098/2013: Exhibits on Niche – 25 March 2014

Executive Summary and recommendation:

The purpose of this report is to gain agreement to the proposal to roll-out across North Yorkshire Police (NYP) the use of Niche RMS to record and manage exhibits. It seeks to gain commitment to the resource and associated costs required to ensure the improvements to the Exhibit Niche process and system are implemented, training is redesigned, refreshed and delivered to both officers and staff, and the necessary assets procured and installed, to ensure the staggered roll-out across the whole of NYP.is successful.

Following a full exhibit (formally know as POTF – property other than found) audit at Harrogate District undertaken by North Yorkshire Police and the then West Yorkshire Police Authority’s Internal Audit Team in 2011 and their recommendations in particular to address issues relating to the management of record keeping, NYP governance in August 2012 agreed that a project would be initiated to pilot the use of Niche RMS to record and manage exhibits at NYP exhibit stores. A Decision Notice was submitted and approved in April 2013 to procure the assets required for the project. The Exhibit Niche Pilot (formally known as the property other than found – POTF Niche Pilot) began on the 4 June 2013 at the Northallerton Exhibit Store and Selby Exhibit Store. Three evaluations took place during the pilot, concluding with the final evaluation in September 2013.

The evaluation concluded that the Niche process is an improvement on the POTF Database and associated paper process (currently being used at other exhibit stores in NYP), and that essentially it has:

• reduced duplication of activities
• removed the need for paper record storage
• enabled some activities to be automated
• enabled other units to access the information they require regarding exhibits held when they require it
• ensured the same process is being followed in both stores
• enabled management to view the exact type of exhibits and the quantity of each that are held in each store and ensure they are stored in the correct location.

The evaluation recommended that if the improvements identified within the evaluation are delivered, Niche would be a viable option to manage and record exhibits for NYP. The improvements would further ensure exhibits are recorded accurately and timely providing an improved auditable process for all exhibit activities, and that the information is up to date with comparable records, therefore improving the overall integrity of the exhibit and the exhibit handling process. However, if the improvements were not implemented and training was not redesigned, refreshed and delivered, process issues identified in the pilot may continue to occur and could be a risk to NYP both in terms of resource and exhibit management. The Exhibit Steering Group supported these findings, the improvements required and the subsequent staggered roll-out across the whole of NYP of the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits as Niche is an improvement on the current process.

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s (previously Police Authority’s) Internal Audit Team undertook an Exhibit Niche Pilot Review in September 2013. Their findings and recommendations for further improvement were reported to the Chief Constable’s Briefing Session (December 2013). In essence their findings supported the roll-out of Niche to the whole of NYP and could provide reasonable assurances that the risks associated with the handling of exhibits using the Niche System are being effectively managed.

Police and Crime Commissioner decision:

The Executive Board is asked to note the content of this report. The Executive Board is asked to approve the proposal to roll-out across NYP the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits, to approve the resource requirement associated with the project, and to approve the capital expenditure associated with the project.

• The proposal to roll out the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits was approved.
• The resource requirement and the capital expenditure associated with the project was approved

Signature Date 25 March 2014
Title Police & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire

Part 1 – Unrestricted facts and advice to the PCC

1. Introduction and background
   An exhibit is defined within North Yorkshire Police (NYP) as an item of property which has been seized by police officers as it:
   • is necessary for evidential purposes
   • is known to be or suspected to be the proceeds of crime
   • is required for forensic examination
   • is required for safekeeping i.e. following a sudden death
   • is an offensive weapon
   • has been used to facilitate crime

   An exhibit is not property which has been lost or found (but this type of property has been managed on Niche since 2005).

   Once an exhibit is seized, it is submitted to designated exhibit stores across NYP for retention during investigations and subsequent return or disposal. These exhibit stores are managed by Business Administration Services’ (BAS) managers and staff, with the exception of the drug stores which are managed by Drug Liaison Officers.

   North Yorkshire Police currently have:

   • 13 permanent designated stores (managed by BAS)
   • 15 24/7 temporary stores
   • 4 drug stores

   A full POTF audit at Harrogate District was undertaken by BAS, the Chief Constable’s Delivery Unit and the then West Yorkshire Police Authority’s Internal Audit Team in 2011. The audit identified a number of areas for improvement, in particular to address issues relating to the management of record keeping. The audit report detailed that NYP had a dual process in place for the monitoring exhibits; an electronic system and paper record system. This dual process resulted in duplication of effort and process errors.

