Decision details

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves -

(a)     each of the Digital Transformation programme investment proposals outlined, specifically;

                             i.    A ‘front office’ product suite and specialist consultant resourcing to achieve integration to ‘back office’ databases over an eighteen month period with one-off investment costs of £519,200 with £71,500 re-occurring costs per annum.

                            ii.    An IT migration strategy and specialist consultant resourcing to host the majority of the Council’s IT systems on the Microsoft Azure ‘Public Cloud’ platform over a two year period with one-off investment costs of £226,000 and with Microsoft re-occurring monthly costs thereafter.

                          iii.    Development of a Tendring Tourism and Events smartphone App over a six month period through specialist consultancy resources and with one-off investment costs of £120,000.

(b)     that authority be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Finance and Corporate Resources and Leisure and Tourism, to agree continuation within existing budgets or termination of the App development after a further feasibility study.

(c)     that Digital Transformation Investment works totalling £865,200 be funded in part from £440,000 funds already set aside for existing/ related capital IT improvement budgets with the remaining funding by a transfer of £414,000 from the 2017/18 New Homes Bonus and £11,200 from the Building for the Future Reserve.

(d)     that Officers be requested to finalise the associated procurement activities in accordance with the Council’s Procurement Procedure rules.

(e)     that authority be delegated to the Corporate Director (Corporate Services) to make the necessary on-going budget adjustments to reflect the financial impact of the investment proposed, as set out in Appendix A to item A.9 of the Report of the Finance and Corporate Services Portfolio Holder.