The project issues
Aylesbury Vale District Council’s (AVDC) Business Transformation Board was engaged in three major streams of activity including a review of its Customer Service Centre, developing self-service delivery, and efficiency savings through process redesign. As part of the Efficiency stream, the Council wanted to develop and implement an Information Management Strategy (IMS) which would include:

• document handling in the proposed new offices including a model of the benefits of corporate DIP and how to measure/realise them
• mobile working
• increasing efficiency (creating information once and re-using it many times)
• email usage and archiving
• developing the Intranet as the information source of choice for staff and members

The Socitm Consulting solution
In association with members of the IT Unit, Socitm Consulting analysed the current position through a combination of desk-based research and interviews. These were followed by a workshop involving senior managers, the Leader of the Council, and key users. During the workshop AVDC carried out a self-assessment exercise and later prioritised the key issues emerging from it. A draft report was produced and adopted by AVDC. As well as making a number of recommendations about operational changes to the way information is managed, the report also identified four key strategic issues:

• new governance arrangements to replace the existing fragmented ones in order to ensure that information is used to manage risk, security, and compliance issues properly
• ensuring that information management is given prominence during the proposed reviews by the Business Transformation Group of the Council’s approach to new offices, the Customer Service Centre, the joining-up of front and back office, rationalisation of call centres, and process improvement
• developing a business case for the further deployment of DIP with a view to reducing the ‘footprint’ of new office space and to deliver further efficiencies
• re-affirming the internet as a strategic customer channel and as a method of increasing self-service thereby reducing costs.

The report was then widely reviewed by various stakeholders before being presented to the Business Transformation Board where it was actively supported by the Chief Executive and the Leader.

The benefits to the client
The project:

• raised awareness of the value and importance of good information management and buy-in from senior management
• consolidated existing thinking around document and records management, internet content and Freedom of Information issues
• identified links/conflicts with existing projects
• identified the benefits of, and an outline prioritised business case for, any further investment in information management systems and services
• provided a high-level information/technology architecture map
• provided a roadmap for discussion and future planning
  included a skills transfer to key AVDC staff on the subject of Information Management

Project identification
Client organisation: Aylesbury Vale District Council
Client contact: Amanda Beckett, Business Project Manager, 01296 585478, abeckett@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk 
Lead consultant: niall.perry@socitm.gov.uk
Project no: 5922