The Value for Money and Innovation Policy and Scrutiny Committee met to scrutinise the Council's Fit for the Future programme, digital updates, and receive an update from the Cabinet Member for Value for Money and Finance. The committee approved the minutes of previous meetings and discussed the work programme, requesting an updated timeline for reviewing the Capital Review Group's role.

Fit for the Future Programme and Digital Update

The committee extensively discussed the Fit for the Future programme, a comprehensive transformation initiative aimed at addressing significant financial pressures and improving service delivery. Councillor Mark Shearer, Cabinet Member for Innovation, introduced the programme, which is structured around three workstreams: Strengthening Westminster, Optimising Westminster, and Reimagining Westminster, all underpinned by a Digital and Innovation workstream.

Tamara Jarvis, Chief Operating Officer, and Manisha Patel, Director of Strategic Change, provided further detail on the programme's aims to create a simpler, more productive, and financially sustainable Council. They highlighted that the programme seeks to deliver savings while improving services and resident outcomes. The committee expressed a desire for regular updates on the programme's progress, including data as it becomes available, to enable effective scrutiny of prioritisation.

Questions were raised about the potential influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on customer relations and complaint volumes, as well as liability concerning private data inputted into AI systems. The committee also sought clarity on the governance arrangements for the programme, including the existence of an AI assurance board and whether members sat on it. Concerns were voiced about the proof of deliverability for the promised savings, particularly in comparison to previous efforts in adult social care.

The committee also explored the Optimising Westminster workstream, focusing on commercial property and asset reviews. Questions were raised about whether the Council was seeking professional external advice for these reviews and the nature of that advice. The committee also discussed the Report It digital service, with members highlighting resident difficulties in identifying correct reporting categories and the absence of a clear route for reporting street-based anti-social behaviour. They suggested improvements to make the service more user-centred, including an intelligent front door and stronger promotion.

Further discussion centred on the overhaul of procurement and contract management, with questions about centralising contract management due to disparities between directorates and varying contract performance. The committee also inquired about how functions and workstreams would be strengthened, merged, or reorganised to improve inter-departmental collaboration.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Value for Money and Finance

Councillor Paul Fisher, Cabinet Member for Value for Money and Finance, provided an update on the Council's financial situation, noting the closure of the budget survey with over 11,000 responses. He thanked residents, councillors, and officers for their contributions.

The committee sought clarification on how participants in the budget survey would be informed of the findings and how their views would influence budget-setting. Questions were also raised about how agreed savings would be tracked and reported to residents, the cost of running the consultation, and whether savings targets for individual departments were known.

Members expressed concern about the cumulative impact of service cuts, asking if the Council acquired data on second-order effects, including indirect impacts on family members and vulnerable groups, and how these would be considered through equality impact assessments.

The committee also discussed the decision to extend commercial card recharges, inquiring about the Cabinet Member's approach to managing these recharges, especially in light of the upcoming annual review of fees and charges. Regarding the Mandela Way electrification project, questions were asked about the assessment of alternative options and proposed changes to risk assessment, early site investigation, contingency planning, and contract management for comparable projects.

The major contract review was also a topic of discussion, with inquiries about managing changes to contracts requiring different skillsets and the allocation of responsibility. The governance arrangements for bodies like the Value for Money Panel and its relationship with the Property Investment Panel were also explored. Finally, the committee asked for early evidence on the use and benefit of the transparency hub to residents, including analytics and whether KPIs could be linked to the administration's manifesto commitments.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for the remainder of the municipal year. Members noted that the Responsible Procurement Strategy refresh and the developing Value for Money Panel were scheduled for consideration at the November meeting. They suggested Fit for the Future as an item for ongoing monitoring and requested that the work programme remain flexible regarding timelines and specific figures related to the programme.

A point of clarification was sought regarding the Capital Review Group recommendation, specifically why its implementation would not occur until April 2027, the next year's review cycle, and whether it could be brought forward. The committee requested an updated timeline for reviewing the Capital Review Group's role, including consideration of independent involvement, before its next meeting.

Digital Security and IT Infrastructure

Councillor Mark Shearer, Cabinet Member for Innovation, addressed questions regarding the planned separation of IT infrastructure shared with other local authorities, including the associated timeline and how competing demands from the Fit for the Future programme would be managed. The committee also inquired about data storage approaches, comparing on-premises and cloud storage with other authorities.

Concerns were raised about digital security, specifically whether all Westminster user logins utilised multi-factor authentication (MFA) as opposed to single sign-on (SSO), and the implications for access restrictions for those without MFA. Questions were also posed about privileged access to information and virtual private network (VPN) security, as well as the review of the time between two-factor authentication prompts.

Regarding data protection, the committee asked about the number of individuals who provided sensitive information during a recent phishing exercise and whether further such exercises would be conducted. The timetable for introducing CRM functionality for member enquiries, complaints, Freedom of Information requests, and Subject Access Requests was also discussed, along with consideration for a case management system for councillors.

The committee also requested an update on AI and digital security in the next Cabinet Member update for further scrutiny.