery pending the findings of the review group, at an estimated cost of £50,000 to be met from the ICT reserve.
Additional documents:
Decision:
Agreed
Minutes:
The Head of Customer Service and Information Services submitted a report to seek Member approval for a major strategic project to improve the resilience of the Council’s computer systems, and to progress the means of identifying options for the medium and long term delivery of ICT services.
Resolved
(1) That the project to complete the virtualisation and thin client projects and related staffing changes using the £125,000 already approved for ICT investment, but released by reducing the 2009/2010 ICT capital programme be approved.
(2) That a supplementary estimate of up to £150,000 for the purposes of (1) above be approved.
(3) To request that a Member and Officer review group is established to review the options available to the Council for the future delivery of strategic ICT services.
(4) Approve the proposal for interim arrangements for ICT service delivery pending the findings of the review group, at an estimated cost of £50,000 to be met from the ICT reserve.
Reasons - This report concerns how we plan for the future and ensure our IT service delivery is fit for purpose. Technology has great capacity to deliver efficiencies for the Council as a consequence of how it is procured and delivered and as a consequence of its deployment in service delivery.
Options
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Option One |
Continue to make point replacements to the Council’s ICT infrastructure. This does nothing to mitigate the current risk to the Council’s “gold” systems and other applications residing on hardware older than four years, nor does it address the piecemeal structure of the infrastructure, driven as it is by individual service need not strategic Council direction. We must still replace the 20 currently over four years old at a cost of at least £60,000. This cost will occur next year, and the next, in a never ending cycle.
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Option Two |
Transfer out the entire risk by inviting tenders for suppliers to resolve the current problems then deliver the service. The risk of this approach is that potential suppliers may maximise the scale – and concomitant cost to put right – of the problems prior to taking on the management of the service. It is unlikely to deliver value for money.
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Option Three |
Do the necessary work to bring our infrastructure and ICT service management into line with contemporary best practice, thereby maximising the options for service delivery. This will allow the council to review its medium/long-term service delivery options and develop an ICT strategy that meets the organisation’s needs now and into the future. |