Corporate IT strategy

The project issues
The objective was the delivery of a strategy document for the Council’s IT Services. The need for the new strategy was not driven by any fundamental new Council strategy or policy change. It was primarily driven by a number of factors which, taken together, demonstrated a clear need for a fresh look at the IT strategy including:

• The need to refresh the existing IT strategy
• The need to consolidate and build on various IT and service initiatives which have been completed or started since the IT strategy was published
• The need to synchronise the Corporate IT Strategy to the Council’s e-government Strategy and emerging efficiency strategy
• The need to strengthen those areas of the Council’s IT service where it is believed improvements can be made e.g. project management methodology
• The need to ensure that the IT Service is structured in a way that best enables it to respond to organisational and service changes (some underway, others planned).

The Socitm Consulting solution
Socitm Consulting used its established methodology for IT strategy development as set out in the Socitm Insight publication “Planning for ICT – the service framework”. This framework supports a systematic analysis of all the component parts that make up a Council’s IT strategy.

Two Socitm consultants were used on the assignment. One led on the Technology Architecture and Delivery of the ICT service components, while the other concentrated on the other components of the Service Framework.

The assignment did not involve an independent review by Socitm Consulting of the Council’s IT infrastructure. Rather it was a partnership exercise with Socitm Consulting assisting the Council to develop a new corporate IT strategy to respond to the twin challenges of Modernising and Efficient government.

The benefits to the client
Socitm Consulting’s independence meant that the Council was able to benefit from a strategy that gained the trust and support of staff and managers throughout the organisation. Engagement with managers, service users, Internal Audit, the IT Steering Group, the IT Management Team and the council's Corporate Management Team ensured that the strategy reflected the views of the organisation as a whole and underpinned its credibility. Delivery of the recommendations set out in the strategy will help to ensure that Renfrewshire provides an excellent IT Service to all of its stakeholders.

Project identification
Client organisation: Renfrewshire Council
Client contact: Tom Burns, Head of IT, 0141 842 5240, tom.burns@renfrewshire.gov.uk 
Lead consultant: niall.perry@socitm.gov.uk
Project no: 5489