FOI003228 FOI Corporate Projects

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following structured data regarding the council’s corporate Project Management Office (PMO) or equivalent change/transformation delivery functions.

To assist you and keep this request within the statutory cost limit, please provide short answers to the following 5 distinct points:

1. PMO Structure: Does the council currently operate a centralized corporate PMO, or are project management functions completely decentralized across individual service directorates?

2. Staffing Headcount: What is the total current headcount (expressed as Full-Time Equivalents / FTE) of dedicated project managers, programme managers, and PMO analysts directly employed or contracted by the council?

3. Software Tooling: What specific Project Portfolio Management (PPM) software, work management platforms, or enterprise dashboard tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Monday.com, Jira, Excel) are officially mandated for tracking corporate project risk, budgets, and milestone delivery?

4. Annual Budget: What was the total operational budget allocated specifically to the corporate PMO or central transformation team for the most recent financial year broken into staffing and other costs?

5. LGR Transition Governance (If Applicable): If the council is currently undergoing or actively preparing for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), has a temporary or dedicated "Shadow Council" or "Joint Transition Committee" PMO function been established? If yes, who is the appointed Interim Programme Director or Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) leading that transition?

6. What is your total annual spend on external consultants, suppliers or technology companies in relation to project management office support.