Report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) providing the background and recommendations for the adoption and delivery of a digital strategy.

(1)     Following review the Digital Strategy was approved.

(2)     It was noted that soft market testing would be undertaken on a single digital platform alongside an exercise to review the capabilities of the existing Customer Relationship Management system.

(3)     The progress of the Revenues and Benefits Transformation Programme and its direct links with the draft Digital Strategy was noted.

(4)     The progress of the Revenues and Benefits Transformation Programme and its direct links with the draft Digital Strategy was noted.

(5)     The Cabinet noted the commitment in the strategy and approved the Council signing up to the Local Government Digital Service Standards.

(6)     The Cabinet agreed that the recommendations relating to the financing of the strategy delivery be incorporated into the budget setting process.

Report of the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) providing the background and recommendations for the adoption and delivery of a digital strategy.

(1)       The Decision Taken

RESOLVED:

(1)     That following review the Digital Strategy be approved.

(2)     That it be noted that soft market testing would be undertaken on a single digital platform alongside an exercise to review the capabilities of the existing Customer Relationship Management system.

(3)     That the progress of the Revenues and Benefits Transformation Programme and its direct links with the draft Digital Strategy be noted.

(4)     That the progress of the Revenues and Benefits Transformation Programme and its direct links with the draft Digital Strategy be noted.

(5)     That the Cabinet notes the commitment in the strategy and approves the Council signing up to the Local Government Digital Service Standards.

(6)     That the Cabinet agrees that the recommendations relating to the financing of the strategy delivery be incorporated into the budget setting process.

(2)       Reasons for the Decision

Following the very positive Local Government Association Peer Challenge report and recommendations, the Chief Executive had set out a vision to all employees of #OurFuture.

This highlighted an opportunity to undertake a comprehensive modernisation programme, a cornerstone of which would be how the Council responded to ever-changing demands on its services and the new ways that people wanted to access them.

The Council’s current approach to software purchases and development did not put the customer at the heart of services. Instead, the current approach put services’ own requirements at the heart of service design.

This also meant that the Council was not obtaining economies of scale with all of its software purchases (for example, the Council had a number of document management systems).