Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

The ICT Strategy2014 - 2016

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IntroductionThe three year timescale for this latest ICT Strategy sits within a veryuncertain period for local government. Increasing financial pressureswill continue to play a major influence on the Council’s plans forservice delivery and these pressures will no doubt exceed the threeyear lifetime of this strategy. Although a massive influence for allservices, in terms of technology it is not all doom and gloom!

All Council services rely upon ICT systems in some form. In some casesthis will be obvious and reach right out to the customer and in others itwill be less so where the technology plays a supporting role behind thescenes. What is clear though, when targeted correctly, ICT is often thecritical factor or enabler when it comes to improving services and reducingthe costs of service delivery. This opportunity applies to all services.

This strategy continues the general themes of its predecessor as allfive themes are still applicable in some form, but it also incorporatesthe latest requirements arising from the information system strategydevelopment process which took place recently with all services.

This ICT Strategy encompasses the strategic architecture and ICTservice requirements of the Council and compliments the ServiceGroup Information System Strategies which capture the businessspecific projects of the services themselves. Combined, these form theoverall ICT requirements of the Council in supporting the delivery of itsstrategic aims and five key priorities, which are:

• Promoting equality of opportunity

• Protecting the vulnerable

• Developing strong and healthy communities

• Creating economic prosperity

• Continuing to be an ambitious and effective Council that is proud to serve

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Achievements So FarOf the nineteen projects identified in the previous strategy, twelve arecomplete and four projects which are already underway will becompleted by the end of the current strategy term. In total it isexpected sixteen (84%) of projects will be complete, with just tworunning over into the following year (Desktop Roll-Out & NetworkImplementation). The one remaining project was ceased (BusinessContinuity Management Certification). In addition, other strategicprojects which were not originally identified in the previous strategyhave been completed in the same period.

This success not only provides a foundation for on-going servicedelivery and strategic ICT projects to come, but it also gives a highdegree of confidence in the ability of the Council to deliver its ICTprogramme as envisaged, whilst recognising the pressures this placeson the ICT service itself. This confidence is further supported whenconsidering the large number of service specific projects which havealso been completed during this time.

The previous strategy outlined a vision for a typical end-user and themajority of this vision is now in place, with some remaining elementsbeing delivered as part of the on-going desktop roll-out and singlesign-on projects.

Vision for the typical end-user (ICT Strategy 2011-2013):

The aim for a typical ICT user is to be able to securely access theirdesktop and telephony services from different locations within theCouncil and via mobile and home-based technologies, with wirelessaccess where appropriate. A standard and secure method ofauthentication to systems will be in place and a centralised approachto data storage and backup will ensure that the same information isavailable regardless of the point of access. Wherever the user accessesICT, the facilities will be the same and have all good practicegovernance elements built in. This whole architecture will be made asflexible as possible to allow the Council to change size and shape asalternate delivery models are deployed and re-shaped.

This underpinning architecture gives a suitable platform for servicesto adopt, adapt and exploit systems and technologies to work moreefficiently and deliver real value to the customer. It also allows us todeliver on our ambitions for transformational services (both internaland external) which are modern and appropriate in that they areflexible, interactive, responsive and delivered in an efficient andtimely manner.

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There are many challenges facing the Council, with financial pressuresbeing foremost and affecting all aspects of its business. Therefore,affordability, efficiency, targeted investments and maximising the useof existing assets are all factors which will be uppermost whenconsidering technology related initiatives.

Principle 1 Services should put technology at the core of theirservice transformation and appropriateness and valuefor money should be tests for any technology relatedbusiness case.

The continued financial pressures also give rise to uncertainty aboutthe future, in terms of the scope, shape and delivery of Councilservices. This increases the likelihood of service commissioning andshared services, together with out-sourcing and in-sourcing of servicesas economies dictate. For those involved in the design, procurement,commissioning or delivery of future services, it is clear that they needto be suitably competent in their use of ICT systems to maintainappropriate levels of efficiency and effectiveness in their work, bothalone and in collaboration with others.

Principle 2 Those using ICT systems should have the correcttechnologies to aid them in their work and anappropriate level of skill to use these effectively.

