hertfordshire county council ict strategy 2015-18...each of these five key areas covers a specific...

Hertfordshire County Council ICT Strategy 2015-18

1Hertfordshire County Council ICT Strategy 2015-18 Version 5 August 2015

TITLE OF PAPER: HCC ICT Strategy 2015 - 18

REPORT AUTHORS: Stuart Bannerman Campbell

1. Summary

CT Strategy 2015 -18

The following pages outline some of the changes we are looking to make toenable the best possible IT for both citizens and staff in facing the challengesthat lie before the county and its services.

The ICT strategy does not sit alone. It is designed to work alongside theEnabling the Worker Programme and improving the Web and Intranetprojects.

The ICT Strategy 2015/18 is underpinned by a number of key principles:-

We aim for as many of our services as possible to be delivereddigitally. This provides quick and effective access for citizens in themost cost effective way, enabling us to concentrate our front lineresources on those services that do need to be delivered face to face.

Our strategy needs to focus on the needs of service users and citizensfor community facing technology. We will fully involve the public in thatdesign, testing and feedback to ensure we appropriate the bestpossible IT to meet their needs.

Likewise internally facing IT needs to be informed and developed withstaff. Our staff need the right tools to carry out their jobs. That is whythe Enabling the Worker Programme has spent time in its first phaselistening to the needs of staff and how they think IT can better supportthem in their roles. Again, design, testing and feedback will be directlywith staff to ensure that we get this right. We will pilot with staffwherever possible, in order to learn and improve our technology. IT

Our focus on internal IT will be on enabling staff to be at their mostefficient and effective.

IT will enable closer working relationships with services. We willenhance and develop the skill sets and interactions necessary to moreeffectively understand services and their requirements. We will embedthose skill sets with services where necessary.

We recognise that improvements will not simply come from theintroduction of new technology but in how we apply that technologyeffectively with services, staff and service users. Our programmes will



be focussed on service improvements. IT will not be developed in avacuum. IT developments will usually take the form of enabling broaderservice improvements and will be part of those wider programmes. IT isonly one element of delivering effective service change.

We must invest in skill sets for the organisation to enable the mosteffective use of IT. Although our investments will be towards intuitiveand service selected technology, we recognise that even the besttechnology requires investment in staff skills. Equally there is a needfor us all to be thinking how our services might change to mosteffectively embrace some of the newer technology becoming availableto us. We must develop and allow time for staff to consider and applythat thinking.

We wish to improve the means by which IT is delivered either directlyor with suppliers/partners. IT projects need to be developed in a timelyfashion without unnecessary delays and costs arising in the supplychain. We will work with services and suppliers to achieve this usingmore agile methods of delivery and removing some of the blockageswhich have existed in the way projects have been managed. We willengage with suppliers in the most effective way possible to deliver aservice requirement. We will not be tied to single supplier methods ofdelivery and will lookprovide greater flexibility and value for money.

IT will be invested in taking account of the overall benefits it delivers.Our strategy aims to deliver value for money but that does notnecessarily me If IT can deliver business improvementsand efficiencies elsewhere in the business or services it should betaken into account when making a case for investment.

Compliance is still important. However rather than IT staff working fromthe starting point of

understand what you are looking to achievecan do to potentially enable that way of working.

Our solutions will protect and secure sensitive information but will alsopositively share data with partners and citizens where this is of benefitto the service user.

To enable the above we will carry out the following:-

Review our infrastructure and our existing systems (alongside theweb/compass reviews). To ensure they are fit for purpose and meet theneeds of the future. We will rationalise our suite of applications to whatis required by the business.



We will keep close to new developments and new ways of deliveringservices to apply the most appropriate ideas to Hertfordshire services.

We will continue to enhance our reputation as a modern council.

wherever applicable.

Deploy Cloud solutions wherever a business case can be made

Introduce modern technology to enable mobile and flexible methods ofworking.

Continue to improve our Management Information offering so thatintelligence

2. Background

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Associated activities range from those able to be undertaken in the nextthree to six months, to those which could take a number of years toachieve.



is informed by an industry

Each of these five key areas covers a specific aspect of the ICT function.As part of the review a thorough assessment of each of these areas took

The graphic detailed in Appendix 1 shows the assessment of the five keyareas. This assessment helped inform priorities for action in the strategy.

