Agenda item

This report provides assurance to the Corporate Governance and Audit Committee that the governance arrangements established for the Core Business Transformation (CBT) programme are up to date, fit for purpose, operating effectively, and are complied with.

The report of the Chief Officer Financial Services provided assurance to the Committee that the governance arrangements established for the Core Business Transformation (CBT) programme are up to date, fit for purpose, operating effectively, and are complied with.

The presenting officer highlighted the following points:

·  The delivery framework had been designed to ensure that the decisions were in accordance with the standard practice guidance and is aligned with the expert advice that has been sought from external consultants at all stages. It aligns with the statutory and corporate requirements in relation to programme delivery and decision-making, with the aim being to achieve the aims and ambitions outlined in the business case and that all options and recommendations are informed using robust forms of intelligence.

·  The intelligence used included internal subject matter experts, technical experts, experienced external consultants, other professional advisory services, and other councils to learn lessons from them.

In response to questions from the Committee the following information was provided:

·  In relation to audit, data, and quality assurance, it was noted that Internal Audit have been undertaking ‘deep dive’ reviews on a quarterly basis which are included along with other audit work in the general update reports to Committee. It was noted that Internal Audit had reviewed contract management in terms of previous contractors and the current contractors. The service had looked at maintenance support going forward post implementation and go live support, a report due in August will look at user acceptance testing, they had also reviewed change management arrangements, cost monitoring, and checked to ensure that Contract Procedure Rules had been complied with. The Committee were advised the Association of Project Managers have a toolkit and Internal Audit do a high-level assessment against this toolkit to ensure that there is the right level of governance and control around the delivery of the project. Information of significance in relation to the project is fed through the regular update report to Committee. It was noted that there are high level project plans in place, and the Committee was offered more information in relation to the time elements of the project. Members were advised that Internal Audit do check and challenge to ensure targets are achievable and that the Programme Board is also checking this element.

·  The Committee noted that monitoring of the project is progressed through the fortnightly meeting of the steering group and the monthly meeting of the Board.

·  The business case was outlined in the report and the Committee were informed that there are a number of measures in place to measure the success of the project. This system will provide a more modern and efficient approach to the ways of working. The current systems in use are 10-20 years old and require a degree of offline working. The new system would provide efficiencies and reduce duplication of efforts and offline working. In time the platforms will change to enable automation and digitalisation and the Council would be able to take advantage of more modern technologies.

·  The system is being designed to enable staff to be more efficient and reduce pressures on the staff, improving the working environment through the efficiencies and more accurate data. The Committee were informed that the CBT was about a whole way of working to wrap around the work, it was not about reducing staff, but to make the work more manageable.

·  The learning from other councils is valuable in learning from them what not to do and what and how they would have done things differently. CBT were in contact with councils who were currently using the system successfully. Leeds is working with many authorities who are ahead of Leeds, at the same stage and those about to embark on the project to learn best practice. It was acknowledged that testing of the system and training for all staff was a key area of the project.

·  KPMG are the Council’s partners for this project and each stage is discussed through monthly meetings where work packages and resources are discussed and agreed. Testing would be a phased approach over 3 years with the first phase looking at replacing the finance, and HR payroll system. The second phase would be sourced contract and the third phase is revisiting the learning and development and health and safety modules. Leeds is going with a ‘minimal viable product’, so at go live the Council has a minimum product of what it must have rather than building everything. This would be based on what the Council currently has. The product would be developed and improved over time. Initially the Council will be reliant on external consultants, but work is ongoing with IDS colleagues to build the expertise and capacity in-house. IDS will be working along the external consultants for knowledge transfer and to put training plans in place. The Committee were informed that the support contract was being progressed.

·  Engagement with staff was essential for the success of this project and had been inclusive through engagement with the DAWN network.

·  It was acknowledged that the system is mainly for back-office staff. One of the aims for the project was to address digital access for those who currently do not have digital access and a piece of work was ongoing to eliminate the digital divide and the reliance on paper-based systems, to allow those areas of work to have the same access to information. Where this is not possible, CBT have committed to find a way to ensure that the service to them is maintained. However, there is a commitment to bring them into the digital way of working. Engagement has taken place with staff and unions about what would assist them to have access to the new digital tools, such as access through mobile phones to access payslips, register overtime claims and access information held about them. This approach had gained a positive reaction.

RESOLVED – To note the assurances provided in this report.

Cllr Hart-Brooke left the meeting at 11.30 during this item.