Overview

The council is undertaking a major transformation programme to modernise and consolidate its core back-office technology. The project aims to replace its existing SAP, Digigov and Talentlink systems

A key principle underpinning the project is “adopt not adapt”. Rather than designing systems around existing processes and legacy ways of working, the council is seeking solutions that reflect proven market practice. This is supported by an outcome-based approach to requirements, focusing on what the council needs to achieve rather than prescribing how suppliers deliver it.

Key Stakeholders

The programme requires close collaboration across both internal and external stakeholders, reflecting the breadth and strategic importance of the systems being replaced.

Key stakeholders include:

• Civiteq – external consultants supporting the programme and providing specialist expertise.
• HR – contributing requirements relating to workforce and people management.
• Finance – defining financial management, controls, reporting and associated requirements.
• Procurement – leading the commercial and procurement strategy.
• IT – ensuring alignment with the council’s technology architecture, integration, security and support requirements.
• Data Governance – overseeing data quality, management, migration and governance considerations.

The cross-functional stakeholder model ensures that requirements reflect the needs of the wider organisation rather than those of a single service area.

Procurement and Market Engagement

The procurement is conducted through the Government Commercial Agency’s Back Office Software 2 framework, Lot 1.

A one-stage framework call-off approach is adopted. This provides a structured route to market while enabling the council to assess suppliers against a combination of mandatory requirements, quality, demonstrations and commercial considerations.

Strategic Approach

A central feature of the programme is the move away from legacy-system thinking.

Rather than seeking to reproduce existing processes within a new technology environment, the council uses the procurement as an opportunity to consider how services should operate in the future. The “adopt not adapt” principle encourages the organisation to adopt standard functionality and established market practice wherever this can deliver the required outcomes.

This approach aims to:

• Modernise the council’s core back-office capabilities.
• Standardise processes across relevant functions.
• Reduce unnecessary system customisation.
• Improve consistency and usability for staff.
• Support better integration and data management.
• Establish a sustainable technology platform for the long term.
• Create a clearer focus on business outcomes and service improvements.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the project is not simply about replacing SAP, Digigov and Talentlink. It is an opportunity to rethink the council’s approach to back-office technology, simplify its systems landscape and establish a foundation for sustainable digital transformation.