Agenda item
Information Report - IT Update
Minutes:
Members received an information report – IT update, which Members had requested at the last meeting of the Board.
The Technical Services Manager informed the Board that the current work programme listed 18 projects. The four significant key elements being: -
Reliable and secure digital management systems and infrastructure
WRS records were cleansed in line with the WRS retention and disposal policy every quarter with the actual policy itself being reviewed every six months for appropriateness. In May 2019, the Electronic Document Management System (EDRMS) system was included in this process.
A programme for updating our IT equipment commenced in late 2019. At that time a large number of laptops were from 2013 with the remainder from 2015. Therefore, the proposed programme for replacement of 2013 laptops was a mixture of migrating 2013 laptops to UDC mode or a new laptop depending on officer need, and for the 2015 ones.
Remote working capabilities
Prior to March, the majority of the workforce were able to work remotely, but there was a proportion who were not able to do so without changes to processes and equipment. The IT equipment updating programme was suspended in March to enable the IT Host to focus on enabling remote working (from home) for the remaining officers.
In 2019 Bromsgrove District Council (BDC) and Redditch Borough Council (RBC) upgraded their Microsoft licence to include Microsoft Office 365 and enable access to Microsoft Teams. WRS had remained on BDC and RBC Microsoft Office licence even after the move to the Wyre Forest network. Unfortunately, BDC and RBC did not include WRS in this licence upgrade. This was further complicated by BDC Corporate Management Team indicating that internal meetings should only be conducted by Skype or Microsoft Teams without WRS staff necessarily having access to either these platforms.
Website Development
The WRS website was currently built on an older version of the Umbraco software platform. A decision was taken last year to upgrade to Umbraco version 8, which would enable significantly more functionality.
An outline of our agreed requirements was drawn up and provided to Wyre Forest IT who agreed to assist with the initial set up. A background structure to the new web site in Umbraco 8 was completed with training notes and an agreed WRS style guide. Unfortunately, Umbraco 8 was significantly different to the current version and with Covid 19 it meant that familiarisation/training had been slow and difficult for the two Officers leading on developing the first few pages.
Lead Officers from within WRS were invited to attend a training session on Umbraco 8 to formulate a detailed project plan. Following this, a decision would be taken by managers as to whether outside support was necessary to make the new website as good as it can be.
Integration with BDC Finance project
WRS were notified in 2019 of the intention by BDC and RBC to change their finance system. As BDC hosted WRS, WRS use their HR, procurement and finance system. Unfortunately, direct access to the current system was not possible for WRS staff from their Wyre Forest Citrix working environment.
Where necessary, officers accessed the internet based system either from their laptop desktop or one of two dedicated PCs in Wyre Forest House.
As reported at the Board meeting in June, the new Finance Project was due to go-live in October 2020, this was pushed back to November.
WRS Managers were invited to participate and be involved with the project working group in September to ensure that WRS requirements were satisfied by the new set up and to enable WRS officers to continue working in their Wyre Forest Citrix environment but still take payments, approve requisitions and authorise invoices.
Members were reassured WRS would continue to contribute to the development of the project to ensure their processes were included and could be used effectively.
Councillor A. Kent, Bromsgrove District Council stated that he found the report deeply unsatisfactory. It appeared that there was poor communication, no dates for delivery and that the same update had been provided at previous Board meetings about the WRS website and being able to take payments.
Councillor Kent further referred to the trial of UDC laptops and the upgraded Microsoft licence to include Microsoft Office 365 and access to Microsoft Teams; as detailed on pages 73 and 74 of the main agenda report.
In his opinion there appeared to be a total communication breakdown and a myriad of excuses and in his opinion, it should be escalated to a much higher level and that a Gantt chart be produced with delivery timescales.
In response the Head of Regulatory Services commented that clearly the UDC laptops did not work for accessing video conferencing platforms like Skype for Business, so that decision had had to be reversed, however at the time the decision was made, before Covid 19, it was thought to be a sensible decision.
Whilst he appreciated Councillor Kent’s comments it was very difficult at this moment in time to move things forward and to keep their own side of the business running. The service had moved forward with using Zoom as a platform.
The decision taken to trial UDC laptops was a cost effective was of continuing to manage mobile and flexible working before the pandemic.
It had now been identified that Umbraco 8 was much more complicated. Currently WRS may not have the capacity, in house, to carry out a full migration on the WRS website from the current system into this new platform. It that was the case then he would have to draw up the kind of project plan that Councillor Kent had suggested, because as external person would have to be brought in to deliver that.
The Head of Service informed the Board that currently the focus of the service had to be on maintaining the response to the pandemic and to also maintaining the general business of WRS.
There was a huge strain on the management team and officers that was stretching the budget considerably, it was not easy to try and juggle everything that both he and his officers were currently dealing with.
The taking of payments had been moved forward as much as possible. He understood that Members were keen to see additional payment facilities being made available on the WRS website. But this was a much larger step which the Director of Finance & Resources, BDC, had been working on and that required the buy in of all s151 officers from all partner authorities; to make that decision that WRS would take payment on behalf all partner authorities. In the past some partners who were not keen on this approach, so there was a lot of work that needed to be put in on this; at a time when the service was very stretched making it difficult to achieve.
Should Members be in agreement he was happy to provide a more detailed update at the next meeting of the Board. He would also ask Members to note that the service as under huge pressure responding to Covid 19.
Councillor J. Raine Malvern Hills District Council also commented that Councillor Kent was correct and it was important that WRS had the best technology, however Board Members had to take some responsibility. In his opinion WRS had been famously underfunded from the start. Members must be part of the solution and not just be seen to be criticising unfilled ambitions.
Councillor H. Jones, BDC, stated that it would be nice to have an upgraded website. However, having worked with WRS officers these past few months and seeing how they were practically on their knees dealing with Covid 19 issues, whilst maintaining their normal workload, it was important that frontline services were protected and Members needed to support WRS officers responding to the demands of Covid 19.
Councillor H. Jones then took the opportunity to congratulate all WRS officers on the amazing work they were carrying out.
RESOLVEDthat the Information report – IT Update be noted.
Supporting documents:
PDF 128 KB