2) They'd Like You to Analyse / Review Usage of Serco VIP Helpline with a View to Possible
MEMBERS ICT PROVISION AND SUPOPRT POST-ELECTION 2013
1.0Background
In November 2012 a paper outlining the proposed ICT service offer to Members was discussed by the Conservative Leadership Group (CLG.) The proposal sought to simplify the offer but give greater choice of using either authority equipment or personal equipment [in recognition of voluntary desire of some to move towards ‘bring your own device‘ (BYOD)].
1.1It suggested that whilst this ‘menu’ of options be provided to all Members during 2013, those newly elected in May should be offered the new choices first. This would ensure they are up and running as quickly as possible but avoid costly duplication of effort in later updates etc. Re-elected Members would then be offered the new ‘menu’ with appropriate support and equipment during the early autumn of 2013.
1.2The new offer seeks to build on that currently delivered but seeks to increase flexibility and mobility. The security of County Council data and information is retained alongside the ability to communicate effectively and according to the County Council Data and Information Management Security policies. The position of Member ICT Support Officer is retained, alongside the VIP Helpline. The information the Committee provided in December 2012 has been taken into account whilst developing the offer wherever possible.
2.0The Offer
The New ICT Offer is detailed below. It will be outlined to all newly elected Members as part of the Member Induction programme and will be followed by a one to one interview to ensure the best set up is delivered to each individual. This work is being planned now.
2.1Hardware
Members will be offered a choice of using either their own, County Council supplied or where appropriate, district council supplied hardware.
County Council supplied equipment for home use will comprise:
- Dell laptop
- separate screen (two sizes are available to cope with personal need)
- separate keyboard
- desktop Printer
2.2Consumables
In all instances the County Council will provide or fund a printer ink supply.
2.3Software
In all instances the County Council will provide a secure remote access application enabling the Member to access County Council systems from non County Council locations.
All County Council provided equipment will be supplied with:
Microsoft 7 Operating System and Office 10
Microsoft Office Exchange 10
Microsoft Forfront Antivirus
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9
SAP
NB: The Authority as a whole will be migrating to these versions of operating software and Office during the latter part of 2013/14. During the interim we will automatically default down to the current versions so that there are no file conversion issues. Once officers and Members have made the transition we will enable the new file formats to be used.
2.4Broad Band Line
Members will be offered the choice of using either a County Council funded broadband line or using their own existing package.
NB:- The installation of new broad band lines can take up to six weeks and are subject to supplier availability. We appreciate that some rental landlords do not permit the installation of broadband lines but are not able to overcome this situation.
2.5Mobile Phone/Email/Calendar Device
Again, a choice will be offered between the County Council supplied equipment or use of personal equipment.
The County Council will provide larger-sized, mid-range smart phones with the ‘Good Technology’ application enabling access to view and update County Council email and calendar entries. The County Council will continue to fund rental / call charges as per the current provision.
Alternatively new members will be offered the choice of opting for having the Good Technology application enabled for use on their own* smart phone or tablet. In this instance Members will be responsible for the cost of calls / data made to and from the device. In many instances where existing Members and staff have opted for this option the connectivity packages they have purchased have such good data allowances that they have seen no increase in costs over and above their set rates prior to using Good technology. County Council free wifi services will be available at main County Council campus sites to reduce costs for accessing data.
2.6Blackberries
We have not renewed the offer of providing Blackberries to newly elected members for two reasons, cost and future market offerings. The Blackberry infrastructure is costly to provide and is not moving forward alongside its competitors. The Good Technology offering includes a number of features that we have yet to exploit that will deliver some of the additional functionality identified by the Committee – the ability to mark up/alter and manage documents attached to mail messages in a secure fashion.
The County Council provided Blackberry environment will be maintained in the short term but it is likely that within the term of the next Council we will migrate to a cheaper, non specific mobile offering. Members and staff who currently have and prefer their Blackberry devices will continue to be supported until such time as it is either uneconomical or technologically unsupportable to do so. The work to review our mobile strategy is ongoing and updates will be available during 2013/14.
2.7Voice mail and Fax facilities
Hosted on the County Council’s telephone system a voice mail box can be provided to act as an answer phone. Linked to this facility there is an option for an electronic fax service that can receive faxes online. A notification email is sent to advise the recipient that they have received a fax.
3.0Support & Training
Support will remain unchanged. We have reviewed the use of the out of hours service and found that very few calls (less than five per month), are placed by members and ‘VIP’ officers outside the Monday to Friday 8.00am – 6.00pm window. However, given the potential volume of new members and the change of service offering it has been suggested that the current offer is maintained until March 2014 when it will be reduced. This will be reviewed throughout the year and if useage does not increase may be reduced earlier.
Training will be offered to all new Members and a programme of refresher and migration training (where existing Members decide to take advantage of the newer offerings) will also be provided throughout the year.
4.0Costs
It is anticipated that by broadening the offer to include the proposed mix of ‘BYOD’ the overall costs of Member IT could be reduced by £10 - £35k per annum. The variance is largely dependant on whether the County Council funded Broadband offer is taken up by the majority.
No change to the support model is anticipated at this stage and therefore no cost reduction is anticipated going forward.
5.0Retiring Member Equipment
A communication to all members is being prepared outlining how equipment and service will be withdrawn should they not be re-elected for any reason. This will include information in the style of Frequently Asked Questions as to how personal information/email addresses etc can be retained and how existing kit can be purchased, once it has been reformatted with the appropriate home user licences etc.
In essence we would charge:-
£60 for an Optiplex 760 desktop machine complete with screen, mouse and keyboard
£100 for an E6400 laptop
£5 for a separate screen
£10 for a printer
None of the goods would have a warranty and The County Council would not offer a repair service.
Note : All PC equipment will be wiped of any authority data and software and reimaged in line with its licence conditions when initially purchased by the Authority.
6.0Future Offerings
During 2014 we will investigate potential of existing County Council technologies and also new technology options that could:-
- improve communications
- reduce the requirement for the production of printed materials for committee, group and general member communication (e.g. move to tablet PCs).