strategic plan:- · reliability, richness of information, integrated services and excellent...

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STRATEGIC PLAN:-

Title:

Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan

File reference:

13.3.3

Date Plan was adopted by Council initially:

17 June 2010

Resolution Number:

235/10

Other Review Dates:

25 January 2010

Resolution Number:

17/07

Current Plan adopted by Council:

25 January 2010

Resolution Number:

17/07

Next Plan Review Date:

2012

RESPONSIBILITY:-

Plan Developed by:

Information Services Coordinator

Committee/s (if any) consulted in the development of this policy::

N/A

Responsibility for implementation:

Director of Finance and Administration

Responsibility for review of Plan:

Information Services Coordinator

ULSC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIC PLAN Adopted: 17 June 2010

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1. Executive Summary Upper Lachlan Shire Council consists of three Council administration offices at Crookwell, Gunning and Taralga. Also there are remote site accesses at two branch libraries and two works depots at both Crookwell and Gunning. Water works, Sewer Treatment Plant and Upper Lachlan Tourist Association Office in Crookwell. The Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan has been developed to document the strategic steps that the Council will take to utilise Information Technology to improve the following:-

• To allow users to maintain accurate data to allow well informed decisions to be made by Council employees, Management and Councillors;

• To allow quality information to be made available to the Community; • To assist Council in their interaction with the Community; and • To improve the productivity of Council employees.

The Information Technology Strategic Plan will become an integral component of Council’s strategic direction and will continue to evolve with ongoing consultation with Councillors, Council’s senior management and employees at all levels in the organisation. The key objectives of the Information Technology Strategic Plan are:-

• Enabling authorised and secure access to Council’s data and applications; • Enhanced integration between Council applications; and • Implementation and review of Council’s Business Continuity Plan.

2. Introduction The need to plan and document ideas, advice and recommendations in a clear and coherent manner is something that organisations of all sizes must satisfy to ensure the correct decisions can be made at any given time. Senior Management must plan strategically if they are to act efficiently and effectively in their roles as Council decision makers.


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Information Technology is not just about software and hardware, but rather is about how Council integrates their corporate applications to improve the decision making capabilities at a planning level. It is also about being effective in the areas of management practice, applications choice, user sophistication, technical and human resources. This plan is designed to ensure that IT strategically positions itself to support Council in its endeavour to make better decisions about its future. The IT Strategic Plan is designed to implement a co-ordinated plan based on Upper Lachlan Shire Council’s business objectives and service requirements to users, constituents and regulatory authorities. The IT Strategic Plan is attempting to address the current concerns of the existing IT Systems while remaining within expenditure forecasts, as well as decreasing the cost of IT service and solution deployment which is apparent at present due to large distances between the three Administration offices and other remote access sites. The IT Strategic Plan provides the framework to ensure the efficient use and continued growth and development of Council’s information systems and technical infrastructure. The adoption and implementation of the identified strategies are intended to develop better access to, and use of Council Information Technology investment. The strategies are designed to benefit the community through better access to information, improved customer service and staff productivity. The IT Strategic Plan presents a series of projects to be carried out over the next 3 year period with the intention of ensuring all facets of the overall objectives of Council are being met. This IT Strategic Plan recognises that priorities change over time, budgets are altered, and the information technology marketplace is highly dynamic, and that specific implementations may require some deviation in order to achieve maximum benefit to the Council. 3. Objectives This Information Technology Strategic Plan will assess the gap between the current IT infrastructure in place and the future needs, business requirements and IT initiatives to enable the Council to achieve its objectives. Across the various information technology areas, Council has made significant progress, in the past three years, in terms of user (both internal and external) service support levels, maintenance, training and technical resources (hardware). Through better integration of Council’s corporate information technology applications we will improve our processes and will see a significant improvement in effectiveness in provision of services. Noting that the information technology users have a basic level of IT literacy and require ongoing training in how IT systems can benefit them.

The objectives of Upper Lachlan Shire Council’s IT Strategic Plan are to address the following issues and provide improved services:-


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• Modernisation of IT infrastructure in relation to current trends and the ability to support additional workload at the three Administration offices;

• Provide efficient and effective Information Technology (within resources available) to allow users to maintain accurate data to allow well informed decisions to be made by Council employees, management and Councillors;

• Communicate that the purpose of any IT systems is to support the business in achieving its outcomes, IT should not necessarily drive the business;

• Establish a common and consistent approach to IT initiatives;

• Ensure that short and medium term goals for IT are satisfied;

• Provide recommendations detailing a number of options to progress the Council’s IT infrastructure and systems in support of the Shire’s vision;

• Present and account for Council’s present technological state of infrastructure;

• Provide the appropriate IT infrastructure to allow the delivery of services to its constituents; and

• Ensure a common information technology system in the three Council Administration offices.

