PCD 1641 End User Device Demand (Refresh and BAU) 2024 - 2025

PCD 1641 End User Device Demand (Refresh and BAU) 2024 - 2025

This paper requests approval for the financial year 2024/25 delivery of business-as-usual (BAU) and refresh device demand, specifically laptops, desktops, monitors, and smartphones used by MPS Officers and Staff. The paper follows previous papers for device demand in 2022/23 and 2023/24. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, via the Investment Advisory and Monitoring meeting (IAM), is asked to: 

1. Approve Capital spend of £25m in 2024/25 from the approved DDAT Capital Plan to replace networked end user laptops, desktops, monitors and smartphones to meet BUA and refresh demand in line with policy and approach proposed in this business case, noting spend in 2022/23 of £20m and forecast spend for 2023/24 of £27m. 

2. Approve delegation of authority to the Director of Applications, End User and Radio Services to manage the Capital spend within the overall costs outlined in this paper. 

3. Approve delegation of authority to the Commercial Director to initiate procurement action and award new contracts where shown as commercially beneficial for a contract or contracts with a total contract(s) value of up to £25m and a term of 4 years.  

4. The redistribution via commercially approved routes of appropriately digitally sanitised devices for reuse to reduce digital exclusion or resale where devices have a residual value.

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background 

1. The MOPAC Police and Crime Plan for London 2022-25 supports the need to “modernise the MPS to tackle crime on and off-line in a more effective and efficient way” and use of the MPS capital plan to maintain existing systems. The New Met for London commits to ‘Fix our Foundations’ by providing Officers with kit and equipment suitable for the job. 

2. This paper follows agreement to support refresh of devices reaching end of life between 2021/22 through to 2023/24. Further devices have now, or will soon reach end of life and require refresh to ensure continued performance and reliability for Officers and Staff. 

3. Laptops, desktops and mobiles are a critical tool for the MPS frontline and back-office staff, required to enable them to access operational, intelligence and back office systems and data enabling them to police effectively and safeguard Londoners. 

4. MPS have driven a change to flexible working by deploying mobile devices moving from 2,500 laptops and 1,000 tablets in November 2017 to 40,000 laptops and 12,000 tablets in 2023.  During the last quarter of 2023/24 MPS will replace all 12,000 tablets used by front line policing with laptops via a separately approved investment paper. 

5. Maintaining effective end user devices is critical but attention must also be given to the MPS’ budget position. For that reason, the volumes proposed within this BJP represent the maximum device demand anticipated for the financial year 2024/25, and are based on volumes of devices and in scope users as of late 2023 and forecast within the DDaT Capital Plan. 

6. To ensure revenue costs are not impacted MPS will follow a strict policy for deployment of new and refresh devices to ensure device volumes align to organisational need.  Regular reporting will be made available to business units to enable the proper stewardship of devices. 

7. Whilst previously devices have been provided to charities in support of LOTI Digital Inclusion, now they will be reviewed for any residual monetary value first and resold these devices through commercial approved channels where possible. 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. The continued use of older devices will negatively impact Officers and Staff as industry data demonstrates they break more frequently, leading to more disruption for users and increasing the risk of being unable to access critical information when needed. 

2. Laptops, desktop and mobiles are a critical tool for both MPS frontline and back office, required to enable access to operational, intelligence and back office systems and data thereby enabling MPS to police effectively and safeguard Londoners.  

3. Officers and Staff are now able to access almost MPS systems, with the exception of secret and sensitive systems, while away from duty stations, enabling them to respond more quickly to the needs of Londoners. 

3. Financial Comments 

1. The refresh of laptops, desktops, smartphones and monitors and support for business-as-usual will cost £25M in 2024/25, funded from within approved DDaT Capital budgets. 

2. The proposal contributes to delivering the London Anchor Institutions’ Charter through old devices being digitally sanitised in line with MPS security procedures and then repurposed through approved routes, such as the London Office of Technology and Innovation, to reduce digital inclusion across London.  

4. Legal Comments 

1. The Mayor’s Officer for Policing Crime is a Contracting Authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”). All awards of public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £213,477 (inclusive of VAT) or above will be procured in accordance with the Regulations. 

2. The MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (“DMPC”) has delegated authority to approve business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 and above (paragraph 4.8). 

3. Paragraph 7.23 of the Scheme provides that the Director of Strategic Procurement has consent for the approval of the award of all contracts, with the exception of those called in through the agreed call in procedure. Paragraph 4.14 of the Scheme provides the DMPC reserves the right to call in any MPS proposal to award a contract for £500,000 or above. 

4. The use of a compliantly procured Framework Agreement will constitute a compliant process where the Framework Agreement’s ordering process are followed. 

5. Commercial Issues  

1. Devices can be compliantly procured via existing DDaT contracts however, where shown to be commercially beneficial, new contracts may be awarded.  Please see procurement strategy in the BJP for full options. 

6. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. Under Article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Section 57 of the DPA 2018, Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) become mandatory for organisations with technologies and processes that are likely to result in a high risk to the rights of the data subjects. 

2. The Information Assurance and Information Rights units within MPS will be consulted at all stages to ensure the programme meets its compliance requirements. 

3. The project does not use personally identifiable data of members of the public, so there are no GDPR issues to be considered. 

7. Equality Comments   

1. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

2. Existing Assistive Technology and Accessibility features available to MPS Officers and Staff will continue to function with the refreshed devices and the project will ensure AT and Accessibility tools are working for individuals as part of the refresh. 

8. Background/supporting papers 

Supporting material is contained within the restricted section of the paper.