The Chairman led a discussion with Performance
Monitoring Panel members to establish specific and common issues
experienced with member iPads and which potentially affected the
undertaking of democratic duties.
The Portfolio Holder for
Corporate, Governance and Communications and the Head of ICT and
Digital (PSPS) were in attendance to understand members’
concerns and answer questions.
Members expressed the following
concerns regarding the stability and usability of the ModGov App
and Microsoft Teams on iPad devices;
- Difficulties in
accessing Microsoft Teams meetings:
- Members sometimes
received prompts to enter a Microsoft password in order to access a
Teams meeting. Such passwords were held by ICT but not by members;
and
- A higher rate of
issues had been identified where Teams meetings had been instigated
by a Boston Borough Council or East Lindsey District Council
officer;
- Microsoft Teams App
had been removed from some devices, without notice, and
reinstatement had required members to visit to the ICT
offices;
- Viewing of documents
through the ModGov App on the iPad was challenging and documents
frequently reverted to the first page. Members felt this
potentially affected their ability to engage with content at times
and called for the system to be user friendly;
- The ModGov App did
not allow the printing of selected agenda pages at home. Members
debated the right to have printed agendas where requested/issues
were encountered;
- A loss of internet
connectivity was occasionally experienced at the council offices
and members were prompted to enter a Wi-Fi password;
- Members reported
issues with the viewing of long emails where multiple responses had
been made;
- Multiple demands on
personal Wi-Fi affected the capacity of utilising devices for
council duties whilst at home; and
- It was noted that
much officer and member time was lost attempting to rectify issues
at the point of immediate need.
Members suggested that all
members be surveyed to capture the full extent of issues
encountered. An understanding of issues and how they could be
addressed was required.
The Portfolio Holder for
Corporate, Governance and Communications responded that:
- It was imperative
that devices used by councillors in their wards and at meetings
were reliable and stable. Work was already underway and further
work would follow to achieve greater stability;
- Recent checks by ICT
suggested that a number of issues encountered by members had
resulted from incorrect/incomplete background configurations which
could be easily addressed;
- Issues relating to
Microsoft Teams and connectivity with ModGov had been identified
and were being explored;
- Where device
stability could not be achieved, the current practice regarding
printed agendas may need to be revisited:
- Members were
encouraged to report all issues to ICT;
- Support was given for
a member survey to understand the extent of problems encountered;
and
- Additional Microsoft
365 and ModGov functionality training could be offered to members
in order to improve confidence and competency.
The Head of ICT and Digital
(PSPS) responded that:
- Reports to ICT were
reviewed, and where common issues identified, a
‘problem’ ticket was opened and further investigation
undertaken;
- The ICT team had
investigated all recently reported member issues. A potential
problem relating to Microsoft Teams had been identified which had
resulted in the creation of a ‘problem’ ticket and a
referral to Microsoft for further support;
- Regarding action
being/to be taken:
- Respective Microsoft
365 passwords would be circulated to members in case of need. The
prompt was an anomaly and had been reported to
Microsoft;
- Where members
reported problems, the ICT team would offer individual
support;
- Drop-in sessions had
taken place to assist members with ICT problems and iPad
performance;
- Microsoft Teams
performed most optimally with the Microsoft browser
‘Edge’, as opposed to Apple’s default browser
Safari. ICT would check members’ iPads to ensure the correct
browser was being utilised;
- A replacement Wi-Fi
solution to prevent ‘drop-outs’ during meetings at
Priory Road offices was being tested. It was anticipated that a
seamless transition would be implemented within a few
weeks;
- Software was to be
installed on member iPads so that ‘remote access’
support could be provided by ICT;
- Members were
encouraged to contact the Head of ICT and Digital (PSPS) directly
for support where escalation was required;
- Members were advised
that meeting links sent via email offered greater stability than
those embedded in calendar invitations or previews. Investigations
would be made into issues encountered where meetings had been
instigated by partnership officers;
- The new mobile phone
provider provided substantial cost savings and was not expected to
affect overall coverage; and
- The request to survey
members on their iPad experiences was supported.
AGREED:
a)
That the comments of the Panel be noted: and
b)
That ICT propose a way forward to enable the identification of
issues encountered across the council and how these were to be
addressed.