Digital Transformation Strategy 2021 - 2024

Our vision for Carmarthenshire

“A Digitally enabled Carmarthenshire”

To achieve this bold vision we must: 

• Provide transactional services and information online in a user-friendly and inclusive way.
• Facilitate and underpin community and business involvement in everything that we do.
• Change the way traditional face-to-face services are delivered, enabling more effective and efficient services for our residents.
• Develop and enhance our digital workforce, ensuring agile and mobile working practices using the most appropriate technologies to support service delivery.
• Work towards ensuring a fast, reliable digital connectivity for all our Citizens and Communities.
• Support businesses to compete in the digital economy via first class mobile and broadband connectivity.
• Enhance the use technology to collaborate with partners seamlessly, including effective sharing and use of data.
• Develop efficient digital services through innovation.
• Analyse data and business intelligence to ensure evidence based strategic decision making.

What is a Digital Transformation Strategy?

Our 1st Digital Transformation Strategy 2017-2020 set out the Council’s strategic digital priorities and aspirations and ensured that when the Covid19 pandemic struck, we as an authority were in a very strong position. This Digital Transformation Strategy 2021-2024 builds on the progress made over the last four years as we outline what we plan to do inorder to achieve our vision for a Digital Carmarthenshire. Our reliance on technology throughout the pandemic to deliver critical frontline services demonstrated how pervasive digital technology is across all sectors and fully integrated in many aspects of our lives. Carmarthenshire County Council needs an innovative, exciting Digital Transformation Strategy because digital technology has the proven potential to transform the County and the lives of residents while generating longterm savings for the council.

The Council through the Transformation Innovation and Change (TIC) team continue to drive forward transformational service change projects. The Digital Transformation Steering Group has been realigned to prioritise and monitor delivery of the key projects identified within this strategy and all relevant work streams established now reports to this steering group. To fully realise the benefits that digital technology can deliver and ensure Council services are financially sustainable into the future we will continue to increase the scope and, in some areas, the pace of our work around digital technology.

Digital transformation, challenges and improves how things are done today. Carmarthenshire County Council will continue to embrace change, and this will be achieved with greater use of digital technology and social media channels, building upon the significant progress made in these areas over the past 4 years.

We recognise that schools have extraordinary ICT needs, and to provide greater focus, a revised Digital Schools Strategy will be developed and aligned to Welsh Governments Digital Competence Framework, Education Digital Standards and the new HWB Grant. This will reflect the new ways working identified through the pandemic and the need to enhance the blended learning model in education.

Building the Digital Foundations in Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire is the third largest county in Wales covering some 2,365 square kilometres. Carmarthenshire is a county of contrasts. The agricultural economy and landscape of rural Carmarthenshire is side by side with the urban and industrial south-eastern area. The county is developing into a modern economy that includes light engineering, new technological and service industries with other business enterprises.

Swansea Bay City Deal

The Swansea Bay City Deal’s proposal aims to help put the region at the forefront of the digital age in a post Covid19 world, focusing on developing Next Generation digital infrastructure including improvements to expand the provision of fixed ultrafast Gigabit capable broadband, 4G/5G and Wi-Fi capabilities to benefit both rural and urban areas of the region. An enhanced digital infrastructure will enable the region to innovate, trial and globally commercialise smart internet-based solutions that will transform the economy in areas such as energy, manufacturing and life sciences. This will effectively support large-scale home working, improve access to jobs, raise productivity levels within the local economy, help address local congestion issues as well as support mainstream delivery improvements / innovations. This inward investment will help to improve digital connectivity in the rural areas of the County.

• As part of the Swansea Bay City Deal Carmarthenshire County Council will lead on three major Programmes and Projects.
• A Programme of Digital Infrastructure investment across the region, total project cost of £55M (£25M City Deal, £30M Public and Private Sector Funding).
• At the Creative Digital Cluster at Yr Egin a total project cost worth £24M (£5m City Deal+£16M Public Sector £3M Private) will be delivered creating 200+ jobs over the next 15 years.
• A total project cost of £200M (£40M City Deal, £32M Public Sector Funding and £127M Private Sector) and will create 1800+ jobs over the next 15 years at the Pentre Awel development.

