Agenda item

Head of the Change Portfolio Office to be heard

The Sub-Committee heard a presentation from the Head of Change Portfolio Office and the Assistant Commissioner that provided Members with an overview of the City of London Police Projects and Programmes portfolio.

The Head of Change Portfolio Office explained that a Digital Programme Board had been set up.  She continued to summarise the main areas of work, including the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) and the Secure City Programme.  The Assistant Commissioner explained that a lot of work had been done to scope the Joint Command Control Room (JCCR), but that technology was advancing so quickly in this area that accurate estimates were very challenging.  The Chairman noted that at the recent meeting of the Police Committee estimates presented ranged from £10-20m for the suite of projects included in the Secure City Programme, and stated that these were very important projects.

The Head of Change Portfolio Office explained that dependencies for the Ring-of-Steel Project were a crucial element governing strategy that could not be understated.  The Chairman noted that the audit report found that project management of this project required improvement in a number of areas and he asked for assurance that these issues were now being addressed.  The Head of Change Portfolio Office confirmed that they were part of the action plan.

The Head of Change Portfolio Office explained that the Police Accommodation Programme had suffered with challenges centring primarily around timing.  The Assistant Commissioner noted that the JCCR was reliant on other areas in order to progress.  A Member noted that a Corporate policy was to “buy rather than to build”, and asked if this was a feasible option for the JCCR.  The Assistant Commissioner explained that there was some ability to source technology with bespoke designs.  He explained that some other forces had taken the option of designing their own, and were seeing efficiencies as a result.

The Assistant Commissioner explained that the Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (ECVCU) formed part of the CoLP’s “National Lead Force” responsibility and as such has additional funding.

The Assistant Commissioner summarised the work relating to Action Fraud, reporting that it would enable significant efficiencies and a possible monetisation opportunity.  The Deputy Chamberlain noted that the monetisation element was regarded as a risk.  The Chairman remarked that there had been a significant overspend on this project.

The Assistant Commissioner explained that Police telephony had significant issues affecting the processing of complaints and recording of calls, but there was currently discussion with the IT department to resolve these.

The Head of Change Portfolio Office explained whilst there were clear challenges regarding resources, there was also a requirement to recognise that due to the location the market for recruitment was buoyant, and therefore the cost of change would be high.

A Member explained that significant agenda time should be allocated to this going forward so that the most significant areas of concern are raised.

RESOLVED – That the Commissioner be heard.