Purpose

Approval to procure a new single housing system to replace four legacy systems 

Decision

RESOLVED

KEY DECISION

That the Executive:

a)            Approved the commencement of the procurement process to purchase and implement a Housing and Property case management system, to replace existing legacy siloed case management systems.

b)            Delegated authority to the Executive Director for Adults, Health Partnerships and Housing, in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing to undertake any further decisions and actions required to conclude this procurement, implement the case management system, and deliver this project.

Reasons for Recommendations –

•                Ensure Compliance with Contract Procedure Rules for the procurement of Goods and Services over the £500,000 threshold which are considered a Council Key Decision.

•                Contribute to the Local Government Association (LGA) requirement to harmonise the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and in accordance with new Customer Standards, decreasing the risk of regulatory intervention from the Regulator of Social Housing.

•                Presentation of a unified view of North Northamptonshire Tenants and their Properties, resolving legacy operational challenges, customer service and improving reporting analytics and abilities.

•                Leveraging technological advancement available in modern systems, including the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence, to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.

•                Provision of access to services digitally through the use of a Resident Portal creating new self-service functionality.

•                Reduction in longer term technological debt by reducing the number of systems to maintain, support and integrate.

Alternative Options Considered – Three alternative options were considered and not recommended:

Option 2– Do nothing (not recommended) - continue to operate the existing housing systems. This option was not viable as the systems do not provide a single view of residents or properties and increase the risk of regulatory noncompliance.

Option 3 - Expand use of existing systems and contracts (not recommended) -  extend or further configure current systems. This option was not viable due to the inherent limitations of the systems’ siloed functionality. In addition, all available contract extensions have been exhausted, meaning a compliant procurement would still be required.

Option 4 - Procure a dedicated housing-based product (not recommended): This option was not viable because these systems take longer to deliver, are less flexible, and are difficult to link with other Council systems.