Issue - meetings

To consider the proposed approach to utilising the DLUHC Future Councils grant funding of £750,000 successfully bidded for by the Council.

The Executive considered a report summarising the proposals to utilise the £750k Governments Future Councils Grant Funding provided by the Department of levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUCH) following the Council’s successful bid.

It was RESOLVED:

1.         That the Council’s success in bidding for and being awarded one of the eight pilot grants that support the Council in delivering its Transformation Programme by enabling more reliable, digital and flexible services for its customers be noted.

2.         That delegated authority be given to the Strategic Director (CF) following consultation with the portfolio Holder for Resources and Transformation and portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure and Information Technology, to make changes to the proposals for the Future Councils grant if further work identifies an alternative use for the grant which provides a greater customer and financial benefit.

The Executive considered a report summarising the proposals to utilise the £750k Governments Future Councils Grant Funding provided by the Department of levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUCH) following the Council’s successful bid.

Members were advised that Stevenage was one of only eight Councils to successfully apply to the scheme in March and had been awarded £750k of funding to modernise services and improve cyber resilience.  The scheme also provided opportunities to work collaboratively with the Future Councils Team and other participant authorities on common problems.  It was noted that the Future Councils scheme also required the Council to self-assess its cyber security resilience through the new Cyber Assessment Framework which was being developed for local authority use by DLUHC.

Officers set out the case to use the funding to support three core projects, and requested delegation of the final decision making to officers.  The core projects included:

·       Migration of the NEC Housing and Resourcelink;

·       HR and Payroll systems to the cloud;

·       Improvements to the Council’s Cyber Security position through the Cyber Assessment Framework.

Members agreed that the issue of cyber security was a huge ongoing challenge and would require continued investment to help the Council reduce the associated risks.

In response to a question, Officers advised that legacy technology referred to those systems which were no longer supported or that no longer carried out the functions the Council required.

Members thanked the Officers for their work and foresight in identifying the opportunity and realising the funding which would enable the Council to reduce the risk of cyber security.

It was RESOLVED:

1.          That the Council’s success in bidding for and being awarded one of the eight pilot grants that support the Council in delivering its Transformation Programme by enabling more reliable, digital and flexible services for its customers be noted.

2.          That delegated authority be given to the Strategic Director (CF) following consultation with the portfolio Holder for Resources and Transformation and portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure and Information Technology, to make changes to the proposals for the Future Councils grant if further work identifies an alternative use for the grant which provides a greater customer and financial benefit.

Reason for Decision:  As contained in report.

Other Options considered:  As contained in report.