The key objective of the IT Strategic Plan is summarised in the following:- “To facilitate integration of Information Technology with business processes of Council within a secure and reliable environment, while providing effective support, advice and direction to all of Council’s Information Technology users”. 4. Vision and Document Intent

1. Information Technology is important to the Council in the delivery of information and services to the community and essential for the administration of the business. The network infrastructure is the basis for the majority of IT services (including email, Internet access, Council applications, and administrative applications), telecommunications and library services and systems. Additional to this is a large investment in desktop machines, photocopiers, printers and software that a significant number of staff use daily;

2. This document serves to clarify the way forward for IT developments within the Council. It sets out a vision and a plan for the next 3 years. It is intended to guide medium and short term decisions on technical, staffing and financial issues relating to the development, use and support of IT infrastructure, services and applications;

3. The IT strategy will be flexible and responsive to changes in technology and the needs of the Council and the community. This will be achieved through ongoing consultation and open discussion and will be used as the input for preparing the IT project list which will be formally agreed to on an annual basis;

4. The IT Strategic Plan and future IT projects may require independent professional advice and expertise not available in-house, therefore IT consultants will be utilised for high level IT developments and installations;


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5. The Information Technology recurrent budget (outlined in Clause 6.6) and internally restricted reserve funds will be the primary source of funding used by Council for financing the IT strategies, services and applications.

The Developed World in 3 years

1. Before setting out the strategy, it is necessary to have a vision of what the world will be like in three (3) years time. The pace of change is such that this vision is based on today’s knowledge and expectations and there is no attempt to predict future IT developments;

2. The pace of change in IT shows no sign of slowing. It is occurring in the technology itself and there will be massive developments in these areas over the next three (3) years. Therefore, the IT Strategic Plan will only cover the period of 2010 to 2012;

3. There will be ever-present access to a vast range of information and services, using low cost communications of ever increasing capacity: - "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime, Any device”; and

4. Mobile communications will be pervasive; including data as well as voice communication technologies will be media-rich and interactive, integrating data, voice and video. Increasing data rates will make more of these available to mobile computing devices, which will become as cheap and common as mobile telephones.

Assumptions

1. More aspects of the Council’s core functions will be conducted electronically wherever appropriate;

2. Users will need and expect a high standard of current facilities, ease of use, reliability, richness of information, integrated services and excellent support; and

3. The number of staff with networked capable devices, increasingly of a portable type, will continue to increase, but the actual numbers and appropriate modes of use for such devices are hard to predict.

Factors influencing the IT Strategic Plan

The IT Strategic Plan and policy decisions will be influenced by, among other things:-

• Requirements of our community;

• Technological advancements in all core business practices;

• Changing dynamics of Council’s workforce requirements;

• The objectives as described in the Council’s Management Plan (to be superseded by the Integrated Planning Framework from 2010/2011) and other Council strategy documents;


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• Best practice and opportunities for improvement in all activities;

• Contractual and legal requirements; and

• Financial considerations.

5. Current Issues to be addressed

1. The provision and implementation of the electronic document records management system (EDMS) is an essential corporate information project. There is a contract with Civica Pty Limited for the supply, installation, project management, training and ongoing support of the TRIM product for the provision of an EDMS to assist Council in ensuring compliance with NSW State Records legislation;

2. The Council utilises Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs) in both of the sites. The

quality and capacity of the UPSs batteries must be tested, as batteries have finite life, and replaced on a regular basis;

3. Lack of current documentation, procedures and protocols for the existing IT system

resources;

4. There is no Standard Operating Environment for Council PC’s and Network Directories;

5. Lack of available training expertise in some user applications. However, Council IT

Systems Coordinator and IT Support Officer do train users in application use; and

6. There is no standard anti-virus software and no standard annual verification anti-virus software updates on each individual PC.

