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Home - 19/2016: Proposal to source a Delivery Partner for the Information, Communication & Technology (ICT) Department – 20 May 2016

19/2016: Proposal to source a Delivery Partner for the Information, Communication & Technology (ICT) Department – 20 May 2016

Executive Summary and Recommendation:

The Commissioner is asked to approve the proposal to procure & appoint a Delivery Partner to support the ICT department in the delivery of the force projects and to carry out a review of ICT infrastructure and resources. 

This paper provides the Executive Board with information and estimated costs (See part 2 of this decision notice due to commercial sensitivity) to appoint a Delivery Partner to assist the ICT Department and the force with the successful delivery of ICT projects and business as usual.

There is a significant amount of work underway in ICT and, taken together with the significant ICT input required for the majority of the new developments proposed and in progress in NYP, this inevitably places demands on the ICT infrastructure and ICT staffing resources and it has now become apparent that the ICT department need support in order to deliver this ambitious programme of work.

As part of its preparations for the next phase of technology development, North Yorkshire Police also wishes to appoint a consultancy that can support the leadership team with additional expert and independent advice as to the appropriate ICT infrastructure and resources.

Recommendation: 

  1. That the Commissioner approves the proposal to appoint an ICT Delivery Partner to provide staffing resources and to review ICT and infrastructure and resource requirements

Decision

Police and Crime Commissioner decision: Approved

Signature: signature
Date: 20 May 2016
Title: Police and Crime Commissioner

1. Introduction and Background

For the last two years, North Yorkshire Police has been upgrading its ICT infrastructure to increase reliability and resilience following a number of years of relatively low investment in systems.  Much of this programme of work has now been completed.

Whilst the work to consolidate the infrastructure has been taking place, North Yorkshire Police has been exploring how it might better use technology and specialist software applications to improve policing services, and commitments have been made to introduce some major new applications (eg Unified Communications, Operational Mobile Working, enhanced Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology etc) in the short-term future.

In addition, the organisation is looking to introduce flexible-location and/or remote working for a number of its support staff, in the next 18 months to two years.

Looking further ahead, there is a growing national expectation that technological advances such as body-worn cameras (which are currently used by a limited number of North Yorkshire Police officers) will become more widespread.

As a police service, North Yorkshire Police must hold a Public Sector Network for Policing (PSNP) compliance certificate.  PSN sets out the standards of system security that the organisation must adhere to.  Over the past 12 months, a significant amount of internal resource has been focused towards achieving this certification.

All of this work and new developments inevitably place demands on the ICT infrastructure and ICT staffing resources and it has now become apparent that the ICT department need support in order to deliver this ambitious programme of work.

It is therefore recommended that a Delivery Partner is recruited to assist by providing resources to embed within the ICT department for a period of time.  At the same time it is intended to commission the Delivery Partner to provide an assessment of the current ITC resources and infrastructure and to recommend the specification for a sustainable ICT solution for NYP.  The Delivery Partner will also be asked to provide advice on the delivery of the recommended solution, which would then be the subject of a separate procurement process, if applicable.

The report will make recommendations for the optimal infrastructure for the next five to ten years, taking into account planned developments at NYP, in policing nationally and the new powers and duties of Police and Crime Commissioners as set out in the Police and Crime Bill.  The report will include recommendations for the ICT staffing resources that will be needed to manage and maintain the recommended solution.

The report will include proposals and a timetable for an implementation programme for the recommended solution and an estimate of the level of investment that might be required.

Any recommendations of the report will be the subject of a separate Decision Notice (if applicable) and a separate procurement exercise as relevant.

In producing this report the Delivery Partner will be asked to consider the implications of all feasible options for provision of ICT services in NYP, including (but not limited to) externally hosted and cloud solutions, in house provision,  outsourcing and collaboration.

The Delivery Partner will be sourced with the assistance of Regional Procurement from a Framework Agreement through a competitive process in line with current procurement regulations and guidelines.

Benefits

  1. Contribute to ensuring the current project workload is delivered within the required timescales and also deliver business as usual.
  1. Provide a flexible short term solution to resources requirements.
  1. Identification of a sustainable ICT model for NYP for the next 5 to 10 years, providing the necessary flexibility to enable expansion and contraction as collaboration opportunities arise.
  1. Make a significant contribution towards meeting NYP’s current and future affordability programme, by enabling and supporting ICT and therefore support & maximise productivity across the organisation.
  1. Provide an opportunity to bring innovation, wider technical expertise and constructive thinking to the organisation.
  1. Provide a blueprint that could be rolled out to other emergency service organisations across the country.

Potential dis-benefits 

  1. The proposal to engage a Delivery Partner is designed to provide much needed additional resources in a responsive way.   It is recognised that this option is likely to be more costly in the short term than the direct recruitment of an additional team of staff, but for reasons outlined in section 2, it is not believed that that this route would be the most effective.   The cost of the recommended solution has to be measured against the costs to NYP of not being able to complete the various projects and developments identified.  Failure to deliver would have severe financial impact on the consequent use of the efficiencies generated by the Affordability Programme to create investment opportunities for identified areas of high priority (such as Vulnerability, CSE, Safety Camera Vans etc).

Mitigations:

  • The Delivery Partner will be asked to provide resources in a flexible way, to meet specific delivery outputs so that NYP only pays for resources as they are needed.
  • The Delivery Partner will be asked to provide resources in a flexible way, to meet specific delivery outputs so that NYP only pays for resources as they are needed.
  • It is proposed that, wherever practical, NYP will provide support and non-technical, resources to the programme to enable a focused approach to the commissioned work for the Delivery Partner and ensure best value.
  1. It is noted that the introduction of a Delivery Partner must be carefully managed to ensure that existing internal staff and teams are engaged in the process so as to avoid an impact on morale and potentially on retention. However, the current resourcing problems have already had a detrimental impact on staff morale and it is anticipated that provision of this solution will in fact improve morale.

2. Other Options Considered

The option of recruiting additional staff resources both permanently and under short term contract has been considered, but it is not believed that this option would  provide the required  structured solution.  To attract and recruit additional resources is likely to take a substantial period of time.  NYP has had a poor recent experience of trying to recruit experienced ICT staff using our normal routes and current backfill arrangements to meet staff shortages have been met in some cases by agency provision, which can demand higher premiums.

The option of two separate commissions, one for the provision of resources and another for the infrastructure and resources review, has been considered.  However, it is considered that separation of the two contracts would result in duplication of effort.  It is also considered that embedding of Delivery Partner staff in the ICT department will provide valuable insight into working practices, systems and procedures as well as the benefits and shortcomings of the current ICT infrastructure.  Such insight would be difficult for a separate firm of consultants to achieve.

3. Contribution to Police and Crime Plan Priorities

The recommendations in this Decision Notice are offered on the basis that they will fully support the Police and Crime Plan priorities as follows:

  • Transforming the Organisation – Improving Efficiency & Productivity
  • Partnerships & Commissioning – Valuable Partnership Working
  • Affordability – Business Planning

4. Implementation and Resourcing Implications

Timescale

Approximate timescales for the commencement of this process are as follows:

  • Issue Mini Competition ITT – May 2016
  • Tender Evaluation – June 2016
  • Appointment – June 2016
  • Mobilisation – Data gathering – 1 July 2016
  • Full Mobilisation – 31 July 2016
  • Report – 1 December 2016 

Costs 

The budgeted costs for project are included in part 2 of this decision notice as they are commercially sensitive.

5. Consultations Carried Out

 

Name (Collar Number) Department Comments
Will Naylor Office of the PCC  
Jane Palmer Financial Services  
Lisa Winward Local Policing  
Lisa Winward Beyond Local Policing  
Rosie Holmes Human Resources  
Jane Wintermeyer Joint Corporate Legal Services  
Louise Wood Corporate Communications  
Jonathan Garrett Property and Facilities  
Sudeep Chatterjee Information Communications Technology  
Bob Brigginshaw Transport  
Jenni Newberry Joint Corporate Commissioning and Partnership Services  
Nicola Johnson Procurement  
Maria Earles Organisation and Development  
Sarah Wintringham Information Management  

 

6. Compliance Checks

Financial Implications/Value for money:

Commissioners Chief Finance Officer Comments
The current Capital Development Programme includes around £50m worth of schemes to be delivered over the next 5 years after taking into account an expected slippage of over £18m worth of schemes from 2015/16. Of this slippage, from 2015/16, over £10m of this relates to ICT schemes.

In the report that set the budget for 2016/17 and which established the MTFP for the organisation I highlighted that ‘The organisation needs to consider the scope and volume of how many schemes are currently factored into 2016/17 and whether they all can be delivered. In addition any new schemes that are proposed in year should be viewed and reviewed against a Capital and Development programme that totals nearly £23m in 2016/17, when assessing whether they can be delivered, if they are a higher priority than those already approved and the organisations true capacity to manage more development.’

It has been highlighted, rightly, that external support and expertise is required for this review work for ICT and the proposal set out within this Decision Notice is the proposed first step in moving this vital area of change forward.

To ensure the best value for money for this investment in a Delivery Partner, it is vital that a sustainable solution is part of the outcome and that there is a clear plan for the future of ICT delivery within the organisation.

It is expected that the proposed costs of this development will be funded from underspends within the 2015/16 Capital Programme that are in excess of those that were factored into the MTFP in February 2016. Therefore there will be no additional requirement for the PCC to either borrow funds to make this investment or reduce resources/investment elsewhere within the current financial plans.

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 Acting Force Solicitor and Head of Legal Services 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.

Human Resources Implications:
The proposed approach has been considered in the context of current ICT delivery requirements for the organisation and with regard to the extent of support now required.   It is also noted that traditional recruitment methods will take time given the level of resource required and vetting processes.  Any introduction of a Delivery Partner must be carefully managed in terms of the engagement and communications with the internal ICT team. 

Public Access to information
As a general principle, the Commissioner expects to be able to publish all decisions taken and all matters taken into account when reaching the decision.  This Notice will detail all information which the Commissioner will disclose into the public domain.  The decision and information will be made available on the Commissioner’s website.

Only where material is properly classified as Restricted under the Government Protective Marking Scheme 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 will be used to detail those matters considered to be restricted.  Information in Part 2 will not be published.

All decisions taken by the Commissioner will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Part two

Is there a Part 2 to this Notice – YES

The Chief Constable is of the opinion that the information included in part 2 falls under Section 2(2) of The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011

The information included in Part 2 is properly classified as Restricted due to being commercially sensitive.

Report Information

Author(s): Jane Palmer, Chief Constables Chief Finance Officer

Executive Sponsor(s): Simon Dennis – Acting Chief Executive

Date created:   10 May 2016

I confirm that all the above advice has been sought and received against this and any associated Part 2 information and I am satisfied that this is an appropriate request to be submitted for a decision

Signature: Jane Palmer

Date: 10 May 2016

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