Issue - items at meetings - ICT risk

Report of Interim Director of Finance and Resources (to follow)

8.1 The Head of ICT Technical Services introduced the report in response to possible concerns at the February Audit Committee regarding ICT systems risks. The report was to provide reassurance on the actions that were being taken.

8.2 The business continuity plan for ICT includes annual testing of the resilience of the core infrastructure for data and telephony systems and the new Assistant Director of ICT in post since November was developing and driving through the plans previously in place.

8.3 The plans allowed for communications internally and externally in the event of disaster. For the future they were being extended to include better use of currently deployed technology to meet more of the authority’s business needs in the event of different scenarios.

8.4 Members were concerned that there had been no ICT Assistant Director in post for more than a year. There was a question as to whether the public would have confidence that calls were being dealt with locally, if non-geographical phone numbers were to be introduced.

8.5 Replying to a query about staffing, the Head of ICT Technical Services said there were partnership arrangements for IT specialists to support systems across the authority in the event of a disaster. Staff training in the use of different ICT systems was important and there was provision for key staff to work remotely for example if in a disaster buildings could not be accessed.

8.6 The Commission discussed home working and the possible use of videoconferencing. The Head of ICT Services said that with the migration to ‘outlook’ e-mail and the availability of instant messaging there was now a unified communications framework to help support staff away from their desks.

8.7 A Member group to monitor progress on ICT developments was suggested.

8.8 RESOLVED: that the report be noted.