MPS IT infrastructure programme

Report: 17
Date: 11 July 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

Approval is sought to commit funds to complete the rollout of the new IT infrastructure (known as AWARE) to the desktop during this financial year as detailed in the linked exempt report. 

A. Recommendations

That

1. approval be given to the MPS to place orders to enable the completion of the AWARE infrastructure rollout during this financial year as detailed in the linked exempt report.

B. Supporting information

1. The IT Infrastructure Programme (known as AWARE) was approved on the basis that provision of a more robust and easily supported infrastructure would deliver cost and efficiency benefits to the MPS in terms of:

• the stability, flexibility and structure of the design which would facilitate future organisational changes and partnership working
• improved information management
• improved staff efficiency as the corporate desktop was rolled out
• additional capability necessary to support business critical applications

2. To date the new infrastructure has been deployed across six sites (Ealing, Havering, Hillingdon, Richmond, Harrow and Wapping) and one HQ site (Cobalt Square). Work on Barnet borough is underway and this completes work on tranche one of the migration plan. In addition, a significant amount of preparatory work has been undertaken on the NSY local areas network in anticipation of the rollout in September.

3. Funding has been committed for tranches two and three of the migration. Preparatory work for the tranche two sites (Islington, Waltham Forest, Hounslow, Brent, Enfield, Haringey, Heathrow, Jubilee House and the Hendon campus) is already in progress. Committal authority for this expenditure was within MPS delegated authority levels.

4. The MPS is now ready to commit the funds required for the remaining sites. These funds need to be committed by the following dates in order for the rollout programme to remain on schedule to complete by 31 March 2003:

• New/additional sites by 15 July 2002
• Tranche four and five sites by 1 August 2002
• Remaining workstations to facilitate the rollout by 14 August 2002

5. Progress on the Infrastructure Programme is monitored monthly by the programme board, chaired by the Director of Information, and quarterly by the Information Management Steering Group, chaired by the Deputy Commissioner. Each meeting receives full project reports, including financial analysis. In addition, we have reported on a regular basis to the MPA Information Strategy/Information Technology Committee.

6. Having delayed the rollout while lessons were learned from the migrations at the pilot sites, a revised migration schedule was negotiated with the supplier. Although the new schedule is tight, we are confident that if these orders are placed by the dates shown above, the programme will be completed by the target date of 31st March 2003.

C. Financial implications

Financial details are contained in a separate ‘exempt report’ to be considered at this meeting.

D. Background papers

• IT Infrastructure Business Case, July 2001
• Medium Term Capital Programme 2002/03 to 2005/06, April 2002

E. Contact details

Report author: Mike Aston, MPS.

For information contact:

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

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