Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

            Councillor Mullin introduced the Digital Strategy Update report which provided details of the single digital programme plan which would help the Council to more effectively manage limited resources and make better informed choices around prioritisation.

            The Chief Officer (Governance) explained that a number of key issues on digital strategy were explored with Members in a briefing session in January 2019, specifically on:

·         A reminder of why we needed to progress the rollout of digital services;

·         An explanation of how the Council would ensure that no one in its communities was excluded as a result of the addition of online services;

·         An overview of current digital services and the lessons learned in delivering them; and

·         A description of the next phases of functionality which was to be launched.

It was recognised that the development and delivery of the Digital Strategy was a long term commitment and would require ongoing engagement and dialogue with services, customers and elected Members.  Accordingly, there was a commitment to ongoing reporting to and conversations with Members as delivery got underway.

            To ensure that consistent standards were applied in the way projects were designed and services modernised, a number of design principles had been agreed which were outlined in the report.

            In response to a question, the Chief Officer (Governance) explained that alternative means of communication would remain for those people who did not have access to the internet. 

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the key points arising from January’s briefing for elected Members on the development of online functionality for customers be noted; and

(b)       That the design principles and programme for the delivery of the Digital Strategy be approved.