Report of the ICT Section Head

This report provides an update on the current position on ICT services.

The committee received a report from the ICT Client Section Head which provided the committee with an update on the current position of ICT services.

The ICT Client Section Head introduced the report and explained the background to the new contract with Amicus ITS and how the ongoing modernisation of the IT infrastructure within the Council was a large and complex project - with much work taking place over the course of the summer. 

She described how the current service model for ICT was mixed, with in-house services combined with third party providers supplying the range of required services.  She outlined the staffing structure; that remained a blend of permanent and contract staff.

The ICT Client Section Head provided an overview of the work of the Service Desk and discussed how the Amicus ITS target of resolving/closing 80 percent of all incidents logged was an aspirational figure.

She outlined a number of the ICT technical transformations that had taken place; including removing XP desktops completely and replacing these with Windows 7 or Windows 10, the roll out of Wi-Fi on the Watford estate and the installation of new active directory servers. 

The ICT Client Section Head continued by explaining the process by which the Council had been awarded Public Service Network (PSN) compliance in August of this year - where 75 percent of the IT estate had been reviewed.  She considered this to be a very positive result and hoped that the Committee was reassured by the award.  She concluded by discussing issues in relation to the Disaster Recovery Plan and cyber security.

Councillor Watkin commented that the ICT Client Section Head had provided a remarkable presentation to the Committee; demonstrating outstanding transformation taking place over the past 12 months.  The Council was not yet at the end of the journey but had moved a long way.  He formally thanked the ICT Client Section Head for what she had achieved.

In response to questions from members, the ICT Client Section Head:

·        Informed the Committee that Housing Service ICT development was a corporate priority and explained how the matter would be progressed.

·        Explained how ICT staffing was being re-structured and how contracted staff were employed. 

·        Advised that the number of servers in the Council had been reduced from 300 to 150 with work ongoing to further reduce the number.

·        Explained why 67 percent (compared to the target of 80 percent) of all incidents logged had been resolved/closed.  She advised that it might be difficult to increase this figure but work was ongoing in this regard.

·        Confirmed that that her staff were fully committed to the ICT Transformation Programme.

·        Advised that members could see the Cyber Security Report.  The Client Audit Manager undertook to circulate this to the Committee.

·        Confirmed that Amicus ITS furnished ongoing reports on the delivery of its services and explained the various instruments which were, and would be, provided in the future – and at no further cost to the Council.

Councillor Watkin advised the Committee that Amicus ITS provided a 24 hour 365 day service to the Council.

The chair complemented the ICT Client Section Head on the quality of her report and for her detailed responses to questions from members.  He was of the view that considerable progress had been made.  On behalf of the Committee, he thanked the ICT Client Section Head for her work.

RESOLVED that –

1.      the contents of the report be noted.

2.      the action requested be undertaken.