The Mayor's Executive Decision Making committee was scheduled to consider a proposal to consolidate seven existing IT services contracts with Civica into a single overarching agreement. This consolidation aims to reduce costs, limit future price increases, and secure preferential rates for consultancy and project management. The meeting was also set to discuss the implications of this contract for various council services and its alignment with the council's strategic plan.

Consolidated Civica Applications Contract

The committee was scheduled to discuss a proposal to award a consolidated contract for IT services with Civica, a key supplier involved in delivering and supporting many statutory council functions. This new agreement would combine seven existing contracts into one, with the aim of reducing costs and limiting future price increases. The report indicated that replacing these applications would be costly and time-consuming, potentially disrupting services.

The proposed contract would allow the council to benefit from initial investments, maintain service continuity, and avoid the costs associated with changing systems. It also provides an opportunity to explore alternative market options during the contract's lifecycle without impacting current service delivery. The council would have the option to exit from any or all of the applications after three years by providing a termination notice.

The report recommended awarding this consolidated contract and delegating authority to the Corporate Director for Resources to finalise the agreement. The decision was considered a key decision due to a deadline of 14 March 2024 for signing the contract, after which the council could lose access to critical applications.

The applications covered by this consolidated contract include:

• ModGov: Used for preparing and publishing council agendas, reports, and minutes, as well as managing registers of interest, election results, and petitions. This involves an upgrade to a new Civica-hosted version called Hub.
• OpenRevenues: Administers and bills National Non-Domestic Rates to approximately 16,000 businesses and Council Tax to around 145,000 properties. This is a statutory duty and a significant income stream for the council.
• iCasework: A workflow system used across the council to manage Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, corporate complaints, and Members' Enquiries.
• Digital 360 (Comino): A document and workflow management system used by housing and benefits services, requiring an upgrade to a cloud-based solution for service continuity.
• Property Management (TecForge): Used by the council's property asset management service to store data critical for managing statutory requirements and regulatory compliance.
• Arbitas (Novalet): Used to advertise homes for lettings through the council's choice-based lettings scheme, enabling the council to fulfil its statutory duty to accommodate the homeless and adhere to its Common Housing Register Allocations Policy.
• Xpress: Used by the Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer to conduct elections and compile the electoral register.

The report highlighted that without these maintenance contracts, the council would be exposed to potential security threats and data breaches. It also noted that for proprietary software, there is no competitive process for support and maintenance, and without it, the council would not receive vital software updates and enhancements.

The Chief Finance Officer commented that over the life of the combined contract, there is an anticipated cost reduction of at least £835,000 compared to individual contracts. An upfront cost of £487,000 for licenses and upgrades would need to be funded from capital or reserves, with the annual cost contained within the service budget. Legal Services indicated that the projected cost reduction appeared to justify the proposed action and meet best value requirements.

The report stated that there were no equalities implications arising from this proposal. However, it noted that the inability to use these IT applications would put a range of services at risk, including Council Tax, Business Rates, Housing, Freedom of Information, and Elections, potentially leading to the council failing to deliver its statutory duties and putting vulnerable residents at risk.