Purpose

To procure a configurable environment to build and manage online forms, automate and run end-to-end business processes (workflows), and deliver case management, with integrations to key third-party system.

Decision

RESOLVED that the Cabinet;

·       approves the procurement of the Council’s configurable low-code platform through a direct award under the NHS SBS10521 Patient / Citizen Communication, Engagement & Hybrid Mail Solutions Framework, Lot 3 and

·       delegates authority to the Executive Director: Resources, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture, Public Protection, to award the contract for the services outlined in 3.1.

Reasons for the decision

This platform is essential to the Council’s day-to-day delivery of online services, internal workflows and case handling across a range of high-volume services. It supports a significant part of the Council’s digital service infrastructure, including online forms, resident self-service through My Account, and the routing and management of service requests through to completion. Renewing it is necessary to maintain service continuity, resident access to key services and ongoing licensing compliance. It also supports the Council’s wider ambition to provide residents with accessible, connected and responsive services through a more consistent digital offer.

The platform is already embedded in the Council’s operating model and integrated with customer contact systems and other core software. Replacing it would require services to be redesigned, integrations to be rebuilt, staff to be retrained and a major transition to be managed, creating additional cost, disruption and delivery risk.

The recommended route is a direct award under the NHS SBS10521 Patient / Citizen Communication, Engagement & Hybrid Mail Solutions Framework. This is considered a lawful and proportionate route that supports service continuity and avoids the cost, disruption and implementation risk of a full procurement exercise fora platform on which the Council already relies.

Alternative routes and framework options were considered, but none was assessed as offering a more proportionate combination of compliance, operational fit, value for money and risk. The recommended route is therefore considered to provide the most appropriate basis for securing continuity of service and contractual compliance at this time.

Alternative options considered

Other digital workflow and case management systems were considered in principle. However, moving to a different platform would require substantial redevelopment of the Council’s existing online forms, workflows, integrations and service processes. This would involve significant cost and risk without sufficient additional benefit to justify a change at this stage.

Alternative procurement routes, including use of other available frameworks such as CCS G-Cloud 14 and CCS RM6285, were also reviewed. These were not preferred because they did not offer as strong a fit with the Council’s requirements, timing and existing delivery model, or a more proportionate route for this procurement.