Decision details

That the Information Strategy 2012 – 2015, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report of the Head of ICT Services, and the associated capital investment allocation schedule, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report of the Head of ICT Services, be agreed.

Citizens want to see better value, more choice and an improved response from the council. Technology has a major contribution to make in enabling the council to meet these increasing expectations and rise to these challenges, now and in the future. 

The Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 has resulted in significant reduction in local government budgets. It is crucial that the council achieves every possible benefit from the use of technology as a strategic tool in order to deliver its priorities within these reduced resources.

The Information Strategy is key to ensuring that technology underpins the council’s priorities and core themes, supports and enables the council’s efficiency and transformation agenda, and provides a framework for the corporate control and management of its resources. 

The council’s Information Strategy is a rolling three year document, reviewed annually to ensure it remains relevant. In presenting the Strategy for 2012 - 2015 it is important to recognise that the council’s investment in technology has continued to transform the way in which the council provides services to citizens, businesses and communities.

This year’s review of the strategy is set against the national context of a continued drive for greater efficiency and more customer focused services. Using technology to deliver more cost-effective public services is therefore the key focus of this strategy term. To achieve this, the council will continue to:

·  promote and encourage the take-up of e-services by customers;

·  engage with managers and service providers to exploit the efficiencies available from existing and new systems;

·  improve business processes through the introduction of technology and encourage staff to make modern and efficient ways of working part of “the day job”;

·  enable Members and partners to access the council’s information and services electronically and encourage residents to do the same;

·  exploit the full potential of partnership working; and

·  pursue opportunities for ICT to support shared services in Mid Kent, and across Kent.

This will provide real benefits in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. Over the next 12 months the council will further exploit the opportunities provided by modern technology to improve services through business improvement initiatives.

The Information Strategy identifies outcomes as:

·  Digital by default;

·  Collaborative redesign of service delivery;

·  Technical infrastructure; and

·  Open and transparent public services.

The key actions needed to achieve these are also identified. The capital investment required to achieve these actions is summarized at Appendix 2 of the report of the Head of ICT Services; this includes provision for the first tranche of Maidstone’s contribution to the ICT shared services capital pot.

Mid Kent Improvement Partnership ICT shared service

On 16^th April 2012 Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells Council’s agreed to enter into a 10 year partnership for the provision of ICT services, with Kent County Council as a strategic partner.

Maidstone has already realised £106,000 staff savings from vacant posts in the IT Section during 2011-12, and it is anticipated that a further £180,000 staff savings will be released from the MKIP shared service establishment by 2015-16.

The partnership will also deliver non-staff savings in excess £2.4m over the course of the partnership.

The apportionment of savings from the partnership will be determined by the level of investment each partner makes in their ICT service (baseline revenue budgets 2012-13 and capital programme), and it is anticipated that Maidstone will receive 34.4% of the savings year-on-year.

In order to provide the required funds for investment as a partnership, a capital pot of £300,000 will be created, with equal contributions from each partner. Any further investment will be sought on a case-by case basis.

A collaboration agreement between the three main partners identifies the governance framework for the partnership which is provided below:

Figure 1: MKIP ICT shared service governance model

The shared service will collaborate with KCC via a memorandum of understanding which recognises the county council as a strategic partner, and their involvement will be sought in projects which improve value for money and resilience within the shared service.

No alternative action is recommended as it is inconceivable that the Council should not use technology as a strategic tool with which to develop its role within the community, and meet the aspirations of its stakeholders.