South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council sign 1.

5 million shared ICT services deal with Civica Partnership will enable authorities to digitise, cut costs and create a sustainable customer-facing model
30th April 2014, London: Civica, a market leader in specialist systems and business process services that helps organisations transform the way they work, has signed a contract with South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council (SHWD) to transform the ICT which underpins their organisations. The shared services deal, worth 1.5 million, will enable both councils to digitise and re-design internal operations, as well as public services, to cut costs, improve efficiency and create a sustainable customer-facing model. The two authorities, which manage a rural area of over 700 square miles, have worked together for eight years and were at the forefront of organisational re-design when they merged management structures in 2007. This new agreement is the latest step in their integration and journey to modernise; and forms a part of its Transformation Project Software Procurement, which aims to modernise technology in line with the governments Digital By Default scheme. Civica will supply the councils with a range of its electronic document management, telephony, workflow, payment, CRM and mobile working solutions. Its Contact Management tool will be used in conjunction with Civica EDM and Workflow systems to create an online portal - whereby members of the public can create an account to interact with the authority and utilise services. This customer journey will be integrated into back-office processes in real-time, giving council staff better access to accurate information - thereby increasing productivity and service-levels. Five other suppliers bid for the business but Civica was awarded the deal because of its proven history of helping both public and private organisations achieve their strategic goals. Darren Cole, head of ICT and customer services at SHWD explains, We recognised that with ever-increasing financial challenges and the changing needs of our customers, a more transformational approach was needed. It became clear that technology should play a key role in this. We wanted a trusted ICT partner with the skills and knowledge to help us achieve our goals with minimal disruption to our customers and staff. Were confident Civica will help us innovate to meet the changing needs of the population and continue to deliver excellence in services. Chris Ginnelly, managing director of information and engagement solutions, Civica, adds, Local authorities across the country continue to face the challenge of doing better with less. The organisations doing so most successfully are those embracing technology as a way to transform how services are delivered to citizens. South Hams District and West Devon Borough Council are a best-practice example of how building appropriate partnerships, embracing digital transformation and re-designing service delivery can dramatically improve the experience of the citizen and deliver financial savings for the authority.
ENDS

About Civica Civica (www.civica.co.uk) is a market leader in specialist systems and business process services for organisations across the public sector and around the world. Through experienced people who understand service delivery, the Group applies software, cloud-based services and outsourcing to help customers transform the way they work. Drawing on a unique combination of people, technology and business process expertise, Civica supplies more than 2,500 organisations in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and the USA.

Sarah Ryan/Clementine Stopford Civica Press Office at Brands2Life (0)20 7592 1200

civica@brands2life.com