Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Strata IT Director.

The Strata IT Director presented the report and presentation on the last four months of activity by Strata and provided an update on the current operation and performance, which included identified key activities, successes and areas for further improvement.  He set out the important focus on the core objectives of cost and risk reduction and increasing the capability for change.  He referred to the increasingly important Customer Centric ethos and better understanding of the business value of the work.  A copy of the presentation was attached to the minutes.

Members were advised that a new Strata Business Plan would be developed to ensure a better alignment with the priorities of the three authorities.  He set out a number of objectives, identified as part of the company’s goal to become an ‘Agent for Change’, which included:-

·         meetings of the Scrutiny Joint Committee and Scrutiny Joint Executive to be held half yearly  - the Joint IT Steering Group to meet quarterly and an Annual Forum to be introduced to provide an opportunity to discuss the Transformation Strategy of each authority to discuss IT trends in local government;

·         resetting the existing objectives of reducing risk and costs and developing capability and capacity to a set of objectives more focused on a Customer Centric service delivery model;

·         transitioning from ‘Business As Usual’ to Transformational Value’ – currently a 85% / 15% split;

·         revising the Governance Framework to better empower the authorities;

·         adapting the funding model;

·         commercialisation of the operation, and

·         consideration of creating a longer term agreement.

The Board welcomed the opportunity for more commercialisation, but considered it was important to remain focused on Strata’s core activities.  It was acknowledged that income generation would be a vital approach in the coming years, but more speculative work such as the development of IT applications, rather than a support role would be a practical way forward. The suggestion of a non-Executive Director joining the Board would also provide additional support and more informal ‘policing’.

The Director with responsibility for Finance welcomed the Board’s steer and would present a Business Plan, which would include the identified objectives, to the January meetings of the Strata Joint Scrutiny and Strata Joint Executive Committees, so that all three Councils would be able to take the proposed Plan to their respective Councils for consideration and approval. 

The Chief Executive Exeter City Council congratulated the team on their success and effort.

Strata Joint Scrutiny Committee had considered the report at its meeting on 24 September 2018 and its comments were reported.

RESOLVED that the report be noted and a Business Plan, including the objectives set out above be presented to the respective meetings of the Strata Joint Scrutiny and Executive Committees in January 2019.