Technology Magazine December 2022 | Page 127

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA CITY COUNCIL

This is where the aforementioned SCC culture shift began .

The ability to facilitate that shift required significant consideration from SCC ’ s IT team to ensure that adopted systems were beneficial for all members of the community , taking into account the individuals that are less inclined to rely on digital services . This plays into the organisation ’ s strategy for inclusivity and providing equitable opportunities for the citizens of Southend .

As the city grows and more challenges arise , partnerships will be critical for the organisation ’ s future . Businesses that have already supported SCC ’ s strategy — including Vodafone , Phoenix , Microsoft , Agilisys , NTT , and CityFibre — will continue to do so , opening up channels for potential partnerships in future . The council will continue to review and renew its estate in its strategy for the future , which also incorporates more sustainable practices .

“ We will complete our move to the cloud , decommission most of our data centres , and , hopefully , complete all of our front-end work for the residents ,” says Thomas . “ They will have a more intuitive way of engaging with the council , and we ’ ll also start working closer with partner organisations across the city to develop more connectivity to empower our residents while also bringing them closer together as a community .”

“ Connectivity is one of those elusive things that allows use of the internet as well as the ability to connect to all sorts of useful services , but we need to make sure it also brings people and communities closer .”

COVID-19 was somewhat of a facilitator of fast-paced change as the organisation realised the potential benefits digital can offer residents .“ One thing COVID taught us is that people are important and we need to help our residents foster that ,” Thomas explains .

CAROL THOMAS DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL & ICT , SOUTHEND-ON-SEA CITY COUNCIL

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