Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 15th April, it had agreed, after considering a recommendation which promoted the standardisation of the IT equipment provided to Members, to defer the matter until after the election when a Working Group would be set up to consider the relevant issues.

            The Democratic Services Manager reported that, after consideration of the report, the Working Group had agreed to recommend the following package to the Committee:

·         Desktop PC

·         Monitor

or

·         Laptop

·         Monitor

·         Laptop docking station

·         Laptop case

·         Laptop lock

and

·         All-in-one printer, scanner and fax machine

·         500GB External hard drive

·         Blackberry (excluding line rental or cost of calls)

·         Digital camera (for those Members who do not require a Blackberry)

            Members would also be provided with cartridges and memory sticks when required.

            The Democratic Services Manager pointed out that the proposed package not only acknowledged the benefits of the equipment which was currently provided to Members but also considered best practice research.  As a result of that research and in considering how the Council’s methods of communication had evolved and improved, the Working Group had included a Blackberry as part of its recommendation.  The Blackberry would not only permit Members to communicate verbally, by text and e?mail, but it would also provide access to the internet as well as proving to be an effective tool in harnessing social media, a communication technique which was changing the way messages were relayed to many of the City’s key stakeholders through interactive dialogue.  Furthermore, in keeping with the initial report which had been considered by the Committee during April, the Working Group had agreed to recommend that the equipment should be provided on a rolling four year programme which meant that it would not be renewed until after the four year period.

            The Democratic Services Manager explained that, in accordance with the decision of the former Policy and Resources (Members) Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 14th March, 2005, the Working Group had recommended also a continuation of the policy whereby, at the end of its life cycle, Members were given the option to purchase the IT equipment which had been loaned to them and that the cost would be based on the age and quality of the computer equipment.  If IT equipment was purchased, all Council supplied licences, such as Microsoft Office, would be removed.  He stated that, although significant savings could be made through the standardisation of the package being offered, all of those savings would not result in reduced IT support for Members.  He assured the Members that the proposed package would not only allow for their roles and responsibilities as a locally elected representatives to be carried out effectively but that it would also permit Members to harness new, evolving and increasingly important methods of communication.  The total cost to the Council to provide the aforementioned IT package would be approximately £13,000 per year which would result in an annual saving of £12,000 per annum.

            Accordingly, he recommended that the Committee:

(i)      agree to the provision of the IT package as outlined to all Members on a rolling four year programme; and

(ii)     reaffirm the decision of the former Policy and Resources (Members) Sub?Committee of 14th March, 2005 and give the Members the option to purchase, at the end of its life cycle, the loaned equipment at a cost which would be based on its age and quality.

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.