London Borough of Havering (LBH) has been offered indicative funding to modify the ShareCare CMS supplied by Esprit. The same vendor provides the NRUC system and NRUC has submitted a proposal offering economies of scale if DCSF were to fund the ContactPoint enablement of the ShareCare and NRUC systems as a combined project. LBH and NRUC are proposing to be lead organisations in common.

NRUC is a database holding details of unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The database is accessible by Local Authorities and holds data provided by the the Home Office (Borders and Immigration Authority) that is arting point for LA updating that creates LA records alongside that of the BIA within the NRUC system. It is these LA child records from which data would be extracted and supplied to ContactPoint.

ShareCare is an Integrated Children's services (ICS) system used by LBH practitioners of various disciplines.

A key enabling component of this cost saving proposition is that the NRUC and ShareCare systems would be modified to support ContactPoint enabling functionality and harmonised onto the same enhanced technology platform from their current platforms, which are different. The joint submission costs cover the ContactPoint modifications. The technology platform enhancements are covered elsewhere and are excluded from ther ContyactPoint enablement costings [DN - to be confirmed with Esprit by NRUC/LBH].

The delivery dates set out in the meeting were adjusted from those in the previously supplied MS Project plan to reflect the delays to the ContactPoint project. They ensure the joint enablement will fall within the desired Wave 3 window within which the Havering deployment is scheduled between January and May 2009.

Havering has deployed the ShareCare product since March 2007 with im[plementation having started in September 2006; and NRUC has worked with Esprit for some 4 years since the system was conceived.

Data would update ContactPoint on a batched near real-time basis or at worst on a daily basis as determined by configurable system parameters in ShareCare and NRUC.

It was emphasised by DCSF that the funding would not be finalised for the project until February, following delivery of the Deloitte security review and determination by the department and the ContactPoint of any changes required to current designs, arrangements and plans.

Clarification was provided on the importance attached by DCSF to lead organisations being seen to be clearly in control and driving the management of their ContactPoint enablement project, ensuring that their supplier (Esprit) is managed effectively by both organisations to ensure a quality and timely delivery.

Esprit is managed through the Esprit Advisory Board: a steering group rather with a strategic role that is more than purely advisory. It is a forum to challenge and influence Esprit that is chaired by ESPRIT OFFICIAL, an independent who is neither a customer of nor remunerated by Esprit [DN - to be confirmed by LBH/NRUC].

There will be a Programme Board as well as Project Boards within each organisation to manage any issues around integration.

Any issues which are raised with regards to Esprit will be escalated to the Esprit Advisory Board.

Assurance was given to LBH that the indications received regarding their stand al;one submission would be honoured in the event that the combined submission was rejected.

All aspects of project management for the combined project will be handled as for an individual project, e.g.there will be a single risks and issues log used by both LBH and NRUC.

Esprit have proposed providing a webforum for other ShareCare customers interested in tracking project status.

The most likely conflict is a delay in the upgrade to the common enhanced technologyplatform, where there is a key interdependency, which will be managed through the risk register and issues register subsequently if necessary.

NRUC were advised that their elements of the plan and payment milestone percentages would be the same as for all funded LAs and not as proposed in the joint submission, i.e. as for LBH. However, there wqas no need to update the project plan until the ContactPoint launch schedule and detailed Integration Specification v2 had been issued.

LBH and NRUC each stated that in terms of working relationships with and performance (schedule, quality, cost) of Esprit. they had each had a good experience.

LBH estimate it likely to take 18 months at least to train their 2,000+ users.

the significance and scale of the cultural changes implicit with the ContactPoint and other ICT initiatives currently running in local goverment was acknowledged.