Guernsey Press

£200m. spend over 10 years on States IT

THE STATES are to spend around £200m. in a 10-year period on digital transformation and future delivery of their IT services.

Published
Agilisys Limited has been named the preferred bidder to provide digital services to the States. Pictured left to right are Richard Hanrahan, the CEO of Agilisys Guernsey, Agilisys Ltd CEO Andrew Mindenhall, president of Policy & Resources Gavin St Pier, States chief information officer Colin Vaudin, Agilisys transformation director Paul Knight and Agilisys Guernsey partnership director Ashley Roper. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 24448614)

Policy & Resources president Gavin St Pier said they would be looking at spending £18m. a year to support the States.

‘The reality is if we don’t do it now, it will get more expensive,’ said Deputy St Pier.

The preferred bidder following a two-year procurement process is UK-based company Agilisys Limited .

‘The scale of the contract meant it was always going to be a relationship with an off-island contractor,’ said Deputy St Pier, who added that there would be local sub-contractors.

Assessments brought two companies in close running to be the preferred bidder.

‘It was a very thorough assessment and we were in the very fortunate position that the assessment judged both providers to exceed requirements.’

Both companies offered the same service but Agilisys were more financially competitive.

Agilisys will provide IT support across the organisation but where islanders will see the difference will be through their online point of contact with the States.

‘Users should have the ability to apply for a driving licence at 8pm on a Saturday night while watching TV instead of having to go down to Bulwer Avenue,’ he said.

Deputy St Pier said there would be a single architecture to access States services online and a single point of contact.

The project is part of public service reform which as a whole aims to save £26m. by 2021.

States’ chief information officer Colin Vaudin said the IT side of the States runs a range of services from those open to the public to the support of deputies and policies.

‘We run the most complex IT organisation on the island,’ said Mr Vaudin.

He said the first parts of the platform should be live within months and all States’ services should be brought in within two years.

‘We’ll be looking at how we can make the greatest efficiencies,’ said Mr Vaudin.

He said the final two companies were both a consortium of off and on-island firms and have built relationships with island corporations.

‘We need to be using modern technology. Technology doesn’t stand still, we don’t know what it will be like in five years’ time.

‘This is a long-term partnership,’ he said.

Agilisys is an IT and digital transformation specialist company which enables organisations to adopt technologies, platforms and processes that promote new and more efficient ways of working.

Richard Hanrahan has worked for Agilisys for a number of years and will be CEO of the Guernsey branch when it is established.

‘It started with 12 organisations of interest and I have never participated in this level of procurement before.

‘The States have done a great job.

‘We have been able to engage with not just the procurement team but with businesses and deputies. We’ve got to know people in touch with the IT system across the States,’ he said.

‘The first two and a half years will be focused on modernisation and improvement.

‘We want to use the expertise, capability and potential on island and work alongside people, a really important principle we attach to ourselves is compliment not compete.

‘Only when we can’t source what we need on island will we reach out to other parts of the British Isles,’ said Mr Hanrahan.

CEO of Agilisys Limited Andrew Mindenhall said the States now has an opportunity to take a significant leap in technology use.

‘One of the things talked about over the last few years is lack of investment over the years. Technology has really come on and now there is an opportunity to get ahead and pioneer. It is very exciting as a business to take the States on that journey,’ said Mr Mindenhall.

Agilisys has worked with the City of London Corporation, City of London Police, North Somerset Council, and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

The decision to enter into the partnership rests with States members. Policy & Resources will publish a policy letter in May for debate in June.