PCD 1701 Establishment of an automation capability in MPS

This paper seeks the establishment of an automation capability within the MPS. Automation refers to ‘Robotics Process Automation’ technology that removes time-consuming manual processes from officers and staff across the MPS, enabling them to spend more time on more valuable work and decision-making. 

A decision is requested in July 2024 to enable the MPS to set up the automation capability in time to support savings and efficiencies for 2025-26. 

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

1. Approve the establishment of an automation capability within the MPS at a capital cost of £3.03m with on-going five-year revenue support costs of £3.915m, fully funded from the New Met for London Digital Enablers Programme. 

2. Approve the initiation of procurement action for a contract for the establishment of an automation capability with a total contract value of £1,950,000, and a term of 4 years plus a 1-year extension option, as well as the delegation of approval to award contracts to the Commercial Directors. 

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

1. Introduction and background 

1. Robotics Process Automation (RPA) has been in use in the MPS for several years. RPA automates time-consuming and manual tasks that currently hinder both operational and back-office support teams around the Met from focusing on their core roles. These time-consuming and inefficient processes are necessary but delay services to the public and, in cases such as Vetting, mean that staff are spending most of their time undertaking manual tasks rather than making decisions. Amongst other uses, RPA is most notable for automating the online crime reporting process in MetCC and creating Crime reports for investigation.  

2. The MPS is seeking to establish a centralised automation capability. This will comprise a central team of MPS staff from within DDAT (without an uplift to existing headcount) and suppliers with a central budget and a pre-approved list (a 'backlog') of use cases for RPA. These use cases come from across the MPS, benefitting OCUs in BAU as well as New Met For London change programmes. 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. Whilst the current method of applying RPA on a case-by-case basis has delivered some benefits, other Forces employ a different approach. To explore more effective and beneficial means of leveraging RPA, the MPS engaged external police forces and twenty MPS departments over the course of a 10-week review to identify automation opportunities and develop a business case. The review concluded that a centralised and funded model would be much more efficient and support the delivery of savings and efficiencies.  

2. It is the intention that this work will create capacity for resources to be re-directed onto higher-value activity and provide opportunities for cashable savings through vacancy management and or business process re-engineering.  

3. This business case supports a broad spectrum of priorities in the Police & Crime Plan. Use cases for automation include improving the effectiveness of ANPR to target offenders, automating parts of the vetting process to help build trust and confidence, and automating crime transfers and communications to speed up services to victims. A list of the initial prioritised use cases is available in Part 2 of the report. 

3. Financial Comments 

1. The capital cost of the automation capability will be £3.03m across two financial years with £1.54m in 2024/25 and £1.49m in 2025/26, fully funded from the NMFL Digital Enablers Programme. 

2. The revenue costs for support of the automation capability across the five years (2024-2029) will be £3,915m, rising form £0.59m in 2024/25 [a part year) to an annual £0.82m a year from 2025/26. 

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 public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £214,904 (inclusive of VAT) or above shall be procured in accordance with the Regulations. This report confirms the value of the proposed contract exceed this threshold and therefore the Regulations apply.  The use of a compliantly procured Framework Agreement will constitute a compliant process where the Framework Agreement’s ordering processes are followed.  

2. The MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (“DMPC”) has delegated authority to approve:  

3. Business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 and above (paragraph 4.8); and 

4. All requests to go out to tender for contracts of £500,000 or above, or where there is a particular public interest (paragraph 4.13). 

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. 

2. Procurement will be undertaken via the Solution Providers Framework 2 (SPF2). The SPF 2 Framework provides an ability to conduct a mini competition with capable suppliers, for a 5 year period and expires May 2025. The Framework has 2 Lots, system integration and augmented resources, with capable suppliers with experience of providing RPA to Police Forces on both Lots. The rate card is competitive, due to fixed costs with no inflationary increases until May 2025, and there is facility for suppliers to provide a discount if they charge the maximum rate card.  

3. Social Value evaluation weighting offered by the supplier will carry a weighting of 10%. The Contract will contribute to the Mayors Anchor Institutions Charter and stretch ambitions by requesting contributions towards two themes: helping young people to flourish with access to support and opportunities and attracting London-based small and medium enterprise (SME), diverse and voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) businesses. 

6. 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 in order 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. The Information Assurance and Information Rights units within MPS will be consulted at all stages to ensure the project meets its compliance requirements.  

4. A DPIA has been completed for this project. The project will ensure a privacy by design approach, which will allow the MPS to find and fix problems at the early stages of any project, ensuring compliance with GDPR. DPIAs support the accountability principle, as they will ensure the MPS complies with the requirements of GDPR and they demonstrate that appropriate measures have been taken to ensure compliance. 

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. This business case has undergone an initial Equality screening. Due regard has been taken to ensure compliance with the Equality Act in particular the Public Sector Equality Duty. Real consideration has been taken to assess Equality impact caused by the proposed business case. As a result, no negative impact has been identified to any individual and/or group safeguarded by a protected characteristic and to those who are not, negating the requirement to document any mitigation. 

8. Background/supporting papers 

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