Information Technology Strategy

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Information

Technology

Strategy

2015-2018

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Foreword

I am pleased to introduce the refreshed IT Strategy, which myself and the team will

work hard to deliver and make an effective contribution to supporting frontline

policing over the course of 2015 and beyond. The move to 8-10 single deployment

bases across our eight new Local Policing Units is a foundation of the new policing

model, and the IT Strategy is a large part of making the new policing model embed,

develop and grow. Mobile technology, reliable data systems, clear links into how

we agree and manage our working practices around mobile data, digital storage,

information management and alignment to change are key parts of making sure

that the technology we have in place is easily useable and making a difference to

allowing our frontline officers and staff to be more visible to our communities. I want

to ensure that IT is not just about systems and ‘kit’, but also about people - about

how we use our systems and technology, how we develop the ‘apps’ for mobile

data to make your job work smarter and better, and how we involve you in the

journey.

As we implement and develop this strategy, it is important to demonstrate

that “We’re Here to Support the Front Line”, and developing the use of technology

with the help and input of a wide range of frontline staff is one of the major ways in

which we plan to achieve that.

The strategy covers lots of the background investment to underpin the new model,

but also investment in keeping our processes working well, embracing new

developments in the criminal justice area around digital evidence and Niche

developments, and keeping our business systems and technical infrastructure

working within a high level of security and reliability.

Good quality IT is a vital component of helping us to maintain services in the face of

the need to make yet more savings whilst simultaneously supporting the best

methods of policing currently in practice for our staff across the constabulary, and

technology to work alongside upgraded facilities in a fully integrated way, to give a

future proofed support service which is fit for the future.

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Purpose of the Strategy

The purpose of the Information Technology Strategy is to enable the delivery of Information Technology solutions and services that meet the Constabulary’s strategic objectives. To that end it is there to deliver technology that truly empowers policing in Cheshire: technology that enables the Constabulary to fight crime effectively; to deliver excellent service to the public and in particular to victims of crime; to allow agile and mobile working across the force to support the new policing model; and to improve the efficiency of all our operations - whether front-line, middle-office, or back-office. As an enabler for change, the IT Strategy must underpin the implementation of the “New Policing Model” in 2015/16, and the new ways of working that will be introduced by this major investment programme.

Our Vision

The vision for Information Technology is simple:

“In support of the Constabulary’s overall vision we will have Information Technology Solutions and Services that enable the Constabulary to fight crime effectively; deliver excellent service to the public, and in particular to victims of crime; to facilitate agile and mobile working across the constabulary; and to improve the efficiency of all our operations”

Put more succinctly:

“Great technology will underpin the delivery of outstanding service and the

realisation of cost savings, in order to deliver the Constabulary’s ambition

”

Translating the Vision

In tandem with modernisation of the Constabulary’s Estate, the vision translates into a number of specific strategic initiatives across several distinct themes, enabling a more mobile and flexible workforce.

Firstly, through new contact channels like on-line services, social media and Police Community Bases, Cheshire Constabulary will open up new ways of communicating with our communities to complement face to face, whilst integrated Force Control Room systems supported by new internet and engagement processes will help us manage all of our ‘customer contacts’ seamlessly and holistically, so that we build up a better picture of people’s needs and engage more effectively – particularly in terms of managing risks around vulnerability.

Looking beyond Public Contact, the introduction of Mobile and Agile technology - backed by appropriate business support units - will allow front-line officers to spend more time working in communities and less time in police stations updating IT systems. Custom ‘apps’ will be deployed to simplify the capture and processing of information - for example digital photography and witness statements – and officers will have the means to share this information at the press of a button withcolleagues in custody and case building teams, or with criminal justice partners. This capability will maximize opportunities to deal with offenders quickly and efficiently, for example at first interview. This will improve the workings of the criminal justice process and – more importantly – deliver speedier justice to victims. It will also open up opportunities for wider cost savings.

