Learning Digital Infrastructure

The decision seeks approval to progress the Learning Digital Infrastructure Project to Full Business Case, working with the market to understand the technical solutions that are available to meet the MPS’s requirements and achieve the associated benefits. The business case outlines the proposed strategy for delivering the integrated digital learning infrastructure. This will transform user experience. It will also provide corporate overview and insight of training and existing skills gaps. This is with a view to inform decisions with regards to the corporate learning strategy and address organisational risks such as succession planning. The digital infrastructure will hold the primary master learner record, and replaces, where possible, disparate systems which do not meet the business need. The procurement route will initially be through the Solution Provider Framework, which is available to all GLA bodies to tender their requirements for a learning management platform.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to approve:

1. That the Learning Digital Infrastructure project progresses to Full Business Case (Investment Decision) stage seeking to procure a Learning Management System.

2. Spend of £579k across 2019/20 and 2020/21 from within existing approved budgets to develop the project through to Full Business Case.

3. The proposed, fully compliant, two stage tender process; Using the Solution Provider Framework (SPF) to undertake an Expressions of Interest process to ascertain whether this route can provide the functionality requirement and also generate sufficient commercial competition to demonstrate value for money. If this is demonstrated, then the SPF will be the chosen route to market. Should the Expressions of Interest stage fail to provide the required assurance, the route to market will default to a full OJEU-compliant process.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. Fundamental to the transformation of how officers and staff learn and develop is the need to enhance the digital infrastructure that we currently have in place and seize the opportunities that technology can provide. We cannot achieve what we need without it.

1.2. This is particularly important at a time of police officer growth. Over the next three years, the Met is aiming to increase by c5000 officers to meet the significant demand and complexity of policing a major global capital city. Maximising the capability of our workforce is key to ensuring that the growth delivers the biggest impact possible.

1.3. Growth places significant additional demand on the need for training and our colleagues at Hendon and Marlowe House have stepped up fantastically to train upwards of 400 recruits a month. Alongside, we are working to bring into effect a more streamlined and consistent programme of street duties across all of Frontline as of the first quarter of 2020, ready for the big intakes landing on BCUs and also prepare for the implementation of new Policing Education Qualifications Framework recruit training pathways from September 2020. In parallel, we are seeing a notable increase in demand for training in support of landing corporate change and delivering continued professional development (e.g. My Investigations, Safeguarding, Connect).

1.4. Simultaneously, we continue to manage notable challenges regarding our training data and the associated risks this presents. Our inability to accurately understand, plan or forecast the skill demand of our workforce or assure completion rates is a significant source of wastage, inefficiency and frustration across the organisation. The introduction of a well configured Learning Management System (an HMIC recommendation) will enable us to streamline existing architecture and implement a significantly more efficient and effective target operating model across Learning & Development.

1.5. In summary, the LDI project will support and enable all learning management across the MPS under one integrated platform offering numerous benefits centred on efficiency, improved workforce capabilities, improved insight for operational deployment decision making, and increased satisfaction with learning. It marks a vital step towards shaping a culture of individual and collective responsibility for learning, continuous professional development and the informal spread of practitioner knowledge, whilst embracing modern tools and approaches.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. As above.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. Funding of £579k has been identified from within existing approved budgets.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has delegated authority to approve business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 or above.

4.2. The Directorate of Legal Services have been fully engaged throughout the work to date and will continue to be involved in all stages of the project moving forward to ensure all activity is fully compliant.

4.3. The proposed contract will be procured in accordance with Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the Regulations). Both of the potential routes to market outlined in Recommendation 3 are full compliant.

5. Commercial Issues

5.1. The most effective route to market is being utilised supporting the Solution Provider Framework (SPF) in the first instance. If insufficient suppliers are identified through the SPF, the project has also planned a route to market through a full OJEU-compliant process to ensure appropriate commercial competition and support MPS securing best value for money.

6. GDPR and Data Privacy

6.1. 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.

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

6.3. The Information Assurance and Information Rights Units will be engaged at all stages of the project to ensure that all compliance requirements in respect of GDPR and Privacy are met. A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) has been already been completed in order to help identify the potential data risks so that these can be proactively managed, and the project will work to a ‘privacy by design’ approach ensuring that privacy is taken into account throughout all project phases.

7. Equality Comments

7.1. An Equality Impact Assessment was conducted at the start of the Learning Digital Infrastructure Project in consultation with the Strategy & Inclusion Team. This will be reviewed and updated at regular intervals over the lifecycle of the project.

7.2. A robust ‘back end’ learning management system will enable the MPS to significantly improve its capability to both monitor training delivery and completion (across both mandatory and continued professional development areas) as well as develop associated insight and use this to work across the MPS to ensure transparency of opportunity and the avoidance of disproportionality.

7.3. Digitally enabled learning enables staff to exercise greater choice in when, where and how they learn. As such, it is anticipated to provide benefit to a range of populations, including those away from the workplace (e.g. maternity leave) and those with specific adjustments or assistive technology (e.g. hearing impaired). A comprehensive to ensure that users get the most out of the system.

7.4. Staff association and staff support association engagement has commenced and will continue throughout the lifecycle of the project.

8. Background/supporting papers

8.1. Report