MPS information strategy - implementation progress report

Report: 17
Date: 27 September 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

The implementation of the MPS Information Strategy is now well underway. The initial planning work is complete and a single, coherent programme of development projects is in train. 

There is an agreed Benefits Realisation and Governance Framework and an emerging systems migration plan. The strategy is being delivered through a series of work-streams that are being actively managed by the MPS. 

Each work-stream has set delivery objectives for the remainder of this financial year that are both achievable and affordable. The pace of the strategy’s implementation thereafter is dependent upon attracting the sustained investment outlined in the DoI’s medium term financial forecast. If funding is forthcoming, the strategy should be fully implemented by the end of the financial year 2005/06. 

The strategy is underpinned by the infrastructure renewal programme and is fundamental to the delivery of C3i. It is also consistent with the aims and objectives of the national initiative, Project Valiant. 

The purpose of this report is to update the Committee on progress in relation to the implementation of the MPS Information Strategy.

A. Recommendations

That

1. the Committee notes the progress made thus far with the implementation of the Information Strategy and endorses its future direction; and
2. the Committee notes the level of finance required to deliver the strategy and confirms their continued support. 

B. Supporting information

Progress report

1. The Information Strategy report was accepted by the MPS in January 2001. Its recommendations were far reaching - its delivery called for a radical overhaul in how we developed and delivered information services.

2. By virtue of the fact that the MPS is not a ‘green-field site’ and had a full programme of work already in progress, the strategy’s implementation could not begin immediately. Some time was also needed to fully digest its technical and business implications. A programme management regime had to be set up and a migration plan for our current array of legacy systems developed.

3. The first iteration of the migration plan delivered the framework for the Directorate of Information (DoI) to create a single, coherent development programme instead of a number of seemingly disparate projects. From a business perspective it then became possible to describe the strategy in terms of a number of ‘work-streams’, namely:

• Crime management.
• Criminal justice. 
• Intelligence.
• Response management. 
• Information management. 
• Resource management.

4. The work-streams have since subsumed almost all legacy developments being managed by Directorate of Information (DoI). Over time they will also deliver new, improved solutions in line with the strategy’s over-arching aims of reducing keying, simplifying business processes and providing access to information on demand – in other words the ‘information cube’. 

5. In addition to these business-led work-streams there is also an ‘enabling activities’ work-stream that encompasses the highly technical work required by the strategy. Examples of enabling activities are:

• Component modelling – using sophisticated tools to describe what business process our IT supports and how information can be exchanged.
• Information architecture – setting down in a highly stylised way how the MPS’s information is structured. 
• Technical architecture – specifying the hardware, software and network products that the strategy will require.
• Data management – describing the rules for how information is defined, stored and maintained.

6. With respect to other major programmes, it should be noted that the Information Strategy itself is dependent upon the Infrastructure Renewal Programme and in common with that programme will support the delivery of C3i. The Information Strategy is also consistent with the aims and objectives of the national initiative, Project Valiant. 

7. The first phase of the strategy, the mobilisation phase, ended in February of this year and delivered the following:

• A single, coherent DoI development programme.
• Programme definition document and risk register.
• Benefits realisation plan.
• Procurement strategy. 
• Programme and work-stream structure.
• An MPS technical architecture.
• A component model.
• An MPS data model. 
• MetRUP (a methodology that will underpin the project development life-cycle within the strategy).

8. The next phase of the strategy, the transition phase, is now well in train. We have begun the process of re-modelling re-engineering and migrating our legacy applications towards the vision of the ‘information cube’. Throughout the transition phase, tangible benefits will be released to the front-line, a process that will be repeated throughout the life-time of the strategy.

9. A high-level outline of the plans for each work-stream for the period September 2002 – December2003 can be found at Appendix 1. The accompanying roadmap is more detailed, including work in progress with planned delivery dates in this financial year.

C. Equality and diversity implications

All solutions provided through the Information Strategy pay particular attention to the needs of special groups. The staff of DoI work closely with the Occupational Health Directorate of the MPS to ensure the needs of any individual can be accommodated. 

D. Financial implications

The Information Strategy’s capital and revenue budgets for 2002/03 are broken down in detail at Appendix 2.

It can be seen that each work-stream has a relatively small allocation for ‘legacy enhancements’ considered essential to maintain legacy applications and underwrite some baseline improvements. The remaining budgets are then divided between work on current projects and new developmental activities that have yet to be planned in detail.

It can be confirmed that at this point in time the budgets set out at Appendix 2 are considered sufficient to deliver the programme of work outlined at Section B2 and Appendix 1. It can also be confirmed that the DoI’s financial requirements for the next and subsequent years to deliver the Information Strategy remain in line with our medium term forecast namely:

Governance

Setting priorities within the programme are the responsibility of the Work-stream Boards and Steering Group chaired by the Director of Information.

The realisation of benefits is the responsibility of the Work-stream sponsors and will be monitored by the Audit and Benefits Realisation Sub-Group of the Information Management Steering Group (IMSG). 

Overall direction and scrutiny of the programme remains vested with the IMSG chaired by the Deputy Commissioner. 

E. Background papers

• None

F. Contact details

Report author: George Corral, Information Strategy Programme Director, Directorate of Information.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

See Supporting material.

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