Regional Council’s information management services providing good value

Environment Bay of Plenty is receiving a full set of Information Management Services which are being delivered at an appropriate cost, according to a report presented to the Regional Council’s Finance and Governance Committee last week (SUBS: Thursday 17 June).

Finance and Governance Chairman Ian Noble said the report showed that the organisation was receiving a good value service from its internal Information Management Services.

“This report shows there could be opportunities to improve the value of IT services through sharing services with local authorities in the region through BoPLASS (Bay of Plenty Local Authorities Shared Services),” Mr Noble said. “That strategic alignment in BoPLASS is endorsed as a good direction to improve cost cutting and regional efficiencies for all partner councils.”

Miles McConway, Environment Bay of Plenty’s Group Manager Technology, said the review highlighted that the council was already moving in the correct direction as it had already begun introducing one of the recommended actions.

“We’re currently in the early stages of implementing an Information Technology Infrastructure Library Programme (ITIL) in the organisation, which will provide best practice in service management to improve support, reduce problems and reduce cost,” Mr McConway said. “Other findings which we will be looking into include a Council Regional Telephony Platform through BoPLASS as a basis to negotiate lower cost telephony services, shared desktop and hosting services and co-sourcing Geographic Information Services with other local authorities”

The review has also identified specific options to improve the efficiency of Information Technology services and extend the value of Information Services to further increase the council’s confidence in its Information Management Services, many of which are in the council’s Information Management Strategy.

ENDS

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