3. Outcome(s) to be achieved

A number of challenges currently exist in the delivery of an optimal ITfunction, though this should not detract from the good progress that canbe made in delivering new technology on a number of fronts. Theattached 14 point strategic plan identifies a range of changes and sub-projects which fall within the following six key actions for HCC to takeforward as a priority in 2015-2018:

Redesign the process for delivering IT change within HCC;

Fill the existing skill gaps within the IT function;

Review and agree what needs to be delivered through the ITpartnership with Serco;

Support departmental managers and staff in adopting the newways of working available to them to ensure improvements inefficiency and productivity are fully realised;

Apply internal change management capability to ensure maximumbenefit is derived from existing and future technology investments;

Ensure all staff have the right tools for the job.

4. Financial Implications

The strategy is intended to reduce overall costs to the authority either bythe introduction of more efficient IT delivery mechanisms, or by enablingsavings elsewhere in the business. Wherever possible the strategy will beimplemented using existing resources. Where investment is required toenable these savings an appropriate business case will be compiled andagreed before the programme implements those elements.

5. Risk to delivery of outcomes

A full risk assessment of financial, legal, market and reputational risks willbe carried out as part of the programme:



Lack of available skills or resources to complete the projects within theidentified period.Existing contract arrangements and any associated re-negotiationprevents / delays implementation of key benefits.Directorates, their management and/or staff do not effectively adopt theICT Strategy.Project Benefits are not monitored effectively or realised.

6. Equality impact assessment

The overall strategy has no immediate implications in consideration ofequalities and diversity. However, as individual elements are implemented(e.g. applications rationalisation) these will be subject to separateassessment to ensure no protected characteristics are adversely affected.

7. Implications for HCC carbon footprint

Movement to technologies such as cloud are likely to reduce the overallcarbon footprint of HCC ICT technologies. Quantification of the size of thisimpact is not feasible at this stage.

8. Timeline

See Appendix 2. This is a summary of all the key activity to beundertaken over the coming months and years.

As part of the next phase a detailed Strategic Implementation Plan isbeing prepared along with key partners.

9. Structure of the programme

A governance structure and delivery model with clearer accountability andtransparency will be established. This approach will ensure buy-in andagreement, and enable quick progress to be made. The overallgovernance of the programme will be overseen by the Performance andResources Officer Group (PROG).

Each member of the ICT Implementation Delivery Team will haveownership of one or more of the key workstreams and take responsibilityand oversight for implementing their workstream and its associatedprojects. The Delivery Team will meet at least monthly.

There are interdependencies with the following workstreams that arebeing managed to ensure join up between programmes:

Enabling the WorkerSMS Mid Term ReviewIntranet ProjectNext Generation Website



Windows 7 Roll outE-Marketplace

A dedicated ICT Implementation Delivery Team will begin work to definethe approach further. Implementation will be sponsored by StuartBannerman Campbell.

Role Who PositionSponsor Stuart

BannermanCampbell

Associate Director, Improvementand Technology

ProgrammeManager

Business Improvement Manager

Project Manager Project ManagerProgrammeOfficers

Project Officer

HR / RecruitmentLead

HR Manager

CommunicationsLead

Senior Communications Officer

ProcurementChanges

Paul Drake Head of Procurement, SPG

Other asappropriate

Dave Mansfield Head of Technology



10. Hertfordshire County Council ICT Strategy 2015-18

The vision for ICT at Hertfordshire County Council for the years 2015/18 is:

through providing efficient, responsive, cost effective, high-quality andsecure ICT services, with the flexibility to enable new ways of workingfor staff and to transform our ability to serve our citizens and services

which has five key areas for areas for consideration. Each of the five areascovers a specific aspect of the ICT function.

aligned to this framework

Governance,Process andFunding (G)

IT Infrastruct-ure (I)

People &Organisational

Design (P)

Information andData Manage-

ment (D)

ApplicationCapabilities (A)

Determining keybusiness needs andassociated systems

Redesigning processesand controls for IT and thebusiness that drive value

Establishingfuturetechnologiesandarchitectures toreduce risk andimproveflexibility

Designing an organisational structure toalign HCC people and external

partnerships

Understanding and

information needs



Realising the Goals

Goal 1: Create a more effective delivery lifecycle, placing emphasis onvalue add projects

Current State

HCC projects need clearer prioritisation; projects that focus onmaintenance and operations often compete with change projects that willdeliver significant benefit.Serco and HCC need to agree a strategically ordered workload, as thereare often too many projects ongoing at any one time to be effectivelymanaged.Serco are not currently flexing their resources in order to meet the peaksand troughs in demand, and can take significant time to scope projects.

