The Welsh Office

Welsh Office and the National Assembly Selects CIBER UK to Establish Robust Information Medium

Whilst readying itself to support the National Assembly for Wales, which was expected to be sitting by June 1999, the Welsh Office identified a need to establish an information and communications medium that would support the evolving needs of both the Welsh Office and the National Assembly. This quickly became an urgent requirement, brought about by approaching election activity, and CIBER UK was therefore asked to provide assistance. As a result, CIBER UK undertook an assignment incorporating the following activities:

• Review of main business drivers
• Facilitation of focused workshops and completion of interviews with key stakeholders to identify and confirm actual requirements
• Analysis of findings and presentation of report on key issues
• Review of IT service arrangements
• Development of a recommended strategy

The resulting strategy, based around the use of Intranet systems, was established in just five weeks and even covered extra-ordinary issues such as the risks that could arise from the use or misuse of Intranet-based publications. To achieve this, CIBER UK had to draw on its previous experiences, available through the application of Practicology™, which showed that certain key issues occur irrespective of context. Consequently, research activities could be more sharply focused, and analytical activities could be brought forward and shortened.

The strategy was accompanied by a report, which detailed the necessary steps for establishing an Intranet by the time of the first sitting of The National Assembly, alongside the subsequent process for enhancing the Intranet-based services. This allowed the Welsh Office to tender implementation of the Intranet and establish the necessary information and communications medium within the available timescales.