Decision details

Release some of the provisionally approved capital to pump prime building of some solutions and to support business case development for this programme, which will deliver £3m annual revenue savings

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Efficiency approves the release of £0.5m of the £5m capital provisionally approved for the Digital by Choice programme.

In order to progress the Digital by Choice programme there is a need for pump priming to undertake initial work and develop business cases for digital solutions.  These will enable the Council to work more efficiently and transact with its customers more effectively and at lower cost.

Central Government is actively encouraging the public sector to become digital organisations, this includes guidance and digital solutions to support initiatives by local government and other organisations.

The only other option is to remain as we are with limited digital capability. Over time, this is likely to leave us lagging behind both the public and private sector. It would make it more difficult to continue to serve our citizens in the context of reducing budgets and resources. Our customers and staff rightly expect that the Council will progress in line with other organisations and continue to develop digital options for service delivery.