ICT Strategy 2013/2014
Andrew Proctor – Head of ICT Services
Introduction
West Midlands Police’s strategic commitments and aspirations (as per the Policing Crime Plan) are enabled and underpinned by maximising the strategic and operational value of ICT.
Whilst it is recognised that technology has tremendous potential, it is vital that the utilisation of technology reflects the business needs of the force. The benefit of technology investment must be demonstrated in terms of a financial return, promoting cost avoidance or adding value by enabling a business change.
The ICT Strategy has therefore been developed to reflect the current force priorities and challenges facing the organisation, to maintain clarity of purpose and alignment of ICT to support the force objectives and to reflect the strategy opportunities made possible by new and enhanced ICT capabilities.
This strategy sets out how ICT will align technology to the force’s strategic priorities by providing cost effective, reliable and agile solutions.
The ICT Strategy is focused on the business requirements that technology will support and provides a strategic framework for the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at West Midlands Police over the next twelve to eighteen months. This strategic framework applies to ICT throughout the force and impacts on all departments and services. The ICT Strategic Board will ensure that senior stakeholders have the opportunity to help shape this strategy going forward, this will set out how ICT will be used to meet business priorities within the context of the overarching strategic framework of the force. Departments will be involved in shaping their service specific strategies, which will set out how they will use ICT to meet departmental business priorities within the context of the key principles and the overarching strategic framework set out in this document.
Current position
Traditionally the ICT Department at West Midlands Police was configured to focus on ‘Keeping the lights on’ – ensuring that technology is effectively maintained and that, should it fail, it is quickly restored back to operational effectiveness. The arrival of a new leadership team in 2012 quickly established the need to transition the ICT function from a “steady state” service provider to a strategic partner – repositioning the ICT Service and the role of technology as a key enabler and not an end in itself.
This represented a fundamental shift in the role of ICT within the force and ensured that the ICT Service was aligned with strategic priorities and engaged in planning for the future.
This new direction was facilitated by setting out a revised delivery model and structure for ICT, along with a set of service improvement initiatives aimed at developing capabilities to ensure that ICT, and the technology it provides, are able to provide maximum benefit and added value to West Midlands Police.
The new ICT Services organisational structure came into operation in February 2013 and an ICT Strategy for 2013 was subsequently developed by the Head of ICT in April 2013 in order to further improve the capabilities of the department along with significantly improving the services it provides to the organisation.
In August 2013, a Quarterly Performance Review (QPR) undertaken on the department concluded that the ICT Review and its subsequent implementation were on course to satisfy the transformational outcomes that had been predicated on the departmental re-‐structure. Significant progress has been made since the beginning of 2013. However, much more remains to be done.
The challenge now facing the ICT function is to build upon the firm foundations set through earlier work by further developing its role as a strategic partner and by implementing a clear strategy for the department that is business-‐focused and responsive to the challenges facing the force.
ICT Strategy
OrganisaYonal Requirements
Industry Good PracYce
Police & Crime Plan
Vision and Values
The Vision for ICT
The vision of the ICT department is to provide, manage and support efficient and effective technology that underpins the force’s ability to meet its strategic aims. Essentially, everything that ICT works on should, to some degree, be helping the organisation to serve the communities of the West Midlands and protect them from harm.
Values and Principles
• Empowering and enabling Police Officers and Police Staff will be at the heart of everything we do
• Any initiative undertaken via the ICT Strategy must deliver explicit and desirable business outcomes
• The ICT Strategy is predicated on ICT applying industry standards for service delivery and technology where these add business value
• Strategic leadership by ICT and robust governance will ensure investment decisions take account of corporate priorities
• ICT application architecture decisions will be predicated on consolidation to key corporate applications and a core set of line of business applications
• A considered approach to resourcing will be employed – maintaining internal capability through knowledge transfer and business priority – focused training, alongside the use of commercial partners for one-‐off and specialist tasks, provided this offers clear value for money and aligns with strategic priorities.
Drivers
Some of the key drivers that have influenced and shaped the ICT Strategy are as follows:
• Increasing financial challenges facing the force and the need to reduce cost, generate efficiencies and deliver savings through more innovative provision of services supported by technology and technology-‐enabled business change programmes
• A growing need for better information sharing
• Service specific developments which require a strategic corporate ICT framework that provides clear direction for departmental business strategies to align with
• Changes in employee and customer expectations about the role and use of ICT-‐ a more technology – aware user base will drive channel shift, providing new opportunities for the promotion and provision of services.
