Request
In accordance with the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 please can the Government provide the following information in the interest of public transparency:
A
All associated costs for the development and deployment of the 'Apptivism' project / application with a breakdown if possible which includes:
(i) Internal resource costs (ie assigned project management resource, internal man hours
for this project);
(ii) External ad hoc / one off supplier cost, including a list of associated consultants and/or suppliers;
(iii) Continuous / ongoing/recurring costs associated with the Apptivism project / application (whether in respect to support retainers, ongoing subscriptions or contractual financial obligations).
B
Supporting 'Business Case' or similar relating to the 'Apptivism' project / application which outlines the scope, purpose and expected outcome / hypothesis of this 'civic engagement' project, and ultimately explains the necessity for this spend of public money (if any spend has taken place).
Response
A
Apptivism approached the States of Jersey offering to do some work as a start-up company keen to test their citizen engagement product in Jersey. In partnership with Digital Jersey, the States of Jersey agreed to provide Apptivism with advice and background policy information so that Apptivism could run a pilot on a set of issues that are important to the future of the Island, and which could contribute constructively to the policy development process.
(i) Internal costs have been limited. The staff of the States of Jersey do not record their hours by project, and indeed, staff have worked in their own time to support the work.
(ii) Appreciating the potential value of this work, the States of Jersey agreed to cover incidental costs, including travel to and from the Island and other operational expenditure, such as data server fees and accommodation. These costs have amounted to £1,346.68 and are expected to amount to no more than £3,000 in total on conclusion.
(iii) There are no ongoing costs, and no commitments have been made or provided, although this does not preclude any such future commitments being made. Should the pilot prove to be a success, the States of Jersey will review whether to extend work with Apptivism on the basis of a cost / benefit analysis.
B
Apptivism approached the States of Jersey offering to do some work, with the scope and purpose of the work determined during the discussion and development of the survey. As the approach was by Apptivism, and given the limited costs, a full and detailed business case does not exist. However, the purpose and outcomes are clear - to test a new approach to engaging Islanders on a broad range of issues.
