Issue - meetings

To consider a report by the Corporate Director (Services) regarding an ICT shared service for Cambridgeshire County Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Approves the Business Case and delegate authority to the Managing Director, in conjunction with the Executive Councillor for Customer Services, to make decisions and to take steps that are necessary, conducive or incidental to the establishment of the ICT shared service in accordance with the detailed business case.

Following the report outlining the overall approach that had been taken to develop the first phase of the partnership arrangement between Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC), South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) and Cambridge City Council (CCC) for ICT, Legal Services and Building Control shared services, the Cabinet received a further report (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) to approve the business case to establish an ICT shared service.

It was explained that there were strategic and financial benefits for all three partners to create an ICT shared service and the Officer’s report included a detailed financial model to show how savings would be achieved against the baseline budget.  It was expected that savings beyond those contained within the report would be achieved.

It was explained that each Authority would be the Lead Authority for a shared service and HDC was acting as the Lead Authority for the ICT shared service.

The Cabinet noted that one of the key assumptions and pre-requisites of the business case was based upon the need to increase resilience, improve the quality of service to clients, become more efficient and increase capacity within the service to drive innovation and technology enabled change across all three Councils.

During discussions the Cabinet was interested to note that 50% of the savings generated via the ICT shared service would not be as a result of staffing but other sources such as shared cost of licences.  Whereupon the Cabinet,

RESOLVED

to approve the Business Case and delegate authority to the Managing Director, in conjunction with the Executive Councillor for Customer Services, to make decisions and to take steps that are necessary, conducive or incidental to the establishment of the ICT shared service in accordance with the detailed business case.

To consider a report by J Lancaster providing the business case to establish an ICT shared service and detailing the activities to create the ICT shared service.

The Panel received a report by the Managing Director, presenting the business case for the proposed ICT shared service and including details of the financial savings expected.

The Head of Operations summarised the report and talked the Members through the benefits and outcomes of the proposed ICT shared service including:

•  An ICT service that has the capability and capacity to meet the future demands of the Councils

•  Greater efficiency and reduced duplication in ICT services

•  Better access to and sharing information for performance management and benchmarking

•  Increased customer self-service for straightforward interactions

•  Continuity and resilience of service

•  Raising quality and adding value to existing services

•  Securing cost savings and sustainable efficiencies

•  Releasing staff time for more customer facing activities

•  Improving system scalability

•  Ensuring improved and more up-to-date systems

•  Ability to offer otherwise unsustainable services

•  Levering transformation.

The Panel concluded that the report clearly showed the benefits of a shared ICT service between the three Councils.  Members have approved this report for Cabinet.