Issue - meetings

A draft IT & Digital Strategy for 2021 to 2024 was considered. This intended to provide a plan for realising the Council’s digital ambitions, to be delivered within a robust governance framework. The strategy included:

• three themes (accelerating channel shift / working smarter / ICT modernisation) to be achieved through a set of actions; and

• an improved governance structure with a digital design group to be responsible for working with the service areas in assessing IT proposals in terms of technical and business merits.

A strategy was accompanied by a proposed form to be completed by service managers to make their case for investment in an IT project. A work plan for delivering the strategy over the next three years was also submitted. Various issues were raised during the debate, including:

·           whether users should have greater involvement in IT projects;

·           the need for an options appraisal section within the business case pro-forma (it was acknowledged the ‘alternative analysis’ section could be rebranded for this purpose);

·           whether the proposed IT governance structure could be streamlined;

·           a suggestion that the list of current and future IT projects should be categorised according to the three strategic themes referred to above;

·           the need to guard against IT security threats and to ensure that the interactive sections of the website were as secure as possible for residents.   

R E S O L V E D – that the IT & Digital Strategy 2021/2024, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved.