DMFD200 Vision Mobilising System – Contract Extension

1.1.    Report LFC-23-039 to the London Fire Commissioner (LFC) sets out the background for the request to approve revenue expenditure for the purposes of extending the London Fire Brigade’s (LFB’s) current mobilising system with Secure Solutions and Services (SSS) (formerly known as Capita Business Services Ltd) for up to two years and for a technical refresh of the mobilising infrastructure.   
1.2.    DMFD137gave approval for the LFC to commit expenditure of up to £3,641,548 to extend the existing contract with Capita Business Services Ltd for use of the Vision mobilising system and associated systems for two years, to run until July 2024.
1.3.    LFB is currently engaged in a longer-term project to replace the mobilising system. DMFD137 also explained that an assessment would be made in 2023 as to the progress of the project and, if required, authorisation would be sought to take up the option of a final two-year contract extension. The LFC considers this to be necessary as the further extension of the contract for two years will allow the project to replace the current mobilising system to progress. The LFC has also been informed by SSS that a technical refresh is necessary. 
 

2.1    The objective of the proposed decision is to enable LFB to provide fire and rescue services effectively, which requires the continued use of a mobilising system. The specific outcome of this decision will be the continued use of Vision and associated systems for a final two years to enable LFB to progress the introduction of a new mobilising system.

Technical refresh
2.2    A previous technical refresh of the mobilising solution was completed in 2019, as part of planned work agreed when the contract with Capita Business Services, now known as SSS, commenced. This issue of a technical refresh was first brought to LFC’s attention at a service review meeting with SSS toward the end of 2022.

2.3    The LFC has been advised by SSS that the scope of the technical refresh is as follows:
•    Client workstations and associated screens
•    Server hardware
•    Server operating systems
•    Backup solution

2.4    There has been extensive consultation between the LFC and SSS since the issue of the technical refresh was raised. The cost of the refresh and associated unplanned work had not been factored into already busy work plans and therefore the initial LFC position was to resist undertaking a significant technical refresh project at this time.

2.5    However, it became clear to the LFC that to not address the issue of hardware and software falling outside of manufacturer support would introduce significant risk to the mobilising environment. Server operating systems not being patched, increases the risk of malware successfully disrupting systems, perhaps catastrophically. Continuing to use older hardware with no access to firmware updates, may lead to increased downtime as equipment fails more frequently. In addition, as stated above, the inability to apply firmware updates may have security implications as well.

2.6    The LFC identified three main options for the technical refresh, considering the extent of the work required and the costs. These are set out in more detail in the appended report LFC-23-039. The LFC assessed these options, and the favoured option is to undertake a ‘partial technical refresh’ (option 1c as set out in LFC-23-039). 
Contract extension costs
2.7    When the contract for the new mobilising system was awarded, it was estimated that over a 10-year period, the cost to the LFC would be around £20 million. Actual costs will have varied as additional functionality was requested and delivered over the life of the contract and credits issued to LFC for Key Performance Indicator failures over this period, as part of ongoing contract management activities.  
2.8    The service charges for the final two years of the contract will be subject to indexation which is based on the 2022 K54U  figure of 6 per cent. 

2.9    Costs of the proposed two-year extension and impact on budgets are set out in part 2 of this report.

3.1.    The LFC and the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience are required to have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010) when taking decisions. This in broad terms involves understanding the potential impact of policy and decisions on different people, taking this into account and then evidencing how decisions were reached.

3.2.    It is important to note that consideration of the Public Sector Equality Duty is not a one-off task. The duty must be fulfilled before taking a decision, at the time of taking a decision, and after the decision has been taken.

3.3.    The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of the requirements to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination), race (ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, and sexual orientation.

3.4.    The Public Sector Equality Duty requires decision-takers in the exercise of all their functions, to have due regard to the need to:
•    eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other prohibited conduct
•    advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it
•    foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

3.5.    Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to:
•    remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons who share a relevant protected characteristic where those disadvantages are connected to that characteristic
•    take steps to meet the needs of persons who share a relevant protected characteristic that are different from the needs of persons who do not share it
•    encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to participate in public life or in any other activity in which participation by such persons is disproportionately low.

3.6.    The steps involved in meeting the needs of disabled persons that are different from the needs of persons who are not disabled include, in particular, steps to take account of disabled persons' disabilities. 

3.7.    Having due regard to the need to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it involves having due regard, in particular, to the need to:
•    tackle prejudice
•    promote understanding.

3.8.    An equalities impact assessment (EIA) has not been carried out in respect of this contract extension. The proposal is for the extension of an existing contract that was subject to an EIA when initially approved.
 

Workforce comments

4.1    There are no plans for workforce consultation. 

Sustainability and procurement comments

4.2    There are no significant sustainability impacts. Where new policies and/or corporate projects arise, they are subject to LFB’s sustainable development impact assessment process.

4.3    The current control and mobilising contract includes an option to extend the agreement for a further period of 24 months which if invoked will mean a new expiry date of 31 July 2026. The extension of the contract for a further two years will allow time for completion of the new tender process and ensure sufficient time is available to implement a new system. The proposed refresh option, is the most cost effective for delivering the required technical refresh of the system.

Conflicts of interest

4.4    There are no conflicts of interest to declare from those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision.
 

5.1    The objective of this report is to secure authorisation to extend the existing contract for the Vision mobilising system with SSS by a final two years, to run until July 2026 and to undertake a technical refresh of the mobilising infrastructure from August 2023 at a total revenue cost as set out in part 2 of the report. 

5.2    More detailed financial information is contained within part 2 of this report.

5.3    There are no direct financial implications for the GLA.
 

6.1    Under section 9 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the LFC is established as a corporation sole with the Mayor appointing the occupant of that office. Under section 327D of the GLA Act 1999, as amended by the Policing and Crime Act 2017, the Mayor may issue to the LFC specific or general directions as to the manner in which the holder of that office is to exercise his or her functions.

6.2    By direction dated 1 April 2018, the Mayor set out those matters, for which the LFC would require the prior approval of either the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience (the "Deputy Mayor").

6.3    Paragraph (b) of Part 2 of that direction requires the LFC to seek the prior approval of the Deputy Mayor before “[a] commitment to expenditure (capital or revenue) of £150,000 or above as identified in accordance with normal accounting practices…”. The decision to approve expenditure up to the value set out in part 2 of the report to extend the current mobilising system for up to 2 years and for a “technical refresh” of the mobilising infrastructure, will therefore require approval from the Deputy Mayor.

6.4    The General Counsel notes that Procurement support the extension of the contract for a further two years and is in accordance with the terms of the current contract.

6.5    The statutory basis for the actions proposed in this report is provided by sections 7 and 5A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (“FRSA 2004”). Under Section 7 (2)(a) FRSA 2004 the Commissioner has the power to secure the provision of personnel, services and equipment necessary to efficiently meet all normal requirements for firefighting and section 5A allows the LFC to procure personnel, services and equipment they consider appropriate for purposes incidental or indirectly incidental to their functional purposes.

6.6    These comments have been adopted from those provided by the LFC’s General Counsel Department in report LFC-23-039 to the LFC.
 

Part 1 of report LFC-23-039