Benefits

A clearer filtering and prioritisation process at departmental and corporatelevel will help to ensure (along with project delivery improvements) thatimportant projects with real business benefit are delivered ahead of otherlower-value pieces of work.An ordered pipeline of activity will enable Serco and other suppliers toresource effectively to meet anticipated demand. This will reduce thecurrent delays experienced through suppliers having to scope projectsthemselves.A more efficient and well-understood project delivery lifecycle will ensurethat high-value projects are delivered in a timely manner, delivering benefitsooner.

Roadmap

In order to improve this, the project delivery lifecycle needs to beredefined, including a gateway and associated governance arrangement toensure that only requests that have clearly defined requirements make itonto the work programme.Regular meetings should be held to prioritise workload, using criteriaagreed at the Assistant Director level, and the rest of the business shouldbe kept updated so they are clear on the process and projected deliverytimelines. HCC should work with Serco to ensure they deliver flexibleproject resourcing.Associated systems and processes should be simplified and the agreedcriteria should be used to form a new, meaningful priority for projectrequests.



Goal 2: Reduce and where possible remove unproductive or roguespend which if unmanaged leads to higher cost and complexity ofmanagement.

Current State

There have been some examples of unproductive spending.This type of spend often goes under the radar and if unchecked couldwaste money that could be spent more effectively and strategicallyelsewhere.

Benefits

Further clarifying the guidelines around ICT procurement will ensure thatHCC gets more value out of its investments, and that staff do not wastemoney on buying hardware/software ormeet their need.Established sign-off will ensure that appropriate visibility is afforded topurchases, and rogue spending eradicated.Working proactively with the business to understand their needs willensure that all purchases are fit for purpose, as well as being structurallyviable, supported and secure.

Roadmap

It is essential that IT can deliver to the same quality and timescales asalternative channels.As well as ensuring staff have access to the tools required for them to dotheir job, appropriate guidelines are needed to be upheld to ensureappropriate procurement.The IT team must validate that proposed solutions will fit within the existingarchitecture whilst not being a barrier to change.IT processes and solutions must be designed around meeting thebusiness need, and not seen as an impediment to delivery.

Goal 3: Further develop mobile working capability to support a moreeffective and efficient workforce using latest technologies.

Current State

Many staff such as Social Workers are returning to HCC offices beforehaving logged information from sessions with service users and checkingtheir next appointment. Although they have laptops and the option for 3G-enabled smartphones, many are unaware or reluctant to adopt suchtechnologies in carrying out their role efficiently.Automated call forwarding systems are in place but setting this up hasnot been universally adopted as good practice.



There is conference call functionality and desktop video calling capabilitythrough MyTeamWorks (as an example), although it is not widely usedthroughout the business.There is video conferencing capability in some of the HCC meeting rooms.Staff frequently drive around the county to attend meetings in person,incurring expense when voice conferencing or video conferencing could beused.users to simply run a traditional VPN are all encouraged by HCC andshould help to reduce this expense.A pilot is currently being run across three areas of Social Services (AdultCommunity Learning, Emergency Duty Team, Child Social Workers) for an

lications, and an efficientneeds. This is

expected to roll-out by the end of the financial year 2014-15.

Benefits

Key feedback from the Enabling the Worker sessions outlines that staffneed the right tools to allow them to work from wherever they may be, notjust at their desks.This is particularly important for Social Workers and other mobile staff whomust have flexible tools to work effectively.As a result of being fully mobile, staff will be more productive, empoweredto provide a better-quality and flexible service, whilst cutting down on costsincurred through travel expenses and appointment mismanagement.