The Council will address the critical issues listed above as an initial priority and further recommendations are outlined in Clause 14. Council has proactively identified and addressed issues with our information systems and implemented 24 of the 31 recommendations identified in the initial Council Information Technology Strategic Plan for the three year period of 2007-2009. There are 4 recommendations that remain to be implemented and/or are being progressed towards implementation (i.e. the TRIM Records Management (EDMS) contract). There are 3 recommendations that are now redundant. In providing technology enabled services to its constituents the Council needs to continuously undertake processes to improve its information systems in line with business objectives, constituent expectations, and within the available financial resources budget. To achieve the above objectives Council needs to ensure that there is provision of sufficient resources to achieve the following required outcomes:-

1. Having an up to date communication system to enhance communications within Council as well as external customers;


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2. The provision of a mainframe software package that satisfies the needs of the Council

and the community;

3. The provision of sufficient hardware to be able to run programs and to allow all necessary users access so that productivity is enhanced throughout the organisation;

4. The provision of training in these systems so that staff can utilise all options available

to the user that are applicable;

5. The provision to be able to upgrade the hardware and software to maintain the current strategic position;

6. E-Commerce (use of website) - the advancements in this area are rapidly moving

ahead, Council may in the future allow customers the ability to electronically lodge the following services on-line; DA’s, bookings on-line, lodgement of customer services requests, and availability of general information;

7. Local Area Network (LAN) - Assessment of current network infrastructure and its

ability to provide for current business requirements and future growth;

8. Wide Area Network (WAN) - Assessment of current WAN link infrastructure and its ability to provide for current demand and future growth;

9. Information Technology Systems - The location and the usage of data stores and

database systems, their purpose and their ability to support further functionality and demand, including Civica‘s Authority platform, CRM and EDMS; and

10. Storage Backup and Recovery - The amount of data, where and how it is stored,

backup strategies and restore capabilities.

6. Planning and Funding

A formal planning and prioritising process will be employed to identify strategic IT projects. This process will be agreed to, communicated between relevant stakeholders and appropriately funded on an annual basis. There are 4 planning component categories as detailed below:- Business Systems

These are Council wide specialised systems that are used for mainstream or core business. This is the software component of IT and where Council’s data is stored, processed and delivered. Data Security / Integrity

How our data within the Business Systems is protected from loss or corruption and data back-up storage and how it links to other components of Business Systems.


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End User Support How the end user at the desktop is supported. This includes desktop support, standard operating environment and how users interact daily with the Business Systems.


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Infrastructure

The non-software component or IT hardware; such as WAN and LAN, servers, PC’s and network devices. Infrastructure is the delivery mechanisms or conduits for data within the Business Systems. 6.1 IT Strategy Project list be prepared annually

1. Planning for future IT considerations must not be an isolated activity but will be purposely integrated into Council’s operational planning;

2. The IT Strategy Project list will be completed prior to the completion of the draft budget. The IT project list will be submitted to Council annually for approval; and

3.Any proposed changes to the IT Strategy Project list will require presentation of the proposed project inclusion to the Council Directors. The proposed project submission would need to include detailed information of all resource implications.

6.2 IT services planning will take into account the implications on the number and the required skills of staff

1. Due consideration will be given to the retention of skilled staff, including investment in substantial personal development and training. Also, resource sharing for design, support systems and implementation of infrastructure;

2. Workload and support implications will be taken into account when planning new systems and developments. This whole-life costing approach may lead to higher initial costs to reduce long-term demands on staff. This has the following implications:-

The desktop operating system and key applications will be standardised. There will be a continued trend to control the desktop environment to reduce the incidence of user service problem requests;

Major developments, such as hardware changes to the standard desktop and other IT equipment upgrades will be made when appropriate and will only be followed where there are sound business reasons;

Hardware equipment purchases (i.e. desktops, printers, notebooks and file servers etc.) will be standardised wherever possible. Standardised hardware will simplify administration and configuration of equipment and will form part of Council’s IT disaster recovery strategy. All IT hardware will be purchased as specified by the Information Technology Support Officer or the Information Systems Coordinator in conjunction with the relevant Council Director to ensure standardisation, compliance, connectivity and financial approval;

New IT developments will not take place in isolation, but will be openly considered in the context of the main Council systems, so that efforts are not duplicated and any potential for compatibility and integration is realised.


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6.3 The planning of new systems will be based on required standards, reliability, ease of upgrade and maintenance

1. Required standards will enable maximum inter-compatibility, maintainability and this strategy steers away from becoming over-dependent on proprietary systems;

2. Reliability, support and maintainability will be major considerations in the choice of equipment and systems. This will lead to a relatively cautious attitude to the purchase of recently released products and a preference for proven technology. The dangers of acting as a pilot site or test-bed for new products are recognised and to be avoided;

3. Mainstream software and services will be designed to be used with widely available off-the-shelf equipment and Council’s corporate applications. New desktop models will be tested and checked as they appear. The purchase of standard desktops will be based on the benefits of using approved suppliers with anti-virus and fixed term warranties for meeting service requirements;

4. Reliability and availability targets will be set and monitored. Typical figures should be over 99% for availability of IT services during business hours.

