Programme of Work PO88 - Digital Infrastructure- Framework - Progress in transitioning to new supplier and solution
North Lanarkshire Council · 29 September 2022
Back to Policy and Strategy Committee — 29 September 2022 and its agenda
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Policy and Strategy committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref GR/KH Date 29/09/22 Programme of Work PO88 – Digital Infrastructure: Framework Progress in transitioning to new supplier and solution From Head of Business and Digital E-mail Hassellk@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07903096121 1. Background 1.1 Previous reports to the former Transformation and Digitisation Committee on 14th December 2021 and subsequently on 23rd February 2022, summarised the robust process that had been undertaken in developing a Digital Infrastructure Framework from Outline Business Case, market testing, procurement process to final award, with the February 2022 report also providing a summary of the associated Added Value attached to this programme which Commsworld Ltd are committed to delivering upon. Executive Summary The Programme of Work 2022-23, and indicative reporting timeline, approved by the Policy and Strategy Committee on 17 March 2022, requires committee to consider a progress update regarding the Digital Connectivity Services Framework approved by the former Transformation and Digitisation Committee on 14 December 2021. This report therefore focusses on activities underway to support the Council’s Place-based approach, and the transition to the new supplier Commsworld Ltd and associated digital infrastructure solutions. Recommendations Committee are requested to note the progress to date of Programme of Work item P088. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority All priorities Ambition statement (2) Refocus our town centres and communities to be multi- functional connected places which maximise social, economic, and environmental opportunities (18) Ensure our digital transformation is responsive to all people's needs and enable access to the services they need (21) Continue to identify and access opportunities to leverage additional resources to support our ambitions
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1.2 Following approval, the Framework was awarded to Commsworld Ltd for an initial period of 180 months (15 years) with the council reserving the right to extend such for additional periods up to a maximum of a further 60 months (5 years). The value of the Framework Agreement shall not exceed £150,000,000, exclusive of VAT. 1.3 Five initial Call off Contracts with an aggregated value of £26,126,599 were awarded as follows: 1. Wide Area Network Connectivity 2. Analogue Services replacement 3. CCTV Leased Services Connectivity 4. Internet Access 5. Public Wi-Fi. 1.4 Of these, the first four have been signed and are in delivery. Item 5 requires a complex Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) to be finalised which is expected to be concluded soon. 2. Report 2.1 Following award we are now in the implementation phase of the programme, and have agreed several key milestones (and associated payments) with Commsworld Ltd as follows: 1. Approved Design 2. Hardware Receipt 3. Five (5) phases of Civil Construction 4. Five (5) phases of Site Migration Milestones 1 and 2 have been completed as has the first phase of item 3. 2.2 This Framework will see 340km of high-capacity fibre being built within the Council area by June 2023. Ten (10) sites migrations are due to complete by the end of September, with such then being used to refine the migration process before moving to the second and subsequent large-scale migrations within the extremely aggressive and challenging remaining 10-month timeframe. 2.3 These initial migrations will involve the change of service provider from incumbent to Commsworld, including connecting to Commsworld provided hardware and fibre infrastructure. However initially all traffic will be rerouted back into the Council datacentres via new Commsworld provided fibre interconnects to transition through existing security appliances and web filtering tools. This provides time for a complementary project that will provide new and increased web filtering services, capable of accommodating the accumulated increased bandwidth levels associated with the new Wide Area Network. Initially sites migrating will have bandwidth matched to current levels to avoid overwhelming the existing filtering solution, which has a capacity significantly lower than the new accumulated bandwidth. 2.4 A pilot of the new filtering solution will take place with a small number of chosen sites to determine functionality, performance, and configuration. Following testing and agreement by both parties, this environment will be deployed within a Commsworld hosted datacentre with sites transitioned across allowing monitoring of performance.
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2.5 This scaled approach is being taken to achieve minimum interruption to service, lower risk, and accommodates the staff resourcing capability of the Business and Digital teams involved whilst running multiple major projects simultaneously. 2.6 No site will have less capacity than it currently has during the phasing of the transition with the expectation that sites will start to transition to the new filtering solution from November 2022 onwards, with all sites being capable of utilising the total bandwidth provided by the end of the works programme, i.e., June 23. 2.7 Governance 2.7.1 A weekly tracker is produced by Commsworld that tracks both the build and migration performance, an example of which is shown in the table below: Table 1 - Construction Performance against Target 2.8 As can be seen in Table 1 the construction target for fibre installation is currently ahead of schedule; maps showing delivery up to 31st August for key areas are shown in Appendix 1. 2.9 The Council continues to explore opportunities for additional Call off Contracts, with Proof of Concepts for telephony and Microsoft Teams integrations and a Smart Park proposal for Palacerigg being actively considered. 2.10 Members are aware of the Council’s longer-term ambition to address digital poverty for all housing tenants through delivery of an affordable, reliable, superfast, and secure internet service. Led by Housing Solutions, the Council is assessing the benefits to tenants, as well as the capital and revenue implications which any such change may have on approved programmes. It is expected the outputs of this assessment will be presented for elected member consideration alongside Housing Revenue Estimate proposals for 2023-24 in February 2023. Whilst this is progressing however, the Council will promote Commsworld’s offer of low cost, ultra-fast gigabit connectivity (1Gb internet
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access) to tenants of social housing properties in line with its fibre delivery schedule. The price per calendar month varies in line with level of customer take-up. 2.11 Under Community Benefits colleagues have been working with Commsworld to put into practice benefits proposed within the tender response. An early deliverable of note is the agreed 2-year Modern Apprenticeship programme. This comprises rotational placements with the Council and Commsworld, with an expectation that three (3) roles will commence mid-September 22, as follows: ➢ MA Information Technology Security x1 ➢ MA IT & Telecommunications x 2 2.12 Dialogue in conjunction with Commsworld has taken place with Smart STEM’s and Young Enterprise Scotland to create a programme of events aimed at the young people of North Lanarkshire. Led by the Council’s Enterprise Manager, Enterprise & Communities will collaborate with colleagues from Education & Families to agree a serious of relevant events and content to be delivered over the next 3 years. 3. Measures of success 3.1 Alignment to migration plan and consumption of internet services. 4. Supporting documentation Katrina M Hassell Head of Business and Digital
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5. Impacts ( http://connect/report-template-guidance ) 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality-and-fairer- scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts have been discussed and agreed with Financial Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts have been discussed and agreed with People and Organisational Development? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts have been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic Solutions? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact?
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Replacement WAN, Internet, and Public WiFi service, however these are well understood within Business and Digital. Where the impact identifies a requirement for technology, has an assessment been carried out (or scheduled) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☒ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? There will be significant interest around various aspect of this programme, Corporate Communications are fully aware and engaged to provide communication when required. 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☒ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? Risks have been identified and are controlled within standard project management activities.
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Appendix 1 Installed Core – Spine (not installed) Branch (not installed) Coatbridge Monklands Area: Meterage : 500m Coatbridge: Meterage: 1500m
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Holytown : Meterage :11889m
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Motherwell : Meterage :24783m
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Newhouse to Harthill : Meterage : 12323m
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Shotts: Meterage : 12323m Bellshill : Meterage: 3500
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