North Yorkshire Council

Madeline Hoskin, Assistant Director of Technology

1st April 2026

Re-procurement of a Legal Casework Management System.

Report of the Corporate Director Gary Fielding.

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To seek approval to start a procurement for a new legal casework management system. 

2.0 SUMMARY

2.1       This report outlines the recommended proposal that the Authority proceed with a complaint procurement process, for a new legal case management system to deliver the organisations legal casework needs

3.0       BACKGROUND

3.1       North Yorkshire Council’s Legal Services have made use of electronic legal case management systems for over two decades to support statutory and non‑statutory legal functions, including case management, time recording, billing, reporting, document bundling, and workflow automation.

The legal case management system IKEN has been in use across North Yorkshire’s predecessor authorities for a significant period. Formal contracts between the legacy district and borough councils and IKEN Business Limited go back as far as June 2003. In July 2024 the sperate Iken instances were successfully combined into a single NYC Iken desktop system.

The existing contract with IKEN is due to expire 31 March 2027 with no option to extend further.

4.0       DETAILED PRESENTATION OF THE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE

4.1 The current legal case management system is IKEN Desktop has evolved in its decades of use however it is now nearing its end of life, and will no longer possible to license or support the system by the end of December 2027. The Authority now needs to reprocure a replacement product to meet these core legal functions.

The Authority has already engaged the market through a request for information process (RFI) which included discovery days to see that suitable replacement solutions were available on the market. As part of this exercise it was noted that there was additional functionality and efficiency in the solutions and presented an opportunity to the legal service

By issuing a RFI prior to formal tender, the Council has been able to:

- Understand the range of legal case management solutions available in the market

- Test the feasibility of requirements following consolidation

- Inform the drafting of a robust and realistic tender specification

- Reduced the risk of over‑specification or designing requirements around a single supplier or legacy solution.

To ensure that the legal functions are not in any way put at risk of being unsupported and make best use of the opportunities identified in the RFI process it is recommended that the Authority proceed with a competitive procurement process prior to the current contract end date on the basis that it: 

- Encourages participation from a broad supplier market, including SME’s allowing a full appraisal of the currently available systems on the market.

- Avoids unnecessary barriers to entry

- Supports competitive pricing and whole‑life cost transparency

- Provides a solution sized and designed for one large authority

- Allows consistent processes, workflows, and reporting across Legal Services

- Focus’s on statutory and information governance requirements around special category data.

- Provides the flexibility to adapt to the changes in technology and assess supplier roadmaps and hosting approaches

5.0       ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

5.1 Do nothing – rejected due to the current platform being deemed end of life at the end of the

            current contract and the timescale associated with procuring and implementing a new system lead time. Without a system it would force the service back to a paper-based filing system which would present a clear risk to service delivery due to the risk to confidentiality, severe impact to efficiency, and increased overheads.

5.2       Direct award or incumbent-only – rejected due to the opportunities that might be present in a full market engagement. Would limit the ability for the council to demonstrate value for money and reduce competition

5.3       Procure on a framework (call off) – rejected as this prevents a barrier to include all suppliers and prevents a competitive whole market engagement.

6.0       LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

6.1       Running a competitive procurement for the Legal Case Management System places clear legal obligations on the Council in relation to transparency, equal treatment, auditability, and compliance with public procurement legislation. While this increases procedural rigour and the risk of challenge if not properly managed, it provides the strongest legal basis for contract award, value for money, data security/confidentiality, and long‑term contract enforceability for a statutory, high‑risk system.

7.0       EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

7.1 Running a competitive procurement for the Legal Case Management System has no identified negative equality impacts. An equality impact assessment will be carried out as part of this project. The competitive procurement approach supports equality of opportunity through fair and transparent market access, while the system requirements promote accessible working practices and protect vulnerable service users.

8.0       CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

8.1 The approach supports digital first service delivery, reduces reliance on legacy infrastructure, enables assessment of whole life costs, and promotes long term operational and financial sustainability. No adverse environmental impacts have been identified, and the procurement approach aligns with the Council’s broader sustainability and value for money objectives. A Climate change impact assessment will be carried out as part of the procurement process.

9.0       HUMAN RESOURCES IMPLICATIONS

9.1 The competitive procurement of a Legal Case Management System has no direct impact on staffing levels, employment terms, or organisational structure. While the process and subsequent implementation will require change management, training, and short‑term additional effort from staff, these impacts are time‑limited and mitigated through engagement and support. In the longer term, the procurement is expected to have positive HR impacts by improving workforce capability, wellbeing, and resilience.

10.0     ICT IMPLICATIONS

10.1     Technology Services have been consulted and are aware that there will be resources needed to facilitate the change to a new legal case management system. This will mainly be with the TSAT Customer, however over the course of the contract various teams in Technology will be required to assist in the migration to a new solution. Project and resource planning will identify in greater detail when this is needed.

11.0     FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

11.1    Technology Services manage the contract and budget for the provision of the Legal case work system. This budget will need to increase to cover any potential increased contract costs. The proposed annual budget increase is to be funded by a growth bid from its existing £49,400 per annum. The tender process will put a limit on the annual costs to ensure the new system is affordable.

12.0     REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

12.1     Choosing to engage the whole market in a competitive process allows the service to find a solution most aligned with their requirements and priorities. Whilst ensuring any opportunities for any increased functionality or efficiency are not missed

13.0	RECOMMENDATION(S)
	It is recommended that the Authority proceeds with a competitive process. It is recommended that the annual budget is increased for the system via a growth bid.

Gary Fielding

Corporate Director of Resources

County Hall

Northallerton

Report Author – Christopher Taylor

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT IF ANY REPORTS / APPENDICES INCLUDE SIGNATURES THESE MUST BE REMOVED / DELETED PRIOR TO SENDING REPORTS / APPENDICES TO DEMOCRATIC SERVICES.  Appendices should include an Equality Impact Assessment and a Climate Impact Assessment where appropriate