6.4 The Council network infrastructure will continue to be developed with a view to long-term benefit, prudent use of new products and careful collaboration with other services

1. Network infrastructure hardware will be standardised where feasible to simplify maintenance and administration, and preference given to approved manufacturers with extensive warranty terms and responsive and reliable replacement processes;

2. Data cabling for new locations or the re-cabling of existing sites will be specified by the Information Technology Support Officer or the Information Systems Coordinator in collaboration with Council consultants; and

3. The Council will collaborate as appropriate with other bodies over infrastructure design and installation where there are shared interests in non-Council buildings.

6.5 IT infrastructure funding and projects will be sourced from the IT Restricted Reserve

and the IT recurrent budget

1. The IT internally restricted reserve is established and is maintained at an adequate level to ensure emergency relief funding is available for disaster recovery purposes;

2. The IT internally restricted reserve is designed to initiate corporate IT projects. All IT project processes will identify the ongoing maintenance costs of each project, and the implications upon the IT recurrent budget; and

3. IT purchases and planning is to incorporate life-cycle costing mechanisms.


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6.6 IT Budgeted Resources

There is an IT internally restricted reserve with a balance of $142,496 as at 30 June 2010. There is also an internally restricted reserve for the completion of the contract with Civica Pty Ltd for the provision of the TRIM electronic document / records management system (EDMS). The 2010/2011 Council Operating Budget/Resources provided:-

• Information Services Employees - Salary / Overheads $133,300 • GIS Officer – consultant services $ 3,000 • Civica and TRIM – licences/software/hardware/helpdesk support $ 61,000 • Local-E Website and support $ 6,600 • MapInfo and Exponare - licence/maintenance/data integration $ 17,400 • Civilcad maintenance $ 1,800 • IT Printing, stationery, equipment maintenance and supplies $ 24,900 • Crookwell Library Equipment Lease $ 1,500 • Radtel Telemetry Systems Maintenance Agreement $ 2,000 • IT Consultants Services $ 2,000 • IT Vehicle / Travel expenses $ 2,700 • 5 x Konica Minolta Photocopiers leased (5 years) $ 15,700 • Telstra Connect-IP Managed WAN Link connection $ 47,700 • IT Training Course Expenses $ 5,000 • IT Equipment Depreciation expense $ 48,800 Total Budgeted Operating Expenditure $373,400 2010/2011 Capital Budget/Resources provided:- • IT Hardware – 13 PCs and 2 Laptops $ 28,400 • IT Software $ 9,100 • Replace File Server $ 25,000 • Replacement of Printers $ 3,000 • Civica Business Portal migration and Version 6 installation $ 27,400 • Electronic Business Paper model $ 25,000 • Crookwell and Gunning Library Hardware – 6 PCs $ 10,200 Total Budgeted Capital Expenditure $128,100


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7. Risks A number of risks have been identified and are fundamentally related to scalability, reliability and productivity. It is no longer a case of if but when these risks will become real. Possible consequences are:- Loss of data due to a system and / or file server crashing;

Poor decision-making due to poor data output;

Inability to comply and meet legislative deadlines;

Inefficient use of IT systems resources;

Cyber attacks or hacking into Council databases and email systems corrupting data and taking Council electronically off-line for varied time periods;

Staff down-time due to systems being unavailable;

Failure to satisfy NSW State Records regulation requirements in relation to information security and safeguards;

Increased reliance on external support or consultants at expensive contract hire rates;

Financial liability;

Decrease in productivity; and

Reduction in customer service.

7.1 Technology related Some of our core systems are residing on unsupported hardware and software;

Lack of standard network virus protection software and security nurse email functionality;

Some of our applications are not easy to use, given their age and other factors and this reduces productivity.

7.2 People related There is an over-reliance on “key” users in some areas of Council and these people have

become islands of knowledge, therefore creating a risk if they should leave Council.

7.3 Process related Business processes not clearly defined, therefore impacting on consistency and makes it

very difficult to bring new staff up to speed;

Some workflows are not as efficient as desired and involve duplication.


