The Vale of Glamorgan Council

Democratic Services Committee: 18th April 2018

Report of the Managing Director

ICT Update for Members

Purpose of the Report

To inform Members of any new developments or issues within the ICT service and how they relate to the services provided to them.

Recommendation

That Members note the content of the report.

Reason for the Recommendation

To ensure Members are made aware of any developments to their ICT Service to the wider Council.

Background

The Committee's terms of reference include responsibility for overseeing the Council's approach to Member Development. As part of its role, the Committee has agreed that a Members' ICT update be a standing item on the agenda for each meeting.

Relevant Issues and Options

A period of ten months has passed since Elected Members were provided with ICT equipment and associated training, which was designed to enable them to carry out their duties effectively and efficiently over the forthcoming 5 years.
ICT has seen very little demand for support with 106 tickets being logged by the ICT Service Desk for Members in the period between 1^st July 2017 and 31^st March 2018. For perspective, this volume represents 1% of all tickets logged by the ICT Service desk during the same reporting period.
Details attached to these tickets identify that the main issue experienced by Members was related to account passwords on both mobile phone and tablet devices (55% of tickets raised) which in turn meant that Members couldn't log on to ICT systems and resources.
This issue has since been resolved in the main. This has been facilitated by a change in policy. The number of tickets logged for Members by the ICT Service Desk related to password issues is now minimal.
There have been requests from Members for technical support for other issues related to such things as hardware failure or damage, and a small number of requests for further training, but generally demand in these areas have been also been relatively low.
Although ICT equipment was specified and provided to Members to allow them to carry out their duties as Elected Members, some Members have chosen to use some, or all, of the kit provided on a rather limited basis. This has not caused any issues from a technical perspective and Members are aware of information management and Data Protection requirements and implications from policy and legislative perspectives.
It is intended to carry out a Members' ICT Satisfaction Survey in Q2 2018/19, as this period would allow Members to feedback on a whole year of ICT support. This will also provide a more accurate indication of the extent, and type of usage by Members. The results of this survey will be presented back to this Committee after the summer recess.
The Council's Wide Area Network (WAN) will be upgraded in 2018/19 as part of a capital program of works. This is the network that connects all of the Council buildings, including libraries, care homes, schools, etc. The current WAN is based on radio / wireless technology. The new WAN will be based on fibre technology which will provide greater resilience, availability and performance going forward.
As part of this project, all schools in the Vale will see an upgrade in their internet speed and a change in the way their web filtering is provided. This is being funded by Welsh Government as part of the second round of their Learning in Digital Wales (LiDW 2) initiative.
The Council's Print Strategy tender exercise has been completed with the incumbent supplier (Xerox) successfully being named as preferred supplier pending the completion of the contract. The Print Strategy aims to reduce current print volumes by 40% over the life of the contract which will run for three years with the option of extending the contract at that point by another one or two years.
New Multi-Function Devices will be delivered and configured in June 2018 at which point the old printers will be removed. There will be a small period of 'dual-running' to ensure a smooth transition. A communications plan is in place to communicate this change to staff and Members, and training is also being arranged.
In January 2018, the Council successfully retained its annual Public Services Network (PSN) accreditation. This accreditation is related to ICT systems and hardware, data and physical security, which entitles the Council access services as provided by the Cabinet Office and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and also allows the Council to communicate securely with other PSN accredited public sector organisations.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

There are no resource implications that arise as a result of this report.

Sustainability and Climate Change Implications

A reduction in the number of Multi Function print Devices (MFDs) in the print estate will reduce the carbon dioxide output generated by the Council.
A reduction in the number of MFDs in the print estate will also reduce the amount of power required to run the devices.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

There are no legal implications that arise as a result of this report.

Crime and Disorder Implications

There are no Crime and Disorder implications for this report.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

There are no equal opportunity implications that arise as a result of this report.

Corporate/Service Objectives

To exercise robust financial management and explore all opportunities to improve efficiency and service quality including collaborative working.
To deliver cost-effective support and service desk function to monitor performance, meet customer needs and communicate effectively.

Policy Framework and Budget

The terms of reference of the Committee include responsibility for overseeing the Council's approach to Member Development, including Member ICT.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

No Member consultation has taken place.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

Corporate Performance and Resources Scrutiny Committee.

Background Papers

Previous reports to Democratic Services Committee on Members' ICT

Contact Officer

Nick Wheeler - Operational Manager (ICT)

Officers Consulted

Head of Finance

Head of Democratic Services

Principal Democratic and Scrutiny Services Officer

Responsible Officer:

Rob Thomas - Managing Director