Work on IT contract ‘will show value of Scrutiny review’

Under pressure from Health president Al Brouard over whether her committee’s work represented value for money, Deputy Yvonne Burford highlighted the Agilisys review as Scrutiny’s most significant piece of work.

‘Given the amount of money we spend on IT, I think that really is – in the financial area – one of the most significant,’ she said.

She confirmed that the review would contain recommendations for Policy & Resources but it was not the committee’s intention to bring a policy letter to the States unless those recommendations were ignored.

Deputy Brouard said that the States would have spent £3m. on Scrutiny by the end of the political term.

‘It would be great to hear three actual individual successes, where the work has helped a committee make substantial savings, caused a committee to change policy in a significant way, or just have uncovered some dastardly plot,’ he said.

Deputy Burford said her committee’s mandate was wider than just making savings – arguing that the recently strengthened Freedom of Information process had improved public confidence.

She also defended Scrutiny’s policy of live streaming hearings, after it was questioned by Deputy Sam Haskins.

She said the cost was approximately £900 for each hearing and that the live stream – on the committee’s own YouTube channel – reached many more people than had ever attended in person.

In addition, she said the live stream had proved particularly useful to local media and that reporting on ‘happenings within government’ that arose from Scrutiny’s work had ‘gone up exponentially this term’ as a result.

‘I do think it is value for money,’ she said.

In answer to a question from Deputy Andy Taylor, she also agreed to consult Policy & Resources about the staffing implications of holding hearings outside of work hours.

• The next Scrutiny Management Committee hearing will be with Environment & Infrastructure at 2.30pm this coming Tuesday, 27 February, at the Castel Douzaine Room.