• Preparation for the introduction of an IIP. Large-‐scale or complex undertakings such as major system replacements or the deployment of mobile technology have been discounted, as it is envisaged that the IIP will have the capacity and experience to deliver transformational capabilities.
Strategic Themes
The ICT Strategy 2013/14 has been distilled into six distinct themes that interact strongly with each other. All of the key activities and objectives undertaken within ICT throughout 2013/14 fall into one of these themes. The themes are aligned to the Policing and Plan and the PCC strategic outcomes. The following pages describe each of these themes as well as providing example objectives for each one. The complete list of ICT objectives and deliverables, each
referencing one of the strategic themes, can be found in appendix A.
“The provision of service delivery excellence through the
implementation of the ITIL framework, industry best practice and continuous service improvement. Establishing the services delivered by ICT and the values to which we subscribe”
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
Customer Charter Creating a Customer Charter that articulates the values of the department and what our customers can expect from us.
Service Catalogue Creating a Service Catalogue including performance metrics, means that ICT are able to advertise the service provided by the department. Customers will be able to access the catalogue and request services as and when required. This will also provide a vehicle for the department to publish the SLAs associated with the services.
ITIL Best Practice
Building on the ITIl foundations that are already in place within the department, refining the Change Management process and introducing Problem Management processes will further improve the control and efficiencies within the Service Delivery department.
Service Level Agreements Defining SLAs for key services will ensure that customers will be fully informed of the level of service expected and required by the force. This will ensure that SLAs are current and meeting the needs of the force.
MODERN & ROBUST TECHNOLOGY
“The provision of modern ICT services via a secure, reliable, and highly available infrastructure that is fit for the current and
future requirements of the force”
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“The provision of modern ICT services via a secure, reliable, and
highly available technology infrastructure that is fit for the
current and future requirements of the force”!
WebOASIS
MODERN & ROBUST TECHNOLOGY
Windows 7
Resilient Infrastructure
IP Telephony
Agile Working
Windows 7
Providing a new modern, fast and secure Windows 7 desktop that provides users with the tools they need, wherever they need them. Via Windows 7, users’ applications and files will follow them from machine to machine greatly increasing workforce agility Building the foundations required deliver access to other new technologies, such as: instant messaging, video conferencing and document sharing.
Resilience
Making key technology hugely more resilient will ensure that staff and officers have access to the systems they need at all times. Significantly increasing the availability of IT Systems and also introducing disaster recovery capabilities that will ensure that critical and important technology will continue to operate in adverse conditions (e.g. loss of a data centre, natural disasters)
Telephony
Introducing modern new IP based Telephony for the Force will enable hot-desking via 'follow me phones' which means the workforce can be much more agile. It also enables improved service to Force Contact and offers better value for money through the removal of costly, legacy telephone lines.
I
INFORMATION & COLLABORATION
“Improved information management capabilities and technology tools to facilitate collaboration and improved communication between staff within the organisation and
potential partner agencies”
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“Improved information management capabilities and technology tools to facilitate collaboration and improved
communication between staff within the organisation and potential partner agencies”!
WebOASIS
INFORMATION & COLLABORATION
Instant Messaging
Electronic File Storage
Document Sharing
Police National Database
Collaboration Tools
The deployment of powerful new technology tools that empower users to communicate and collaborate with each other in modern ways such as Desk to Desk Video Conferencing, Instant Messaging, Document Sharing, Web Conferencing and Interactive Desktop Whiteboarding.
Paper Lite
The introduction of electronic storage for current paper-based files. This will significantly reduce the requirement for physical file storage across the Force’s estate and lay the foundations for improved file management and governance.
PND
The development of automatic data loads from Force systems into the Police National Database. This will significantly increase our contribution to regional and national intelligence use.
GOVERNANCE & ENGAGEMENT
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“Implementing improved processes to ensure ICT are better
aligned with business change initiatives and priorities by engaging, informing, and
influencing our customers at an early stage. Ensuring ICT focus on delivering the ‘right things’ rather than trying to deliver everything”!
WebOASIS
GOVERNANCE & ENGAGEMENT
Demand Management
Technical Design Authority
PMO Engagement
Demand Management
Providing a clear picture of ICT capacity to the force. This will ensure that the transformational change work undertaken by the department will be both realistic and visible to senior stakeholders and will give partner departments a clear route for commissioning work from ICT Services.
“Implementing improved processes to ensure ICT are better aligned with business change initiatives and priorities by
engaging, informing, and influencing our customers at an early stage. Ensuring ICT focus on delivering the 'right things' rather
than trying to deliver everything”
Risk Management
Introducing a formal risk management process within the ICT department that ensures any technology risks are well documented and managed appropriately via mitigation and/or contingencies.
Technical Design Authority
The establishment of an effective Technical Design Authority (TDA). The TDA plays a key part in system design and will ensure that technology solutions delivered by projects and programmes are achievable, fit for purpose and sustainable.
INNOVATION & CREATIVITY
“Providing innovative and creative solutions to organisational problems. Looking towards the future capabilities of
technology and demonstrating how they can be used to the benefit of the force. Providing advice and guidance on how
things can be done differently”
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”Providing innovative and creative solutions to organisational
problems. Looking towards the future capabilities of technology and demonstrating how they can
be used to the benefit of the force. Providing advice and guidance on
how things can be done differently”!
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!WebOASIS
Innovation & Creativity
eNotes
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Architecture & Design
eBoards
eNotes
A customer contact recording and insight application development that builds up a total history of contact with victims and customers - in particular, allowing the force to build a clear picture of repeat callers and any associated vulnerability.
Architecture & Design
Establishing an Architecture and Design function within the ICT department will ensure that we are operating to industry best practice in ensuring organisational change delivers the right technical solutions that are fully aligned with the rest of the organisation (e.g. business processes) This new function will also help ensure the Force ICT department is better positioned ahead of the on-boarding of an IIP.
eBoards
Developed as part of the 5Ci Programme and they will enable contact centers to display a wide range of real-time information to operators and supervisors. This information includes call statistics, news feeds and other information relating to e.g. major incidents.
Self-Service
Staff self-service capability in support of the centralised Shared Service project.
VALUE FOR MONEY
“Acting in a cost conscious and efficient manner while constantly increasing the value of services we deliver to the organisation. Obtaining the maximum benefit from existing technologies as well as third party suppliers via effective
supplier and contract management”
Zero Based Budgeting
Completing Zero Based Budgeting throughout the department will ensure that ICT are fully prepared for the internal budget review of 2014. The force will have confidence in the ICT department because each service within each team will have been considered in detail, to ensure that the right services are being provided at the right cost.
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“Acting in a cost conscious and efficient manner while constantly
increasing the value of services we deliver to the organisation.
Obtaining the maximum benefit from existing technologies as well
as third party suppliers via effective supplier and contract
management”
WebOASIS
VALUE FOR MONEY
Zero Based Budgeting
Contract Management
Maximising Investment
Team Manager Development
Transforming the role of the ICT Team Manager from the previous ‘lead technician with some line management responsibility’ role to managers and leaders capable of running functions as a small business. Team Managers will have full responsibility for Contract Management, Resource Planning and Financial Management.
Budget and Contract Management
Ensuring that all IT contracts are managed by the ICT department, providing the Force with a consistent and regulated approach to contract management, which includes formal SLAs and the use of KPIs. Ensuring that suppliers and contracts are properly managed and utilised. Ensuring the force receives value for money from current and future contracts.
