The Buckinghamshire Council Finance & Resources Select Committee was scheduled to consider the council's IT Strategy for 2025-2030 and review its work programme for the upcoming council year. The meeting also included a slot for public questions.

IT Strategy 2025-2030

The committee was scheduled to receive and consider the council's IT Strategy for 2025-2030. This strategy outlines how technology, digital tools, and data will be used to improve services for residents and staff, while addressing increasing demand and financial pressures. The strategy aims to position IT as a key enabler for service transformation, efficiency, and innovation, with the objective of achieving measurable savings and improved organisational outcomes.

The strategy targets significant cost savings of £1.77 million by 2029, as outlined in the council's Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP). It is built around five strategic pillars:

• Unified governance, architecture and delivery: Ensuring all IT activities deliver value and are aligned with business strategy through a single, transparent governance model.
• Harmonised and integrated applications: Consolidating to a simpler core set of applications using a buy not build approach to improve user experience and efficiency.
• Unified digital, data, analytics and AI: Integrating data silos, improving data quality, automating reporting, and making data-driven decision-making standard across the organisation.
• Optimised infrastructure and operations: Transforming complex infrastructure into a simple, secure, and resilient technology foundation, adopting a 'cloud-first' policy.
• Foundational cybersecurity: Protecting data, systems, and users from evolving cyber threats through a proactive, multi-layered security strategy.

The strategy includes a five-year ambition to modernise operations by leveraging applications, data, automation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help staff work more efficiently. Key projects include replacing the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, developing a single data platform, simplifying and securing infrastructure, and strengthening cybersecurity. The strategy also sets out technology principles such as buy not build, cloud-first infrastructure, and using data platforms for analytics and AI.

The anticipated benefits include optimised resource use, cost efficiencies, an improved employee experience, more effective performance metrics, higher data quality, a harmonised technology landscape, and strengthened cyber security. Measures of success include achieving £1.77 million in estimated savings by 2029, high staff satisfaction scores, and improved cyber threat protection.

Work Programme

The committee was also scheduled to review its work programme for the 2025-26 council year and consider items for the next council year. The work programme document indicates that the Capital Assets item is expected to be discussed early in the next council year. The indicative items for the 2026-2027 work programme include budget monitoring, performance monitoring, people plan updates, and budget scrutiny inquiries.

Public Questions

The agenda also allocated time for public questions. This provides an opportunity for residents, workers, or students in Buckinghamshire to ask questions of the Select Committee, with responses expected from the Cabinet Member, relevant key partners, and responsible officers.