Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval to the ICT Digital Strategy for 2016-2020.

The Committee congratulated Mark and the team on the implementation of upgraded website which went live on 22 November and, subject to minor amendments, approved the ICT Digital Strategy 2016-20 set out in the Annexes to the report.

The Committee received and considered a report which sought approval of the ICT Digital Strategy for 2016-2020.

The report concluded that digital processes would continue to ensure that the Council was flexible and agile in providing services: the ability of staff to work in a more flexible and mobile manner and for customers to access services via mobile devices was becoming increasingly important. However, Officers recognised that it was about appropriate channels of communication and, with the support of partners, assisting and enabling access information.

Having a secure, resilient and reliable infrastructure was essential for the Council to ensure that it was able to provide services for residents.  ICT would use externally hosted or “cloud” services where appropriate to enable this but members were assured that no confidential data would be stored on the “cloud”.  Cyber security was at the core of everything and another key element of the Strategy was to improve the Business Continuity and Disaster recovery arrangements whilst reducing day to day risks.

The Chairman commended the Head of ICT on the format of the new Strategy and the Committee congratulated him and the team on the implementation of upgraded website which went live on 22 November.  Accordingly, subject to minor amendments, the Committee approved the ICT Digital Strategy 2016-20 set out in the Annexes to the report.