The complete list of ICT objectives can be found in Appendix A, which provides the following details:
1. ICT Strategic Theme
2. Elements of the Police and Crime Plan supported by the theme
3. The overarching aims of the theme
4. The objectives that underpin these aims
5. The workstreams or deliverables required to deliver the objectives
6. The business outcomes provided by completing each workstream or deliverable
7. Indicative delivery dates for each workstream or deliverable
The following page illustrates how each of the ICT Strategic Themes are broadly aligned to the Police and Crime Plan as follows:
Further principles that support the strategic themes and overarching ICT Strategy are as follows:
Strategic Leadership and Architectural Coherence The ICT Strategy proposes a new role for ICT Services in driving technology investments, aligning them with the wider needs to the Force to be more efficient and joined-‐up. In previous years, key ICT solution architecture decisions were historically made by individual departments on a project-‐by-‐project basis to meet tactical service-‐based business requirements that did not align with a coherent future end-‐state for the organisation. This has resulted in a large number of applications that exist in their own silos. Our current application estate suffers from a lack of integration and coherence, is hugely complex to support and maintain and duplicates functionality and data across applications. Our IT application estate is therefore both expensive and ineffective. The introduction of an Architecture and Design function, delivered as part of the new ICT Strategy, promotes a dual enabling and enforcement role for ICT Services, proactively engaging with services to understand business priorities and identify appropriate technical solutions that are affordable, sustainable and can be re-‐used across the wider Force. The new focus will move away from implementing niche solutions that are narrow in scope and complex to support, to introducing broad, common technical capabilities that can be used in a variety of scenarios. This will ensure that maximum corporate value is obtained from the force’s existing investments and ensure that ICT application architecture is consistent, well managed, and supportable and designed to be future proof. The importance of Information Information is the lifeblood of most, if not all, organisations. Due to the vast amount of data stored within West Midlands Police disparately in various applications, the true value of this data is not likely to be realised. Equally, the vast range of applications used within the force – each with their own non-‐standardised search facilities-‐ can often prove to be a barrier to effective information use. It is accepted that the Force will rely heavily on our IIP to introduce ‘Big Data’ capabilities within the Force. This will allow us to maximise the potential of the information we store and will facilitate a move towards more predictive policing. Another potential barrier to the effective use of information is the limited amount of technical tools available to our staff to facilitate collaboration. Providing the force with the capabilities, and co-‐author office documents without having to leave their desks will vastly improve the effectiveness of our employees and will be delivered as part of the ICT Strategy. Strong Foundations An effective and efficient technology infrastructure is the foundation that underpins the services we deliver to our customers. Modern enterprises expect their IT services to be available, secure, and effectively performing on a 24/7 basis. It is the responsibility of ICT Services to deliver this requirement. In many respects the force has made significant progress in replacing its existing out-‐dated and poorly performing infrastructure over the past twelve months. New infrastructure is being rolled out across the force and will continue to do so over the next financial year. When faced with the task of replacing our out-‐dated Windows XP based desktop estate to Windows 7, ICT have re-‐engineered our desktop build from scratch in order to deliver a greatly improved end-‐user experience that is faster, more secure, more agile and easier to manage.
An Enabling Approach to Information Security ICT will continue to consult and collaborate with the Information Management department to ensure that both the technical and behavioural aspects of information security are addressed in a co-‐ordinated and systematic way to reflect the changing needs of the force.
ICT will continue to promote and support an effective information risk assessment process; enabling informed business decisions to be made and documented regarding security measures to balance the need for confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. The introduction of the Architecture and Design function will also ensure that new IT solutions are secure by design, rather than relying on internal ICT staff securing solutions post-‐implementation. Utilising ICT as a Tool to Reduce the Force’s Environmental Impact
ICT will play an important role not only as a major consumer of energy and primary resources but also as an enabler for environmental and cultural change. ICT facilities such as the new IP telephony system, standardised PC access and investment in video-‐conferencing and collaboration tools will enable more location-‐independent working (these initiatives now form part of the NWoW programme). The introduction of the new ICT infrastructure will see a drastic reduction in server power usage due to an aggressive program of consolidating the existing large and complex estate of servers onto a standardised, much more efficient and resilient platform.
Additionally, ICT will work with the Learning and Development department to assist in the selection and implementation of e-‐learning facilities that will satisfy the findings of the Learning and Development requirements for the NWoW programme and reduce the dependence of locally based training.
The Art of the Possible Modern technology should make things possible, not impose constraints. Organisations should have the flexibility to locate their personnel wherever they are needed, whenever the need arises. This can provide an organisation with a wide range of business benefits; for example – business processes or teams can be moved to new locations quickly and efficiently in the event of disruption or as part of a longer term estates strategy. Our current method of delivering information and applications to staff imposes significant constraints. The increases in workforce agility and collaboration capabilities delivered via the ICT Strategy will see some of these constraints removed. Innovation is often sourced from shared ideas, hence the ability for employees or groups of employees to quickly and easily share and discuss ideas is highly desirable. Procurement and Supplier Management The procurement, implementation and support of ICT solutions across the force are areas of significant expenditure. There is great potential to deliver savings through more proactive identification of opportunities to reuse and make better use of existing ICT assets. Strong leadership by ICT Services will ensure corporate oversight and that proposals to buy or develop new technology solutions are effectively challenged.