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8. Security Issues 8.1 Security is a vital element of IT provisions; including equipment and privacy of information security

1.Backup copies of all information stored on centrally managed file servers will be made daily and will be carefully stored. The primary purpose of such backups is to make it possible to recover critical systems, software and corporate data. The IT Services will not be held responsible for any data stored on local machines except where express permission has been given;

2.Data backup tapes are to be stored offsite;

3.All equipment will be identifiable in case of theft and appropriate measures will be taken to prevent theft of equipment;

4.All reasonable measures will be taken to preserve privacy;

5.The Council will comply with the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts. Note that new draft legislation will be enacted namely the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA) in the immediate future. All non-public information will be protected by an authorisation (password) system and users will be advised on the best practices for data management and security;

6.Appropriate measures will continue to be implemented to protect Council information and systems from external electronic attack (hacking), for instance by the use of up-to-date firewall technology, and from viruses and similar hazards;

7.Central computer equipment will be located in appropriate accommodation providing adequate space, power supplies, environmental control and security;

8.Basic information on the usage of IT systems will be logged and used for general capacity planning and also to enable the tracing of actions which are malicious, cause complaint or contravene Council’s Internet and Email Policy and /or senior management directives. Such logs will be handled in compliance with all relevant laws and policies; and

9.Data storage backups are to be tested at minimum bi-annually to ensure functionality and usability.

8.2 IT Disaster Recovery Strategy development

1.The Council Business Continuity Plan incorporating a IT disaster recovery plan and evacuation plan has been developed with the focus being upon IT risk management;


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2.The extent to which Disaster Recovery infrastructure and cutover process are implemented will be dictated by the requirements of the Council Business Continuity Plan and budgetary constraints; and

3.The Business Continuity Plan will be reviewed by Manex biennially and reported to Council for adoption.

9. Access and Usability 9.1 Information will be available to those who legitimately need it and are authorised to access it at the time and in the place it is needed

1. This covers Council information which may be sourced from any location using Council or personally owned equipment;

2. This will as far as possible be independent of the computer platform used, and all systems will be easy to understand and use;

3. A long-term aim is that it should be possible to access (with authorisation) all Council information and systems from any computer, without compatibility constraints or complex setup procedures. Many elements of the IT Strategy represent steps toward this goal. This aspect applies to both staff, Councillors and business partners;

4. A customer request management system and help desk support that encompasses the whole organisation has implemented;

5. Improved access, systems speed, functionality and performance will continue to be a major priority where it is technically and economically feasible;

6. Council has implemented electronic security systems for all three administration offices to secure information and ensure the safety of employees and equipment;

7. The web interface will be preferred for all services wherever feasible and it will continue to be utilised as an interface to the ratepayers and community for the provision of free, timely and accurate information relating to Council services, policies and frequently updated information; and

8. IT systems which are compatible with Civica Authority software and allow data integration and interface with their product will be considered as a high priority when purchasing new IT software packages; and

9. High quality systems, which are reasonably easy to use, will continue to be implemented to enable the management of information to be devolved to the appropriate level in the organisation.


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9.2 IT will continue the commitment to improve the performance for staff to work from remote locations

1. Working from remote locations is integral to Council’s operations with the three administration offices and various other remote sites. The aim is to improve efficiency and convenience for the staff at these remote sites;

2. The increasingly electronic nature of the Council will lead to changes in working practices. With the further implementation of the electronic file document management system; working from remote locations in the future should not present data accessibility problems for Council; and

3. The provision of services via the internet continues to be a requirement for user access at remote locations. Therefore web interfaces may be implemented wherever feasible.

9.3 The Council networked IT systems will, as far as possible, be perceived by users as a unified system, in which their identity and authorisation for access is not based on the equipment they are using or the method they use to access the network

1. A unified authentication system is implemented under which users will be identified by a single user-name and password, not by separate passwords for each system used;

2. A single point of sign-on, meaning that each user not only has one password, but also needs to give it only once to gain access to many systems;

3. File storage; currently files are held within departmental groups with the majority of files stored under user named directories. The directory structure will evolve in incorporation with the new electronic document file management installation. The structure will relate to the type of work and not to individual users.

9.4 Software will be chosen on the basis of suitability, effectiveness and standardisation wherever possible

1. The cost of software is a significant part of the IT budget and all software licenses will be managed by the Finance and Administration Department. The use of diverse packages for the same task, or the choice of unsuitable packages on price alone, will be discouraged;

2. Software selection will be reviewed in an ongoing process. This will generally be undertaken prior to the update of an application. The update of the desktop operating system and the core office applications will be a significantly more complex process and the issues of re-training, integration and interoperability will be estimated in any calculations; and

3. Prior to the purchase of any software the IT Systems Coordinator and / or IT Support Officer must be consulted to evaluate the suitability, cost and on-going


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maintenance requirements. Any new purchases of software systems to be implemented that require IT labour intensive resources for maintenance are to be avoided.

9.5 Software will be used to the extent of its functionality where it will benefit Council in the quality and effectiveness of its operation

1. Continual investment will be made to review the way applications are utilised and ensure they are implemented and employed the most effective way possible;

2. Applications will be reviewed closely at upgrade times and the availability of new features will be disseminated to users and training provided where needed;

3. Application training will be provided for application and modules to maintain skill levels and ensure new staff are educated in Council’s procedures.

10. Information Systems and Equipment Status An outline of Upper Lachlan Shire Council’s current Information Technology Systems and equipment is a follows:-

• The Upper Lachlan E-mail domain is hosted by Goulburn Internet;

• Wide Area Network (WAN) links between the three (3) Administration offices are contracted and supported by Telstra Countrywide Connect-IP managed service incorporating the following service; an ADSL 512/512 kps for Taralga office and a BDSL 1 mg/2048 kps for the Gunning office, and a BDSL 2 mg/1 mg IP link for the Crookwell Office;

• 50GB per month internet data upload and download plan with Telstra Countrywide; • Crookwell and Gunning offices contain adequate LAN capabilities in the way of

10/100Mb/s switched Ethernet network;

• Crookwell office has five (6) servers servicing the following applications:-

o Civica Authority financials on Informix database,

o Exponare and MapInfo as GIS,

o Windows 2003 domain, file and print sharing,

o Civica’s CRM (Customer Request Management),

o Civica’s EDMS (Electronic Document Management Systems),

o Exchange 2003 for email.

• Gunning office has one (1) server – a Windows 2003 domain, file and print sharing server;

• Taralga office has one (1) server – a Windows 2003 file and print sharing server; • There are 47 workstations (PC’s) at Crookwell, 10 at Gunning and 3 at Taralga. These

machines are mostly of modern technology standards;


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• A daily backup is obtained in Gunning and Crookwell, the tapes are taken off-site on a daily basis;

• Crookwell and Gunning offices utilise a number of UPS devices that protect equipment from power grid failures and power fluctuations;

• 19 Printers in Crookwell office; • 6 Printers in Gunning office; • 3 Printers in Taralga office; • Receipt Slip Printers – 3 at Crookwell office and 1 each at Gunning and Taralga

office; • 1 Main Line Printers – Crookwell, 1 Main Line Printer – Gunning; • 2 Colour and 1 Black and White Multifunction Photocopiers at Crookwell office; • 1 Colour Multifunction Photocopier at Gunning office; • 1 Photocopier in the Taralga CSC office and 1 at Crookwell Depot; • 1 Plan Plotter at Crookwell office; • 1 Plan Copier at Crookwell; • 3 Fax Machines at Crookwell, 1 Fax Machine at Gunning office; • Telephone Systems x 3 (LG Aria) PABX; • 3 Modems; • 3 Scanners; • 7 Laptops; • 1 Video Camera at Crookwell and 1 at the Gunning office; • 4 Digital Cameras; • Video Conferencing Equipment; • Televisions – 2 at Crookwell office and 2 at Gunning office; • 5 BlackBerry devices; • 38 mobile telephones; • 2 GPS devices; • 1 Data projector at Crookwell and 1 Data Projector at Gunning; • Crookwell Library equipment – 11 public access PC’s (10 Dell/1 IBM), 1 PC for

Library Manager, 1 Colour Printer, 1 Konica Photocopier, 1 Fax, ADSL Modem, 1 Canon Scanner with Photostudio Software;

• Gunning Library equipment – 9 public access PC’s (8 Dell/1 IBM), 1 Printer, 1 Konica Photocopier, 1 Fax, ADSL Modem;

• Tourism Office has 2 PC’s, 1 laser printer, 1 Photocopier, 2 HP desktop Printers and facsimile, ADSL Modem, 1 Scanner;

• Microsoft Office software; • MapInfo Professional software; • Exponare Enquiry software; • ATO ECI Client; • AutoCad software; • Radtel Telemetry Software; • Asset Data database; • Adobe Acrobat 8.0 and 9.0 Professional; • Adobe Photoshop; • Crystal Reports software; • Dreamweaver software; • Flash software;


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• Microsoft Excel and Access – Asset Register databases; • Microsoft Access – Civica Management Reporting databases; • Microsoft Access – Civica 2006 database; • Insight Software for Fob Security; • Reflect and RMAP – RTA software; and • Metrocount – Traffic data.