Welsh Language

The Welsh language in Carmarthenshire plays a key role in our everyday lives with 50.3% of the population over the age of 3 being Welsh speakers. Our online services must be provided bilingually and promoted to our residents in accordance with the Welsh Language Measure, 2011.

Net Zero Carbon Authority

On 20th February 2019 Carmarthenshire County Council unanimously resolved to support a Notice of Motion to declare a climate emergency and to become a net zero carbon local authority by 2030.

A Net Zero Carbon Plan was duly approved on 12th February 2020.

We have a significant role to play in both further reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions and providing the leadership to encourage residents, businesses and other organisations to take action to cut their own carbon footprint.

Technology has an ever increasing role to play in addressing these challenges. This transformational strategy aims to compliment the Authority’s action plan and with further technological breakthroughs over the coming years will greatly assist the Authority in meeting this commitment. Throughout the four Key Priority areas there are innovative solutions and approaches that will drive this agenda forward and compliment the significant work already undertaken to improve the flexibility and agility of our workforce and estate.

How plans are made - The Planning Cascade

The Wedding Cake & Golden Thread

The Digital Transformation Strategy will ensure a number of the expected outcomes identified within the revised council’s Corporate Strategy (April 2021) can be achieved which in turn will underpin the delivery of our Well-being Objectives. Action plans will be developed to deliver the key projects identified and these will be monitored via Performance Management Systems and reported annually. All projects will be designed and delivered in-line with the 5 Ways of Working.

Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015

Digital Transformation Strategy - Key Priority Areas

There are four key priority areas that will enable us to achieve our over-arching vision.

Elected Members

Our elected members play a key role in embracing the latest digital technology and we will ensure we provide an inclusive digital service to our residents. We will continue to enable our elected members to work in a mobile and efficient way in their communities using the most appropriate digital technology available.

Resources Required

The authority is investing a significant amount of resource to ensure it delivers the key priorities and outcomes of the Digital Transformation Strategy 2021-2024:

• £600k to transform the way we deliver our services online.
• £440k invested to replace an ageing technology infrastructure to support a digital workplace.
• £400k to enhance and develop our network (voice and data) and ever-increasing bandwidth requirements.
• £270k to counter the risks from Cybercrime and enhance online security.
• £114k funding for staff training to ensure Carmarthenshire County Council can exploit the latest technologies.

Key priorities: Involvement

Enabling citizens to get the services and information they need online

What it means?

• Providing high-quality user-friendly services and information online to residents.
• Providing increased 24/7 digital access to services that are bilingual and customer friendly.
• To provide a personal digital service and respond to customer needs by engaging and involving our customers in the design of our services and service improvements.
• We will ensure that we appeal to and include the whole demographic of the county; with focus towards digital accessibility and technology to supports user’s needs.

Why is it important?

• To meet customer demands and respond to rising customer expectations.
• To improve customer engagement with access to personalised information and services.
• With greater use of mobile technology, provision access to online services at the customers convenience; ‘anytime, anywhere’ 24/7.

How will we achieve Digital Involvement?

• We will modernise service delivery by using new and innovative technology to deliver online services.
• We will continue to enhance the Council website ensuring full accessibility to Council services on all mobile devices.
• Improve the way we design and build IT systems putting the customer’s needs and experience at the heart of how new systems will operate and work.
• We will develop a better understanding of customers preferred digital channels of communication with the Council.
• We will deliver robust information security to protect our citizen and business data from misuse and cyber threats and digital identities protected.
• We will ensure Council service are re-designed and digital by default; ensuring to meet and exceed current Accessibility guidelines and standards.

Key projects timeline

Key priorities: Workforce

Involving and communicating with staff in everything that we do. Supporting our workforce in adopting flexible working practices to optimise performance in the delivery of quality and cost-effective services

What it means?

• A digital workforce that is responsive and flexible.
• A workforce that is well informed, engaged and communicated with.
• Being responsive to the needs of our citizens by providing good public services and being flexible about where work is carried out.
• Flexibility for our staff is being able to work from different locations, at different times and use the most effective technology.

Why is it Important?

• The involvement, participation and communication of our work force is critical to the success of our organisation.
• Agility and mobility brings efficiencies and increased productivity through better ways of working.
• It increases our ability to ensure a healthy and mutually beneficial work life balance for our work force. This increases our ability to attract the necessary skills and knowledge for our workforce.
• It allows us to vastly improve processes, procedures and workflows, eliminating waste and exploiting efficiencies through good use of data and analytics.