   The electronic system that exhibits are currently recorded on (except at the pilot exhibit stores) is an existing stand alone system which does not interface with NYP’s main records management system, Niche RMS (which records NYP’s occurrence information including lost and found property, crimes, intelligence, arrests etc). The content of this stand alone system is therefore not readily visible to officers or managers, which has implications in that they are not aware of the storage and process issues being experienced at exhibit stores. There are a number of risks with the current system, as it is currently only possible to see who last updated the record so the system does not retain the continuity of each exhibit and data can be overwritten, added or completely deleted with no trace of who carried out the action or what was previously recorded.

   The current database cannot be supported by the Information Systems Department (ISD) as it is a bespoke system which was developed by a team member no longer employed by NYP. Therefore there is a risk that should enhancements or issues need to be addressed, the skills and experience no longer exist in the force to make these alterations.

   Throughout the 2011 final audit report, recommendations were made in relation to the future management of POTF records using the technology Niche RMS. The recommendations were:

   • Recommendation 9: A review is currently being undertaken by the Chief Constable’s Delivery Unit into whether property records would be better managed through Niche. A software solution that reduces and simplifies the paperwork and database records being maintained for each individual property entry would yield significant benefits in terms of tracking movement, evidencing continuity and reducing the time taken to manage property effectively. It is yet to be determined whether Niche RMS will provide that solution.
   • Recommendation 34: The requirements for any development in the property management database (potentially Niche RMS) should include the facility to send routine chasers to officers who have property booked out above a determined length of time. There should also be a facility to search on ‘booked out’ items and to evidence a clear audit trail for property handling throughout the lifecycle of the property.
   • Recommendation 36: Consideration should be given as to the benefits of redesigning the current POTF sheet to include an improved section for tracking property movement or removing the requirement to record property movement on the property sheet and recording the information electronically on the current (or future) property system.

   The company Niche Technology focuses on developing law enforcement software and their product Niche RMS is used by several UK forces. Niche RMS is a single, unified, operational policing system that manages information in relation to the core policing entities – people, locations, vehicles, organisations, incidents and property/evidence. Niche RMS allows controlled access to information down to the role level. There are several functions in Niche RMS: Case and Custody Management, Intelligence Management, Crime and General Occurrence Management and Property Management. NYP have implemented all of these functions to some degree but have not until now used the Property Management function to record and manage exhibits.

   Following the audit recommendations research was undertaken to ascertain if Niche could support exhibits and the scale of the changes required to the records management of the exhibits process. This research included understanding the NYP exhibit process (via internal users), understanding the Niche RMS functionality, linking with supporting internal departments/units (ISD and Niche Systems Admin) and visiting a Force who already used Niche RMS to manage exhibits (West Yorkshire Police). The research findings supported trialling Niche RMS to record and manage exhibits.

   Following the initial research it was agreed within NYP governance in August 2012 that a project would be initiated to pilot the use of Niche RMS to record and manage exhibits at NYP Exhibit stores. Resource was identified for the project in October 2012, and the project was governed by the Exhibit Steering Group.

   The exhibit stores at Northallerton Police Station and Selby Police Station were chosen to trial the pilot for a three month period, to fully test the exhibit process from the point of seizure through to return or disposal. These sites were identified as they provide ‘typical’ examples of the exhibit stores across the estate for comparison (volumes/processes). The resourcing of this pilot was also taken into consideration when selecting these sites to ensure that there is minimal impact to staff and officers being able to perform their duties during this timeframe.

   The project consulted with key business areas (users and suppliers), other forces (North Wales Police and Merseyside Police) and NICHE Technology UK Ltd, to identify and understand the process, legal and asset requirements, to ensure Niche RMS is used effectively and efficiently to record and manage exhibits. Niche RMS and the exhibit process underwent rigorous testing to ensure that they were fit for purpose and solutions were optimised, prior to the pilot. Pilot exhibit stores, staff and officers underwent an agreed programme of training, prior to the start of the pilot in June 2013.

   The pilot officially ran for three months (although practices have continued after this date to prevent unnecessary disruption at the pilot sites) and three evaluations took place during the pilot, concluding with the final evaluation in September 2013.

   The evaluation process involved audits of pilot Exhibit Stores (Northallerton and Selby), audits of Niche exhibit records, and consultation (via face to face feedback, a telephone survey and an electronic survey) to obtain feedback from Organisational Support Officers (OSOs), Police Officers and staff from the operational directorates.

   The evaluation concluded that the Niche process is an improvement on the POTF Database and associated paper process (currently being used at other exhibit store in NYP), and that essentially it has reduced duplication of activities, it has removed the need for paper record storage, enhanced audit functionality, enabled some activities to be automated, it has enabled other units to access the information they require regarding exhibits held, when they require it and it has ensured the same process is being followed in both stores.

   The evaluation recommended that if the improvements (identified within the evaluation) to training, the system, process and communications are delivered, Niche would be a viable option to manage and record exhibits for NYP. The improvements would further ensure exhibits are recorded accurately and timely providing an improved auditable process for all exhibit activities, and that the information is up to date with comparable records, therefore improving the overall integrity of the exhibit and the exhibit handling process. However, if the improvements were not implemented and training was not redesigned, refreshed and delivered, process issues would continue to occur and would be a risk to NYP both in terms of resource and exhibit management. A management response to the evaluation report was sought and provided by Kate Williams (Business Admin Services), Supt. Phil Cain (Operational Policing), Ruth Chester (Training) and Niki Burgham (Corporate Comms) in relation to governance of the process and system and delivery of training and communications. The Exhibit Steering Group supported these findings and the staggered roll-out across the whole of NYP of the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits.

   The total project costs of assets procured for the pilot was £5837 (this was within the approved budget of £6510).

   The overall expected outcomes of the project were:

   • A fully tested and trialled exhibit process using Niche as the records management system – This was achieved.
   • Sufficient analysis and information on the pilot available to ensure an informed decision can be made on whether Niche is a viable option to manage exhibits for NYP – This was achieved.
   • An ability to identify whether this system is suitable to roll-out across the force – This was achieved.

   The project delivered four of the identified benefits and partially achieved six of them. Three benefits had not been achieved. However, it is anticipated that the benefits which had not been achieved/fully achieved during the pilot were likely to be achieved with the implementation of the identified improvements.

   West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commission’s (previously Police Authority’s) Internal Audit Team undertook an Exhibit Niche Pilot Review in September 2013. Their findings and recommendations for further improvement were reported to the Chief Constable’s Briefing Session (December 2013). In essence their findings supported the roll-out of Niche to the whole of NYP and could provide reasonable assurances that the risks associated with the handling of exhibits using the Niche System are being effectively managed.

   The proposed process for a Centralised Exhibit Store (scheduled date for the Decision Notice is April 2014), relies upon the use of Niche to effectively record and manage exhibits. If the roll-out of the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits is not supported in terms of application, resource and expenditure this will impact on the delivery of a centralised exhibit store for NYP.

2. Matters for consideration
   The Executive Board is asked to consider the report and the attachments, to approve the proposal to roll-out across NYP the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits, to approve the associated resource with the project, and to approve the capital expenditure associated with the project.

   Option 3 is the recommended option (other options considered are listed in section 3. below).
   Business Administration Services have proposed the following locations for the staggered roll-out of the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits:

   Site	Proposed Launch Date
   Stokesley	14th July 2014
   Richmond	14th July 2014
   Tadcaster	14th July 2014
   Harrogate	22nd September 2014
   Skipton	22nd September 2014
   Ripon	22nd September 2014
   Ingleton	22nd September 2014
   Scarborough	1st December 2014
   Whitby	1st December 2014
   Malton	1st December 2014
   York	16th March 2015

   Full details of the anticipated roll out time scales and go live dates for each site are included in the project plan (appendix 1).

   Drugs Stores at Harrogate, Northallerton, Scarborough and York would be included in the roll-out, and it is proposed that it occurs concurrently with the most appropriate location listed above.

   The required resource commitment from NYP are on the following departments/directorates:

   • BAS
   • Corporate Comms
   • Estates
   • Futures
   • ISD
   • Operational directorates
   • Training

   A provisional project plan has been drafted to give an estimation of the departments that resource is required from to deliver the project, and time scales have been built in for when the services are required to be delivered. The Governance and Delivery Manager has confirmed that a Project Manager/Change Analyst resource will be available for approximately 2 days per month commencing from April to oversee the delivery of the project and produce the necessary reports.

   Consultation has taken place with Training Services to establish if they could support the rollout of training to all operational officers across the force and they have confirmed that the 2014 officer training days are already at capacity. Training Services are working with Business Admin Services to develop the current NCALT officer training package on how to submit and manage property items and to enhance the quick reference guides so these are available to support officers. Discussions have taken place amongst the Exhibit Steering Group members as to how training can be delivered to officers, and the preferred option is to have a designated group of super users from operational streams (potentially Exhibit Officers) who can support officers alongside the interactive NCALT e-learning package. RMU have indicated that this could best be achieved by starting officers’ duties one hour early and having this protected time to complete the package and have a super user available to answer any questions and support them with problems as they arise. Business Administration Services will also provide a virtual help desk facility so that telephone support is available to all during standard office hours.

   The project plan predicts that once the system and training improvements have been made, the roll out process would take approximately 12 months, estimating complete roll out would be delivered by August 2015 to allow for consultation with other departments that could manage property via NicheRMS. The project plan at present is just an indication of time that it would take to roll out the use of the system fully. The order that we roll out to some of the sites may change when full consultation takes place with area commanders and heads of affected departments. The details are recorded in appendix 1.

3. Other options considered, if any
   1. Do nothing – remain with 2 exhibit stores using Niche and 11 exhibit stores using the POTF database and paper process
   2. Revert to the POTF database and paper process for the two pilot exhibit stores. Therefore all exhibit stores will use the POTF database and paper process
   3. Roll out the use of Niche to record and manage exhibits to all NYP exhibit stores
   4. Option 1 or Option 2 plus look for an alternative solution to record and manage exhibits

   Option 3 is the recommended option

4. Contribution to Police and Crime Plan outcomes
   The pilot identified that the use of Niche RMS will provide a clear auditable process of exhibit records management, therefore supporting the Police and Crime plan, in particular the goals of:
   • Put people first
   • Deliver more with less
   • Ensure that we are ‘fit for the future’
   • Driving justice.
5. Consultations carried out
   Consultation has taken place with representatives from the following business areas:
   • Exhibit Steering Group (representation from Crime, Uniformed Ops, Training Services, Regional
   • Forensics, Business Administration Services, Health and Safety, Property and Facilities)
   • Organisation and Development Command (Governance and Delivery Manager)
   • Information Systems Department
   • Business Administration Services
   • Training Services
   • Other Police Forces (Merseyside Police, North Wales Police and West Yorkshire Police)
   • NICHE Technology UK Ltd

   This consultation identified and gained knowledge of the process, legal and asset requirements and the associated costs, to ensure Niche RMS is used effectively and efficiently to record and manage exhibits.

6. Financial Implications/Value for money
   An assessment has been undertaken to confirm the assets (technology/furniture) required with anticipated costs as identified below. A full breakdown of all assets required for each site are recorded at appendix 2.

   Chief Constables Chief Finance Officer Comments:
   Revenue Consequences: There is no provision in this paper for any additional resource costs associated with the project, and there is therefore an assumption that the departments involved will not incur any additional costs.

   Capital Costs: There is no specific provision in the MTFP for the capital costs of this project. Unless the costs can be funded from within the ISD Rolling Programme, then it will be necessary to move funding. Early estimates of the potential underspends that will be released from the capital programme in 2013/14 suggest that there will be sufficient to cover this. In the event that this is not possible, then funding will have be utilised from the Plant and Equipment Rolling Programme.

7. Legal Implications
   Having read this report and having considered such information as has been provided at the time of being asked to express this view, the Head of Legal Services and Force Solicitor is satisfied that this report does not ask the PCC for North Yorkshire to make a decision which would (or would be likely to) give rise to a contravention of the law.
8. Equality Implications
   The implementation of full Exhibit Management via NicheRMS software will support North Yorkshire Police’s commitment to providing appropriate and accessible technology to all users.

Public Access to Information

The Police and Crime Commissioner wishes to be as open and transparent as possible about the decisions he/she takes or are taken in his/her name. All decisions taken by the Commissioner will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

As a general principle, the Commissioner expects to be able to publish all decisions taken and all matters taken into account and all advice received when reaching the decision. Part 1 of this Notice will detail all information which the Commissioner will disclose into the public domain. The decision and information in Part 1 will be made available on the NYPCC web site within 2 working days of approval.

Only where material is properly classified as restricted under the GPMS or if that material falls within the description at 2(2) of The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 will the Commissioner not disclose decisions and/or information provided to enable that decision to be made. In these instances, Part 2 of the Form will be used to detail those matters considered to be restricted. Information in Part 2 will not be published.

Is there a Part Two to this Decision notice? No