These innovations will form part of a wider ‘digitisation’ program, aiming to reduce duplication and delay through the removal of things like paper processes - thereby

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professionalising our front-line and back office operations. As such they will also support a greater focus on managing and exploiting information more effectively – whether that is about getting the right information to officers so they can make the right decisions or informing patrol plans so they can make the biggest difference. Better information management will also reduce risk in relation to information compliance and security. Finally, the Strategy aims to pursue collaborative opportunities with other Blue Light organisations, pooling resources and sharing expertise wherever possible in order to drive down the costs of change, improve resilience in the delivery of IT services and make IT more sustainable over the medium term. Collaborative initiatives will go hand-in-hand with improved strategic planning of IT and IT investments through the creation of technology roadmaps.

The ambitions above can be grouped into a number of key areas, as follows:  Mobile and Agile

 Crime Fighting  Public Contact  Digital Working

 Information & Records Management  Quality of Service

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Strategic Objectives – Timeline

The timeline above gives an indicative view of when the most significant strategic initiatives will be delivered, broadly speaking.

Whilst it is subject to change it does provide a reliable sense of priorities, and when the different elements will be delivered.

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Strategic Objectives – Details

Front line officers and staff currently have limited capabilities for accessing or updating information systems whilst away from the police station. This creates a ‘pull’ back to police stations, and reduces the amount of time that officers spend on patrol. It also creates duplication, with information often being recorded on paper before being transcribed later onto the relevant computer system. As well as being inefficient having these kinds of processes does not create the required impression of a modern, responsive police service.

Delivering this objective will yield the following benefits:

 Improved officer visibility / greater community ‘presence’

 Better decision-making through better access to information

 More efficient information capture – “enter once”

 Improved public perception of more professional service – improves confidence

 Less time spent travelling to and from police stations

 Reduced need for ‘fixed’ police stations (and associated IT infrastructure)

 Improved officer satisfaction in the quality of IT solutions

We will achieve this objective by:

 Issuing tablets and custom ‘apps’ to the Front Line

 Expanding the use of Community Police Bases in Partner locations

 Transitioning from Blackberry to Smart Phone devices

 Enhancing Video Conferencing facilities and capabilities including remote briefings

 Expanding Live Link for remote court appearance – for police officers and vulnerable witnesses

 Issuing personal issue laptops for all ‘agile workers’

 Exploiting Unified Communications to extend telephony ‘beyond the office’

 Expanding the use of Microsoft Lync for remote communications

 Implementing the Emergency Services Network (Airwave replacement), including issuing multi-purpose ‘smart radios’ with data/voice services and ‘apps’

All of the objectives in this strategy will indirectly improve the organisation’s capacity to fight crime. For example, better access to systems and information leads to better decision-making and better outcomes; greater visibility deters criminality; and better

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public contact will improve trust and engagement, which is a key requirement for ‘policing by consent’ to function within communities.

However, this objective recognises that technology can also be used directly in the fight against crime. For example, in-vehicle technologies can be deployed to deprive criminals the use of the roads, by identifying individuals or capturing evidence.

 More positive disposals through stronger evidence

 More arrests through better identification

 Improved public confidence by meeting expectations

 Greater deterrence, e.g. roads safety impact

 Expanding the use of in-vehicle technologies: ANPR, Video Recording and Speed Detection

 Introducing Body Worn Cameras into key operations

 Deploying Mobile Fingerprint Devices across operations (Lantern)

 Developing location aware capacity for ‘dynamic briefing’

 Improving real-time access to information for Front Line (links to Objective 1)

 Developing an “Operational Control Centre / Lightening Suite” to oversee and direct operations centrally – providing real-time

information feeds (like CCTV) and “pushing out” briefings to target activities effectively (pace-setter)

 Developing capabilities around face and voice recognition

 Introducing capabilities for ‘predictive patrol plans’

Most commercial organisations provide a mix of communications channels to their customers, including their main internet site, social media, email, mailshots, and central call centre. Driving certain types of demand towards a customer-self-service model has allowed many commercial organisations to reduce their operating costs, as well as providing a convenient and effective service model for their customers. Whilst the

adoption of this model within the Police Service is still relatively immature, Cheshire Constabulary has made some strides already in these areas - including the adoption of "Neighbourhood Alert" for community engagement, and the rollout of Police Contact Points (“Kiosks”) to main police stations. More work needs to be done to

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enhance capabilities around Public Contact, to give the kind of service that the Public expects, and to exploit the opportunities offered to provide better services at lower cost.

