| Chapter 4:
Information Technology |
4.1 The
Information Technology Department (ITD) is responsible
for the procurement, development, maintenance and support
of all computer and data communication services within
the force. The Department is headed by an experienced
computer manager and consists entirely of support staff
who are divided into four teams providing specialist
skills in the areas of:
- Support
- Data Communications
- Data Base/Systems
Administration
- Development.
|
| Two
additional members of staff on one year contracts have
allowed the Department Manager to boost the Support Team
which is assisting in the provision of a more
comprehensive "help desk" facility and is
proving useful in the early identification of recurring
problems. |
| 4.2 The
Primary Inspection Report looked at the provision and
management of Information Technology within the force in
some depth and made a seven point recommendation. |
| Management Structure |
| 4.3
Primary Inspection Recommendation 5 |
| Point 1 |
| "The
management reporting structure be reviewed." |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 4.4 Concern
was raised in the Primary Report over the fact that the
Computer Services Manager had no direct line of
communication to the Force Executive and reported through
the Superintendent in charge of Management Services. HM
Inspectors stated that "the Computer Manager's
reporting level should be on a par with other senior
civilians. This would allow the professional expertise of
the post holder to be considered at policy level".
Rationalisation of Headquarters Support functions now
means that the ITD sits within the Performance Service
Unit and, although the Computer Manager is not a member
of the Executive Advisory Group nor has a seat on the
Policy Forum, there is evidence of easier access to the
Force Executive and that the Computer Manager's
professional expertise is now carrying greater weight. However
in view of the far-reaching consequences of Information
Technology within the police service, HMIC feels that
this situation should continue to be kept under review in
the light of the recommendation in the Primary Inspection
Report. |
| Review Inspection |
| Recommendation 3 |
| HMIC recommends that the management
reporting structure within the Information Technology
Department be kept under review and that consideration
continues to be given to making the Computer Manager's
reporting level the same as other senior support staff. |
| IMPACT |
| 4.5
Primary Inspection Recommendation 5 |
| Point 2 |
| "A
review of the Operational Performance of the IMPACT
System be undertaken." |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 4.6 IMPACT
is the main database system which is networked throughout
the force area and among its applications are incident
logging and crime recording and reporting. It is a vital
tool in providing up to date information about what is
happening within the force. This is particularly
important in view of the geographic spread of the Area
Commands. The Primary Inspection Report commented on the
"slowness of its performance and the excessive
amount of down time". |
| 4.7 This was
recognised by the ITD and significant upgrading has been
undertaken, considerably reducing the amount of down
time. Although there are still frustrations with the
system among operational personnel, HMIC found that
comment was generally favourable and officers recognised
the system's improved performance. |
| Strategy |
| 4.8
Primary Inspection Recommendation 5 |
| Point 3 |
| "An
IS/IT strategy be delivered in support of the Force
Corporate Strategy as soon as possible thereby allowing a
fully costed departmental business plan to be
produced." |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 4.9 The
Primary Inspection Report recognised that in the absence
of a force corporate strategy it would be impossible to
produce an Information Systems and Information Technology
strategy. The report states that the "IS/IT
Strategy and Departmental Business Plan cannot be
developed until the business requirements of the force
have been outlined". |
| 4.10 As
indicated in Chapter 2, the Force Strategy Document
"Policing With Purpose" was only published in
September 1998 and this has delayed the development and
publication of an IS/IT Strategy, which is not scheduled
to be completed until the end of March 1999. However the
lack of a written strategy may have hampered progress
less than might have been anticipated, because the force
has in principle been following the Scottish Police
Information Systems Strategy, which is aimed at producing
a modular, inter-related system for all Scottish forces.
A number of strategic decisions on the use of IT had also
had to be taken with the building of the new Force
Headquarters. However one of the main drawbacks of the
lack of a published strategy has been the ITD's continual
need to repeatedly explain and link departmental
proposals to a concept rather than to an actual document
which the rest of the force is aware of and committed to.
HMIC would urge the force to pursue the development of
the IS/IT strategy as a priority. |
| Contracts |
| 4.11
Primary Inspection Recommendation 5 |
| Point 4 |
| "Contracts
for maintenance and supply be framed and quality assured
by or on behalf of the force and not by the service
providers or suppliers." |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 4.12 The ITD
is aware of the need for quality assurance and has been
in close liaison with the Scottish IS/IT Strategy Team to
assist with this. The force also has appointed a
Contracts and Procurement Manager who is now involved in
framing supply and maintenance contracts in conjunction
with the IT Department. This appears to have been a
useful step forward for the force. |
| Technical Security |
| 4.13 Primary
Inspection Recommendation 5 |
| Point 5 |
| "A full
review of technical security be undertaken." |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 4.14 The
force has recognised the need for this to be progressed
but has been unable to devote the necessary staff time to
complete the task. Work is progressing on two main
fronts, firstly to make the system secure from external
interference and secondly, to determine and control
access levels within the force together with the
development of operating rules for in-house systems. HMIC
would re-emphasise the necessity of having this review
undertaken. |
| Disaster Recovery |
| 4.15
Primary Inspection Recommendation 5 |
| Point 6 |
| "The
Disaster Recovery Plan is reviewed and tested." |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 4.16 The
Primary Report expressed some concerns over the
"arrangements for recovery of data in the event of a
disaster". The force accept the need for the plan to
be reviewed but this has been put on hold to some extent
because of other commitments and the forthcoming (March
1999) move to the new Force Headquarters building. The
force are at present considering a number of alternative
options. |
| Hardware Audit |
| 4.17
Primary Inspection Recommendation 5 |
| Point 7 |
| "A full
audit of hardware and an evaluation of the software audit
should be undertaken." |
| Review
Inspection Findings |
| 4.18 The
force are carrying out this work and at the time of the
Review Inspection it was said to be nearing completion.
The audit was being done as an integral part of the work
to address Year 2000 compliance issues. |
| Other Matters |
| 4.19. The
Primary Inspection Report also asked the force to
consider a number of other matters which HM Inspectors
had felt would enhance the service provided by both the
ITD and the Communications Section. The report commented
that "much more could be done by the Department in
marketing themselves". HMIC learned that the
Computer Manager had made presentations on forthcoming IT
issues to the Executive Advisory Group and the Policy
Forum and was undertaking a number of visits to the
Command Areas. The ITD staff representation on the
various Practitioner Groups was providing an added
opportunity for information to be circulated around the
force. |
| 4.20 HMIC
also noted that the anticipated review of telephony
services was underway, giving the force the opportunity
to benefit from an ever widening market. Area
Commanders had assisted in identifying stations which
would most benefit from the installation of fax machines
and there was very positive feedback from officers,
particularly in the more isolated parts of the force, on
the practical benefits that this improved information
flow was bringing. |
| Millennium Programme |
| 4.21 One
topic which was not discussed at the time of the Primary
inspection, but is now more topical, is forces' readiness
to deal with the operational and technical issues posed
by the step into the next millennium. Northern
Constabulary has set up a structured and managed Project,
chaired by the Deputy Chief Constable, to steer the force
through the range of issues which need to be addressed.
Although the project only commenced in January 1998 the
force is working its way through six inter-related
projects which HMIC was pleased to note encompassed the
wider operational issues surrounding the millennium and
were not restricted to information technology alone.
However, in view of the late start date and the recent
completion of the audit of hardware and the evaluation of
software, described in paragraphs 4.17 and 4.18, the
force will need to ensure that the momentum of the
millennium programme is maintained and that slippage does
not develop. This issue is likely to be re-visited by
HMIC during 1999. |
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