Roadmap

In addition to making the necessary technology available, there needs tobe significant push to drive adoption. Staff should be engaged and madeaware of the benefits, both to themselves and their customers, of usingmore advanced technology.A cultural shift is required to move staff towards a more flexible way ofworking, rather than using inefficient work processes. This will feature as akey deliverable from the Enabling he Worker programme.Uniting communities through technologies such as Yammer and

goal.Technology in meeting rooms must be fit for purpose. Spider phonesshould be readily available and fully operable.Staff should be confident that they will be able to arrive in meeting roomsand have reliable conferencing facilities without having to engage FMservices to address connection issues etc.



Goal 4: -of-related infmanaged this way by 2018.

Current State

HCC already have significant numbers of systems hosted virtually. Emailrefresh to Office 365 is scheduled to be Cloud-hosted.Any new systems are assessed as a matter of course to see if virtualhosting is viable.An overarching Cloud strategy has been hindered by differingdepartmental approaches.An investment to save approach is needed to meet the initial costsrequired to move business systems to Cloud technology.

Benefits

goals. Consolidating resources will result in a reduction of cost, whilststandardisation allows improved efficiency through repeatable process.Manual processes can be replaced with automated activity for increasedagility and speed, whilst pay-as-you-go server usage can result in fasterresponse and lower cost.

Roadmap

The initial priority is to define the vision and strategy for Cloud migration(although it is proposed that a complete move to Cloud for line of businesssystems should be targeted for end 2018).This requires a full understanding of the current infrastructure landscape,and a rationalisation of existing applications.HCC then needs to put appropriate governance in place to handle thefuture state, including the necessary budgetary arrangements to fund theactivity.HCC should identify suitable Cloud providers, and begin to move systemsover, checking their performance and reliability compared to the existingsolutions, before fully committing to the switch over.

Goal 5: Deliver enabling and collaborative technologies which providestaff with the right tools for the job, building upon feedback receivedfrom staff and managers through the Enabling the Worker Programme.

Current State

HCC employees often have better IT at home than they do at work. TheWindows 7 rollout is improving this situation to some extent, but there ismore that can be done.



There have been occasions where new joiners have not been immediatelyprovided with a laptop or desktop upon starting.Business inhibiting decisions need to be re-examined with more enablingservices.In some cases the tools are available to staff, but they either do not realisethe benefits that could be delivered, are unsure how to fund on an invest

or do not want to use them as they are comfortable withtheir current ways of operating.

Benefits

Staff should have access to the tools which enable them to do their jobeffectively.Providing staff with the right technology will reduce staff frustration, allowthem to be more productive, and empower them to provide a higher qualityservice to customers.

Roadmap

An engagement programme should be delivered so that staffunderstand what tools are available to them.The use of tools that will increase productivity in their roles should bestandardised rather than optional.Where there are still issues with the tools available, there should be an

identify and trial solutions to meet these.This will be a key focus of the Enabling the Worker programme.

Goal 6: Identify and deliver the new skill sets required to achieve digitaltransformation within HCC technology teams, our providers and generalmanagement /staff.

Current State

HCC recognises that a number of important skill sets vital to achievingdigital transformation are currently requiring development.There is a deficiency of enterprise architecture across the businessand a weakness in joined-up approach to design, planning andimplementation.As a result, there is not a single comprehensive technology roadmap toprovide the necessary framework for digital transformation.Business Partners were intended to provide the link between IT and thebusiness, but were not recruited with the business analysis skills neededto shape solutions.The responsibility for applications expertise is an area of ambiguitybetween HCC and suppliers which is not enabling the most effectiveprogress to be made.



Benefits

Identifying, attaining and upskilling digital expertise will ensure that HCCare able to deliver their vision for the future and keep pace with digitaladvancements, enhancing customer and user experience across theorganisation.Installing an Enterprise Architect (overall lead on applications strategy)will guide HCC through the business, information, process and technologychanges necessary to execute their digital transformation strategy andfilter this down departmentally. Business analysis, agile capability,applications architecture and digital awareness will all help to achieve this.

Roadmap

Moving to digital is always a difficult challenge. However, appointing anEnterprise Architect and Business Analysts would be of great benefit.An effective IT Graduate Scheme could also be important to ensure thattransformation is both realised and maintained, also injecting fresh thinkinginto HCC for the future.Once the relevant roles are in place, HCC will be better positioned to affectdigital upskilling, instil digital awareness and provide better services forcitizens through improved journey mapping and design.Regarding Cloud infrastructure, new expertise will be needed to create andmaintain new governance and budgeting processes.

