Paper for Project Board - Review of SIMS project rollout

1Background

This report has been compiled following feedback from schools about the project implementation of Capita SIMS Management Information System. It seeks to clarify the root cause of problems and focuses on the solutions identified to a) prevent problems for schools still to go into the project and b) restore confidence in the use of SIMS for schools that have migrated.

Feedback was received from the following sources

  • report to Service Improvement Board
  • SIMS Support workshop
  • Individual schools visits

2Summary of areas reported

  • Logging in problems
  • Data migration
  • Access to live data at training
  • Training rushed
  • Accessing support
  • Knowing where to find how to do things in SIMS and finding reports

3Summary of work undertaken to resolve the areas reported

The Norfolk Project Manager was replaced by Tanya Allen who also manages the Schools System Support Team in July 2011.The Norfolk and Capita Project Team members reviewed all the processes in the project and the communications issued to schools.

An action plan was created and managed by the respective Project Managers to implement the changes identified for September 2011.

4 Findings

The underlying cause of the problems schools had experienced were predominately related to poor communication from the project team.Action had been taken and information provided by the project to overcome problems during the project rollout. The information did not show the connection between guidance and resolving problems.

It appeared to many schools that no action had been taken to resolve problems. For example, logging in– the information provided did not specify that if schoolsdid not completethe pre-requisite technical checks or update PCs based on the guidance given then the impact would be they would be unable to log into SIMS.

Schools had also been advised what data would migrate and the actions they would have to undertake when they had completed day 2 training at roadshows in the Autumn term 2010. This information was on the website but there was no reminder of this to schools as they migrated. There were also some data migration problems in the early phases.

These two areas combined created a mistrust of data and a number of myths have developed as a consequence. For example the paper sent to Project Board reported problems with child protection data however despite phone calls and visits to the schools that were reported to have experienced this problem, it could not be substantiated.

5 Action taken to improve the experience for schools moving into the project

  • Welcome Pack

Updated all the project information on the ICT Shared Services website including a welcome pack.

The pack identifies

  • the steps in the project and clarifies who will do what, and making it clear the areas the school will need to cover and the impact of not doing them.
  • Technical pre – requisites
  • Covers the Training Programme objectives for each day
  • Access to support options
  • Schedule of Autumn events for support workshops
  • Access to the additional training calendar
  • A report comparison table from e1 to SIMS
  • Technical pre – requisites

Capita have developed a tool called pre-flight check that can be run on PC’s prior to using SIMS.net for the first time to check it meets all the pre-technical requirements.This can also be used on home PC’s to check it meets the requirements.

  • Training

The training programme has been updated to focus on the areas schools considered most important such as reporting. Areas considered of little benefit have been removed.

Where possible day 3 and 4 will cover using the school’s own data. This was made possible by starting 30 minutes earlier and refocusing on key areas.

  • Post implementation follow up

Capita staff call schools after they go live on SIMS to check that schools have successfully accessed SIMS and refer any support requirements to the support team.

  • Weekly project news update sent to all office email accountswith the current status of the project, any workarounds and fix times. Also covers any key support events, SIMS releases.and where to find guidance and information.
  • Further roadshows held in the Autumn term at Mattishall and King’s Lynn
  • Joint NCC and Capita roadshows covering the content of the Welcome Pack, clarifying the process steps in the implementation project, and what the Norfolk project team and Capita will do and when.

Clarify the things schools have to do and the impact of not doing them

  • Advise the different support options available such as help within SIMS, support.net, ICT Shared Services Service Desk and website.
  • Overview of SIMS product

6Action taken for schools that had migrated to SIMS before August 2011.

  • Access to support information

Updated all the support information on the ICT Shared Services website to make key information more accessible. For example information on Autumn census is more prominently displayed.

Report comparison table from e1 to SIMS.

  • Additional support workshopsduring the Autumn term. Nine workshops scheduled in Mattishall, Norwich, King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth

Joint NCC and Capita support workshops with topical content to MIS calendar such as school workforce census overview, common support queries and an open session where members of the ICT Shared Services and Capita support teams will help with individual queries.

  • Senior Leader Eventsscheduled in Autumn Term 2011

Presented by Capita to demonstrate the role of SIMS in effective management of the whole school covering

  • Data entered once, used many times
  • Assessment, Behaviour and Achievement in SIMS
  • Sims Learning Gateway overview and benefit

Uptake has been low for the event held last week but the feedback from Heads shows they nowrealised the power of SIMS support the whole schools and they should take the lead in the school in setting the use of SIMS to reflect school policies.

It also helped to dispel some on the misinformation of how SIMS can be used in school largely caused by the way schools had configured the access of their users. This feedback is useful to the support teams in Norfolk and Capita to develop support information and provide content for future events.

  • Additional training

Training Programme available from Capita to support key events and new staff employed since the school moved to SIMS.

  • Weekly news update sent to all office email accounts with the current status of known problems, workarounds and fix times. Advises of any SIMS product or software releases, new support information eg pupil census as well as information about support events.

7General approach to the project and SIMS

  • Communciation

Tanya Allen has taken over as Norfolk Project Manager and also manages the Schools System Support Team.Tanya is ensuring with the project and support staff that communications are timelier to schools and sent directly to the office staff as well as via ebulletins, and MI sheets.The approach is to reinforce messages based on feedback from schools.

  • Service Desk Improvements

Changes to the way Service Desk operates as a result of the ICT Shared Services consultation with schools as well as the sheer volume of MIS calls have resulted in some schools experiencing delays in getting MIS support.

MI Sheet 226/11 dated 30th September advises schoolsthat ICT Shared Services is implementing a prioritisation process for calls to ensure those calls which are business critical are dealt with immediatelyand effectively even if this means re-directing resources from other support or project work.

Business critical includes:

  • Loss of internet
  • Server failure
  • MIS inaccessible
  • Google mail accounts unavailable
  • A virus incident
  • Census or Key Stage Assessments when these services have time critical dependencies

These improvements will be closely monitored and ICT Shared Services will report back next month on their impact.

Produced by Lynn ParvinPage 114/11/2018

Schools Business Partner