Airwave radio - remote multi-programming

Report: 8
Date: 21 December 2006
By: Director of Information on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

The MPS has made a significant investment into nearly 42,000 hand Airwave digital radios that will require regular upgrades to meet business, operational and regulatory requirements.

The Finance Committee is asked to agree to the spend proposed in this report for the development of a corporate system to automate the remote multi-programming of Airwave radios.

If agreed, the solution will be delivered through variations to existing radio contracts.

A. Recommendations

Members are invited to:

1. Agree that funds be spent on the provision of a technology based Airwave radio automated remote multi-programming system.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The MPS will possess by the third quarter of 2007 a fleet of nearly 42,000 Airwave radios that require annual Airwave radio supplier software upgrades and MPS parameter changes at an estimated rate of 100 changes per month for implementation to the radio fleet.

2. These changes currently require engineers with a laptop computer in a manual process that is costly, logistically complex and time consuming to implement across the MPS. The volume and frequency of changes will need to be implemented on a near continuous basis to keep the radios up to date across the London capital.

3. This report recommends the development of a remote Airwave radio programming system that will be available on a seven day 24 hour basis to provide fast effective support to rapidly changing operational police requirements.

4. The term remote programming means the ability to change software and parameters in an Airwave radio indirectly and from a distance across a data network. The system will also automatically update and hold centrally detailed configuration and asset records that describe the Airwave radio.

5. The recall of radios for re-programming presents particular issues for the Safer Neighbourhood teams who are issued with a personal Airwave radio to perform their duties. These teams are typically located in a proliferation of small bases remote from police stations and larger MPS sites. The logistics of frequent re-calls of their radios for manual upgrades has a high impact on Safer Neighbourhood teams that requires significant control of replacements for their mobile shift-working officers. The proposal to provide an automated service is particularly attractive to Safer Neighbourhood teams, with potential for further operational and cost savings.

6. Two options have been considered; manual programming versus remote automated multi-programming of Airwave radio handsets, with the latter being recommended by the MPS as the best value option on grounds of operational efficiency and Safer Neighbourhood benefits. The automated option is marginally more expensive when discounted over a five-year period but does not take into account the non-cash savings to be gained by reducing the operational police officer time spent handing over working radios for a comparatively lengthy and error prone manual re-programming.

7. Either option will still have police officer resource implications in that all Airwave radios will have to be systematically recalled for the upgrade in a manner that minimises the impact to police operations.

8. This project will review the design to ensure that the equipment can be satisfactorily incorporated into existing accommodation. It is expected that centrally based computer server equipment will be housed in existing accommodation and that no new accommodation will be required.

9. It is envisaged that over 200 Airwave radio docking stations will be briefcase sized units that will only require an existing network access port and a 13Amp socket with minimal impact to local accommodation.

10. Prior to funding committal, the project will complete a final review to ensure deliverables; implementation timescales and financial estimates defined in Appendix 1 are assured.

11. No new contracts (OJEU procedures) are required since development and future operation will be procured through variations to existing contracts. For server technology, maintenance and network delivery – Capgemini, for remote radio docking station technology and applications – Arqiva (Radio Managed Service supplier) and in vehicle manual programming – VT Emergency Services.

List of abbreviations

CESG

Communications-Electronics Security Group (part of GCHQ)

DoI

Directorate of Information

GCHQ

Government Communications Headquarters

MPA

Metropolitan Police Authority

MPS

Metropolitan Police Service

Q3

Quarter 3

C. Race and equality impact

There are none specific to this report.

D. Financial implications

1. The recommendation is to build a technology based Airwave radio automated remote multi-programming system that has a Net Present Cost of £8,921k when evaluated over a five-year period compared to replace the current manual procedure costing £8,846k; an increase of £75k.

2. This recommendation would deliver a considerable reduction in the disruption caused to operational and Safer Neighbourhood policing teams that enables non-cash savings by reducing the time and logistics needed to return a police radio to base for manual re-programming. This saving has not been evaluated in this paper but the MPS recognises it as offering overall best value.

3. The recommended option requires up front capital funding for assets (hardware and software), design and project management totalling £4.7m. This would be funded from the 2006/07 DoI capital budget allocation for Safer Neighbourhoods, as approved by MPA Finance Committee on 16 February 2006 (£4m), with the shortfall of £0.7m being funded from the existing DoI revenue budget. Revenue costs associated with this project proposal will be £1,440k in 2007/08, £1,070k in 2008/09 and £700k each year thereafter. There is a one-off cost pressure in 2007/08 of £390k that will be funded from within the DoI revenue budget with savings of £350k per annum from 2009/10.

4. Automatic programming of Airwave radios includes software upgrade costs £1.1m and an annual service and support cost of £700K.

5. The cost of the proposal compared to existing budgets appears in the table at Appendix 1. Any shortfall in the budget provision in the early years will be funded from within the existing DoI approved budget. If it had been necessary to separately borrow to fund this proposal, the Minimum Revenue Provision (at 4%) would amount to £188k pa, and interest (based on 4.5%) to £211k pa.

6. Maintaining the status-quo option of manual re-programming would continue long timescales to complete Airwave upgrades, deploying engineers across the MPS and the high cost of this labour intensive activity; £1.5m - £2.3m per annum. Upgrade costs also increase in 2007/08 to meet security (CESG/GCHQ) regulations on Airwave use.

7. An automated remote multi-programming system is recommended given the operational benefits that will be obtained and significant reduction in the disruption to Safer Neighbourhood teams.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Andrew Scott – MPS, Directorate of Information

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

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