 Provide greater flexibility in the contact services provided - not “one size fits all”

 Create opportunities to message hard-to-reach groups through things like social media

 Presents a modern, responsive organisation that meets the needs of different citizens and communities

 Potential cost reductions through innovations like self-service, or e-commerce capabilities

 Reduce risks around vulnerability by providing a better ‘picture’ of the citizen across all contact channels

 Improve public confidence through the delivery of a modern, fit-for-purpose communications capability

 Improve staff satisfaction within the Force Control Room in the quality of IT solutions provided, by providing better tools to do the job

 Introducing New Control Room Systems (C&C and Contact Management)

 Deploying a redesigned Force Website on an improved platform that is compatible with mobile devices

 Introducing better public communications facilities in public waiting areas, e.g. rolling Force news and appeals

 Continuing to expand and develop Police Information Points

 Developing a capability to track Social Media

 Improving and enhancing how we use Social Media

 Implementing “Track My Crime” for Victims

 Providing an On-Line Crime Recording service

 Expanding the use of on-line service offerings to the Public

 Offering a range of contact options to the Public,

 Providing a range of mechanisms for the Public to contact their Local Policing Unit officer

 Expanding the use of new contact channels like Facewatch and Neighbourhood Alert, and integrating these with into back office processes / systems

Officers are increasingly required to manage digital evidence files like CCTV and mobile phone records, but these processes are performed in an ad hoc way. However, the importance of improving capabilities in this area is increasing sharply as the Force looks to expand its own internal use of digital photography and video with the release of tablets, the installation of in-car video, and the potential

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introduction of Body Worn Video – all of which will see data volumes increasing significantly. This is therefore something that the Force needs to tackle in the short term in order to meet this challenge.

Delivering improvements in this area will also have down-stream benefits on the investigative and criminal justice processes, by making evidence more easily available for things like first interview or the police/CPS charging decision - either of which can have significant effects on both the efficiency of processes and criminal justice outcomes. Digital Working is extended here to a more general ambition to move away from “paper processes” and all their incumbent inefficiencies and barriers to effective working in the modern age. As such, this objective identifies a clear ambition to embrace digital working across the enterprise, and use it to drive new ways of working, e.g. paperless board meetings.

 Less rework and duplication – digital processes will remove inefficiency

 Reduced numbers of detainees being bailed from police custody

 More guilty pleas at first custody interview

 Greater opportunities to share information with partners

 Reduced logistical overheads for storage of physical records, e.g. paper statements, pocket notebooks

 Reduced consumption of paper – cost and environmental benefits

 Improved officer and staff satisfaction levels

 Developing ‘plug-ins’ to allow digital evidence to be imported into Force systems

 Introducing digital statement-taking, including digital signatures

 Introducing digital pocket books

 Developing an interface for the transfer of digital evidence into the CPS and Courts Service

 Introducing a mobile capability for Digital Interview Recording

 Exploring wider use of Body Worn Video Cameras

 Moving towards paperless boards, paperless mail distribution, and paperless offices

Like all public bodies the Force is required to retain, disclose, and weed information according to a strict set of rules, such as the Management of Police Information (MOPI) Guidance, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Data Protection Act. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in both financial sanctions and reputational damage. However, poor management of information can present many other, less obvious impacts, including unnecessary storage costs and additional risks caused by officers and staff acting on out-of-date information. There is also the hidden cost of inefficient working – spending time trying to find documentation when it should be quick and easy. As the Force contemplates a large expansion in the volumes of digital evidence it consumes – through initiatives like in-car video – it will be even more important to think about things like retention and weeding.

