“Red Alert” as York Council confirms customer management system in trouble

Just a few days after we revealed that the Councils IT systems were at best “flaky”, there has been official confirmation of the scale of the problems

A report to the Council’s Audit Committee includes a “Red Warning” about the new digital system (CRM) on its risk register.

The project ran into serious trouble earlier in the year when a “contractual issue” ruled out “going live” on many customer management features.

Now the position has worsened with no progress on resolving the issue being reported. The Council is pinning its hopes on an “independent review” of the outstanding issues but no timescales have been agreed,

The IT change is hugely expensive for taxpayers. It is a project first mooted in 2011 but since then progress has been agonisingly slow. As a result the Council has been criticised for not buying proven “off the shelf” solutions; instead they preferred to “go it alone”.

The Executive member with responsibility for the project (Chris Steward) quit in January, leaving Council Leader David Carr to pick up the pieces.

It seems that he has had little more success in moving the project forward.

What’s on in York: Children’s bookmaking workshop

York Explore Library 

Sat 17 Jun 

2.30pm – 4.00pm 

Free

Book Making WorkshopPart of the Festival of Ideas programme, come along and have look at different types of books and their bindings including early books, play some fun games then make and decorate a beautiful book of your own to take home.

Free for children age 7+ with an accompanying adult.

Booking is essential and places can be reserved at any library.

For more information contact York Explore Library on (01904) 552828 or york@exploreyork.org.uk.

 

What’s on in York: ZEPPELINS OVER YORK – ONE WOMAN’S GREAT WAR DIARY

Saturday 17 June 2017, 4.30pm to 5.30pm

Free admission Booking required – 01904 461010

York Army Museum, Tower Street 

Wheelchair accessible

‘It was a still, starlit night. The humming had become a loud throbbing and up there, showing against the stars, was the long, black, threatening shape of the Zeppelin. It was a most thrilling, weird sensation, standing out there by myself and watching it approaching rapidly.’  Mabel Goode, August 1916

From her home in St Leonard’s Place, York, Mabel Goode recorded what she knew would be the biggest event of her lifetime. Her diary reveals how life on the home front was transformed by a conflict without precedent. Join Mabel’s great-great-nephew, Michael, as he sheds light on her recently discovered Great War diary, which was found at the bottom of a dusty trunk in 2011.

About the speaker Michael Goode read History at Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge. As an undergraduate, he took a special interest in economic and political history, especially the concept of total war.  This talk is based on his book, The Lengthening War: The Great War Diary of Mabel Goode, which began when he and his grandfather were clearing out the attic and found his great-great-aunt’s diary at the bottom of a dusty trunk in 2011.

Tickets click

What’s on in York: Story of things with Lego

 

York Explore Library :

Sat 17 Jun :

1.00pm – 4.00pm :

Free

Part of the Festival of Ideas programme, come along and have creative fun with Lego. Be inspired by our archive treasures and see what you can make.

This is free drop in session so spend 10 minutes or all three hours constructing and making.

For more information please call York Explore Library on (01904) 552828 or york@exploreyork.org.uk.