How will we achieve a Digital Workforce?

• Senior management across the Authority will embrace the digital transformation agenda.
• Staff and managers will involve and communicate with all staff at all levels frequently and consistently.
• Staff and managers will be encouraged and supported to work in an agile manner that supports the delivery of improved services.
• We will create a truly digital workforce, ensuring the right applications and information are with the right user, on the right devices, at the right time and location.
• We will develop the digital skills and confidence of our workforce, so they are equipped to productively and proactively apply technology to drive better ways of delivering public services.
• We will ensure our key policies and strategies are integrated with our digital ambition particularly in the areas of service planning, procurement, economic growth and commissioning.
• We will develop Digital Champions within every service area to promote and support the workforce with digital solutions and technology needs.

Key projects timeline

Key priorities: Connectivity

“Enable residents and businesses in the County to use digital technology to enhance their lives”

What it means?

• Working to help ensure fast, reliable digital connectivity for our Citizens and Communities.
• Supporting businesses to compete in the digital economy via first class mobile and broadband connectivity.
• Collaborating with Government, Industry and Partners to ensure 21st Century Digital Connectivity.
• Helping to drive awareness, understanding and adoption of fast broadband and mobile services.
• Ensure that residents and businesses exploit the latest digital technology to improve their lives.
• Enable business to make use of ‘cloud computing’ to accelerate time to value, drive higher adoption of new technologies, and connect the services offered in real time.
• Deliver Digital Public Sector Services to our Citizens and businesses via first class connectivity infrastructure.

Why is it important?

• A fully connected Carmarthenshire will encourage new businesses to invest in the County, supporting the local economy and attracting sustainable employment.
• A fully connected Carmarthenshire will encourage existing businesses to innovate and exploit new opportunities.
• Ensure that our children live in digitally connected communities and have the latest digital technologies available to give them best possible start in life.
• Every resident of Carmarthenshire should have the ability to access 'on-line' services which can be used to improve their 'quality of life'.

How will we achieve Digital Connectivity?

• We will create an open and flexible environment for digital innovation that crosses borders and boosts economic growth for the region.
• As a part of the Swansea Bay City Deal, we will benefit from significant inward investment to create a truly Connected Carmarthenshire.
• We will invest in our communities and young people to ensure sustainable neighbourhoods by improving access to digital technology in areas where it is most needed.
• Utilise ways of encouraging young people to communicate with us digitally and encourage employability in the county.
• We will develop improved digital skills and confidence amongst our vulnerable groups and those aged over 65.
• We will aim to access funding to develop sustainable digital activities in Carmarthenshire to reach those who have the most to gain from the ‘digital world’; across businesses, communities, and residents.

Key projects

Key priorities: Innovation

Innovative digital solutions will enable increased collaboration

What it means?

• Improved information sharing with other organisations and partners.
• Increase sharing of software and hardware platforms across the region.
• Deployment of latest and innovative digital solutions across the council to further improve customer experience and streamlining of backoffice functions.

Why is it Important?

• Innovation underpins the 4 key priority areas of this strategy - ‘Involvement’, ‘Workforce’, ‘Connectivity’ and ‘Innovation’.
• Helps foster cohesion in teams. This is especially relevant to teams that are dispersed as cohesive teams are far more productive.
• Creates an atmosphere of openness as staff are up to date with and able to access the very latest news and information.
• Simplifies the way that we share data with other organisations and partners making everyone feel like part of a single team working on common objectives.
• Innovation is a catalyst for enabling departments to focus on putting the citizen at the heart of what they do.

How will we achieve Digital Innovation?

• We will ensure staff are provided with the necessary collaboration tools to improve productivity and well-being.
• We will protect privacy through effective information management as well as ensuring appropriate data sharing arrangements are in place with all organisations and partners.
• We will fully exploit new technologies and ways of working including open source solutions.
• We will be flexible with of our physical locations and create an environment that fosters collaboration and creativity.
• We will develop new solutions with partners using digital technology to integrate services across functional and geographical boundaries, so they are more efficient in sharing information.
• We will collaborate regionally and nationally on the procurement of software and cloud-based services to achieve better value for money and a greater variety of solutions.

Key projects