Agenda and minutes

To receive Declarations of Interest from Members on items included in this agenda

Resolved:-      There were no Declarations of Interest stated

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting of this Panel held on 18 December, 2013

Resolved:-               That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 December , 2012 be agreed as a correct record.

To receive a verbal update from the ICT Operations and Development Manager

ICT Training

Members received a presentation from the ICT Operations and Development Manager on the current position with Members ICT.

Members would be offered flexible training opportunities at a variety of levels, with all programmes being available online.  Everyone who registered for the training would get their own unique code.

Paperless Member

The Members ICT Protocol had been agreed by the Cabinet in October, 2011 which included a number of services such as secure remote email access.   This was aiming towards not requiring the use of a courier in future to deliver Members’ mail.  Members also thought that the use of the large screen in the chamber to display the agenda items would be a step forward.

A recent survey of Members, asking what they most used ICT for, received an over fifty percent response.  It was clear that Members wanted an online service in the future.  There were two possible options here, the first, to offer an allowance to Members to provide their own IT equipment or for the Council to purchase tablets for Members to use throughout their term of office.  It was agreed that a small number of Members should trial them for a small period.

Members were given a demonstration on the ipad and its capabilities.

Resolved:-              (i)         That the information be received.

(ii)               That this Committee prepare a paper for Cabinet

requesting that ten ipads be purchased and

piloted.  This Committee would then decide the ten Members to road-test the devices and have them report back

Members considered a report updating them on issues relating to Member Development.

With regard to the relocation of the Members’ mail, a meeting was still to be set up with the Chair, Group Leaders and the Council’s Customer and ICT Business Manager

Representations on Outside Bodies were discussed with a view to the Member reporting back to Full Council on the activities of the Group.  The Council’s Member Training and Development Officer would provide the Committee with a list of the Outside Bodies at the next meeting prior to a request to the Cabinet to agree the reporting back of an organisation’s activities.

Chairs Best Practice had been discussed at a previous meeting and it was agreed to action this in the near future.

Members felt that the number of training days allocated throughout the year could stop meetings from being set up and the date not being used for any purpose if no training went ahead.  It was felt to be better practice if training days which had no actual training booked were set up as and when needed.  A suggestion was made to hold training sessions before Full Council in order to potentially capture a bigger audience.

Resolved:-                  (i)         That the information be received.

(ii)               That a meeting be set up with the Council’s Customer ICT and Business Manager to discuss the relocation of the Members mail

(iii)             That a list of the Outside Bodies be brought to the next meeting of this Committee.

(iv)              That unallocated training days be removed from the Council’s Calendar of Meetings and allocated as and when required.

Consideration was given to a report updating them on the uptake of training by Members throughout the year. 

At the end of the current Municipal Year, Members would receive a list of the training which they had undertaken.

Resolved:-               (i)         That the information be received and the

comments noted

To consider any business which is urgent within the meaning of Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972