Issue - meetings

(To receive a report from the Executive Director for Environment and Economy, which sets out the options for securing continued access to the Public Sector Network and seeks approval to secure such access through an extension to the existing contractual arrangements procured and delivered through the East Midland Public Sector Network companies, as explained in the report)

(1)  That approval be given to the Council continuing to secure access to the Public Sector Network through a continuation of the existing arrangements delivered by KCom secured by an extension of the existing Infrastructure Agreement between KCom and EMPSN Infrastructure Limited to 31 October 2022.

(2)  That the Executive Director of Environment and Economy be delegated authority, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Highways Transport and IT, to the taking of all steps and the approval of all documentation necessary on the part of the Council to give effect to the above decision.

Consideration was given to a report from the Executive Director of Environment and Economy, which set out the options for securing continued access to the Public Sector Network and sought approval to secure such access through an extension to the existing contractual arrangements produced and delivered through the East Midlands Public Sector Network companies, as detailed in the report.

John Wickens (Chief Digital Officer) presented the report to the Executive and in doing so, advised that the existing arrangements for accessing the Public Sector Network through the EMPSN regional arrangements were considered to work well and represented value for money for both the County Council and schools.  Under those circumstances, the continuation of those arrangements through the existing right to extend would secure an element of the Council's IT infrastructure, which was stable and reliable whilst other issues concerning existing performance and future development of those services were addressed. 

An extension of three years would also allow the County Council to assess future options for securing network services, especially in the areas of health and social care.

In response to a question, the Chief Legal Officer advised that from a legal point of view he was content with what the report proposed.

The Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board advised that the report was considered by the Board at its meeting on 28 June 2018.  The Board agreed that the current arrangements had offered good value for money and the proposals included in the report were a good outcome.  The comments of the Board were tabled at the meeting.

RESOLVED

(1)  That approval be given to the Council continuing to secure access to the Public Sector Network through a continuation of the existing arrangements delivered by KCom secured by an extension of the existing Infrastructure Agreement between KCom and EMPSN Infrastructure Limited to 31 October 2022.

(2)  That the Executive Director of Environment and Economy be delegated authority, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Highways Transport and IT, to the taking of all steps and the approval of all documentation necessary on the part of the Council to give effect to the above decision.