To receive an oral report.

Further to Minute No. 13 of the last meeting of the Committee, held on 3 July 2013, when Members’ ICT Policy (Use of Council Facilities) had been under consideration, the Head of Information Technology Services was in attendance at the meeting at the request of the Committee to report orally on the work of the Member Equipment Steering Group (MESG).

The Head of Information Technology Services reported that the MESG consisted of both Members and Officers whose remit was to identify the most appropriate ICT equipment to fulfil the Elected Members’ function.  Members’ current ICT equipment was four years old and in need of replacement as the contract expired in March 2013.

The Head of Information Technology Services also informed that the MESG’s work currently included looking at ways to:

• procure a Councillors’ Case Management System that would be able to produce corporate management information for Members on their enquiries/complaints when dealing with matters in their constituencies;
• reduce the Council’s paper usage (KLOE 6 objective);
• install wifi in Wallasey Town Hall soon so that Members were able to work electronically; and
• record committee meetings.

Officers had carried out a Members’ Equipment Survey to try to indentify the equipment that best meet their needs.  Various electronic devices had been demonstrated to Members and a pilot exercise was currently underway where some Members and Officers were trialling ipads and slate type technology.  This trial would end in January 2013.  The outcomes would then be analysed and equipment selected that Members had indicated met their needs best.

The Head of Information Technology Services was aware that Members were keen to use personal equipment and informed that they must abide by the Government’s Code of Connection so finding a way for this solution to work would provide Officers with a challenge.

The Head of Information Technology Services informed that the Cabinet had approved the installation of wifi in Wallasey Town Hall and the business case to illustrate where savings would be made was in the process of being prepared for the Executive Team’s consideration.

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management reported that alongside Streetscene enquiries it was proposed to develop an overall Members’ complaints/enquiries system within the Council’s CRM system.  This would log, monitor and track Members’ complaints/enquiries and store all of that information in a central point with a unique complaint/enquiry reference number.  This would allow Members and Officers to access the CRM system and Members could do this via the Members’ Home Page.  Members would be able to lodge requests completing an electronic complaint/enquiry form which would then be entered into the system and either be directed to Streetscene or another Department.  There would also be an up to date directory of key Officer contacts available to assist Members.

It was noted that there were other case management systems on the market but the Council’s own CRM System was able to deliver what Members required and that the System would be configured in a different way to the Streetscene System which was not without problems.

The Head of Information Technology Services reported that there were two approaches to recording Committee meetings etc:

• Webcasting which had been trialled in the past for the Planning Committee and not been entirely successful.  Webcasting was streamed and hosted externally from the Council.  Since the trial some years ago, advances had been made and the process was much more automated than it had been previously.  It would be able to integrate with the system already installed in Committee Room 1.  Prices were between £13,500 and £16,000 per annum.

• Voice Record Committee Meetings and the way this could be done varied.  MP3 files were produced and it could be published via the Council’s website.  Prices also varied e.g. £1000 to £2,500 to establish it and £1000 per annum maintenance costs thereafter.

The Head of Information Technology Services informed that the MESG would like to give priority to procuring appropriate new replacement ICT equipment for Members.

Following his oral report the Head of Information Technology Services answered Members’ questions on a number of issues raised which included:

• security concerns;
• would the new equipment be wifi enabled for Members’ own homes?
• costs of the new ICT equipment;
• best practice adopted by other Councils;
• a Merseyside solution;
• Merseytravel’s Case Management System (Good Cloud);
• Use of personal equipment e.g. Blackberries, the separate infrastructure required and associated costs;
• arrangements for Members with sight issues; and
• an ICT offer to help Officers become more productive and agile.

The Head of Information Technology Services informed the Committee that the MESG would aim to provide a report on its proposals for procuring appropriate new replacement ICT equipment for Members, for consideration at a Cabinet meeting in February 2013.

RESOLVED:

That the oral report presented by the Head of Information Technology Services on the current work of the MESG be received.