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The Force has invested significantly in new technologies to help manage information better, and these need to be exploited effectively to address those areas of weakness, reduce the risk of

non-compliance, and improve the overall user experience. In a similar vein, the Force

needs to provide better

mechanisms for members of staff to access Management Information, using simple-to-use dashboards rather than requiring complex, specialist tools, or having to wait for the information to be compiled by specialist teams.

 Improved compliance around Information Management

 Reduced risks of non-compliance, including reputational damage or operational impact

 Improved efficiency by making documents/information easier for staff to locate

 Reduced costs of satisfying information requests (FOI)

 Reduced data storage needs through better records disposal

 Better and faster reporting service provided through self-service dashboards

 Reduced reporting overheads by reducing reliance on specialist teams

 Better use of resources through improved access to information and business intelligence, e.g. better patrol plans / predictive analysis

 Expanding the use of SharePoint for “Team Sites” and collaboration more generally (e.g. use of blogs and feedback mechanisms)

 Expanding the use of SharePoint for records management

 Re-developing the existing Data Warehouse to be more easily manageable

 Making Management Information far more accessible – through the use of things like self-service “dashboards”

 Consolidating the use of Specialist Reporting Tools, and limiting usage to specialist teams

 Implement the Force Retention Schedule across all our applications and document stores

 Implement the MOPI retention rules on Niche

This objective recognises that delivering fit-for-purpose IT Solutions requires strong engagement with operational staff and a good understanding amongst technologists of the business environment and the requirements of front-line teams. New solutions need to be developed in partnership by bringing technology and business experts

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together to identify ‘the art of the possible’ – blending new technologies with new ways of working to generate transformational change that delivers the required outcomes.

This objective also recognises that great technology solutions need to be underpinned by great service. They need to be

maintained and developed

effectively, ensuring that changes

are communicated and

implemented effectively, working in partnership with the business to minimise the negative impact of change, whilst maximising the benefits of change.

This objective goes to the heart of what IT is about as a supporting and enabling service – ensuring that “we’re here to support the front line” in everything that we do. Delivering this objective will yield the following benefits:

 Effective IT solutions and services are delivered – operationally fit-for-purpose

 Officers and staff have a strong sense of ownership over IT and value it

 Officers and staff are comfortable using the IT provided

 Improved satisfaction levels in officers and staff alike

 IT Systems are operated to a high level of availability and responsiveness

 Reduced costs of IT in the longer term, by making the right decisions

 Improving business engagement through IT Services road-show events

 Improving communications through an IT Services Quarterly News Bulletin

 Overhauling the IT help pages on the intranet

 Introducing Working Groups for key services

 Undertaking more ‘operational visits’ by IT Services’ staff

 Running induction sessions when laptops and other devices are issued, to help users get the most from these systems (and reduce follow-up issues)

 Improving overall standard of IT in Police Stations – delivered as part of the New Policing Model rollout

 Continuing to ensure that systems’ service levels meet business need by undertaking regular reviews and making adjustments when required

 Continuing to ensure that system upgrades are appropriately scheduled, again taking into account the business need and operational impact of change

 Reviewing and extending the IT Services performance framework, ensuring alignment with Force standards and review processes

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Despite the additional investment in Information Technology significant opportunities to drive down the costs of IT are presented by a number of the Projects already in train, and by emerging technologies more generally. There are also the possibilities offered through collaboration with other Forces or “Blue Light” organisations, and through the Niche Collaboration Group (Minerva). Moreover, on the National Scene the new Police IT Company should create opportunities to reduce costs in the medium term by giving greater control to the Police Service over how National Systems are both commissioned and operated, and by driving things like interoperability standards to reduce the costs of development.

