These were our key achievements in 2021-2022 – the second year of our digital strategy.
- Being unveiled as a finalist in the Municipal Journal award for Digital Transformation in recognition of the progress we have made in our journey to achieving our vision.
- Piloting data science capabilities including machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyse data in more depth, generate greater insight and understanding, and stimulate innovative approaches to tackling challenges such as air quality, cost of living crisis, climate emergency, fly-tipping.
- Improving access to support and advice for colleagues and councillors through the introduction of a Genius Bar where people can seek face-to-face help.
- Enhancing our ability to collaborate through the launch of Office 365, improved in-room technology which will better support hybrid meetings, and raising awareness of functionality and capabilities.
- Enhancing our protection from malicious cyber attacks by migrating services to the cloud and improving our mandatory induction and refresher training.
- Adopting reusable components from GOV.UK to enable free, secure processing of online payments, and cost effective bulk email and text messaging.
- Driving a reduction in digital exclusion in the borough and within the council by:
- provisioning devices to colleagues who were previously digitally excluded.
- distributing recycled laptops to residents, in collaboration with Ealing and Hounslow Community and Voluntary Service.
- improving broadband coverage and connectivity throughout the borough, increasing coverage from 11% to 34% in one year.
- providing opportunities for volunteers and lifelong learners to learn new skills and gain hands-on experience by supporting the Re-Klaim project run by Ealing and Hounslow Community and Voluntary Service.
- delivering our second successful, month-long Digital Festival, reaching over a thousand people, by delivering more than 80 events, and engaging with multiple partner organisations.
- enabling libraries to become digital hubs, providing assisted digital support, advice and help throughout the borough.
- Implementing new, enhancing existing, and replacing multiple legacy systems and technologies with modern alternatives which help to improve the way that our communities contact and interact with us, including:
- telephony and contact systems.
- school admissions, early years and children’s centre system.
- registrar’s booking and certificate service.
- committee management system.
- performance and risk monitoring system.
- election management system.
- staff intranet site.
- website to promote tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail website.
- website to promote and enable the ordering of traded services for schools.
- open data hub incorporating local and national data from trusted sources.