Operational personal digital assistants

Report:11
Linked to exempt item 18
Date: 24 January 2008
By: Director of Information for the Commissioner

Summary

This project will install the infrastructure for the Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) system and deploy two hundred PDA devices in order to validate the solution. The MPS Investment Board approved the Business Case in September 2007 and as a result of negotiations led by Procurement Services, the overall costs of the project is 7% above the authorised capital budget (budget details are given in Appendix 1). This will be funded by the Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) contract coming in below the authorised budget.

Subsequent deployments of the Operational PDA will be via the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) catalogue and will be funded from the local devolved budgets based on a suitable Business Case. We are working closely with the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) to establish whether central monies can be used to boost the local budgets.

The number of PDAs that will be deployed is not known. Cost projections are given in Appendix 1.

The Project Board now seeks approval to award the contract for the Operational PDA to the preferred supplier.

A. Recommendations

Members are asked to note and approve the following:

1. Agree to award the Operational PDA contract to the preferred supplier and note the additional recommendations detailed in exempt Appendix 1.

2. Funding has been agreed within the Business Case (ref: 960524-BUS-001). The MPS Investment Board endorsed this in Sept 2007.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The provision of information via mobile devices to operational officers is a core part of the MPS Mobility Strategy. Such devices will be capable of retrieving information from back-office police systems as well as updating and creating information in such systems. Therefore providing the foundations for increased effectiveness and productivity of officers and support staff. Additional benefits such as an improvement in information quality and a reduction in re-keying of similar data into different system will also be achieved.

2. Following the formal tender evaluation process, the preferred supplier has been identified as Detica.

3. The Directorate of Information (DoI) is working with the Directorate of Resources (DoR) Procurement Services to facilitate all purchases made on the Operational PDA Project.

4. The project will deploy a total of two hundred operational PDAs in order to validate the solution developed. Subsequent deployments will be via the ICT catalogue and will be funded locally based on a suitable Business Case.

5. The initial core product will offer the following services via the PDA:

• Access to the PNC (Police National Computer);
• Electronic FPNs (Fixed Penalty Notices);
• Electronic CARBs (Collision Accident Report Booklets);
• Electronic STOPs (Stop and Account/Search);
• Access to the Electoral Roll register;
• Daily Briefings;
• Access to DVS (Driver Validation Service);
• Emerald Warrants;
• Access to MPS email and calendar.

Acronyms & abbreviations:

PDAs

Personal Digital Assistants

MDT

Mobile Data terminals

ICT

Information & Communications Technology

NPIA

National Policing Improvement Agency

DoI

Directorate of Information

DoR

Directorate of Resources

PNC

Police National Computer

FPNs

Fixed Penalty Notices

CARBS

Collision Accident Report Booklets

STOPS

Stop & Account/Search

DVS

Driver Validation Service

C. Race and equality impact

There are no issues specific to report. Compliance with the meaning and scope of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and any Act of Parliament or other legal provisions relating to discrimination of employment, has been accepted in full by the proposed supplier and their sub-contractors within the proposal.

D. Financial implications

1. The September 2007 Investment Board approved the funding for the Operational PDA Project (details given in exempt Appendix 1). The overall project costs are 7% above the authorised budget hence no additional authorisation is required. This will be funded by the MDT contract coming in below the authorised budget.

2. It is intended that a payment profile will be used to ensure that payments equate to benefits. 2.5% will be paid on completion of the Functional Specification. A further 12.5% on completion of the User Acceptance Testing, followed by 35% on the successful completion of the Operational Evaluation and a final 50% on project completion. It can be seen that the payment profile is heavily weighted in favour of the MPS and encourages successful delivery.

E. Legal implications

1. DoR Procurement Services will ensure that all contracts will comply with MPA Procurement Regulations and all relevant EU and UK Government Directives as outlined herein.

2. DoR Procurement Services can confirm that the project and associated proposals and decisions are within the powers of the Authority.

F. Background papers

• Business Case Version 1.7 (Ref: 960524-BUS-001)
• Project Initiation Document Version 1.1 (Ref: 960524-PID-001)
• Recommendation Report Version 1.1 (Ref: 960524-REP-005)

G. Contact details

Report author(s): Rab Jungi, Mobility Gateway Programme Manager, MPS
Duncan Reynolds, Project Manager, MPS
Nigel Lee, Supra Workstream Manager, MPS

For more information contact:

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

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