Agenda item

Consider report by Executive Director, Finance and Regulatory.  (Copy attached.)

There had been circulated copies of a report by the Executive Director, Finance and Regulatory presenting a new digital strategy for the Council developed with CGI.  The strategy “Digital Borders” was designed to realise the vision of Scottish Borders becoming a Smart Rural Region.  The Strategy would seek to invest in change programmes, new ways of working and new IT infrastructure to harness the power of communities, empower individuals, reduce inequality, widen access to digital connectivity and expand the economic potential of the Region.  In doing so, the Strategy responded to the key recommendations of a recent study by the Accounts Commission.   The report explained that in September 2020 the Council agreed to extend its strategic IT partnership with CGI and in doing so agreed to the development of a new Digital Strategy for the Council.  This Strategy was designed to help address a range of key challenges facing the Borders. The Strategy would form a key part of the Council’s Fit for 2024 transformation programme designed to deliver better outcomes for citizens and a more efficient operating model for the delivery of local services either directly by the Council or in conjunction with our Community Planning Partners.  The Digital Borders Strategy was consistent with the understanding of evolving national strategy.  It would seek to enable citizens, suppliers, and local businesses, to engage effectively with the Council, empower front line staff using mobile technology, rationalise and integrate back office systems, ensure the security of data, reduce social isolation and digital exclusion in our communities, and enhance the skills and the digital capability local people through working with our schools and partner agencies.  In doing so, a range of environmental, social and economic benefits were expected to be achieved.  Significant detailed analysis work had been undertaken to date, as highlighted in Appendix 2 to the report, to assess how the opportunities identified by the Strategy should be prioritised.  Further diligence was now required to further work to refine the Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) benefits identified to date.  The Strategy therefore advocated further work to be undertaken with CGI to develop a digital roadmap covering the next 3.5 years.  A change programme and detailed benefits realisation plans for individual projects would also be delivered to enable sustainable change, track savings, achieve process efficiencies and deliver improved outcomes.  Members welcomed the report but highlighted the need to ensure that those without digital access were not left behind.  Councillor Bell, seconded by Councillor A. Anderson, moved an amendment to recommendation (b) to read “Agrees that further work be undertaken to develop the digital road map, detailed benefits realisation and change management plans for the individual projects, and that this is brought back to Council for approval”.  This amendment was unanimously accepted.  In response to a request from Councillor Thornton- Nicol it was agreed that any references to “the elderly” would be changed to “older people”.

DECISION

AGREED:-

(a)     to approve the Digital strategy outlined in the report;

(b)     that further work be undertaken to develop the digital road map, detailed benefits realisation and change management plans for individual projects, and that this was brought back to Council for approval; and

(c)     to note that update reports would be brought to future Executive meetings in line with routine FF24 transformation programme updates.