Goal 7:where programme and project management are appropriate to the levelof the task and are not seen as bureaucratic inhibitors to businesschange delivery.

Current State

Projects are currently delivered using sequential methodology, with mostbusiness requirements expecting to be defined at the beginning of theprocess.However, particularly with current levels of Business Analysis capabilitythese requirements are not always fully clear at the beginning of theprocess.All changes in scope are recorded and approved. The overall developmentcycle is relatively slow.Scoping can take several months and the final product may notnecessarily meet the business needs (as requirements and ideas changeover such a long period). Whilst the end goal should be agile delivery,this would be a major transformation and HCC must also address theissues with the current process as it moves more to an agile model.

Benefits



Being flexible to customer demand is critical in the digital age.Delivering work in an agile way will allow HCC to quicker respond to

and staff needs, delivering usable functionality and receivingactionable feedback much earlier.Teams delivering in an agile way are empowered to make decisions for

Change and improvement become part of the natural evolution, rather thanbeing slow and expensive.

Roadmap

To begin building capability HCC needs to consider how it would work withsuppliers in self-contained agile projectmanagement speak), who work in two-week blocks of activity (known as

to develop a particular digital product.This process requires a single Product Owner, who is ultimatelyresponsible for delivery.In order to further develop agile capability in-house, the success of initialpilots would act as the blueprint to demonstrate best practice to the rest ofthe business, targeting specific areas through analysis of customerexperience and needs.

Goal 8: Review and define clearer roles and responsibilities to supporteffective delivery of ICT between HCC and suppliers

Current State

Experience and feedback on the Business Partner role in ICT is that theyare not fully meeting the needs of the business.Furthermore, there are not always clear lines of accountability whenprojects fall down.When reviewing the IT functional model against a best practice modelthere are aenabling technology effectively and quickly to the business in anaccountable manner.

Benefits

It is important to define roles and responsibilities so that every individualand team knows their part in achieving our overall goals. This should leadto smoother project delivery and people knowing who the best point ofcontact is in specific situations.The outcome of this initiative should be an IT functional model whichclearly demonstrates how IT is shaped, built, and run.HCC, Serco and other suppliers will be fully clear where theirresponsibilities lie, while individuals within each functional area will beclear on their remit, how they fit into the IT delivery process and wherethey need to augment existing resources.



Roadmap

The next step is to for HCC to have firm agreement with suppliersregarding where certain responsibilities lie (rather than have a mixedmodel), and appoint individuals into these roles as appropriate. Jobdescriptions should be written to clearly define roles.Finally, any skills gaps that cannot be met through existing staff (orsupplier staff) should be recruited externally to ensure all aspects of thefunctional model are in place.

Goal 9: Create an environment where IT change is easier to deliver.

Current State

There is currently a lack of dedicated Business Analyst capability withinHCC. This function is not developed in the ICT Business Partner role.Much of their time is taken up with administration of processes.They are intended toand IT, but they do not always have the time or the expertise to help shapesolutions.Managers and service leads need help to develop solutions that utilise thelatest reliable technology and thinking. BusinessAnalysts need to be credible with both the business and IT.

Benefits

The aim should be to establish a Business Analysis community.The Business Analysts will be able to act effectively as a conduit betweenthe departments and IT, not just in managing relationships but also helpingto understand and prioritise requirements and shaping solutions.They will work collaboratively to share ideas, and proactively undertakeresearch to bring relevant ideas from other organisations into HCC.With an effective BA function, communication between the departmentsand IT will be improved, helping to manage ambiguity; requirements will bedefined and tracked more effectively; and solutions will be tailored toaddress the crux of business needs.

Roadmap

The focus should be on identifying and plugging skills gaps early on, andfocusing BA capability on projects where it is most needed.Developing BA-specific training, processes and a competency model willhelp to build the community, whilst identifying early successes willdemonstrate their value to the rest of the business.



Goal 10: Establish a cultural change management programme acrossHCC to ensure the full value of investment in technology is realised.Invest in the skill sets and knowledge exchange necessary to affect this.

