1. School User Group Electronic Cash Collection for Schools Neil Craig 2nd October 2018

2. Reasons for Change Modernisation long overdue!
Reduce reliance on collecting and counting cash and cheques
Reduce administration associated with record keeping for Schools and EA
Banks do not like cash transactions
Cheques will eventually become obsolete
Reduced potential for fraud
Increased security of cash handling
Increase uptake of school meals?

3. Challenges
Large amount of cash - £35 million of cash is collected for School Meals & Milk each year by EA
Collection of School Private Fund Monies – Clubs, school trips, events, items including books, uniforms etc
Collections for other functions – Music Tuition?
Over 1,100 different schools
Cost: Both Recurrent cost and Capital Investment
Cash collected other EA locations
Different processes and requirements for Nursery, Primary, Post-Primary and Special Schools
Data sensitivity and integration

4. Actions taken to date
EA has produced a Draft Project Initiation Document prepared for agreement
EA has produced a Draft Business Case
Initial Market Research with suppliers carried out
Consideration of schools currently using systems
First meeting of a Project Team
Still early stages, but authorised to move forward

5. Next Steps Develop a detailed Project Plan
School Focus Groups or other Forums
Further Project Team Meetings
Several site visits
Development and agreement of a Product Specification document
Procurement: Development of a Tender document
Further School Engagement

6. Indicative Timescales
Phased Implementation beginning May 2019 (Subject to Change)
Phase 1: Mainly Primary Schools initially
Phase 2: Mainly Post-Primary Schools
Phase 3: Mainly Nursery, Special and other locations

7. Questions for Group What other things do we collect cash for?
Implementation approach?
How best to engage with schools?
How do we tell schools that this is happening?
How best to get buy-in?
Other Challenges?

8. QUESTIONS