The Finance & Resources Select Committee of Buckinghamshire Council met on Thursday 16 April 2026 to discuss the council's IT Strategy for 2025-2030 and review the work programme for the upcoming year. The committee approved the minutes from their previous meeting and considered the council's IT Strategy, which aims to leverage technology for improved service delivery and cost savings.

IT Strategy 2025-2030

The committee received and considered the council's IT Strategy for 2025-2030, which outlines how technology, digital tools, and data will be used to enhance services for residents and staff while addressing increasing demand and financial pressures. Councillor Robert Carington, Cabinet Member for Resources, introduced the report, highlighting the strategy's five key pillars: unified governance, architecture and delivery; harmonised and integrated applications; unified digital, data, analytics and AI; optimised infrastructure and operations; and foundational cybersecurity. He emphasised that the strategy represents a continuous improvement journey to enhance IT services at the council.

During the discussion, it was noted that the underlying projects within the strategy will extend beyond five years due to the ongoing nature of IT improvements. An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) programme is underway to review options for system replacement. All tier 1 applications have been consolidated, and the new strategy aims to maximise their capability and effectiveness, with the goal of optimising system usage, integrating data, harmonising work between systems, and reducing the number of applications over the next five years.

If additional project support capacity is required, it will be managed through the Corporate Improvement Team. Each pillar of the strategy includes a detailed roadmap for its underlying projects, which will run in parallel. The IT service operates on a project-led basis with an established project methodology and governance structure to support the strategy's delivery. The technical design team continuously evaluates new technologies, and project roadmaps will be reassessed quarterly to incorporate technological advancements and ensure the most appropriate contracts are secured for flexibility. A comprehensive risk management process is attached to each project, with IT risks managed daily and subject to deep-dive assessments by the risk management group. Each project has defined success criteria and key metrics. The financial aspects of the project were initially reviewed during budget scrutiny, with most savings identified in the third year of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP). The council draws on benchmarking and best practice advice from government departments and other local authorities.

The committee stressed the importance of regular scrutiny of the project's progress, suggesting six-monthly or yearly reviews, potentially including confidential sessions for detailed examination. It was also noted that the ERP programme is managed separately due to its scale, with an external body acting as a critical friend to provide feedback.

Work Programme

The committee also considered potential items for the next year's work programme. An update on the council's property and asset management approach is scheduled for the July meeting. Other proposed items include an update on legal services, information on business continuity, and regular updates on the IT Strategy. Members requested a focused deep dive or regular updates on the risks and accruing costs associated with the new IT Strategy to facilitate external scrutiny. It was suggested that six- or twelve-monthly reports should be provided to the Select Committee, offering project position statements on progress against targets, anticipated savings, and associated risks. Further information on spans and layers will be included in the People Plan update.

The date of the next meeting will be confirmed at the Annual Council meeting in May. The Chairman thanked the committee members and officers for their work throughout the council year.