Bringing our new technology partners together

We heard from our new partners and what their vision for the future is.

Last Thursday we held what we think is a pretty unique event – an all-supplier networking day with all the companies that are helping us design the future of technology service delivery at the Council.

For the last couple of years, the Council has been working through a programme of changing the way we deliver core technology services, including things like the service desk, desktop support, networks and hosting, telephony, printing and so forth.

Ably supported by our transformation partners Rainmaker Solutions, this programme of work has seen a new operating model introduced for our core technology provision – moving from a single supplier of these services to a mixed model, where dedicated suppliers for individual components are used, alongside some in-house delivery.

Key to this new model is a collaborative approach, where the Digital Service and our delivery partners come together to find new ways to better meet the needs of our users. We really don’t want to get stuck in the rut common to client/supplier relationships where each blames the other for lack of progress. Instead, bringing the digital culture of openness, transparency and cooperation to our work in service operations should see greater levels of innovation and user satisfaction emerge.

allpartners2.jpg

So, the event last week was our opportunity to get everyone in a room for the first time, introducing folk to one another and starting to build the relationships necessary to make this new way of working work.

We heard from each of the managers within the Digital Service, outlining the role their teams play and what challenges they need the support from our new partners on. After this, we had a workshop session to identify the key themes and principles required for our “suppliers’ charter” – which sets the tone for our collaboration in the future.

The principles in the charter are:

  • Users first
  • Honesty
  • Pride
  • Collective responsibility
  • Transparency
  • Proactivity

We finished the day hearing from the new partners themselves, about how they are approaching the transition to becoming our suppliers, and what their visions for the future of their particular specialisms are.

All in all it was a great day, getting to meet the people we will be working with very closely in the future. Hopefully we might be able to encourage them to share their thoughts with us here on Croydon Digital! 

6 thoughts on “Bringing our new technology partners together”

Edison Networks (@EdisonNetworks) 21st March 2019 at 6:26 pm

Very interested to see how any of these business are local and for the Croydon Good Employer Charter that Croydon Council signed up to

    Dave Briggs 26th March 2019 at 9:31 pm

    Hi – thank you for your comment, and apologies for the delay in publishing it. We wanted to ensure we had an accurate reply to post in response, which needed the input of various teams in the Council.

    Many of the features of the good employer charter were accounted for in our tender process and contracts. For example, commitment to the National and London Living Wage was a requirement in our tenders and a contractual requirement for all our new partners.

    We have also encouraged our new partners to use the local supply chain where possible, and the partners are supporting the local economy in the form of social value deliverables such as promoting vacancies, creating and delivering apprenticeships, placements, training and supporting schools, colleges and local community groups. All these were also requirements in the tenders and contractual requirements.

    On top of this, all partners have signed up to Croydon council standards and policies.

    It is true that none of the suppliers are local, but that reflects the routes to market which were national government frameworks and the fact that we cannot stipulate local suppliers because of the constraints of procurement legislation.

    We will continue to support local businesses wherever we can, including through our programme of events, which last month saw us providing a seminar on selling to the public sector. We can always do more, of course, and welcome your ideas on what other activities we could facilitate to help grow our local digital sector.

      Edison Networks (@EdisonNetworks) 1st April 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Given that the council and members from the digital team went to great length to promote an agenda of buy local and even went as far as saying at least one local provider would be invited to tender, I don’t see how appointing those 5 companies comply with the Buy Local part of the charter.

      None of those suppliers other than the help desk will employ people to work locally and it is very disingenuous to suggest that they will comply.

      Their appointment is in direct contradiction to the seminar held and demonstrates that despite all the rhetoric that was pushed by councillors and the Digital team, nothing has changed or will. You’ve chosen expensive providers who don’t offer the best service and that’s in effect the summary of the seminar which suggested you were trying to avoid such actions.

      If this is the route the council are going to insist on taking how can they be trusted on any other campaigns they chose to push within the business community

        Dave Briggs 1st April 2019 at 3:47 pm

        Sorry you feel that way. We will keep working to do our best to deliver great services and value for money to the residents, communities and businesses of Croydon.

Edison Networks (@EdisonNetworks) 26th March 2019 at 8:28 pm

In an age of transparency it is inappropriate to delete people’s messages, even worse when you edit your own post removing who the five partners were that aren’t based in the Borough. Also raises the question about whether Croydon Council are serious about living up to their membership of the Croydon Good Employer Charter?

    Dave Briggs 26th March 2019 at 9:34 pm

    Hello. No comments were deleted. All comments are pre-moderated before going live on the site and your original comment has now been published. With regard to the editing of the original post – an early draft was published in error, hence the change. At the time it was inappropriate to publish the list of partners due to internal Council processes. Apologies if this caused distress.

    My response to your original comment hopefully covers your concerns about the good employer charter.

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