Notation: Photocopiers The Crookwell office has 3 leased photocopiers. The Konica Minolta C552 colour photo copier which is located in the Administration building, The Konica Minolta C360 colour photocopier which is located in the Environment and Planning building and the 751 Black and White photocopier which is located in the Works and Operations building. The lease will expire on 22 January 2015. The 3 photocopiers are all Multifunction machine which is fax/scan/print/copy.

The Crookwell Library has a C350 black and white photocopier which is leased until 17 September 2012.

11. Information Systems Strategic Principles The principles that should be applied to any Information Technology Services strategy, development, purchase or project must:- Support and meet the changing needs of the organisation and its customers;

Continuously improve business processes and reducing maintenance costs;

Be reliable and ensure risk management principles are adhered to;

Interface to current and future systems;

Improve management of corporate information;

Promote electronic commerce and communications;

Be secure, robust and easy to maintain;

Optimise use of all related technologies;

Maintain information that is readily available to internal and external users;

Be based on IT industry standards;

Ensure the management of existing and future systems should be driven by core policy decisions that identify the aims and objectives of Council’s IT systems, and link technology to the cost effective achievement of those objectives; and

Ensure a business case for all IT initiatives should be developed to demonstrate need and technical requirements and are scalable to accommodate projected future needs.

12. Energy and Resource Saving


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Wastage of energy and materials will be minimised by careful choice of equipment:-

1. Energy consumption and potential for recycling will be considered when planning the purchase and disposal of equipment; and

2. The power-consumption of equipment will be reduced by careful choice of products, the proper use of 'sleep' modes during inactivity.

Systems and practices which provide alternatives to the use of paper will be developed and encouraged:-

1. The implementation of an electronic file document management system will be introduced and documents will be distributed electronically where appropriate (where this is not likely to involve more printing by individuals than if it were done centrally); and

2. The use of electronically saved data files rather than storage of large hard copy printed data files; and

3. Storage of data on USB flash drives (memory stick) and CDs and archiving of these devices.

13. Training The Council will ensure that employees who use IT systems are able to acquire appropriate skills by the following means:-

1. Training needs will be made apparent in the annual Council Training Plan;

2. The Human Resources Coordinator in conjunction with the relevant Director and / or Manager will be responsible for the coordination and provision of training for staff, and will continue to work closely with the IT Systems Coordinator and IT Support Officer to provide suitable courses and materials as is necessary;

3. Civica computer system modules training will be provided as is required and will be coordinated by the Human Resources Coordinator in conjunction with the IT Systems Coordinator and IT Support Officer;

4. Manuals and application help will be made available to user of various IT systems wherever it exists and is feasible;

5. IT staff will be provided with the appropriate training to support the Council network and other information services infrastructure and systems;

6. Consultants will be used in high end technical areas where training required is extensive, expensive and support opportunities within the Council network are limited; and


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7. All relevant documentation for software and services will be made available via the web and, where appropriate, in paper format by the IT staff.

14. Recommendations and Future IT Requirements

1. The provision and installation of an electronic document management records

system (EDMS) and necessary user training by end of 2010;

2. Replacement program for PC’s in order of oldest and outdated equipment first on a three year rotational basis.

3. Redundant PC’s will have Council information removed from hard drive. The

PC’s will be donated to community organisations located within the Shire. Any remaining redundant Council PC’s can be disposed of in line with Council Disposal of Assets Policy and / or be used for spare components for other PCs;

4. Replacement of a number of PC’s at the Crookwell and Gunning Libraries as

required in accordance with PC replacement schedule; 5. Installation of standard anti-virus software and spam removal software on all

PC’s in 2010. 6. PC’s that have operating programs and other such unsupported and outdated

programs this software will be replaced immediately; 7. Review the Business Continuity Plan incorporating the IT Disaster Recovery Plan

on a biennial basis;

8. Arrange Civica, Exponare and other IT software and hardware training as required for Council employees in accordance with Council’s Training Plan coordinated by Human Resources Coordinator in conjunction with IT Systems Coordinator;

9. Maintain an Information Technology internal cash reserve so that sufficient funds are available for the necessary and emergency replacement of IT systems;

10. The continued improvement and upgrade of information for Council’s website; 11. The Information Systems Coordinator to prepare an operating procedures manual

for information services of the Council in 2010/2011; 12. Staff will be instructed not to store corporate files on their local c:/drive. Login

passwords should not be shared, redundant users and former employees logins and email addresses will be deleted by Information Systems Coordinator and IT Support Officer;

