Agenda item

To consider a report from the Head of Democratic Services which provides an update on the progress of the Core Business Transformation Programme - a programme which aims to transform and modernise ‘back office’ services and is underpinned by a technology refresh; replacing essential, business-critical corporate systems that have reached ‘end-of-life’ in terms of contractual arrangements, support and maintenance.

The Board considered a report from the Head of Democratic Services which provided an update on the progress of the Core Business Transformation Programme - a programme which aims to transform and modernise ‘back office’ services and is underpinned by a technology refresh; replacing essential, business-critical corporate systems that have reached ‘end-of-life’ in terms of contractual arrangements, support and maintenance.

In attendance for this item were:

·  Cllr Debra Coupar, Executive Member for Resources

·  Victoria Bradshaw, Interim Assistant Chief Executive – Finance, Traded Services & Resources

·  Andy Dodman, Interim Assistant Chief Executive – People, Digital & Change

·  Suzanne Hopes, CBT Programme Manager

The Core Business Transformation Programme Manager introduced the report setting the overall aims and ambitions and phases and timescales associated with the programme.

In response to comments and questions from board members the following issues were considered:

·  In response to a question on the £3m contingency budget and the reasons why this has been needed the Board heard that due to the complexity of the programme, particularly around the new finance system, there has been a need to integrate over 50 other existing systems into one and as a result there has been a requirement for additional resource to make sure that the solution meets the business needs of the Council. This has also led to a need for more time to deliver the new system and a review of the timeline for the programme which has gone beyond the initial plan to deliver the finance system within 12 months.

·  In addition, there has been wider workload pressures within financial services linked to audit deadlines and the wider requirement to meet the budget challenge being faced by the Council. There has been a commitment to getting the solution right and that it delivers what is needed for the Council.

·  The Board asked about workload pressure and wider plans to reduce staff. The new systems will enable the Council to streamline processes and reduce overall workloads through a reduction in manual processing. The efficiencies from the new system are not expected until the system has gone live once this is operational, efficiency savings will be possible through review of workflows and a focus on efficiency.

·  The Chair asked about savings that might be delivered once the new systems are operational. In response the Board were informed that the savings have not yet been fully isolated and are expected to be identified after the new systems are operational and improvements in how people work can be fully identified. It is expected that once quantified the savings will be reported through the directorate savings proposals that come through the budget setting process. The Board noted that the programme is about savings and also about the need to modernise and deliver new systems particularly in finance where the existing system was considered to have reached ‘end of life.’

·  Members asked about the well-being of the project team and the workload pressures they have faced. The Board were informed that this has been a focus of the team and that regular check ins take place with team members to ensure that they are not working too long hours, too often and that leave is being taken. In addition, a stress risk assessment has taken place to deal with workload pressure and put actions in place to mitigate.

·  On the go live date for the finance system the Board asked about whether the 1 December 2024 was achievable. The Board heard that this is currently being reviewed with a focus on testing to make sure the system is ready and safe to go live. That review will determine if the 1 December is viable, if it is not then the team will re-plan again in response. On the HR and payroll system this is approaching the testing and data migration phases with a target of 1 April 2025 to go live.

·  Responding to questioning on the pay award and whether that might be affected by the new systems, the Board were informed that pay awards are subject to national negotiation which tends to mean pay awards are back dated so the planned 1 April 2025 date should not impact on pay awards to staff with the first pay roll for 2025/26 scheduled for 26 April 2025. For example, the 2024/25 pay award is not settled yet, in October.

·  Members asked about back up plans if the new system does not work as planned. In response the Board heard that roll back plans are being developed in the event of this happening. In addition, a number of rehearsals take place on data migration and each time this takes place it is possible to identify missing data and inaccurate data. Both the finance and the HR systems have undergone this process and roll back planning is being developed to respond to any issues.

·  The Board were assured that training is part of the project and that end users are provided with enough training to enable them to use the new systems. This has included a training need analysis and consideration of a variety of different training methods. There is a focus on digital training through videos and online learning but there are also ambitions to provide in person training where it is required. The timeline reviews have considered the need to build in sufficient training for end users.

·  The Executive Member for Resources emphasised the holistic nature of the programme and its aims which are more than just an IT solution but a programme about how the Council does its corporate business. This has featured a Board of senior officers from across the Council including those that will use the system to ensure that when it goes live it is right for the organisation.

Resolved - The Board noted and commented on the progress update on the Core Business Transformation programme contained at Appendix 1.