Council plans to introduce a new Information Technology (IT) strategy are approaching nearly a year's delay, while many IT projects have not got off the ground due to a lack of project managers, it has been claimed. And the delays are hampering the services the council provides to the public, according to Labour's spokesperson for corporate services, Coun. Julie Gunnell. She said:

"Plans first got underway in the middle of 2007 to get an IT strategy implemented for the 5 years 2007-2012, so the council could set its objectives in terms of IT investment. How this investment is made is critical to the council providing the best possible services to the public, and in enabling its employees to ensure the authority operates efficiently.

"The IT strategy is now due to be considered as we head into 2009 - in December - missing what appears to be 2 years off the strategy altogether. There will be possible further implications to the strategy with the how the new HQ develops".
Although there has been some success in the delivery of some IT projects, others have been reprioritised, deferred or even cancelled. Other areas of IT development which are urgently needed, such as new integrated HR and payroll systems could be delayed as a consequence.

Coun. Julie Gunnell said:

"It seems that that the volume of IT projects has been over-ambitious without due consideration for how the proposed projects are actually going to be delivered and implemented within the original proposed timescales. Inevitably this creates added pressure within the Information Technology and Telecommunications (IT&T) service plan area of the council".