Developments

There are a number of developments underway to enable ISIS to achieve its goal of convergence.  These include the Champion/Challenger process, the Code of Practice on Convergence, national infrastructure, 2015 target architecture and regional engagement.

Applications convergence

In April 2010, the Champion/Challenger process will be implemented. This will provide police forces and criminal justice partners with a consistent way of making decisions about using or buying a particular process, method, tool, technique or system that meets their business requirements and provides value for money. It also provides the opportunity for decisions to be challenged by forces and criminal justice partners in a constructive way. Challenges can be made where there is an alternative to an existing champion that could offer better value to the service as a whole. If the challenge is successful, it could result in improvements of an existing champion or a new champion could be established.

A Champion/Challenger assessment framework is being developed to support the assessment of potential 'champion' solutions and products which will be incorporated into an easy to use self assessment tool for use by forces and the NPIA. The Code of Practice on Convergence will be introduced to the police service across the UK. It sets out guidelines, actions and behaviours to bring information systems and technology together.

An architecture and convergence plan is being developed with input from police forces' IT departments around the UK as well as the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA).

ISIS is working with police forces and their investment plans to identify areas for investment where there is greatest anticipated benefit and to produce business cases to justify IT investment in these areas.

National infrastructure

The development of the national infrastructure will take into account the business requirements, define which services would be provided by a good infrastructure and then start identifying specific technology solutions. This will ensure a clear line of sight to operational policing and citizen needs.

The national infrastructure will provide the common platform upon which police information systems will be built. Rather than having to come up with 43 ways of deploying a new solution, the provision of fewer options will result in swifter deployment of technical change across police forces.

Next Steps

Through a phased approach up to 2015, key parts of the target architecture will be delivered through projects aimed at improving the officer and citizen experience. Technology focussed projects that are already underway, such as the Police National Database (PND) being delivered by the IMPACT Programme, Identity and Access Management (IAM) and others will enable improvements to the service being offered.

Some projects under this work stream will address specific opportunities and potential gaps in capability although change to the IT policing landscape will be gradual.

Aims and Objectives

The ISIS Architecture and Convergence, Procurement, Officer and Citizen work streams work together to develop the target architecture for 2015. They also define how the landscape will change for police information systems, taking into account the information technology (IT) requirements of the police service.

IT services currently provided at a local level in each police force will be brought together to make relevant information more accessible across the police service and the wider criminal justice system.  This will result in the police service and criminal justice partners working better together across all levels of policing.

The Architecture and Convergence work stream aims to deliver real measurable benefits which include:

• A simpler way of integrating new solutions for police information systems
• Reduced cost and delivery timescales for projects and changes
• Improved information security and sharing
• Reduced procurement times and costs for the police service and suppliers as 'champion' products will be available for police forces to use
• Limited need for costly interfaces due to the reduced complexity of IT structures
• Information entered once but made available for re-use in multiple instances both locally and nationally
• Information available with the provision of common systems and platforms
• Engagement with the IT industry will encourage suppliers to develop affordable and innovative solutions
• Reduced variation in IT applications to a minimum by deploying fewer applications to fulfill the operational requirement across the police service.
  

For more information, contact the ISIS Programme Team