Decision details

Website and Intranet Replacement Project

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Purpose:

The Website and Intranet Replacement Project has been formed to re-platform the Council’s existing Content Management System (CMS) which hosts the customer website and staff intranet.  The re-platforming will be to a lower cost Drupal cloud-based content management and hosting solution where we will be working with a third-party service provider. We will be moving away from the existing Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) platform, the contract of which expires on 31/7/22. 

 

This funding request is for the costs we will incur working with the new service provider and costs for additional resources which will be needed for 12 months.

 

Decision:

That the Executive Member approves:-

 

(a)  the direct award to Big Blue Door Ltd via the CCS G-Cloud 12 Framework for the delivery, hosting and ongoing support and maintenance of a Drupal website platform for an initial term of 24 months plus an optional extension of up to a further 24 months; and

 

(b)  the use of Reserves, re-purposing the already approved Customer Experience Programme Budget to fund the one-off investment cost required for the re-platforming project of £498,269 – the net cost over 5 years is £151,909; this includes funding for 6 additional temporary roles needed to deliver the project.

 

 

Reasons for the decision:

The Contract will be let on the G-Cloud Framework Call Off Agreement which the Council has used many times and has no issues or risks associated with them.

 

The Council has an urgent requirement to ensure that both the Website and Intranet Replacement Project and Verint Webforms Project are supported sufficiently with appropriate roles to enable the projects to be successfully delivered.

 

By opting for procuring our chosen service provider Big Blue Door via the G-Cloud framework to enable a direct contract award, this enables a shorter timeline to commence the migration onto Drupal and reduces the timeline in continuing to pay higher licensing fees with Adobe.

 

 

Alternative options considered:

Do Nothing: This option is not recommended due to the ongoing high costs that would be incurred in continuing to use the AEM Platform and the risks and limitations that the continued use of AEM places on the Council in developing the website and intranet features further at an economical cost. This option would also make the Council non-compliant with Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

 

Conduct an open market procurement: This option has been rejected as there are many web platforms in existence and the work that would be required to assess each one would be unmanageable and too onerous. Public sector frameworks available in which the Council can procure against saves the Council conducting a full tender process.

 

Access an Open Framework through Direct Award: This is the recommended option as it is an available option within the public sector frameworks open for the Council to use. It also has the advantage of being a quicker process than other options and is also compliant with Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

 

 

Publication date: 04/08/2021

Date of decision: 04/08/2021

Effective from: 11/08/2021

Accompanying Documents: