Bid number (for
EG use) | |
Lead bidder | Fife Council
David Martin, Strategic Manager
Tel : 01592 413501
Email :david.martin@fife.gov.uk |
Brief description of the aims of the
project | To extend and enhance the existing use of
wireless/mobile technology across a number of
services within the Council and in partnership
with Fife
NHS. The proposal aims to
improve customer responsiveness, improve
productivity, reduce paperwork and duplication
of information, provide flexible working and
contribute to the Council's Green Travel
Plan. |
Clear description of what the
EGF money would be used to
buy | - Enhanced technical infrastructure to
support the wireless/mobile architecture
including
GPRS network, remote
management system and hardware.
- Procurement of wireless/mobile devices
i.e. tablets, laptops,
Personal Digital Assistants (
PDA's)
- Development of in-house and 3
rd party application systems to
become wireless enabled
- Project Management, Software
Development and Support staff
|
Partners to the project likely to commit
resources | Fife
NHS Fife Constabulary Fife Fire & Rescue |
Names of other organisations with whom the
project has been discussed (to assist the
introductions process) | Lothian & Borders Police Lothian & Borders Fire Brigade Lothian Valuation Joint Board Scottish Borders Council West Lothian Council Midlothian Council East Lothian Council City of Edinburgh Council |
Evidence that suggested approach has been
deployed successfully elsewhere | A number of Scottish Councils are starting
to deploy wireless/mobile solutions and in
England and Wales, the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister, has created Project
NOMAD. Project
NOMAD is dedicated to mobile
computing in local authorities. Its objective
is to create, under one umbrella, a
comprehensive set of deliverables that should
enable any local authority wishing to establish
a mobile computing operation to do so with ease
and confidence. |
Are there any restrictions to enlargement of
the project (
i.e. number of partners) | None |
Benefits projected from the project | - Improved customer responsiveness
- Improved joint working with partners
(Fife
NHS)
- Transactions concluded at point of
contact
- Increased productivity - more client
visits/inspections made without need for
return to office
- Improved access to services for the
public in remote areas
- Reduced paperwork and duplication of
information
- Reduction in accommodation costs
- Reduction in travel and expenses
contributing to the Council's Green Travel
plan
- Access to up to date information
- Improved Flexible Working for
staff
- Reduction in staffing requirements in
the longer term.
|
Estimated financial projections | Total | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 |
Overall project cost | £3.237million | | £1.180 million | £1.235 million | £0.822 million |
Estimated projected benefits (Further cost benefits for 2008 - 10 are
provided in detail in the narrative report) | £4.935million | | £769K | £1.303 million | £1.637 million |
Is a pilot required - see guidance notes | Fife Council has already deployed a pilot
wireless solution using handheld devices for
Occupational Therapy staff to order equipment
from clients' homes and for Housing staff to
record Change of Tenancy Repairs. |
Additionally: why is
EG funding required | The current financial restraints under which
the Council operates prohibits the investment
required to tackle each of the service
requirements detailed in the proposed bid. The
Council has previously funded pilot projects in
this area to ensure the technology works, the
business process can be re-engineered and
perceived benefits are achievable. The
EGF funding for this project
will allow the realisation of the long term
benefits from the implementation of this
project including closer partnership working
with Social Work and Fife
NHS. |
Does this project complementary in anyway to
other
EG work | Of the seven focuses on other
EG work this project is
particularly complementary to the following
four: - Procurement: The
procurement of the necessary wireless
infrastructure (airspace) will initially be
focused on facilitating wireless
communications within the large Fife area.
This naturally lends itself to use by the
identified and other not yet known partners
based in the Fife area
e.g. other voluntary groups.
The terms of the procurement will also
facilitate the geographical expansion of
the wireless infrastructure to open up to
the other areas in Scotland.
The procurement of the varying
different types of handheld equipment
for staff to use will specify the need
for openness and compliance with
OSIAF guidelines.
This means the type of equipment will
not just work with the wide range of
back-office software systems held by
the Fife partners involved, but to any
other 'open' back-office software
system throughout use by other Scottish
partners. - Sharing Common Support
Functions: This project provides
wide scope for sharing common support
functions. The
IT development necessary
to link the handheld equipment with the
back-office systems will involve further
building and refining of skills and
procedures which have been initially
developed as part of the Fife pilot. The
IT development will not
just be about the 'technical' aspects but
also features such as templates of forms to
use on the handheld which have been shown
as easy to use on the types/sizes of
screen. It will also include the form
interface with the back-office systems,
many of which are used by many potential
Scottish partners. Similarly the training
package needed for the staff to use the
handheld equipment can be produced to be
suitable as other partners within and
out-with Fife are involved in the rollout.
All this can be packaged up into a toolkit
type approach.
|
| - Reducing Unit Costs in
transactional services: The
process will be front-line staff entering
data into hand-held equipment
e.g. writing with stylus onto
form on tablet, which interfaces directly
into the back-office system. This will
replace processes such as the frontline
staff writing notes at the time, or onto
paper forms, and then going back to the
office to pass to the admin staff to key
into the back office systems. Without a
doubt this is more efficient and saves on
unit costs.
An example which has been used in some
police authorities is the use of hand-held
scanning equipment to record fingerprints and
other suitable evidence at the scene of the
crime, which can then be transmitted very
quickly to the relevant national databases to
allow quicker identification of the criminal.
This practical example gives an indication of
the potential benefits of having a wireless
infrastructure in place. - Increasing productive
time: From the experience of the
pilot in Fife Council this has happened in
two ways.
Firstly the Occupational Therapists are able
to assess need in the clients home, check
straightaway what equipment is available, agree
with the client what to get, order it and give
the client details of when the delivery will
happen, and if necessary put an appointment in
their electronic diary to come back and help
familiarise the client with the equipment when
it is delivered. All this happens within the
one visit. Previously this would have meant
visiting the client, coming back to the office
to see what equipment was available, phoning
client to agree equipment to order, ordering it
and phoning client to confirm delivery details.
What has happened is that approximately, 29%
more visits have been done by the existing
staff. Secondly Social Work are now happy to
consider having other assessments done through
the hand-held equipment, having seen the
benefits. This means that within one visit to a
client more 'transactions' can be done, as the
hand-held contains more forms used with clients
to assess their needs and request services etc.
This will make the time even more
productive. This project does not specifically
complement the other 3 focuses - Streamlining
policy, funding and bureaucracy; Better asset
management; and Managing absence. |