Overview
We live in a digital first borough and almost everything that takes place in North Tyneside involves data and technology. Since the 1970s, public services have been increasingly automated and over the last decade the pace of change has been rapid. Technology plays an important role in sustaining and transforming the way Council services are delivered; it is a key enabler for change and improvement both within the Council and the North Tyneside borough. However we also must be mindful that technology improvements can leave some feeling left behind and we must be mindful of supporting these individuals within the Digital Strategy and through initiatives such as the Council’s Equally Well Plan.
The document sets out principles for how the Council’s technology services should be identified, designed, sourced and delivered over the next five years. It describes how these principles are linked to the Our North Tyneside Plan and the overarching Council values of we listen, we care, we are ambitious and we are good value for money.
The Digital Strategy for North Tyneside is both inward and outward looking, it does not just describe technology or IT but describes the broader sense of “Applying the culture, processes, business models and technologies of the internet era to respond to people’s raised expectations.” as described by Tom Loosemore in the UK’s first Government Digital Strategy in 2012. It looks at how we can use technology to benefit our residents, businesses and communities and how it can be a driver for positive change for the Council and our partners.
To make the principles as simple as possible the strategy is broken down into five themes: Data; Customers; Team; Infrastructure and Borough. This Strategy is not developed solely by North Tyneside Council but takes into consideration the direction of the wider public sector and global technology landscape including:
- Loti Digital strategy research
- Local Government Digital Office
- National Cyber Security Centre
- Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework
- Industry and sectoral best practice.
The Strategy has been developed collaboratively with a wide range of departments within the Council as well as a range of Councillors and partner organisations. The Strategy takes a lead from the Equally Well Strategy for North Tyneside in defining many of the digital inclusion objectives.
Infrastructure
Provide a stable, secure, scalable and cost-effective infrastructure to support the delivery of the below themes.
Data
We will keep it safe, use it well, turn it into intelligence and wisdom, share it lawfully and delete it appropriately
Customers
We will work to design services to make interaction with the authority easy and consistent in order to deliver our customer promise
Team
We will provide devices and applications that are fit for purpose and reliable and we will support all colleagues to have the skills and confidence to use them
Digital North Tyneside
We will work to ensure people are safe, digitally confident and connected, we will support the growth of the digital economy and we will use technology to help make North Tyneside a great place to live, work and visit