Building on earlier work through the ICT Services Contract Management work-‐stream, ICT Services will actively engage with the Procurement Department to identify, develop and realise procurement – based efficiency opportunities. ICT Services will take on a more strategic procurement and supplier management role, with ICT Services owning and managing key relationships with suppliers of goods and services across the ICT and telecoms procurement category. This will enable ICT Services to maximise supplier relationships to gain greater insight into the technology market place, ensure cost reduction or service transformation opportunities are applied corporately and through compliance with legislation, mitigate against the rapidly growing risk of challenge from suppliers.
Delivery Framework
To effectively deliver the ICT Strategy, a Delivery Framework based on industry good practice will be established that incorporates proper management and governance.
The delivery framework sets out the way in which the department will achieve the following key tasks:
• Delivering the ICT Strategy. • Monitoring progress against the ICT Strategy. • Develop the ICT Strategy for subsequent years.
A number of proven methods and frameworks will be used to assist with the delivery of the ICT Strategy, including: Information Technology Infrastructure Framework (ITIL) The ICT Department will move towards adopting the ITIL best practice delivery of IT Services. ITIL is owned by the Office of Government Commerce and is in itself an evolving set of standards. The department will adopt the model where it makes sense to do so, while recognising that this will be gradual and will require a regular review of the benefits for doing so. This, more gradual approach, implies that the department takes a “maturity model” approach towards ITIL, being realistic about the pace by which it moves toward full adoption. ITIL will be used in the following ways during 2013/14:
• To improve engagement and service delivery as a means of moving towards ITIL (version 3), by restructuring the way the department is organised to align to better ITIL v3 service provision.
• To set in place an improved service support tool (e.g. work request system) to support the ITIL model. • To set in place a common set of processes and support systems for the ICT Service Desk and other
support teams. Project in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) Appropriate elements of the PRINCE2 methodology will be used to assist the delivery of major work streams within the ICT Delivery Plan. For example, the Windows 7 rollout will be planned and delivered using GANTT charts, highlight reports and risk registers. It is anticipated that major Force Programmes and Projects will formally use the PRINCE2 methodology in its entirety. Governance Structure The following governance structures will be in place to monitor progress against the ICT Strategy as well as develop future objectives: ICT Strategy Board (quarterly) Membership:
• Head of ICT • ICT Senior Leadership Team • Supplier and Relationship Manager • Head of Business Change
Purpose: The ICT Strategy Board meets on a quarterly basis to discuss progress regarding the implementation of the ICT Strategy. The Supplier and Relationship Manager will report on any opportunities resulting from meeting with various technology suppliers as well as key issues currently faced throughout the organisation that may benefit from these opportunities. This information can be used to inform the contents of future ICT Strategies. The Head of Business Change will ensure that current and future ICT Strategies are well aligned with organisational plans and initiatives. ICT Tasking Group (monthly) Membership:
• Head of ICT • ICT Senior Leadership Team • ICT Team Managers
Purpose: The ICT Tasking Group meets on a monthly basis to discuss key departmental matters such as performance, priorities and risks. For the purposes of the ICT Strategy, a standard agenda item is to review progress against the departmental delivery plan and take appropriate remedial actions should progress not be as predicted. Governance & Resourcing The ICT strategy will be owned by the Head of ICT Services and will be validated by the ICT Strategy Board and delivered by the Head of ICT Services and the ICT Senior Leadership Team. It is recognised that there are increasing pressures being placed on scarce financial and staff resources. It is therefore proposed that any significant programmes of work initiated as a direct consequence of this strategy are fully scoped, costed and resourced, and this investment is considered alongside competing project proposals. It should be noted that ICT Services commit a great deal of resource to “keeping the lights on” which currently accounts for 80% of departmental capacity, leaving only 20% available for new initiatives, project and programme work. Implementation Approach The ICT Services strategy provides a framework and direction of travel for the use of technology at West Midlands Police. The strategy will therefore be realised during the course of the next twelve months, through a number of implementation vehicles that support of directly deliver the force’s strategic and operational priorities. A detailed delivery plan that demonstrates how the strategy will be implemented is included as an appendix to this strategy. Progress against this delivery plan will be reported directly to the Chief Information Officer throughout the year.
ICT Strategy 2013/2014
ICT Services Civic House
Great Charles Street
Birmingham