The project issues
As a result of the re-alignment of senior management responsibilities at RBKC, bilateral discussions had taken place between business groups about the arrangement of a number of services in the new business groups. These revealed significant differences in the local provision of Information Systems services within the existing groups.

At the same time the Royal Borough Review of Information Systems had put forward a number of recommendations regarding the services and roles provided by ISD and those provided by business group-based teams.

Socitm Consulting was commissioned to review support services in the light of the Royal Borough Review (RBR) and organisational realignment.

The Socitm Consulting solution
The purpose of the review was to establish the organisational structures and processes required by business groups to ensure that ICT provision supports business groups' objectives effectively; specifying the processes, roles, resources, and services required, and defining the relationship and responsibilities between the business group and ISD.

The review of Local (or Devolved) Information Systems teams considered the roles, processes, and services required by the Business Groups to support the Council’s use of information and communications technologies.

The review established a set of principles that describe the approach to the provision of business groups’ ICT. Whereas these principles are consistent across the Council’s business groups, their application may vary according to the prevailing circumstances.

The benefits to the client
This review was a necessary adjunct to the Royal Borough Review and effectively provided suggestions to cover the whole ICT service. Many of the recommended improvements within the RBR have continuance in this review and require support across the whole ICT service in order to be implemented successfully.

The concept of an integrated support service is challenging within the culture of the authority, but with appropriate goodwill, diligence and determination, the ICT support service can initiate and sustain transformation within the authority.

Project identification
Client organisation: London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Client contact: David Tidey, Head of IT, 0207 361 2042, david.tidey@rbkc.gov.uk
Lead consultant: peter.o-neill@socitm.gov.uk
Project No. 5715