Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, responsible for a population of approximately 106,500 constituents in central Hertfordshire, has signed a £31 million deal with Steria to provide ICT, council tax, benefits, customer contact centre, reception and switchboard services. The partnership, which will go live in January 2009, aims to improve efficiencies at the council, provide better services for Welwyn Hatfield's citizens and ensure a projected saving of £500,000 per annum.

Working from a ‘centre of excellence’ in Welwyn Hatfield, Steria aims tol improve the quality and efficiency of the council's service delivery, helping to free up staff and resources for investment into frontline services. By employing Steria to implement new business processes and software, the Council hopes to provide customers with more choice, greater accessibility and quicker response times.

The partnership is an industry first for Steria, establishing its first revenues and benefits BPO contract in local Government. A total of 68 staff in the customer contact centre, ICT, revenues and benefits departments will transfer to Steria to deliver the programme. Steria intends to use the Welwyn Hatfield Council centre of excellence as a hub for a future shared service involving other local authorities in Hertfordshire and beyond.

"The council's key aim is to deliver high quality, value for money services", commented Bob Jewell, chief resources officer at Welwyn Hatfield Council. "Steria has a wealth of experience in the sector and really understands the specific needs of a borough council. We're glad to be working with them to ensure we continue to provide excellent quality of services for our citizens."