Agenda item

The purpose of the report is for the Executive to consider a request for a realignment of staff resources in the IT Development Team to enable the required level of delivery of the Microsoft Sharepoint product which is being developed and implemented as Waverley’s principal corporate information management system and collaboration tool.

Recommendation

It is recommended to the Council that

1.         the proposed restructure of the IT Development Team be approved, as set out in the report, noting that the costs is contained within existing budgets; and

2.         the post of part-time sustainability officer be deleted from the establishment.

The Executive has agreed to RECOMMEND to the COUNCIL that

1.         the proposed restructure of the IT Development Team be approved, as set out in the report, noting that the costs is contained within existing budgets; and

2.         the post of part-time sustainability officer be deleted from the establishment.

[This item is recommended to the Council for decision and is not subject to the call-in procedure].

[Reason: to consider a realignment of staff resources to support the development of the Sharepoint product as the corporate information management system and collaboration tool].

[This item contains exempt information by virtue of which the public is likely to be excluded during the item to which the report relates, as specified in Paragraph 1 of the revised Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, namely:-

            Information relating to an individual]

169.1  The delivery of Microsoft Sharepoint solutions across Waverley to replace outdated applications and provide new solutions on a common structured platform which links seamlessly with the Council’s corporate office products – Word, Excel and Outlook - remains a key component in the Council’s IT Strategy. Adoption of the Microsoft product set has been part of the strategic direction for IT following the move away from the Lotus Notes system and Sharepoint is fundamental to achieving collaboration in teams and effective information management.

169.2  In the current year’s budget (2014/15), provision was included to provide a staff resource for a Sharepoint Project Manager post with the key responsibility for driving the change to Sharepoint across all services. However several attempts to recruit to this post, both through normal recruitment channels and via IT agencies, have failed to attract candidates of an appropriate calibre.

169.3  Approval is now sought for an alternative solution to providing the appropriate level of Sharepoint resource which largely seeks to capitalise and build on the strengths and talents already present within the IT Development Team, to both deliver the Sharepoint project as well as provide increased resilience and capacity within the IT Development Team.

169.4  The IT Development Officer (post number BA03) has recently reduced his part-time hours from 3 days per week to 2 days per week and it is proposed that the resultant saving be allocated towards the net cost of the staffing changes set out in this report.  The existing and proposed staffing structures of the IT Development Team are set out in (Exempt) Annexe 8.

169.5  The specific proposal is to utilise the skills and expertise of the existing post holder (BI12) to provide management responsibility for the project and the detailed technical knowledge of Sharepoint required (this additional responsibility is not expected to  affect the salary level of this post).  In support there would be a new post of Sharepoint Officer whose role would be to champion the introduction of Sharepoint, to explain the solution to users and to act as a conduit between the services and IT.  The qualities required in this new post are technical i.e. an understanding of Sharepoint and how it works, drive and determination, enthusiasm and a focus on project delivery.  The post of Sharepoint Project Manager which as set out above has not been filled would be deleted.

169.6  In addition a new Graduate Trainee - IT Development post is proposed to support the delivery and implementation of this project and to provide future resilience to the IT service generally.  Whilst these new posts are yet to be evaluated it is anticipated that the Sharepoint Officer post will be pay band 7 and the Graduate Trainee – IT Development post will be pay band 9. The scope of each job as outlined in the relevant job descriptions, will reflect that.

169.7  The net result of the proposed changes as set out in the table in (Exempt) Annexe 9 will result in a full year additional cost of approximately £6,500 with effect from 2016/17.  In 2015/16 because the appointment of the Graduate Trainee post will be part year only the cost can be contained within the existing budget for the IT Development team.  It is proposed that the additional full year cost of approximately £6,500 can be offset by transferring part of the saving that will arise from the proposed deletion of the post of part-time Sustainability Officer (currently vacant) which will achieve a total saving of £13,300 p.a. including on-cost. The Council will still have a full time sustainability officer who will continue to provide support to achieve the Council’s priorities in this area.

169.8  The effect on the IT Development Team staffing establishment will be a net increase in staff from 9.6 fte to 10.4 fte i.e. an increase on the establishment of 0.8 staff.  However, as set out above, this increase of 0.8 will be further offset by 0.5 fte as a result of the deletion of the part-time Sustainability Officer post (EB08), resulting in a net increase on the overall staffing establishment of 0.3 of a post.  

169.9  The Executive

RECOMMENDS that

73.       the proposed restructure of the IT Development Team be approved, as set out in the report, noting that the costs is contained within existing budgets; and

74.       the post of part-time sustainability officer be deleted from the establishment.

[Reason: to consider a realignment of staff resources to support the development of the Sharepoint product as the corporate information management system and collaboration tool].