Agenda item

a)    Library Support Services

b)    DTI

At the Chair’s invitation, the Library Services Manager presented the report and explained that the front-line library service and associate staff had been disaggregated since vesting day, April 2021. Members were being asked to approve the recommendation to re-profile the hosted Library Support Service disaggregation. The Library Services Manager explained that no disaggregation activity work had taken place so far in terms of the Library Support Service currently hosted by West Northamptonshire Council. He explained that under the new Communities and Opportunities directorate, transformation resource would be allocated within the libraries department. In addition, a detailed impact assessment would be presented to the Shared Services Joint Committee later in the year, detailing the timeline for disaggregation that was forecasted for completion by April 2023.

The Library Services Manager concluded his report and invited members to ask questions. Members questioned the reasoning for the lack of disaggregation activity work. The Library Services Manager explained that it was due to a lack of resource available to undertake the work. Members asked when the report relating to the timeline of disaggregation would be brought back to the committee and the Library Services Manager confirmed a report would be brought to the next meeting on 13 July 2022.

The Chair then invited the Director of Transformation, NNC to present the joint change request for the Digital, Technology and Innovation (DTI) service. Countywide services included digital, business systems, hosted services, strategy, and architecture. The report detailed the request for immediate changes to the DTI blueprint, as highlighted in the table in section 5.1. The original blueprint had West Northamptonshire Council listed as the Lead for the service, and the request sought for the blueprint to be amended to a disaggregated model for the Shared Joint Services Committee to consider and approve. The Director of Transformation, NNC highlighted that the report outlined the national implications once the digital service had disaggregated, and the service had been allocated to a digital team for West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire, and the intention to fund the Children’s Trust which operated countywide.

The Director of Transformation, NNC explained that DTI were also requesting a commission programme team and consultancy to look at options for the remaining areas of the blueprint. Proposals had been discussed previously at the Shared Service Joint Committee as well as detailed in their progress reports that were presented on a quarterly basis. The Director of Transformation, NNC highlighted the IT Disaggregation Discovery timeline in section 7 of the report and explained the consultancy would be in place within 6 weeks of the committee approving the decision.

Members questioned the need for a consultancy team and requested more information. The Director of Transformation, NNC explained that an independent review on systems and shared systems would provide a timeline for delivery, detailed cost implications and suggestions on how we build the service.  The findings would be presented in a report and the independent view would then be brought to the Shared Services Joint Committee for consideration. Members asked for the timeline and if procurement for the consultancy had been identified. The Chief Information Officer, WNC explained that potential consultants had been identified but DTI wanted to involve members in the process for transparency and to gain approval from both West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire Councils. He explained that the consultancy report would allow the committee to debate the conclusions and determine the best way forward. In terms of the timeline, 6 months was considered appropriate timescale based on the size and complexity of the area. The Director of Transformation, NNC added that the disaggregation would take place parallel to the independent review from the consultancy. Both the Director of Transformation, NNC and the Chief Information Officer, WNC assured the committee that they were confident that work would be completed in line with the timeline.

RESOLVED: That the Shared Services Joint Committee:

(1)  Approved the recommendation to reprofile the timeline of disaggregation resulting in the Library Support Service not disaggregating in September 2022

(2)  Endorsed the development of an Impact Assessment, the result of which will bring forward a further recommendation regarding a timeline revision for the disaggregation to the Committee in due course.

(3)  Approved the request to amend the treatment of Strategy & Architecture from a Hosted model to a Disaggregated model and the blueprint is amended to reflect these changes.

(4)  Approved that Business Systems is removed from the IAA.

(5)  Approved the request to amend the treatment of Digital from a Lead model to a disaggregated model and the blueprint is amended to reflect these changes.

(6)  Approved the request for officers to commission a programme team (internal and consultancy) to deliver a report and proposed options for disaggregation of the remaining areas of the blueprint. The team should be in place within six weeks of this decision

(7)  That to ensure progression on the proposals outlined in this paper a progress report will be presented to the Shared Services Joint Committee on a quarterly basis.