Current State

Investment is being made in technology to enable the HCC worker,including the rollout of Windows 7, as well as improved mobile andcollaborative technology, but it is not always landing as effectively aspossible.Significantly more could be done to help staff and managers adapt to andembrace new technology.When staff are not able to use technology as expected, they lose faith andthe investment is therefore not optimised.

Benefits

Significant investment in IT is only worthwhile if solutions land effectivelyand the lives of staff, or citizens/service users, are made easier.A clearly defined Change Management approach is crucial to this. With aneffective training and communication programme, HCC staff should feelcomfortable using new technology provided to them, or will at least knowwho to approach if they need additional support.Staff with specific requirements will receive what they need at the right

maximised, and staff perception of technology will change to being anenabler rather than an inhibitor.Savings will be derived from new and more effective ways of working.

Roadmap

The success of this programme lies within an effective communications,organisational development and engagement programme, that providesclear, accessible and user-friendly information.This will ensure that digitalisation is delivered successfully andsubsequently fully embedded. We need to assess the individualtechnological needs of employees and ensure they are upskilled in themost effective manner, whilst also supporting specific teams with rolloutswhere needed.Departmental Champions would be helpful to drive the adoption and

understanding of new technology.The use of Yammer communities will further drivetechnology uptake and the sharing of knowledge, helping to develop aself-solving mind-set.



Goal 11: Continue to identify data needs and associated governance tosupport new initiatives and effective third party collaboration withpartners.

Current State

internal data architecture,HCC does possess good-quality data.Serco has a Master Data Management (MDM) tool, though HCC needs toclarify access and develop MDM expertise of its own. More work could be

It is still not as easy as it could be to follow the journey of children andfamilies across different services and systems, or to measure the impactthe service had on them.In addition, managers could more easily and proactively access the datathey need to help make decisions.A Heads of Terms information governance agreement has beenput in place with the NHS and healthcare partners across Hertfordshire.Internally, the current EDRMS, Livelink, does not appear to meet all of thedocument production and management needs of the authority.

Benefits

document whichhas been produced following implementation of the Care Act 2014,presents an example framework for using data and technology to improvethe lives of patients and citizens.Having high quality and reliable data from joined-up data sources, withuseful reports generated automatically, in conjunction with a high-performing data analysis function, should provide significant benefits. Forexample, the NHS should be able to more effectively forecast hospitaldemand, allocate staff in advance, and plan interventions.

le to use data to anticipate citizensmost at risk, and to take earlier measures to help them. All departmentsshould be more proactive, cost efficient, and will produce better qualityservices.There is also an opportunity to apply agile practices to develop data

data issues in one overarching programme.

Roadmap

Building upon previous good work in this area, further data architectureand MDM expertise should either be brought in for the short term, ordeveloped in-house.This will allow HCC to generate maximum benefit from tools already at itsdisposal. Regarding Heads of Terms, HCC should build upon the goodpractice put in place with healthcare partners.



The aim should be to create a community where data sharing is a keyenabler to solving specific business problems.Data analytics and predictive modelling capabilities must be furtherdeveloped to improve the real-time data made available to managers anddepartments.HCC should consider how it enhances its current document managementcapability, particularly in relation to document production and collaboration.

Goal 12: Further rationalise and modernise the existing suite ofapplications across HCC. Review specific technologies such asGeographic Information Systems (GIS) to ensure they are fit for purposeand effectively used during 2015-18.

Current State

HCC has some long standing legacy systems, such as SAP, which aremore difficult to use and adapt than some more recent technologies.Development on such systems by suppliers tends to happen in silos,meaning they sometimes develop solutions independently when it wouldmake sense to build one and share.It is important to have an overarching applications strategy acrossdepartments.Technologies such as GIS and document management need to bereviewed regularly to ensure they are still delivering to businessrequirements. The Windows 7 rollout revealed over a thousand pieces ofsoftware deployed to desktops, many of which are not needed.A rationalisation process has begun to reduce this number to around 300.

Benefits

A modern, lean, user-friendly suite of applications and software will ensurethat staff can do their jobs effectively, minimising licence costs.Applications will also be easier to update and develop, making changesimpler to deliver.