 Reduced costs

 Simplified IT landscape (reduced systems and contracts)

 Reduced risks by pooling capabilities

 Implementing the Public Sector Network (PSN)

 Developing roadmaps for all core infrastructure

 Exploring next-generation storage solutions – like “Cloud” – and developing proposals

 Extending the use of Virtualisation within the Data Centre to drive out further savings by reducing numbers of physical servers yet further

 Implementing stronger information retention and weeding mechanisms, to free up storage for re-use and reduce backup costs

 Developing a business case for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, replacing traditional desktop computers

 Decommissioning legacy systems

 Consolidating contracts where possible

 Adopting interoperability standards, and open standards more generally, to drive down the costs of integration and simplify the technical landscape

 Working with Minerva to develop collaboration opportunities on Niche, including development of proposals for Niche platform consolidation

 Identifying collaboration opportunities with other Forces or Blue Light Organisations, and executing them

Supporting Principles & Standards

Driving standards in the way that IT Solutions are selected or designed, or indeed the technology platforms that they are delivered through, can help to reduce total cost of ownership, improve interoperability, accelerate delivery, and reduce implementation risks. As such they are vital in delivering the fast pace of change that this strategy dictates with the limited resources available.

Some of the principles below will be difficult to adhere to, because conflicts will arise. However, the important factor is that the assessment is properly made, and that an informed decision is made, taking full account of the consequences. This should ensure than most of the principles are adhered to most of the time.

The standards fall into 4 distinct categories: usability, technology, information management and professionalism. These are considered in turn

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 New IT systems must come up to a minimum standard of usability – they should be simple and intuitive for our staff to use

 Systems must be fit for use in operational contexts – taking account of how and where they will be used to ensure good operational ‘fit’

 Systems must be relatively easy to administer and maintain Standards for Technology – “How technology supports it”

 Select IT systems and that have open standards to maximise inter-operability and reduce the costs of integration

 Select technologies that are flexible and scalable so that they can adapt to change

 Work with partners to agree common systems and processes, to drive

convergence and maximise future opportunities for collaboration (e.g. Minerva)

 Standardise on a single technology ‘stack’ wherever possible, e.g. Microsoft, and avoid duplication

 Exploit ‘core systems’ wherever possible, rather than buying ‘new’

 Select commercial off the shelf products wherever possible, rather than commissioning or developing bespoke solutions

 Select ‘tried and tested’ solutions to reduce risk and speed up implementation

 Implement new systems incrementally wherever possible

Standards for Information Management – “How we value information”

 Develop a culture of ‘right first time’ and personal responsibility with regards to data entry on corporate systems, to reduce the amount of data cleansing that is required, and to reduce risk (Information Management principle)

 For corporate systems like Niche we will have a standard, corporate operating model, supported by audit and training, to assure the quality and completeness of information recorded on those systems (Information Management principle) Standards for Information Security – “How we secure Systems / Information”

 Support and promote the compliance regime around information security to minimise risks of security breaches or unauthorised disclosure of information

 Consider information security at the start of all projects/change activity to assure IS compliance and to give early visibility of risks or issues (so that these can be effectively managed)

 Work with the Information Security Manager through the life of all project/change activities to ensure that the relevant documentation is provided, in order to achieve/maintain the required level of security assurance

Standards of Professionalism & Capability – “How we value IT skills”

 Accept that being proficient with IT is a core requirement for modern policing, and that staff will be required to develop this capability

 Be clear that officers and staff will be expected to self-develop competencies on things like Office Applications (e.g. Excel) in order to be ‘effective workers’. Not everything can be customised

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Technology Roadmaps

The delivery of the strategy is underpinned by a number of technology roadmaps, spanning a set of technology streams, as follows:

 Data Centre, Servers & Storage Infrastructure

 Network Infrastructure

 Police Operational Systems (C&C, Niche etc.)

