FOI request (FOIR-510742039)

Contact Centre

Requested Wed 26 April 2023
Responded  Wed 17 May 2023

I wish to submit to the organisation a freedom of information request relating to the organisation's ICT contracts, specifically around:

1. contact centre contract(s)

2. inbound network services contract(s)

The first part of my request relates to contact centre service contracts which could relate to one of the following:

1. Advanced call distribution to control the flow of calls and maximise customer experience.

2. Email, website live chat and integrations with popular social media apps like Facebook and Instagram.

3. Performance monitoring tools to track performance, customer satisfaction and other key sales metrics.

This could be part of a whole package or separate service applications.

Please send me the following information for each provider:

1. Incumbent Supplier: For each of the contract(s) please can you provide me with the supplier of the contract.

2. Annual Average Spend: For each supplier, please state the annual average (over 3 years) spend for each supplier.

3. Contract Duration: For each supplier, please state the contract duration of the contract. If available please also include any contract extensions.

4. Contract Expiry: For each supplier, please state the date of when the contract expires.

5. Contract Review: For each supplier, please state the date of when the contract will be reviewed.

6. Contract Description: For each supplier, please state a brief description of the services provided of the overall contract.

7. Contact Details: For each supplier, please state the person from within the organisation responsible for the contract. Please provide me with their full name, actual job title, contact number and direct email address. At the very least please provide me with their actual job title.

8. Number of Agents: Please provide me with the total number of contact centre agents.

9. Number of Sites: Please can you provide me with the number of sites the contact centre covers.

10. Manufacturer of the contact centre: Who is the manufacturer of the contact centre system that you operate?

11. Do you use Microsoft Exchange 2003 as your email server? If not, then which products do you use?

12. Number of email users: Approximate number of email users across the organisation.

The second part of my request relates to the use of inbound network services contracts which could relate to one of the following:

1. 0800, 0845, 0870, 0844, 0300 numbers.

2. Routing of calls.

3. Caller Identifier.

4. Caller Profile - linking caller details with caller records.

5. Interactive voice response (IVR).

For a contract relating to the above please can you provide me with:

1. Incumbent Supplier: For each of the contract(s) please can you provide me with the supplier of the contract.

2. Annual Average Spend: For each supplier, please state the annual average (over 3 years) spend for each supplier.

3. Contract Expiry: For each supplier, please state the date of when the contract expires.

4. Contract Review: For each supplier, please state the date of when the contract will be reviewed.

5. Contract Description: For each supplier, please state a brief description of the services provided of the overall contract.

6. Contact Details: For each supplier, please state the person from within the organisation responsible for the contract. Please provide me with their full name, actual job title, contact number and direct email address.

Response

Contact Centre Software Support and Maintenance

1. Incumbent Supplier - Refused - please see refusal notice below Section 43

2. Annual Average Spend - Refused - please see refusal notice below Section 43

3. Contract Duration - 1 Year

4. Contract Expiry - 01/02/2024

5. Contract Review - 01/01/2024

6. Contract Description - Contact Centre Software Support and Maintenance

7. Contact Details - Mark Bourne - Head of IT - 01424 451066 - headofit@hastings.gov.uk

8. Number of Agents - 11

9. Number of Sites - 1

10. Manufacturer of Contact Centre - Refused - please see refusal notice below Section 31/43

11. Do you use Microsoft Exchange 2003 as your email server? - No

12. Number of email Users - 400

Interactive Voice Response

1. Incumbent Supplier - Refused - please see refusal notice below Section 43

2. Annual Average Spend - Refused - please see refusal notice below Section 43

3. Contract Expiry - 23/03/2024

4. Contract Review - 01/02/2024

5. Contract Description - IVR Support and Maintenance

6. Contact Details - Mark Bourne - Head of IT - 01424 451066 - headofit@hastings.gov.uk

NOTICE OF REFUSAL in respect of Q1 and Q2 in both sections

The information you have requested in relation to the supplier and spend is commercially sensitive and falls under Section 43 of the Freedom of Information Act - Commercially Sensitive Information - Information prejudicing commercial interests - commercial interest relating to an organisation's commercial activity and may include trading activity procurement and relationships with third parties.

The exemption afforded by Section 43 is subject to what is known as the 'public interest test'. When applying the test in a particular case a public authority is deciding whether the public interest is better served by non-disclosure than by disclosure.

Although the Freedom of Information Act does not define 'in the public interest', there is a presumption under Freedom of Information that openness is in the public interest. In applying the public interest test a public authority will take into account the distinction that has been often made by courts between things that are in the public interest, and things that merely interest the public. Where applicants have not identified public interest considerations succinctly or accurately, the public authority has a responsibility under the Act to make their own assessment of the public interest considerations in the particular case.

We have identified the following public interest factors that may be seen as encouraging the disclosure of information:

a. accountability of public spending

We consider these factors to be of limited relevance in relation to the information in question.

Public interest factors seen as encouraging non-disclosure are, generally, the exemptions themselves. In consideration of this matter we came to the following conclusions:

a. ensuring that companies are able to compete for business fairly

b. damage to reputation and/or financial interests

In weighing the factors for and against disclosure we have concluded that the likely benefit to the applicant and the wider public of disclosure is outweighed by the likely prejudice caused by such disclosure and that therefore the public interest is better served by non-disclosure.

For the reasons given above we will not be communicating to you the information you have requested.

NOTICE OF REFUSAL in respect of Q10

Disclosure of information relating to ICT systems, infrastructure and security constitutes a security risk as it would leave the Council's computer assets more vulnerable to a malicious hacking attack. This means that disclosure would:

• Make the Council more vulnerable to crime (Section 31)

• Risk harming the systems on which the day-to-day business of the Council relies (Section 43)

Section 31 (Law Enforcement)

Section 31(1)(a) states that information is exempt if its disclosure is likely to prejudice the prevention or detection of crime. ICO guidance states that this can be used to protect information on a public authority's systems which would make it more vulnerable to crime. This exemption can be used by a public authority that has no law enforcement function:

• To protect the work of one that does

• To withhold information that would make anyone, including the public authority itself, more vulnerable to crime

The crime in question would be a malicious attack on the Council's computer systems. Since the disclosure of the withheld information would make the Council's systems more vulnerable to such crime, the exemption is engaged.

The exemption is subject to the public interest test. There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping the Council's computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This outweighs the public interest in accountability and transparency that would be served by disclosure.

Section 43 (Commercial Interests)

Section 43(2) states that information is exempt if its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public authority holding it).

Disclosure of information relating to ICT systems, infrastructure and security puts the council at risk of a malicious hacking attack.

This would compromise the Council's ability to provide its services and carry out 'business-as-usual' should our systems be compromised. Were our systems to be compromise, the cost of a system recovery would be detrimental to the Council's commercial interests.

The exemption is subject to the public interest test. There is an overwhelming public interest in keeping the Council's computer systems secure which would be served by non-disclosure. This outweighs the public interest in accountability and transparency that would be served by disclosure.