Roadmap

As outlined above an Enterprise Architect should be appointed who canprovide a holistic view of the activities and needs within each department,and link them together where appropriate.There should be a cleaning up of the existing suite of applications throughrationalising duplicates and letting end-of-life apps come to an end.A long-term strategy should thenoverall digital transformation.This will build on the back of the ongoing Windows 7 rollout. Technologiessuch as GIS and Document Management will have separate reviews withrecommendations for their deployment and use in a three year time-frame.Serco will not be permitted to install any new application without thenecessary authorisation.



Goal 13: In line with improved web presence create additional digitalservices to improve and automate customer interactions, drivingchannel shift.

Current State

Whilst a good deal of work has been done to develop online interactiveservices, this has not always been achieved through the lens of thecustomer.The highways fault reporting tool is now well-used but HCC shouldcontinue to review all such systems to ensure that their usability is in linewith best practice.Speed awareness course bookings and an e-Marketplace are among otherservices available online, but more can be done to improve the userexperience.A mobile version of Herts Direct has gone fully live and there iscommitment for mobile highways fault reporting to follow suit. Havingseveral hundred potential editors of the website can lead to disjointedmessages and sub-optimised customer journeys.Call centre staff have been trained to encourage callers to self-serve usingdigital channels where possible, but they are not always easily convinced,especially when the online service is not as user-friendly or intuitive ascould be.

Benefits

The development of the new Herts Direct website is the perfect opportunityto enable digital channels and improve the experience residents have withthe council.Citizens should be able to quickly make payments, renew licences, updatepersonal information, and submit applications online.The Government Digital Services principles of simple design, basedaround customer needs, are a key consideration here.Improving customer experience and giving people more routes to self-serve will produce a range of benefits to both HCC and its citizens/serviceusers. Digital interactions cost far less than contact centre calls or face-to-face interactions.Effective signposting of services along with intuitive design and effectiveback office integration will improve and shorten the end-to-end process,reducing the number of calls and improving overall failure demand.

Roadmap

Engage with staff to show the art of the possible and embed a digitalculture of continuous improvement, keeping the customer at the heart ofeverything. Make online journeys intuitive, rationalise the number of pages,and use easy-to-understand language.



Use a dedicated agile editing team to design and develop digital services.Examine with Serco ways to incentivise reducing the number of calls,driving channel shift.HCC should continue to pursue its agile approach to building the newwebsite, ensuring customer feedback is incorporated every step of theway.

Goal 14: Assist in achieving HCC savings target by challenging alldepartments to develop and implement digital strategies for theirservices.

Current State

There are pockets of good practice in HCC -Inspir which articulates a digital strategy for thefuture - and of how the use of IT will enable savings.However, the absence of internal Enterprise Architecture expertise meansHCC departments have struggled to challenge themselves to do thingsdifferently and to develop long-term solutions across the authority.

Benefits

savings target of £145m by 2018.These goals must be realised at a departmental level through initiativeswhich include long-term digital strategies. Services (including the corporatecentre) must constantly challenge themselves to improve their ways ofworking and think of how they can use digital to do things at a lower cost,more effectively, and to improve customer outcomes.This could be through more efficient internal processes, or bycitizens/service users more opportunities to self-serve, always basingsolutions around user needs.

Roadmap

Departments should challenge themselves to transform their operations bydeveloping long-term digital strategies for their services.Savings should be articulated at department level through well-consideredbusiness cases.Although new expertise (such as an Enterprise Architect and BusinessAnalysts) will be able to provide assistance to the services -bringing inthought leadership and proven solutions from elsewhere - all HCC staffand stakeholders need to be challenged to think and work differently,applying a digital mind-set to all that they do.Customer and User Experience expertise can be employed to provide

s and needs.Continuous improvement reviews should become business-as-usual(BAU) activity to ensure that solutions land successfully.



Strategy Version ControlVersion Changes to document Changed by Date1 N/A N/A 03/03/153 Martin Aust 14/04/15

4 Reference to Care Act 2014. Martin Aust 07/05/155 Changes to personnel 06/08/15

Roadmap (Appendix 2) Version ControlVersion Changes to document Changed by Date1 N/A N/A 03/03/154 Replace - with

Rollout/Raise Awareness ofIT Procurement Standards

.

Paul Drake 07/05/15

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