Procurement of the MPS Enterprise Applications Platform

Report: 11
Date: 18 December 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

The Committee has already approved the procurement of a data repository and associated facilities through which all future Metropolitan Police Service information services will be delivered.

In the interests of meeting C3i dependencies, the acquisition of the Data Repository and associated facilities has been structured for a phased delivery, the first phase being the implementation of an Enterprise Applications Platform (EAP) with the capacity to host C3i dependent applications in time for the commencement of the roll out in June 2004. The first phase will also deliver a service to manage the platform.

In the interests of timeliness and to reduce complexity, the acquisition of the Platform and the service to manage it, are to be by two separate procurements.

In line with the agreed Directorate of Procurement Services strategy, and in the interests of achieving Best Value, a competitive procurement exercise has been carried out for the acquisition of the Enterprise Applications Platform, and a preferred supplier identified. (The procurement of the management service will also be through competitive exercise, for which an Invitation to Tender (ITT) will be issued later this year).

The Directorate of Information (DoI) is now seeking the Committee’s approval to award the contract for the provision of the EAP to the preferred supplier.

It is imperative that implementation preparation commences without delay if the deadline of June 2004 is to be met. The Department of Information is therefore seeking the committee’s approval to initiate a dialogue with the preferred supplier, in anticipation of the formal award of contract. The purpose of the dialogue will be to plan the implementation process and will be subject to the supplier agreeing to proceed on this basis.

Procurement Services would not normally recommend this approach but as this is an exceptional circumstance they will support such a dialogue.

A. Recommendation

That

1. the contents of the report and the decision to award the contract for the supply and installation of the Enterprise Applications Platform be noted and endorsed;
2. the award of contract to the preferred supplier as detailed in the exempt appendix be agreed; and
3. members sanction the initiation of a dialogue with the preferred supplier to enable implementation planning to commence in anticipation of the contract award.

B. Supporting information

Background and objective

1. In the interests of meeting C3i dependencies, the Enterprise Applications Platform Project Board, on which sit representatives of Directorate of Procurement Services, agreed that procurement should be through the Government Catalogue (GCAT).

2. Furthermore, the EAP Project Board recognised the benefits of separating the acquisition of the platform from the managed service. These being:

• It simplified the Statement of Requirements for the EAP by reducing the scope.
• The supply of the platform is relatively straight forward compared to that of the Managed Service and therefore the procurement schedule could be reduced.
• The supply and installation is estimated to take at least six months and therefore it is imperative that implementation work commences by December 2003.
• It meant that the EAP procurement could commence ahead of that for the Managed Service.
• More time could be dedicated to preparing requirements for the Managed Service by removing the pressure to issue the ITT for the platform itself.
• Both the acquisition of the platform and the supply of the Managed Service were in effect ‘de-risked’, the platform as acquisition could commence quickly, and the managed service as more time can be taken over the requirement and the contractual considerations.

3. Three suitable suppliers were selected according to their experience in similar organisations, associations with leading hardware and software manufacturers, and their target market.

4. The suppliers selected were:

• Unisys
• Computacenter
• HP / Compaq

5. The ITT was issued and, in view of the urgency, suppliers were allowed just two weeks to propose their solutions.

6. A Technical Evaluation panel was selected and included representatives with an interest in:

• Technical architecture
• Design and configuration
• Testing and acceptance
• Project controls and procedures
• Security
• C3i deliverables

7. Suppliers presented their solutions to the Evaluation Panel, the purpose being to ensure thorough understanding, by both parties, of the requirements and solution.

8. One supplier was unable to meet two of the mandatory requirements and consequently only two suppliers went on to present their solutions. Further details are contained in the exempt Appendix.

9. Following a period for clarifications the Technical Evaluation panel agreed final scores for each of the suppliers.

10. The commercial aspects were then assessed and a final decision made based on:

• The technical solution
• Ability to deliver within the agreed timescales
• Compatibility of the supplier and the MPS
• Cost effectiveness

Progress to date

11. The process of deciding the preferred supplier was formally completed on 26 November and documented in the EAP Evaluation Report, dated 28 November. This report has been endorsed by the EAP project Board.

12. At an extraordinary meeting of the EAP project Board on 27 November 2003, it was agreed that the award of contract should proceed, providing the following conditions can be met:

• The preferred supplier commits to the delivery time scales by providing an open and honest statement detailing how they will achieve the dates, identifying key risks and proposing risk mitigation plans.
• A contingency plan is put in place to provide an alternative platform to host the Corporate GAZ and GIS systems in the event of the EAP not being available in June 2004.
• The Managed Service requirements include an enhanced DoI client capability for supplier management.

Implementation plans

13. Providing implementation can commence by the middle of December 2003, the Enterprise Applications Platform will be implemented by 1 June 2004, at which time C3i applications (Contact Handling System, Corporate GIS and GAZ) will be migrated to the platform for the rollout.

14. Timescales for the implementation are aggressive and it is therefore vital that the implementation planning commences early in December. If this date cannot be met the Christmas break will cause further delay and seriously jeopardise the June installation date.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. All solutions provided through the ICT Infrastructure 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.

2. Diversity, Equality and Human Rights policy issues were specifically addressed as part of the technical assessment. From the information provided, there are no equality or diversity issues with the company recommended to be the contractor.

D. Financial implications

Financial implications are contained in the Exempt Appendix

E. Background papers

• Report No. 12 of the Finance Committee of July 19 2001
• Report No. 17 of the Finance Committee of September 27 2002
• Paper to the RAC on 3 June 2003 Reference RAC (03)

F. Contact details

Report author: Ailsa Beaton, Director of Information, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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