Resources Directorate
IT Contribution to Meeting
Local Government Financial
Challenges
Tonino Ciuffini, Head of ICT
Warwickshire County Council
30th March 2011
Resources Directorate
Introduction
• Member of the Local CIO Council and
represent Local Govt. on the
‘Data Centre Strategy, G-Cloud and Applications
Store for Government Programme Board’
• This evening will cover:– Some of the Challenges Local Government is
facing
– Important role of ICT in helping to address these
– Some examples of Warwickshire’s approach to
this
Resources Directorate
Local Government Financial
Background
• Challenging - Warwickshire
28% reductions, £66 million
over 3 years
• Looking at Library closures,
following Youth Service
reductions, Fire Station
closures and Adult Social
Care charge increases
• Add in Demographic time
bomb – Challenging!
Resources Directorate
IT seen as both a cost and saviour
• In Warwickshire, IT not exempt from
savings plans – taking their share
• 30% budget cut over next three years,
20% posts lost
• Losing £1.3 mill. following ‘Consultation’
on areas citizens wanted cut
• However, ICT is also still seen as vital
element of protecting services
Resources Directorate
ICT as Saviour
• ICT investment has
historically improved
services - why else invest
• Now even more important
role, to preserve services,
in WCC two vital areas
– E-Services to deliver more
cost effectively
– Modern & Flexible Working
• Time to do e-Government
properly!
Resources Directorate
e-Services and Channel Migration
• Must move customers to more cost effective
and customer friendly channels
• Citizens expect, indeed are demanding more
online services – Local Govt. must deliver
• SOCITM figures on Channel costs,
• Face-to-Face
• Telephone
• Web
£7.40
£2.90
£0.32
• Tremendous potential to both reduce costs
and improve services
Resources Directorate
Connect Digital
• Connect Digital - award winning
Joint project – WCC first
Council to offer eligibility check
• Free School Meals eligibility
from weeks to minutes
• Key lessons to full benefirs:– Review process do not automate
today
– Full integration maximises benefits
– Look at solution across all partners
processes and information
– Design Solution from customer
perspective
Resources Directorate
WCC e-Service Project
• WCC looking to review all key services
• Heads of Services to identify key services to
improve via e-enablement in 2011/12
• Priorities to be selected via Customer
Services Board including senior Councillors
• Priorities to be selected based on
– Potential Savings
– Improved Customer experience/pathway
– Volumes of transactions
Resources Directorate
Innovative approaches
• Utilise Mobile Devices – WCC
first iPhone App, now on BB and
Android platform
• Looking to utilise Social
Networking, welcome ideas
• More success in Open data
arena – have run ‘Hack
Warwickshire’ competition
– New Library Book App
– Value of library books
– Consultation Info
Applications people want – also
‘free’ development
Resources Directorate
Modern and Flexible Working
• Second key priority for ICT in WCC
• Utilising facilities such as Tablets, Blackberries, Wi-Fi
areas, Touchdown points to encourage more Flexible
working
• Benefits include:– Cost effective, first time delivery etc. at locations and times
to suit customers
– Savings in time, travel, accommodation
– Benefits staff in terms of flexibility, positive employer
• Looking to release £4.4 million, in Accommodation
alone
Resources Directorate
Support Shared Services
• Support Shared Services across organisations,
including systems sharing
• 300 Councils different versions of similar, and even
the same systems
• Must embrace this as a way of reducing both overall
service and ICT cost, will need to do this to survive
• Real benefits only if processes and services align. IT
must move from being a barrier to an enabler
• 6 Warwickshire councils share. CRM have since 2002
– Only now moving to Joint Contact Centres
• Financial Crisis is an opportunity – challenging sacred
cows
Resources Directorate
Look to exploit ‘new’ IT trends
• Cloud computing – not necessarily new but real
opportunity in new form – support flexible & joint
working
• Use Commodity IT – devices and services, look
to use personal devices
• Will need a review of recent security approaches
and insistence on customised approaches
• Can lead to significant savings and happier users
• WCC leading G-Cloud email project to explore
these approaches
Resources Directorate
G-Cloud e-mail Project
• Controversial, likely to drop ‘G’
• Always planned to use Private Sector
Cloud facilities
• G-Cloud certified just means:– Joint and easier procurement – savings
– Single security model – savings and safer
– Joint Service Management – savings
• WCC G-Cloud Pilot will explore use
of Commodity e-mail
• Also looking at using on ‘any’ device
• Supplier demonstrations next week
Resources Directorate
Summary
• Hopefully outlined key role IT can and must play in
improving and protecting Local Government Services
• Enable new service delivery models for customers,
public services and IT itself via:–
–
–
–
E-Services designed around customers
Supporting more flexible & mobile working
The facilitation of Shared Services
Use of new technology and commodity IT facilities
• Who knows, if successful not just help protect
services but perhaps protect own budgets next time