Today, there is a growing demand to make information more widely available across all forces. This need has been highlighted by programmes such as IMPACT (Intelligence Management, Prioritisation, Analysis, Co-ordination and Tasking).

With increased access to data sources it is important to determine that people have the right to access the information and also to track what is done with it. Forces must be satisfied that the people making requests for information are who they say they are, and that they have a legitimate business need to access the information.

The Benefits

• Authentication of individuals accessing police systems
• A single user identity that can be used with all police systems
• Digital signing of documents
• Access for officers to police systems from any location thus reducing the need to travel and increase time for frontline policing
• Secure exchange of electronic data between forces and Criminal Justice System, supported by encryption certificates
• Reduction in management overhead by administering a single user identity
• Savings on a nationally aligned administration processes saving time and costs in IT areas such as fewer calls for password resetting.

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Current Status

Business Change Component

The deployment of an Identity and Access Management solution in forces has the potential to make a major difference to the Police service. This must involve police staff throughout the process.

The business change component of IAM was primarily set up to work with a group of Pathfinder forces to ensure they are best prepared for managing the change and transition processes that IAM will demand. The new Access and Management regime will require certain individuals to work in a different way, to assume different roles and to adopt new responsibilities.

The business change component helps to keep the project locally  focused on the delivery of benefits to police staff, police organisations, partner agencies and citizens.

Central Services Component

A central services contract  has been awarded to Siemens following a competitive tender process. This component will deliver the single co-ordination point for the central management and operation of all the elements required to deliver a national Identity and Access Management service.

This includes the following capabilities - Identity Management, Authentication, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Privilege Management, Audit, Session management, Smartcard Management and Portal services.

Framework Component

The Framework component of the IAM programme was established to provide forces with a simple, cost effective mechanism to procure goods and services required to implement a local IAM solution.

This contract aims to enable forces to achieve a common outcome from the set up of their local technology platform which will interface with the central hub delivered by the IAM Central Services supplier. This will enable authentication and authorisation for end users with access through this secure platform.

Police National Database Alignment

The project is engaged with PND at a number of  levels and is focused on delivering the Identity and Access Management capabilities sufficient for the next phase of deliverables from the IMPACT programme in 2009.

Applications will be integrated into IAM with due regard to the degree of change needed to both IAM and the application and the optimum time to undertake this task. An application integration report will provide recommendations on the issues involved and the timing of the task.

While integration will be carried out by Siemens, support will be provided by the IAM team to advise on and prepare for this event and to support applications once they have been integrated.

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Governance

The Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the project is Ailsa Beaton from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). Scottish interests are represented by Robert Kirkwood (ACPOS).

The ACPO Information Technology Advisory Group (ITAG) is chaired by Ian Savage IT Manager for West Mercia Constabulary.

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Background

The project was initiated following a report highlighting the need for a National Police Service Security Infrastructure and  ACPO/ACPOS mandate 2004. The ACPO mandate was endorsed December 2007.

The vision statement set out by ACPO is:

'The police service security architecture is to enable employees (and systems) to access the services, when needed, that they require under their basis of employment, whether access is via fixed, mobile or remote device, from either their 'home force', 'other force' systems or elsewhere, within security constraints.'

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Further information

For those with access to the Police National Network, further information can be found at the  IAM Microsite

And for those who are members of the Criminal Justice community, please see the CJX Forum

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