Northern Grampians in western Victoria looking to efficient future with Authority
Management and staff at Northern Grampians Shire, in western Victoria, are looking forward to huge improvements in efficiency when their newly purchased Authority local government management software goes live on July 1.
Instead of having disparate technology from multiple vendors, they will rely on a single integrated system supported by Civica that will allow them to deliver better service to their customers.
“At present our Planning and Building departments’ work is not integrated with Finance, but Authority will allow our officers to process planning and building applications and seamlessly issue receipts. This is just one example of the significant improvements in efficiency we anticipate,” says Keith White, General Manager Corporate Services.
Council’s Request for Proposal (RFP) drew a strong response from IT firms, whose proposals were whittled down to three. These were subjected to intensive scrutiny, including discussions with existing users and site visits, before Civica was chosen.
Keith White says: “Civica offered the best long term solution. Our decision was all about securing our technology future with the most effective system and making sure the applications we chose were bullet-proof in the long term. Civica’s response was very professional, their substantial customer base had a strong influence on our decision, and their solution fitted our technology framework.
“Civica also offers a strong project management methodology which gives us confidence that the systems will be implemented on time despite our tight timeframe.”
When Phase 1 is operational, Authority will deliver a broad spectrum of new functionality. This will yield operational benefits including automated workflow, more efficient payroll processing, faster and more detailed management reports, and unified working methods that require just a single input for all data.
“The new system will also help by obliging us to re-engineer some of our processes, and this will give us greater efficiency in a number of areas,” says Keith White. “For instance, we have a small Finance team and Authority will assist them in delivering good outcomes.”
Council’s management also look forward to using Civica’s e-Services which will allow both staff and customers to access information and transact business via the Internet. Even simple operations like applying for leave online will save a great deal of time and effort. Enabling customers to make Planning and Building applications online, and to check the progress of their requests, will improve efficiency still further.
Northern Grampians Shire, which already has a reputation in western Victoria as a leader in technology, sees its partnership with Civica extending that status well into the future.
New technologies have been embraced enthusiastically in Northern Grampians Shire, with telecommunications and e-commerce delivery providing opportunities for business expansion, diversification and investment. Civica’s Authority application will further this tradition.
A rural authority with about 150 employees and a budget of just under $21 million, Northern Grampians Shire covers almost 6,000 sq km and services more than 13,000 people.
The Shire boasts spectacular scenery and a gold-mining heritage. Established transport and communication infrastructures connect with regional, national and international markets. The township of Halls Gap attracts both domestic and international tourists. The commercial centres of Stawell and St Arnaud were founded on the prosperity of early gold rushes and are sustained by agriculture and industry. As major transport exchanges during the development of the Wimmera sheep run, the Shire’s smaller townships of Navarre, Glenorchy and Marnoo, Great Western and Stuart Mill are now service centres that support the rural community.