The Council’s Access to Services Strategy acknowledges the benefitstechnology can bring in terms of both improving service delivery andreducing cost. Channel shift to more cost-efficient methods is a keyaim of this strategy and is seen as a viable route to the continueddelivery of a wide range of Council services against a backdrop of on-going reductions in resources. Moving forward, this continues to be amajor programme for the Council.

Challenges Ahead and Principles to be Applied

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Principle 3 Migrating services on-line should be the defaultposition of any procedural/service development orreview, or procurement of ICT systems, and an end-to-end approach should be adopted.

To give an oversight of all ICT projects and ensure the correct targetingof what are finite resources, the Information Systems Strategy (ISS)development work has given clarity to each service’s informationsystem requirements and highlighted the differences in approach andpriorities across the Council in terms of existing and future ICT systems.The ISS process has allowed an ICT Workplan to be developed whichidentifies projects, resources and timescales for delivery.

Principle 4 Existing ICT assets should be reviewed, rationalisedand exploited as far as possible to maximise gain andeliminate waste.

Another output from this work has been the identification of commoncorporate projects for inclusion in the ICT Workplan. These representdevelopment areas that have been identified by several services andtherefore have a corporate priority and in some cases the potential tobe Council-wide systems.

Principle 5 A corporate approach should be considered whereseveral services have similar ICT requirements.

The success of the architecture programme is that it provides a resilientand secure platform on which to do business and in supporting theend-user vision above, this platform extends out to the desktop andmobile world beyond, thus building availability and flexibility into theoverall approach. Married together with the service based projects, thisallows the underlying technology to become the enabler for business.

Principle 6 Information technology should be the enabler ofbusiness and not an obstacle. It should be resilientand secure.

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The Five Strategic ICT Priorities 2014 -2016This latest version of the Council’s ICT Strategy continues the themeslaid down previously but with the detail behind each theme reflectingcurrent requirements and trends. The six principles outlined earlier willbe applied throughout these themes.

ICT Service Development

Over the period of the previous strategy the ICT service itself has maturedsignificantly in terms of the development of individuals and the service.

Investment in project management and service management frameworks,together with structure and discipline associated with working tointernational standards has paid dividends and will continue to be appliedas part of the delivery of the ICT Service Improvement Plan whichencompasses and co-ordinates all such service development activities.

ICT Governance

The role and remit of the ICT Strategy Group has been reviewed and thereis increased ownership, visibility and challenge of ICT projects and theWorkplan. Delivery of the Workplan is underway and a renewed process ofmonitoring and managing exceptions will bed-in over the coming year.

By managing the ISS process and overseeing the ICT Workplan, theStrategy Group has visibility of all ICT related projects. This gives themthe ability to support or challenge projects and associated spend, andoversee the overall direction of ICT developments in general.

The same process is in place at Darlington Council, therefore theoverall commitment against the shared ICT resource is transparent andmanaged as one co-ordinated process. Again, exceptions andresourcing conflicts across both Councils are managed by ICT Servicesand the two strategic groups.

ICT Strategic Architecture

Many of the major elements of the architecture programme have beencompleted successfully, with others still to come on-line. Often thesevery complex joint projects for both Stockton and Darlington gounseen as they relate to “behind the scenes” architecture, but it isthese significant and complex interrelated systems that keep theCouncil(s) operating and its information safe and compliant withGovernment standards and best practice.

The threat of obsolescence in information technology also brings withit challenges in terms of on-going refresh programmes, but often thesealso give rise to opportunities both in terms of new features andadditional savings.

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Business Development

Clearly the promotion of the benefits of ICT is not solely the remit ofthe ICT Strategy Group. Following the themes and principles of thisstrategy, services themselves must take a leading role in ensuring thattheir ICT systems are fit for purpose and being used effectively.Strategy Group members, service based ICT representatives and ICTServices can all assist and support this process. The new DigitalCommunications Group also have a role to play in helping services tounderstand and realise the benefit of “getting on-line”.

The development of Information System Strategies has given focus towhat is important and what is required in terms of ICT systems andtechnologies within services and it has also highlighted common,corporate requirements across the Council. These are:

• On-line Payments

• On-line Self Service

• Electronic Records Management

• Mobile Applications

• Information Sharing with Other Organisations

Combined, these corporate priorities along with service baseddevelopments and strategic ICT architecture plans form the overall ICT Workplan.

