Issue - meetings

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which provided an update on the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) procurement process.

The process also identified the opportunity to transfer the centrally based IT support team for schools (known as the SIMS team) and the team that provided the support for the Virtual Learning Platform into the LEP process.

            The report detailed the procurement and evaluation process. Members noted that the recommendation of the evaluation team would be presented to the Board on 5 August 2010. The Preferred Bidder would be announced on 24 August 2010, with the programme team having until 7 December 2010 to reach financial close.           

            Members were informed that school staff who worked on IT must be transferred to the Local Education Partnership Managed Service. This service consisted of a single contract to deliver all IT systems and services for schools. In addition, the authority had staff that provided support and guidance on the learning platform for schools. The Virtual Learning Platform (VLP), managed by UniServity, would be adopted by all schools across the Borough. It was envisaged that the VLP team would transfer to the BSF Managed Service.

Reason(s) for Decision       

To provide a single source of data and IT support to all schools.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

VLP and SIMs were retained by the authority.  This could cause interface issues for the authority as part of the service would be delivered by the LEP managed service and part by the local authority.

Implementation Date

The decision needed to be made by 1^st July 2010 so that consultation could be undertaken with the schools.

RESOLVED: That

1)         the progress in the BSF Procurement process be noted and a further report submitted to Executive Board on 5^th August 2010 for approval of the selected bidder; and

(2)       the Board approve, in principle, the transfer of the SIMs team and the team working on the Virtual Learning Platform, subject to the agreement of the Primary and Secondary Schools and on provision that this represents value for money.