Agenda item

To consider a report from the Chief Digital Information Officerproviding an update on IDS Digital Strategy and progress made within the service since IDS last reported to the Strategy & Resources Scrutiny Board in 2021.

The Board considered a report from the Chief Digital Information Officer providing an update on IDS Digital Strategy and progress made within the service since IDS last reported to the Strategy & Resources Scrutiny Board in 2021.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Cllr Debra Coupar, Executive Member for Resources

·  Mariana Pexton, Director of Strategy and Resources

·  Andrew Byrom, Chief Digital Information Officer

·  David Halligan, Chief Technology Officer

To introduce the report the board received a presentation covering the following key points:

·  Governance - new governance arrangements for IDS to improve decision-making within the Council and prioritise programs and projects across Directorates. A good example being the establishment of a new Digital Board attended by Chief Officers from each Directorate, to align digital enablement with the City Ambition and Council's organisational plan.

·  Structure - IDS Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Strategy & Resources, and the wider service has been working to reset and establish a new baseline for IDS, including creating a new Technology Strategy approach and integrating it into the organisational plan.

·  Financial and Capital Schemes – the Board were informed about the Essential Services Programme (ESP), Cloud & Application Compliance Programme (CACP) and Digital Efficiencies Programme (DEP).

·  Technology Strategy – This is aimed at transforming the way Leeds City Council operates by using digital technology to make the organisation more efficient.

·  The Board were also informed of key developments and achievements delivered through the service such as digital change, the work on 100% digital Leeds, improvements in service desk performance and the work on the Office of Data Analytics.

Responding to comments and questions from Board members the following issues were discussed:

·  Members raised a query around customer contact and effectiveness of telephony services. In response it was noted that customer contact was considered by the Board in 2023/24 and that item showed improved performance across a range of metrics with the new Genesys system being delivered and now being rolled out more widely. It was also noted that customer contact now sits within the Environment, Housing and Communities Scrutiny Board.

·  The Board asked about the use of multiple systems in housing services which creates multiple steps and a lack of alignment in the services provided on housing. The Board suggested this could be linked to sufficiency of licenses. Members heard that Genesys was being rolled out currently and that work is ongoing. A note will be provided to members on the specific issue linked to housing.

·  On the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) the Board inquired about the results of the Microsoft Co-Pilot trial and whether it could come back to the Board. It was also noted that other AI technologies are being trialled with an aim to improve ‘front door’ services. The main benefits to date around Co-Pilot has been content based so generating emails and interpreting and understanding large reports and e-mail correspondence. In the main the benefits are in services or tasks with large administrative processes which might mean that roll out is targeted to areas where specific savings can be made.

·  Members heard that Co-Pilot is very much in its infancy in terms of a technology, for example at present it cannot analyse MS Excel spreadsheets yet as the technology advances it has the potential to be transformational in the way the authority works. It was noted that there are also wider information governance implications associated with the use of AI any use of the technology would need to be appropriate and safe.

·  The Board wanted to know more about cyber security and the recent outage that occurred linked to Crowd Strike software. The Council does not use the software, so the impact was not the same as for other organisations. Only one system which is an outsourced service was impacted, more widely the impacts were limited to services that the Council uses such as banks, for example.

·  Members acknowledged the investment made by the authority on cyber security and the work that goes on to ensure that the Council is always on the front foot in terms of responses to cyber threats, but that complete safety cannot be guaranteed and the authority is not complacent in this area.

·  On Spam emails the board were informed that it is difficult to prevent all spam emails, but the volume is significant, up to hundreds of thousands of emails per day so unfortunately some do get through.

·  The Board were informed about digital change and the focus on delivering software solutions that provide broader benefits across services as opposed to more service specific solutions. In addition, the use of digital forms is being developed more widely to deal with higher volume issues to free up front line services to focus on more complex cases.

·  The Chair asked about how digital contact could adapt to residents who do not have English as a first language and for those who do not have access to digital contact methods. In response the Board were informed that AI could have the capacity to respond to contact that is not in English and that those who cannot access digital means will have channels to contact the Council.

·  The Executive Board Member for Resources added that the emphasis when it comes to AI is around ensuring it is fit for purpose and that the clear benefits it could bring are balanced against possible issues around issues such as Information Governance. In addition, it was noted that cyber security is listed in the authority’s corporate risk management approach.

·  The work of the IDS team was acknowledged along with their key role in service transformation linked to digital change. The Executive Member and Board passed on their thanks to the service.

Resolved  

The Board:

a)  Noted the changes within IDS structure during 2024.

b)  Further noted the progress made within IDS as described in the report, and the future technology strategy direction and approach to culture within the service.

c)  Recognised the ongoing challenges to recruit and retain skilled technical specialists and how this is being addressed.