Customer Relationship Management
Dear North Devon Council,
I am currently conducting research for a Masters Degree in Computing, and kindly request you respond to the questions below, under the Freedom of Information Act.
If you cannot provide an answer to one question, please state so and respond to the others.
Q1. What is the full official name of the Authority?
Q2. How large is the Authority in terms of population?
Q3. How large is the Authority in terms of geographical boundaries?
Q4. How many information systems / databases does the Authority use?
Q4a. How many of those are stand-alone (i.e. do not interact with any other information system)?
Q4b. How many of those interact with at least one other system (e.g. using API calls)?
Q5. What services are provided to Residents by the Authority (e.g. Taxi Licensing, Waste, Education, Planning Applications, etc.)
Q6a. Does the Authority have an online portal for Residents?
Q7b. What is the uptake by residents as a percentage within the authority?
Q7. What percentage of services in Q4 are accessible to Residents online using Single Sign On (SSO) on the portal?
Q8. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18?
Q9. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18 for software licensing?
Q10. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18 for payroll of employees, agency staff, and contractors?
Q11. Does the Authority use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System?
(if Yes answer Q12 ad Q14, if No answer Q13)
Q12. If the Authority has a CRM system:
Q12a. When did the CRM system go Live?
Q12b. How long did the implementation take?
Q12c. What were the main obstacles encountered to the implementation? (See "CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)
Q13. If the Authority does not have a CRM system:
Q13a. Has the implementation of a CRM ever been considered?
Q13b. If Yes to Q13a., what were the reasons for not proceeding? (See "CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)
Q13c. Has the implementation of a CRM ever been planned or undertaken, but subsequently abandoned?
Q13d. If Yes to Q13c., what were the reasons for the failure of the project? (See "CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)
Q14. Is the CRM centred around Residents or Properties?
CRM Challenges
Integration of different data sources into a single system
Training users to effectively use the solution
Participation of different departments within the authority
Integration with existing back-office applications
Promoting Usage
Funding
Other (please specify)
Yours faithfully,
Baptiste GC
Dear Sirs
Thank you for your request received this morning, for which I acknowledge receipt. Please e-mail any future requests directly to this mailbox.
Your request is now being dealt with in accordance with the Act and will be processed and responded to no later than 8 March 2019, in accordance with the statutory time limit.
The Council has an adopted charging policy for dealing with requests for information under FOIA and EIR, which is published on the Council's website, however I will write to you in advance should the processing of your request require a fee, or if we should require further any information/clarification from you.
Yours faithfully
Vicky Eagle
Administrator – FOI and EIR
Legal Services
North Devon Council
PO Box 379, Barnstaple, EX32 2GR
[North Devon Council request email]
Dear Sirs
I write in response to your request for information received 8 February 2019.
Section 1(1)(a) of the Act requires the Council to inform you whether it holds information of the description specified in your request. I confirm that the Council does hold some of this information. In discharge of its obligation under section 1(1)(b) I can provide you with the following information in response:
Q1. North Devon District Council
Q2. The Council does not record population statistics; therefore this information is not held. If you have not already done so, please contact the Office of National Statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk/help/localstatist...
Q3. Please refer to the Council's website for this information:
https://www.northdevon.gov.uk/council/vo...
Q4. The Council does not hold a definitive list of information systems/databases; however ICT have estimated that there are approx. 30-40 main systems but many of these will consist of multiple databases/data sources.
Q4a. Very few main systems are stand alone; approximately three or four.
Q4b. Most applications/data sources interest with another application in some way.
Q5. The Council does not hold a definitive list of every service it provides to residents; however the majority of its services are published via the Council website: www.northdevon.gov.uk
Q6a. Yes, Residents can contact the Council via visiting the following page on the Council website: https://www.northdevon.gov.uk/do-it-onli...
Q6b. Percentage of Self-Serve interactions is approximately 20% and percentage of self-serve accounts set up is approximately 30%.
Q7. Almost all of the Council's services are available via the portal as refer to in 6a), but to varying degrees. Some are end to end, some have integrations and some are simply web forms that send an e-mail to the back office.
Q8. This information is published in the Council's Statement of Accounts for 2017/18:
https://www.northdevon.gov.uk/council/pe...
Q9. £54,779
Q10. As follows:
Payroll of employees = Please refer to the Council's published Statement of Accounts (note 8, page 53) for 2017/18 via the link given above.
Agency Staffing = This information is published in dataset format: https://www.northdevon.gov.uk/open-data/...
Contractors = The Council doesn't maintain a central record of this; however you the Council's Contract's Register and Expenditure datasets of spend over £250 is available via the following links:
Contracts Register - https://procontract.due-north.com/Contra...
Expenditure Datasets - https://www.northdevon.gov.uk/open-data/...
Q11. Yes
Q12a. The CRM went live March 2017. Details of the Contract are published on the Council's Contracts Register via the following link:
https://procontract.due-north.com/Contra...
Q12b. Four months
Q12c. Integration with existing back office systems.
Q13. N/A
Q13a. N/A
Q13b. N/A
Q13c. N/A
Q13d. N/A
Q14. The CRM is centred around residents.
In accordance with Section 21(1) of the Act, the Council is not obliged to provide information that is already in the public domain. However, it does have a duty under Section 16(1) to provide all applicants advice and assistance in order to assist with locating the information, which I have done so in providing you with the relevant links as provided above.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to request an internal review which should be received within two months from the date of the response letter and should be sent to;
Head of Corporate & Community
Legal Services
North Devon Council
PO Box 379, Barnstaple, EX32 2GR
[North Devon Council request email]
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 745
Fax: 01625 524 510
Email: [email address]
Yours faithfully
Vicky Eagle
Administrator, FOI & EIR
Legal Services
North Devon Council
PO Box 379, Barnstaple, EX32 2GR
[North Devon Council request email]
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