Index
Peter Bole, Kent County Council
Jos Creese, Hampshire County Council
Glyn Evans, Birmingham City Council
Helen Finnimore, Teesdale District Council
Vic Freir, Somerset County Council
Steve Hopson, Cheshire County Council
Jane Jack, Warwick District Council
Mick Phythian, Ryedale District Council
Tim Rainey, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
Nicola Ratcliffe, Kennet District Council
Dylan Roberts, Leeds City Council
Steve Sankey, Nottinghamshire County Council
Richard Steel, London Borough of Newham
Angela Waite, Canterbury City Council
Steve Williams, Sunderland City Council

Peter Bole, Kent County Council

'Delivery of efficiency and transformation agendas requires a far greater level of coordination and cooperation between local authorities and with central government, than has previously been achieved. The LG CIO Council provides an opportunity to consolidate views across local authorities and to support two way communications with the national CIO and Delivery Councils.

To increase the pace of transformation and the quality of public service, there is a requirement for better alignment between policy and delivery, without regard to departmental or organisational boundaries. The difficulties of achieving this from within 'silos' is self evident and forums such as the LG CIO Council with the potential to challenge conflicting statute; cultural inertia; lack of  common infrastructure; and agendas that fail to put the service user first, will be a critical part of the process.

In contributing towards the setting and delivery of shared objectives, there must be a formal commitment, most readily reflected in a stated number of days per annum, to progress the work of the group.

• This must include for all participants an obligation to both capture and disseminate information across as many local authorities as possible, either through existing interactions or establishing dedicated groups for this purpose.
• Improving the local government contribution to the initiatives arising from the national councils would be an area of priority, given the poor levels of local government representation at present.
• Where identified as a priority for local government, take the lead or participate in projects in support of the delivery of transformational government on behalf of the CIO and/or LG CIO Council.

My specific areas of interest are:

• Relationship between service delivery and ICT, i.e. ensuring robust and well defined links between Delivery and ICT Councils.
• Public service partnership and opportunities to progress shared delivery.
• Supplier management and opportunities for developing new and innovative methods of engaging with the private sector.
• Strategic direction for the delivery of a consolidated (not to be confused with centralised) ICT solution for public service. '

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Jos Creese, Hampshire County Council

'Local Government is a major and critical part of public service delivery. The potential for local government to 'transform through technology' and to support Central government in implementing the national 'transformational government' strategy is huge.

I see the role of the national local government CIO Council being fundamentally about three things:

• Encouraging a consistency in transforming public services at a local level
• Supporting and influencing national strategy and policy
• Stimulating innovation and supporting SOCITM in its work to celebrate 'best practice' and professionalism.'

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Glyn Evans, Birmingham City Council

I am hoping that the Local Government CIO Council will provide a link between the wider local government community and both the CIO Council and the Local Government Delivery Council. This will facilitate a much more collaborative approach but also an element of challenge to the transformational government agenda.

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Helen Finnimore, Teesdale District Council

As Director of Customer Services within a district council,  my vision for the LG CIO Council would be to influence policy to enable the major culture and business change programmes to place customers at the centre of all service delivery. 

I would hope that my role within the Council will be to bring forward practical issues facing rural service delivery and to work with colleagues to ensure that central government policy and local government delivery will lead to successful service transformation and the innovative use of technology across the many different types of organisations.  My contribution will be to fully engage in appropriate activities determined through the agreed work programme.

My particular areas of interest are business change, stimulating innovation and working in partnership with customers and the voluntary and community services to improve service delivery.

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Vic Freir, Somerset County Council

‘Local Government now has a huge opportunity to embrace the change agenda and bring forward innovative business and technical solutions that will revolutionise the services we provide. We can only do this by working together and the emerging LG CIO Council gives us a platform to explore these ideas, promote genuine centres of excellence and give clear leadership to the LG community.
 
Shared services are key to the local government future and these new business models are of particular interest and I believe provide a significant opportunity for generating economies of scale as well as service improvement.’

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Steve Hopson, Cheshire County Council

'I see the role as providing a conduit between Local and National government and ensuring that there is alignment of ICT strategy and delivery between Local and central government. Co-ordination of a common set of initiatives at a strategic level will enable all levels of government to collectively deliver key public service objectives which would otherwise be unattainable, too challenging or unaffordable at a local level'.

