The business services firm Deloitte, with the telecoms firm BT, have been awarded contracts to help deliver the National Enabling Programmes (NEP) for UK police, including the National Management Centre (NMC). The firms say that these two initiatives will help Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) buy, manage and exploit ICT better.
For a spend of around £100m, the NEP will modernise and introduce more consistency across UK policing’s IT systems. This will include the introduction of cloud-based services and better cyber security. What is described as a ‘digital transformation’ should allow police forces to collaborate more, better engage with citizens and protect sensitive data. By using cloud-based IT services, aligned to a national risk framework, police will meet the demands of their agile workforce, and all at a reduced overall cost. Local police forces will maintain autonomy for local IT decision making and the control of their digital assets, while enjoying the economies of scale of a national, centrally procured contract.
Deloitte has been selected as the client delivery partner for the NEP, leading on the overall programme. Deloitte will assist forces in adopting the productivity services cloud platform, improve access management and on cyber security.
As an integrated delivery team Deloitte and BT are charged with the creation of an ‘NMC for Policing’ which will provide IT monitoring for 43 police forces. Through this nationally coordinated, locally delivered service, forces will have access to a ‘centre of cyber excellence’, able to identify, manage and respond to internal and external cyber threats, while complying with data protection and other laws. This 24/7 facility, based in one of BT’s Security Operations Centres, will protect forces from cyber-attacks, keeping sensitive data safe as each local force moves their applications into the Microsoft Azure Cloud.
Wayne Parkes, Programme Director, NEP said: “The NEP is a key enabling tool that will deliver a foundational change within Policing as we exploit new ICT resources in a unified way across our Forces. This ‘joined up thinking’ will facilitate a radical change in both what the police do and how the public interact with us. We are delighted that our Delivery Partners, Deloitte and BT are now on board as we move to the next, exciting and challenging phase of the project.”
Ian Dyson, Commissioner City of London Police, said: “During 2017 and 2018 the NEP team has worked very successfully with a handful of Forces to trial the implementation of these new technologies and business models. Now with the Delivery Partners, Deloitte and BT in place, we can begin the planned roll out to deliver and embed these changes across forces.”
Stephen Mold, Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner and NEP Board member said: “The NEP is fundamental to our ability to deliver more efficient and effective policing services: developing systems that talk to each other, work to consistent standards and allow the sharing of data. This programme will ensure all UK police forces are using the same software within the next two years, improving public safety and the effectiveness of frontline police officers. As a board member I am proud to be part of this joint working between the Home Office, police and PCCs, Deloitte and BT that will bring real transformation, streamline processes and improve productivity.”
