Agenda item

Context:

To receive a Shared Resource Service (SRS) progress update for scrutiny purposes.

Key Issues:

Since the last SRS update the SRS has made significant progress in admitting new partners into the organisation.  The SRS ambition has always been to expand the provision of services to other Public Sector partners.  Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council (BGCBC) has completed and agreed a business case through its own authorisation and committee processes, and all the existing partners have agreed to invite BGCBC to join the SRS. 

The SRS Strategy (2016 – 2020) is focused on consolidating the demand of multiple partners and brokering the supply of single ICT solutions.  The SRS strategy is scalable to support Welsh Government public sector objectives.

The SRS operates with 5 strategic aims to:

1)           Deliver effective ICT services from a single combined unit.

2)           Provide a solid foundation upon which partner organisations can operate in order to improve service delivery.

3)           Ensure the investment in ICT is focused on delivery of the corporate priorities of the partner organisations.

4)           Develop a capable, professional workforce that can meet the challenges within ICT over the coming years.

5)           Provide a collaborative platform for public sector organisations to share digital capacity and capability through shared platforms.

BGCBC has a business need to develop and implement a sustainable service improvement model for its ICT provision that:

·                    Supports the Welsh Government’s objectives for collaboration.

·                    Addresses some of the financial issues that affect the Authority.

·                    Responds to the Authority’s growing delivery needs and previously identified issues.

·                    Future proofs the service.

The SRS Public Board has agreed that accepting a new partner is in line with its strategic aims to grow the business. With the addition of new partners the SRS is able to further achieve economies of scale and realise savings through the equal share of strategic and service management costs.

The challenges experienced by BGCBC offer an opportunity to the SRS to showcase ability, supported by its strategic vision, to realise its potential for public sector collaboration in line with Welsh Government aspirations.

The acceptance of this proposal will generate additional revenue of £163,665 into the SRS to invest in service improvement that will generate efficiency savings for the existing partners.

The SRS is now in negotiations with other Greater Gwent local authorities to further expand the company in line with its objectives and in line with the SRS Strategy 2016/20.

Members Scrutiny:

·         SRS Public Board meeting minutes would be made available to Select Committee for future meetings.

·         Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PSBA) is a Wales-wide network which connects public sector organisations in Wales to a private secure Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Wide Area Network (WAN).  This is a very good service which prevents local authorities’ data from being stolen.

·         The Authority works with the SRS to ensure that the appropriate tools are available to allow County Council officers to carry out their duties efficiently.  For example, the Authority has officers who have become digital champions and are available across the authority to support colleagues and Members with their IT issues.

·         In response to a Select Committee Member’s question regarding the SRS becoming under the auspices of Welsh Government, it was noted that legal advice regarding this matter was being sought.  An update on progress would be welcomed in due course.