To consider the report relating to the Staff Attendance & Recording System (StARS) (CFO/51/24).

Chief Fire Officer, Phil Garrigan, introduced the Staff Attendance and Recording Systems (StARS) report.

Members were provided with an overview of the StARS application, which allowed the Authority to record individual attendance across all duty systems. It was noted that application enhancements had taken place, with the Authority collaborating with the providers to create bespoke functionality for the service.

Attention was drawn to paragraphs 11 and 18, which highlighted potential development opportunities and how the Authority could incorporate any further changes in duty systems into the application.

Councillor Bell inquired if the application had been included in the Authority's budget for the upcoming year.. It was clarified that the application was factored into both the Authority’s budget and the Medium-Term Financial Plan.

With regard to the recent Task and Finish Review of Sickness Absence, it was noted that some data scrutinised had been provided through the StARS system, and Councillor Maloney noted that the information presented was easy to read. The Chief Fire Officer informed Members that the end user feedback was also positive in terms of the software’s usability. 

Councillor Hanratty entered the meeting at 13:07pm.

Councillor Murray questioned whether the Authority had planned to undertake any testing as part of the development process. The Chief Fire Officer assured Members that the Authority always sought to work with developers to test that the application reflected the nuances of the Authority, such as its bespoke duty systems.

The recent His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection highlighted the efficiency of the Authority’s diverse duty systems in meeting staff needs and delivering services. It was noted that developers consistently had displayed a willingness to collaborate with the Authority to represent diverse duty systems and better address the Authority’s needs.

Councillor Murray queried whether the overall cost for development had been included in the price and the Chief Fire Officer confirmed that the price was inclusive of all costs. Members were advised that in some cases, additional costs may arise if additional functionally was requested that had not initially been part of the scope. It was clarified that in some instances, developers could absorb the cost of new applications if they were mutually beneficial for both parties.

Councillor Hanratty expressed concerns about security and potential cyber-attacks, questioning the Authority's dependency on the system and highlighting the need for adequate safeguards. Members were informed that the Authority was aware of those risks and that HMICFRS had indicated that it could seek to assess the Authority’s cybersecurity arrangements within the next two years. The Chief Fire Officer assured Members that the Authority was vigilant in the face of evolving hacker technology’. Additionally, Councillor Byrom raised concerns about the telecom outage of the 999 system earlier this year, which prompted a review by The Local Government Association (LGA). It was explained that the telecom company had been fined and this therefore closed the Authority’s review of that particular issue.

Councillor Wood queried the adequacy of training relating to the application and whether it was accessible to new employees joining the service. The Chief Fire Officer explained that staff had undergone in-house training and noted that those who were experienced with the application had been assigned to provide the necessary training.

Councillor Hanratty highlighted the Glossary of Terms that mentioned Amazon Web Services. He stressed the necessity of exercising caution whilst considering the potential vulnerabilities associated with a large corporation that may be susceptible to cyber-attacks.

Councillor Byrom advised Members that due to the sensitive nature of a potential Cybersecurity report, it was agreed that a learning lunch for Members would be proposed.

RESOLVED that

a)    the contract for the Staff Attendance Recording System (StARS) to Verisk be awarded; and

b)    the intention to proceed with development work A as outlined below subject to internal application development governance processes be noted