Decision Maker: Joint Cabinet and Employment & General Committee
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Northgate Housing is the integrated housing
management system which provides estates, repairs, rents, arrears
and allocations functionality for Housing Services.
Northgate Housing is a business critical system which underpins the
Council’s housing management functions. The Council has used
the Northgate Housing system since 2000 and its processes and
procedures are well embedded and integral to current ways of
working. The current contract to provide support for the Northgate
Housing application is due for renewal at the end of March 2020.
However there are significant risks to business continuity which
will leave us with an unsupported system; from January 2020
The Assistant Director – Housing submitted a report seeking approval for the Northgate Housing Management System upgrade.
The Northgate Housing Management System had been the integrated system providing estates, repairs, rents, arrears and allocations functionality for Housing Services since 2000. The processes and procedures used had become embedded and integral to current ways of working.
The contract to provide support for the Northgate Housing System would be due for renewal at the end of March 2020 but there were risks to business continuity which would result in an unsupported system from January 2020.
The option to bring the Northgate Housing System upgrade forward in the ICT improvement programme would mitigate the risk of systems failure. A requirement for additional staffing resources in the ICT Improvement Programme Team had been recognised to ensure delivery.
The capital costs to deliver the transformational programme would be met from within the current Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital programme. The additional revenue costs would be met from the HRA working balance.
A comprehensive information assurance risk assessment had been undertaken.
*RESOLVED –
1. That the Northgate Housing Management System upgrade to Software as a Service be agreed.
2. That the three year transformation programme to drive change and ensure systems and working practices are fit for the future be implemented.
3. That the additional revenue costs identified in section 5 of the officer’s report be funded from the HRA working balance.
4. That the proposal to establish the two year fixed term posts of Project Manager, Business Analyst and Project Officer in the ICT Transformation Programme Team be approved.
5. That the proposal to establish the two year fixed term post of Programme Manager using resources from an existing established full-time equivalent Project Manager post plus additional identified budget, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the officer’s report, be approved.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
To ensure that the housing management system is fit for purpose and supports the delivery of a customer focussed housing service.
Reason Key: Decision to spend £100,000 or more from an approved budget;
Wards Affected: (All Wards);
Contact: Liz Cook, Service Director - Housing Email: liz.cook@chesterfield.gov.uk.
Report author: Liz Cook
Publication date: 10/09/2019
Date of decision: 10/09/2019
Decided at meeting: 10/09/2019 - Joint Cabinet and Employment & General Committee
Effective from: 16/09/2019
Accompanying Documents: