C3i/Airwave position report

Report: 11
Date: 24 July 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

The paper provides a summary of progress on the C3i/Airwave Programme. The programme is broadly on track for full implementation by the end of the 2005/06 financial year.

A. Recommendation

That the Authority notes the content of this report and endorses the following:

1. the progress made to date
2. the change from a project to a programme
3. the revised governance structure.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Following the MPA-endorsed decision not to proceed with the PFI procurement for C3i in Quarter 1 2001, an in-house project was established to deliver the required C3i solution. A business case was developed defining the scope of the C3i solution and establishing the required funding.

2. In the autumn of 2002, the Home Office along with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and Partnerships UK Ltd. (PUK) accepted that it would be more appropriate for the C3i project to be incorporated into a broader programme of activities. This was to encompass the original C3i concept, Airwave, and other associated enabling technologies that would be provisioned through the Directorate of Information (DoI). A formal C3i Programme Business Case was prepared to reflect the Programme and an operational Police Commander was appointed to oversee the interface between C3i and operational policing.

3. In parallel the Deputy Commissioner, as Senior Responsible Officer, identified that he needed an independent organisation to assure him of the programme status, progress and direction; Impact Plus was appointed to undertake this role. In conjunction with this, a new full time C3i programme director was appointed on 19 December 2002.

4. An initial review conducted by the programme director and Impact Plus indicated that a number of issues needed to be urgently addressed for the programme to function effectively. The issues identified were:

• to prioritise delivery activities in the programme
• to improve the governance arrangements
• to bring additional experience and skills into the programme
• to baseline the programme scope and manage further changes against that baseline
• to review the relationship with the systems integrator Lockheed Martin
• to improve the engagement of Territorial Policing, other operational directorates and the wider MPS.

Progress to date

5. A new programme organisational structure has been put in place. This has introduced clear roles and responsibilities for the design, delivery and assurance functions.

6. The governance structure has been changed and now incorporates a small strategic group chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, which includes senior officers of the MPS and the MPA. This group meets monthly and provides clear strategic direction for the programme.

7. The Steering Committee has now been changed to a bi-monthly Stakeholder Forum where the Home Office and MPA are represented. A new MPA Oversight Committee has been formed, chaired by Richard Barnes. In addition, there is a quarterly meeting held by the Home Office, attended by MPA officers, to monitor the expenditure of the Home Office C3i grant. At an operational level the programme director chairs a monthly executive board to manage the tactical decisions for the programme.

8. A major review was undertaken of the skills and competencies required to deliver C3i and the contribution which Lockheed Martin, C3i systems integrator, might provide. As a result, an integrated team approach combining MPS and Lockheed Martin staff has been taken to improve the level of delivery. A significant change has been the appointment of a Lockheed Martin Programme Delivery Manager who has responsibility for delivering the integrated programme. In addition, a senior MPS manager has also been appointed to the programme assurance role and Territorial Policing has set-up a team to address the impact of the introduction of C3i into operational service.

9. Work has been undertaken to formally control and baseline the requirements of the C3i programme. This has included the development of a transition strategy to outline the migration approach that will be taken to move existing operations into the new C3i environment. A communications strategy has been developed, and a series of activities have taken place to keep Territorial Policing and additional significant stakeholders informed of the progress of the programme.

10. A number of key milestones have been achieved to date, notably the provision on 17 March 2003 of the three Airwave equipment rooms.

11. There has been a concern with the suitability of some aspects of the standard Airwave fallback service offered by mmO2 and as a result the MPS has had to make additional arrangements for radio continuity in the event of serious failure.

12. Delays have occurred to the original Hendon building schedule as a result of the need for anti-terrorist biochemical and blast hardening. As a consequence all three C3i buildings are now scheduled for completion during Spring 2004. Progress is satisfactory against this new schedule. The topping out ceremony was carried out at Hendon on 2 July 03.

13. The main C3i technology projects of Metduties, Mobile Data Terminals (MDT), Command and Despatch (CAD) enhancements, Call Handling System (CHS) and Call Routing System are proceeding to schedule. Extensive MDT trials have been completed, and with this experience C3i will begin the formal roll out of MDT in October 2003.

14. In the light of the MPS experience of power loss at New Scotland Yard in June, the C3i resilience provisions have been re-examined to confirm their fitness for purpose. The design of C3i is such that if one centre is lost business will not be impacted. The loss of two centres will degrade the service within acceptable levels.

15. Training continues to be a concern due to the level of officer abstraction it could require. This problem is heightened when consideration is taken of the concurrent training needs of other business change programmes. The C3i transition strategy and plan has had to take cognisance of this situation.

16. Territorial Policing have developed an approach to adopting and maximising the benefits of C3i. This approach has been outlined in their Modernising Operations proposal.

17. Following consultation over supervision arrangements with other forces that have recently undergone a centralisation programme similar to C3i, the need to have sufficiently experienced operator and supervisor staff during transition was reinforced. With this in mind and with the risk of not being able to recruit sufficient new civilian staff in an appropriate time scale it has been decided to retain 300 police officer posts in the C3i centres until transition is complete as a risk mitigation exercise. Once transition is complete these posts will be civilianised in accordance with the original plan.

18. Recent scrutiny by a number of bodies including Impact Plus, PUK, OGC and the MPA Oversight Committee have indicated that C3i is broadly on track. The challenges facing the programme continue to be formidable and the impact that C3i will have on the MPS over the next three years needs to be taken into account when strategic and other initiatives are being planned by the MPA.

C. Equality and diversity implications

19. Full account continues to be taken of the requirements for equality and diversity. An example of this has been the establishment of an Integrated Test Laboratory for C3i where aspects of the DDA can be examined. Trials of Language Line are being undertaken to assist non-English speaking callers.

D. Financial implications

20. The total forecast expenditure for the C3i programme comprising C3i, Airwave, MDT, MetDuties Phase 1 and C3i Business Change remains within the approved budgets of £200m capital and £57m revenue. These sums are being funded by a combination of Home Office capital and revenue grants and MPA approved and allocated capital and revenue funding.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Deputy Commissioner, MPS.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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