The strategy, which runs to 2027, sets out how the council will:
- utilise technology to transform the delivery of our services
- improve the digital skills of our residents and support their well-being
- help Newport businesses to thrive
The annual digital report, which covers the 2023/24 financial year, listed particular progress against a number of themes.
The redevelopment of the council’s website was one of the areas highlighted under transformation of services. The first phase of the new website went live in February earlier this year.
It has been developed in line with current design and accessibility standards, and residents have been involved in the testing process to ensure that it meets their needs.
The site has also been developed using Drupal, an open source platform which has allowed for greater innovation in building the site.
We have also been developing use of robotic process automation, in order to automate several existing processes to free up officer time to concentrate on more involved tasks.
Under digital infrastructure and connectivity, the council’s three care homes for adults have benefited from support from the Local Broadband Fund project, with full-fibre broadband now in place in all three homes. Full-fibre broadband continues to be rolled out across the city.
Under the data and collaboration theme, the council achieved public services network accreditation as well as payment card industry compliance. Both of these are important as they help towards ensuring people have full confidence in how we manage their data.
Commenting on the annual report, Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, leader of the council, said: “Cabinet was very pleased to note the good progress we have made so far in delivering against our objectives, as set out in the annual report.
"Our digital strategy is a key piece of our plans to make Newport an ambitious and fairer city for our residents and businesses.
“People need to know that they can access our services as and when they need them, and that when they do, our systems are secure and safe to use.
“The redevelopment of our website is a major project that we know is already delivering a more user-friendly experience.
“We’re also looking at our own processes, and how we get the most out of our officers. Automating certain repetitive tasks is an important step forward, as it frees up our staff to focus on more involved tasks. This is something we’ll be looking to apply to more tasks as and when we can.”