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Jane Jack, Warwick District Council

I am hoping the Local Government CIO Council will give further support to the CIO Council in influencing the Government in existing and future policies.

As a representative of a District Council with extensive Local Government and ICT experience I intend to provide a District Council view.  Although the majority of councils are districts they do not always get a fair representation.

I am particularly interested in the shared services agenda and whether it can really deliver any benefits.

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Mick Phythian, Ryedale District Council

'The LG CIO Council provides an opportunity for those delivering and supporting the foundation stones (information and communications technologies) of the 'Transformation Agenda' at a local representative level to develop and put forward a national consensus view of the key issues for communicating to those other bodies and persons steering the course of the agenda.

A frequently under-represented area of government is those providing service in sparsely populated and rural areas. Those working in them can have different issues relating to digital inclusion, customer service and shared services from the highly-urbanized approach frequently adopted centrally. I would like to see mechanisms in place for ensuring that these are recognized and accounted for.'

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Tim Rainey, Tameside MBC

I hope this group helps to better coordinate and disseminate information relating to all areas of the transformation agenda and help the various reps on the central groups better able to represent the wider LA community.

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Nicola Ratcliffe, Kennet DC

The LG CIO Council is a key part of the wider jigsaw, that has been missing to date. To me it provides a channel between local government and central government and across the wider public sector, to enable each to gain an
understanding of the challenges and issues of the other.  It will provide a focal point for the groups that are already working and a way of joining up what each is doing and building on it. It will also enable a sharing of the good work and experiences happening in local government so that we can learn from each other and prevent re-inventing wheels.  My main interests in this group are in progressing the IT profession and building the relationships with the business to transform the way that local government works.

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Dylan Roberts, Leeds CC

Local Government takes up over 50% of all IT Professionals in Government, we have delivered a lot of successes, have a great track record and we have the infrastructure in place to be the true multichannel front office for government. Therefore we should have a bigger voice in the influencing of "national policy" around transformation.

My areas of interest are development of the holistic strategy and associated targets for delivery, enterprise architecture for government, IT professionalism (widening the scope of it) and leadership of local government.

Although we must always have the overall vision in mind, we must also be mindful of delivering results on the way. Therefore, we must be pragmatic in that regard with the work we choose to take on.

Also very interested in the IT skills shortage in its widest sense (sustainability of government IT and UK plc IT) and contributing to sorting the skills issue in the UK (may not be in scope)

To sum up the LG CIO Council (for me) should deliver the following:-

1. Influence (Stronger Voice) the National Agenda - Local Government is more than half of Government IT and has a successful record of successful project delivery
2. Take a pragmatic approach to choose and deliver something of value from the various agendas - Green, Professionalism, Government Enterprise Architecture etc.
3. Provide a better communication and consultation link back to the Local Government community of 400+ Local Authorities

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Steve Sankey, Nottinghamshire County Council

My vision is “understand the drivers and the delivery is improved.

I am interested in improving the total citizen experience. This can not be achieved without alignment of objectives between central government departments and local authorities.

I see the LG CIO council as a communications link between the different organisations with the aim of harmonising where we can, and understanding the differences where we can't.

I am interested in programme management, and client relationship management and client relationship management as a vehicle for improved customer delivery".

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Richard Steel, LB Newham

'Socitm (The Society of IT Management) has embarked upon a fundamental review of its organisation and services. At its heart is a desire to complete its transition from a Local Government IT Managers Society to one which both embraces all who work in Public Sector ICT and nurtures and supports public sector ICT professionalism.'

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Angela Waite, Canterbury City Council

'I would hope to contribute to future initiatives or requirements giving a district council perspective. Also to help develop the partnership aspects of shared service delivery. My role as Head of Customer services means I can focus on the use of technology to delver the benefits to the customer. '

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Steve Williams, Sunderland City Council

My position is rather unusual, in that I am leaving my post as Head of ICT at Sunderland City Council at the end of May. I will be taking up the role of Director of Information Systems and Services at Newcastle University. Therefore, I hope to build on the contacts with peers in local government, and the emerging CIO council representations, to further the collaborative work between local government and higher education. Collaboration, after all, is high on the agendas for both - councils talk of lifelong learning for citizens, while universities are expanding into community, 'anywhere' learning. It's an exciting time!

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