PCD 1696 CSAS Corporate Contract

This paper seeks approval to upgrade and implementation of Cell Site Analysis Suite (CSAS) Upgrade from Version 2 to Version 3. This is not requesting approval for additional funding and will be funded from within existing Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Capital Plan. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to: 

1. Approve to upgrade to version 3 of CSAS and consolidate all licenses under one contract at a capital cost of £0.991m fully funded from the DDaT Capital Plan. 

2. Approve the purchase of CSAS version 3 implementation under the Computacenter the Value-Added Reseller (VAR) contract, at total cost of £0.329m, which is included in the total capital cost of £0.991m.  

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

1. Introduction and background.  

1. CSAS is a crucial analytical tool that was implemented across the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in 2019 to support investigators and intelligence staff with tracking smartphone call activity and location of calls during complex investigations.  

2. The software is used to analyse and cleanse call data records in multiple formats from communication service providers, and to import other data sources to create a better intelligence picture to enable further analysis.  All of which is used to support investigations and provide meaningful evidence for court proceedings.  

2. Issues for consideration. 

1. The current version (2) of the software is going to discontinued at the end of 2024. Therefore, an upgrade to version 3 is required an update to the current infrastructure to prevent any loss to service. 

2. The version 3 upgrade will offer faster analysis, additional functionality and reduce the need for users to access standalone workstations but move to a corporate network where usage is monitored, full audited to improve data security and to reduce the grey estate. 

3. The proposal is for a direct contract award via the Value-Added Reseller Framework and to ensure value for money, existing and additional licences will be consolidated will be consolidated under one contract from 2025/26. Paper to be presented at Exco later this summer.  

3. Financial Comments.  

1. The estimated cost for the CSAS upgrade from Version 2 o Version 3 is a total of £0.991m to be funded from the DDaT capital plan.  

4. Legal Comments. 

1. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (“MOPAC”) is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”).  All awards of, and modifications to, public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £214,904 or above shall be procured in accordance with the Regulations. The commercial section confirms MOPAC’s route to market is compliant with the regulations. 

2. The MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has delegated authority to approve all requests for revenue or capital expenditure valued at £500,000 or above (paragraph 4.8); and all requests to go out to tender for contracts of £500,000 or above.  

3. The proposed procurement route via an established framework agreement is compliant with the Public Contract Regulations 2015. 

5. Commercial issues. 

1. The proposal seeks to initiate procurement for a contract for supply and monitoring of alarm modules and associated connectivity services for five years with three one-year optional extensions and delegated authority for Commercial Directors to award contracts. 

2. The route to market for this procurement is via an open competition under the existing 2015 PCR regulations and as part of the competitive procedure, all bidders will provide assurance on financial standing of the entity to fulfil the contract and where appropriate that of a parent company guarantor 

6. 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. The MPS assure that an equality screening exercise was completed where it was identified that there was no impact to any of the protected characteristic groups negating the completion of a full EIA at this time. 

3. The project is to seeks an upgrade to the software version, there is no real organisational change. Further reviews will be conducted and if any new Equality Impact is identified, a full Equality Impact Assessment will be initiated. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy 

1. The MPS is subject to the requirements and conditions placed on it as a 'State' body to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights and the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018. Both legislative requirements place an obligation on the MPS to process personal data fairly and lawfully to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals. 

2. 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.  

3. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities. 

4.  MPS assure that “the information Assurance and Information Rights units within MPS will be consulted at all stages to ensure the project meets its compliance requirements. 

5. A Data Processing Impact Assessment (DPIA) has been initiated with support from the Information Sharing Support Unit (ISSU). This project does not directly deal with personal data, only communications data such as mobile numbers, geographical location of calls, mobile IMEI numbers and ANPR car registration data. Designated folders for individual teams are set up in BOX for users to save their finished cases, team leads will check the right people have permissions to these folders and guarantee the right RRD process is in place.   

8. Background/supporting papers. 

1. MPS Paper – CSAS Upgrade to Version 3. 

2. CSAS Upgrade to Version 3. Business Justification Paper.