Agenda item

Report DRR17/002

As part of the Civic Centre Development Strategy, a sum of £200k had been carried forward to meet the cost of document management and to reduce storage space for paper files. Electronic storage was instead encouraged, interfacing with work being undertaken by I S Services.

To lead departments on reducing paper files and to develop/introduce document management guidance and protocols, Amey Community Ltd (in delivering the Civic Centre Programme) recommended the appointment at approximately £105k (including agency fees) of a dedicated and experienced Project Manager in the field for a period of one year. This was necessary as the Civic Centre Programme is not within the scope of the Council’s contract with Amey.

Employment of temporary staff was also anticipated for a short period to assist in boxing and indexing documents for disposal, off-site transportation to a storage supplier, and essential scanning work - the Portfolio Holder being asked to delegate authority to the Executive Director of Environment and Community Services for the work costing approximately £95k. 

In discussion, Members were concerned at the level of expenditure being requested. The process had been undertaken previously by other organisations and it was suggested that L B Bexley be consulted on the process; protocols developed by another organisation could be helpful.  

However, timing for the process was linked to the Civic Centre Programme and without available skills it was necessary to commission expertise. Amey intended to appoint a Project Manager who had successfully undertaken such a process previously.  A Project Manager would drive the process forward; without an appointment difficulties might be caused for the Civic Centre Programme.

A central in-house team had been employed by the Council to work on document management but the role had been taken some years previously as a saving. Nevertheless, retention schedules continued to be available for Council Departments and an initiative was currently progressing to clarify document assets held; with less space in new accommodation it would be more expensive to store papers.

Safeguards were suggested to ensure that papers exist for local history purposes. However, it was necessary to be clear on papers to be retained and each Department would need a retention schedule, disposing of documents not necessary to retain. Data protection interests would also need to be considered. A Project Manager would co-ordinate all relevant considerations in readiness for moving to the new accommodation.

Concluding debate the Chairman highlighted that it would be helpful to see:

·  a scoping plan for the project and what is expected from a Project Manager, including a defined timescale for the Manager’s work;

·  whether a Project Manager could be appointed on secondment terms from elsewhere; and

·  employment from within the borough (e.g. students) for additional work on tasks such as boxing and indexing documents, preparing for transportation to a storage supplier and scanning etc.

It was agreed to note the recommendations to the Portfolio Holder. The Portfolio Holder was also asked to note the Committee’s comments when taking decisions on Report DRR17/002.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to consider the Committee’s comments before deciding whether to:

(1) approve funding in the sum of £105k for Amey Community Ltd (the Council’s Total Facilities Management provider) to appoint a Document Management Project Manager for a period of one year as outlined at paragraph 3.6 of Report DRR17/002; and

(2) delegate authority to the Executive Director of Environment and Community Services to authorise expenditure in the sum of £95k for the additional work outlined at paragraph 3.9 of Report DRR17/002.