 Desktop Infrastructure (physical & virtual)

 Mobile Technology (including in-vehicle)

 Management Information & Business Intelligence

 Public Contact Systems

 Office Systems (MS Office, Email etc.)

 Multi-Force Shared Services Systems

Each roadmap will identify a strategic, 5-year plan for the stream in question taking into account the status of the existing technology stack (e.g. asset life/capacity), the length of supporting contracts, interdependencies across technology streams and the alternatives that are available (or emerging). They will take account of the projected future shape of the business - e.g. projected headcount or estate size - and they will identify the likely investment implications, thereby assisting with investment and resource planning.

The roadmaps will be refreshed annually to reflect the changing technology and business landscapes, and to bring ‘nearer’ changes into greater focus as uncertainties are reduced.

Investment Summary

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FY2015/16 FY2016/17 FY2017/18

Major Investment Areas

 Public Service Network & WAN Replacement

 Storage Systems  ANPR expansion  Control Room Systems  Desktop Refresh  Mobile Data

 Digital Evidence Management Systems Finance Reporting system

 Force Control Systems  Virtual Desktop Infrastructure  Body Worn Cameras

 Digital Evidence Management Systems

 On-Line Transactional Services

 Emergency Services Network  Virtual Desktop Infrastructure  On-line Transactional Services  Storage Systems

 Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (Renewal)

 MFSS Re-hosting (potential)

Some areas of investment will deliver revenue increases, whilst others will result in revenue savings. At this stage it is estimated that the overall revenue commitment will not rise, however more work will be to develop the detailed position. Obviously some of the investments listed will have broader revenue consequences, in that they will increase efficiency or effectiveness in the business more widely, and this will need to be factored in when the more detailed business cases and capital bids are developed.

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Milestones and Measures

Objective

Major Milestone

Measure

Mobile & Agile

 Mobile Data terminals (iPads) fully operational (2015)

 1st Bespoke app delivered into operation (2015)

 Smart Phone Pilot Completed (2015)

 Live Links in place at all Deployment Hubs

 Live Links in place at first non-Police location

 Video Conferencing integration with Lync achieved (2015)

 Deploying first Emergency Services Network handset (2015)

 % officers with access to mobile data

 Number of Community Police Bases operational

 Number of police Live Link locations

 Number of public Live Link locations

 Number of ESN devices deployed

Crime Fighting

 In vehicle technology rollout completed (2015)

 Mobile fingerprint rollout completed (2015)

 Operational Control Room go live (2015)

 Body Worn Cameras in live operations (2016)

 % vehicles with in-car video & ANPR

 Number of mobile fingerprint readers operational

 Number of body worn cameras operational

Public Contact

 Launch new Force Website (2015)

 Go-live of new Force Control Systems (2016)

 Go-live of Track My Crime (2016)

 Website usability rating

 Number of on-line services offered

 Number of Police Contact Points

Digital Working

 Digital statement-taking operational (2015)

 Digital pocket-books launched (2017)

 CCTV evidence shared digitally with the CPS (2016)

 % statements taken digitally

 Number of digital evidence file types importable into Niche (via plug-ins)

Information &

Records

Management

 MOPI retention rules implemented in Niche (2015)

 Transformation of Data Warehouse completed (2016)

 Force Retention Schedule implemented against all core systems (2016)

 Number of standard dashboards that are operational

 % of core systems with data retention rules activated

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Objective

Major Milestone

Measure

Quality of

Service

 Niche NC5 upgrade completed (2016)

 Windows 10 rollout completed (2017)

 Virtual Desktops rollout completed (2017)

 % officers satisfied with their IT systems

 % reduction in incidents reported

 % reduction in service requests

 % reduction in physical desktops

Cost Savings

 Collaboration arrangements with ‘blue light’ agency in place (2015)

 Roadmaps for core systems and infrastructure developed (2015)

 Lotus Notes fully decommissioned (2016)

 Legacy development platforms fully decommissioned (2015)

 % reduction in cost of support and operations