The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) and Centre for Digital Public Services (CDPS) are to run a discovery project on requirements for information management systems for the country’s schools.
A discovery project is typically 8-12 weeks long and in this instance aims to help local authorities understand the market options for systems in line with their current support contracts. The result of the discovery will be a needs based procurement specification for an education management system.
The discovery forms part of the ambition to work across councils to a shared set of core requirements that would present new opportunities for collaboration across Wales. This approach is endorsed by both Sam Hall, chief digital officer for local government and Glyn Jones, chief digital officer for Welsh Government.
Dataset factor
The discovery will look at the user need for establishing a core dataset or datasets, the capacity for individual schools to configure the system, the associated infrastructure needs, reporting capabilities and interoperability with other systems.
It will be overseen by a stakeholder group and a smaller strategic governance group with the intention of creating a needs-based procurement specification for an education management system.
WLGA and CDPS said: “It will be down to local authorities to procure and configure their systems. We have a shared ambition across councils, CDPS and WLGA to work together as a consortium to an agreed set of requirements that satisfy us all.”