13. Continue resource sharing arrangements with other neighbouring and / or

Southern Tablelands Councils in relation to GIS Officer services and IT networking and platform services evaluations to alleviate Council’s high financial cost of consultancy services;


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14. Review the need for provision of electronic information systems to Councillors in

accordance with Council’s Provision of Facilities and Payment of Expenses Policy;

15. Investigate the Installation of user logging software for quality control and

planning processes; 16. Review the operation of the Customer Request Management system; 17. Implement the Civica Purchasing System (On-line purchase order commitments); 18. The investigation and costing of the provision of the following Civica

applications: - Human Resources, Planning Certificates, and Assets; 19. Continued ongoing upgrade, at minimum annually, of Council’s mapping

databases, cadastral data and other GIS data layers; 20. Continued ongoing maintenance and support for the various databases, however

review these databases with the view to full integration into the Civica application if the opportunity exists rather than having multiple databases to support;

21. Install permanent data projector at Crookwell Council Chambers; 22. Upgrade all PC monitors to 20 inch LCD standard; 23. Import of Datafuel issues to Authority Inventory Control; 24. Upgrade of Exponare to version 4.0; 25. Enable remote desktop access to PCs to assist with helpdesk resolution; 26. Upgrade to Civica Authority 6 web portal in 2010/2011; 27. Provision of image editing software to users; 28. Replacement of Tally Line Printer, Receipt Printers and Crookwell

Administration Office Printer; 29. Upgrade network switches to gigabit speed capability; 30. Upgrade of network cable between Administration, Environment and Planning,

and Works and Operations to optic fibre, with 1 gigabit data speed, upgrade of switch that has fibre optic inputs;

31. Upgrade of fibre optic transceivers between Administration and depot building; 32. Installation of InfoCouncil software for electronic business paper; 33. Provide services and support for technology required for the GIPA legislation;


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34. Upgrade all PCs to Microsoft Windows 7 operating system and upgrade all PCs

to Microsoft Office 2007; 35. Upgrade of Council’s Local-e website to a new content management system; 36. Training room facilities including; Vision 6 software for classroom management

and control, and improved web conferencing facilities. 37. Replacement of Gunning C350 photocopier.

15. References - Related Legislation, Policies and Plans The following legislation and policies should be read in conjunction with Council’s Information Technology Strategic Plan:- Relevant Legislation The following Legislation may affect the operation of this Plan:-

o Local Government Act 1993;

o Local Government (General) Regulations 2005;

o Local Government (State) Award;

o Anti Discrimination Act 1977;

o Industrial Relations Act 1996;

o Independent Commission against Corruption Act 1988;

o Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998;

o Freedom of Information Act 1989;

o Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000;

o Fair Work Act 2009;

o Equal Employment Opportunity Act 1972;

o Workers Compensation Act 1987;

o Ombudsman's Act 1974;

o Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979;

o Protected Disclosures Act 1994; and

o Crimes Act 1900.

Related Council Policies and Procedures The following Council Policies and documents that are relevant to this Policy include:-

o Code of Conduct for Councillors, staff, contractors and delegates of Council;

o Council’s Code of Meeting Practice;


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o Upper Lachlan Shire Council Organisation Structure;

o Upper Lachlan Shire Council Management Plan;

o Records Management Policy;

o Internet and Email Policy;

o Human Resource Training Plan;

o Staff Training Policy;

o Human Resource Succession Plan;

o Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Management Plan;

o Privacy and Personal Information Management Plan;

o Internal Reporting – Protected Disclosures Policy;

o Recruitment and Selection Policy;

o Complaints Management Policy;

o Grievance Policy;

o Disciplinary Policy;

o Harassment Policy;

o Secondary Employment Policy;

o Service Delivery Policy;

o Interaction between Councillors and Staff Policy;

o Bribes, Gifts and Benefits Policy;

o Fraud and Corruption Prevention Policy;

o Purchasing and Acquisition of Goods Policy and Procedures;

o Drug and Alcohol Policy;

o Rehabilitation Procedure and Practice Policy;

o Manual Handling Policy;

o Child Protection Policy;

o Delegations of Authority Policy;

o Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Policy;

o Trauma Management Policy;

o Employment and Retention Policy;

o Higher Grade Pay Policy;

o Time in Lieu of Overtime Policy;

o First Aid Policy;

o Occupational Health and Safety Policy;

o Mobile Telephone Policy;

o Volunteers Policy;


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o Payment of Expenses and Provision of Facilities Policy;

o Electronic Security System Policy;

o Gathering Information Policy; and

o Access to Council Documents Policy.