ICT Competent Workforce

Our workforce must be developed so that they have the confidenceand competence to respond to new demands, to challenge existingways of working and to develop new solutions to problems with thetechnology available to them. As the Council’s resource base andstaffing numbers reduce, we must ensure that users of ICT systems areable to maximise these investments through their effective use.Similarly, our Elected Members also need the skills to accessinformation and communicate effectively.

The desktop roll-out project is giving ICT users access to a number ofnew training materials and methods. However, to maintainawareness, keep skills fresh and remain efficient, ICT users needtime within the work environment to acquire new skills or updateexisting ones. Whether this is on standard office software orspecific applications used within their service.

Similarly, ICT users need to make their own efforts tounderstand and explore the features of newsystems and not merely transfer old methodsinto a new world.

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Delivering these priorities is a joint responsibility of Council servicesand ICT Services, with contributions from partner agencies andsuppliers. The ICT Strategy Group governs the overall programme ofdelivery and approves any changes to the ICT Workplan.

ICT Service Development

All ICT service improvement activities are identified in the ICT ServiceImprovement Programme and this is managed and monitored by theICT Management Team, supported by the ICT Process Excellence &Planning Officer. This Service Improvement Group meets monthly andreviews the progress and priorities of the extensive and continualprogramme which is resourced through a combination of business asusual activities and planned projects within ICT.

The latest version of the ICT Service Improvement Programme can befound at http://xip/ourservices/ict/ictsip

ICT Governance

The Council’s ICT Workplan is managed by the ICT service, both at anoperational and strategic level. The Workplan and supporting detailedproject and resource plans are what drives the daily project activities ofthe ICT service and consequently form part of on-going projectmonitoring, team meetings and staff 1:1s, as well as the customerengagement with the services concerned. Bi-monthly progress reportsare presented to the ICT Strategy Group, which highlight projectprogress, movements, additions and exceptions.

The latest version of the Workplan can be found athttp://xip/ourservices/ict/ictworkplan

ICT Strategic Architecture

The ICT Strategic Architecture programme is managed by ICT Servicesand consists of new strategic technology projects which have comeabout for a number of reasons, including; service requirements,industry new technologies, performance enhancements andtechnology obsolescence and refresh. Often, these developments areundertaken in conjunction with Darlington Council as this reflects theconverged ICT infrastructure and on-going partnership between thetwo Councils.

Although there are a variety of sources of resources to fund such projects,often these involve reworking existing revenue expenditure to re-targetfunds or through leveraging efficiencies. There is also the “invest tosave” fund to consider. Therefore, new funds are not always required.

Presentation and discussion on new strategic technologies, togetherwith project funding takes place at the ICT Strategy Group, with widercommunications and campaigns being made across the Council asappropriate.

The latest version of the ICT Sunburst diagram can be found athttp://xip/ourservices/ict/ictsunburst

How will we achieve these Priorities?

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Business Development

The business development needs in relation to information and thesupporting technologies has been captured in each Service Group’sInformation Systems Strategy. These have informed this ICT Strategyand have also given rise to the Council’s ICT Workplan. Although theWorkplan is being monitored in its own right, the individual membersof the ICT Strategy Group have a role to play back in their respectiveService Groups to champion their Information Systems Strategy andthe six Principles defined in this ICT Strategy.

The current Information System Strategies can be found athttp://xip/ourservices/ict/iss

ICT Competent Workforce

The development of competent ICT skills can be through variousmeans. For example, a number of support methods are beingdelivered as part of the existing desktop refresh project,ranging from on-line self-help, to classroom deliveryof training. Similarly, when services implement anew application or major release, a decision istaken on the best approach to training basedon existing skills, changes in functionality andservice delivery. Such training requirementswill be subject to their own deliveryprogramme at that point in time andmonitored by the service concerned.

The ICT service also has its owncomprehensive training programmewhich captures the changes anddevelopments in both technicaland application landscapes aswell as recognised ICT servicedelivery and best practicemethodologies.

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