ICT Workspace Modernisation Strategy

Transcription

1 Purpose The purpose of this report is to detail the strategy and business benefits for modernising the alliance ICT workspace infrastructure. This strategy sets a clear foundation for fundamentally new ways of working and the opportunity for the delivery of significant benefits in terms of the efficiency and effectiveness derived through our ICT workspace. This directly supports delivery of both forces vision, in particular through enabling new and better ways of working through workspace modernisation opportunities for continuous improvement. The workspace is the ICT infrastructure that provides the following capabilities: End user devices - telephones, mobile phones, desktop computers, portable computers etc. Office applications - Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc. Communications Telephony, , voic etc Collaboration tools audio conferencing, corporate file sharing (J- Drive etc) Accessing unstructured information Intranet, J-Drive, Outlook etc Business application portal access to operational structured information/systems This workspace modernisation strategy will be a key enabler for many other business change projects that will address the associated modernisation of corporate and operational business applications (OCC, Intranet, Digital repository, Athena etc). There are also other dependant projects, the data network replacement (awarded to Virgin Media), the telecoms replacement (telephony) and looking ahead the Emergency Services Network (ESN- Airwave replacement), that are required to realise all the benefits set out in this strategy. Background The last decade has seen a huge increase in the adoption of new workspace technologies by both industry and the public which has transformed the way we all live our lives but is yet to transform the police service in the same way. The public have embraced the new technology capabilities, and are now becoming increasingly dependant upon them for a wide range of social and business interactions. Version 2.0 Page 1

2 This revolution in workspace technologies and the associated digital transformation is creating real opportunities for the police service to increase our own efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of traditional policing services in new and innovative ways. The human to computer interface is changing rapidly with new and innovative solutions being delivered on a regular basis. A core element of policing is a mobile service and as many of the new technology innovations are being developed for the mobile consumer market they are very suitable for the police service and need to be embraced. These enabling technologies can support officers and staff away from fixed desktop locations in terms of the timely access to the information they need to do their job and also so that new and innovative ways of working can be developed. Traditional associations between work and a physical place are changing and the link between a person and desk is being broken. Policing in particular is an information centric activity; it relies on having accessible, accurate, timely digital information about people, objects, locations, and events. Information and its assessment is a key part of the ACPO National Decision Making Model and is the basis for making sound risk based decisions in most policing activity. The majority of this information is now accessed through the ICT workspace. Transformative use of technology capability is pivotal for the future of policing, but we must also recognise that the associated business change is also critical and must not be underestimated. The change required needs to be about transforming how policing is done in a digital world not just digitising current inefficient analogue processes. Current Situation The current technology estates in both Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police are ageing, inefficient and maintained through complicated support arrangements. Significant progress has been made in consolidating and harmonising the technology in use across both forces but significant work remains in terms of modernising our ICT infrastructure. Limited investment due to austerity and the need for delivery of higher priority strategic alliance organisational change initiatives, combined with increased compliance requirements mandated by PSN, has contributed to the need for the alliance to modernise significant elements of its ICT workspace infrastructure at this time. In respect of the current infrastructure, we have deployed a mixture of, in the main, separate Microsoft and Citrix applications and technologies (i.e. Word, Version 2.0 Page 2

3 Excel, Outlook, XenApp, Appsense, etc). However, whilst these are the most common general applications and technologies in use across business today in this area, to date they have not been seen as a strategic platform in either force or utilised to build a workspace infrastructure that is fit for the enterprise in terms of driving innovative working practice. As a result of the above, a significant amount of ICT department time is now being spent on system and application maintenance and upgrade to maintain operability between the various separated elements. This time could be better directed to helping to exploit the tools and capabilities such infrastructure can provide for operational and business advantage through provision of more modern integrated ICT tools and upgraded technology. A significant number of projects are underway or under consideration (OCC and Athena in particular) that will require a more modern workspace as well as other national initiatives that have stringent technical and security imperatives. In respect to the stringent security requirements, at its most simple level, if the alliance does not meet PSN regulatory standards, it will not be allowed to access national systems (PNC, PND etc) or be able to take advantage of wider collaborative initiatives between forces and partners. We are currently unable to deliver the recommendations set out in our Internal Communications Strategy due to the Intranet technologies in place in both forces. Research has identified that effective organisational intranets can result in a thirty percent reduction in internal s and up to a seventy percent reduction in internal calls. Achieving our vision requires a technology landscape that can evolve to meet the demands of a modern police service. Consequently, we must ensure our technology is agile and flexible, exploiting new and innovative trends that can deliver the maximum benefits at the most affordable cost in the minimum time. Attached at appendix A is a summary of the shortfalls and gaps that exist in the current ICT workspace infrastructure. This has been categorised in terms of whether it is a regulatory matter driven by the security standards we must meet under PSN, need for modernisation due to current technology becoming end of life and out of support, or additional functionality in order to deliver new capabilities in support of the modernisation of policing activity. Each identified gap is addressed by the proposed investments set out in this proposal and the associated workspace modernisation business case. Version 2.0 Page 3

4 National Strategic Drivers This strategy is not being presented in isolation of the Home Office and other policing initiatives, the following extracts from the Home Office Technology strategy (2013) are reflective of our current position set out above: At present, we continue to operate legacy systems to sweat our assets across various business areas, even though newer technologies or more efficient methods are available. This approach and these legacy systems are inhibiting change and are more likely to have security vulnerabilities the ways we work are changing: business areas need their staff to be able to work in a mobile, flexible way so they can access applications wherever they are Our users expect us to provide modern tools which help them protect the public, technology which enables them to do the value adding work and tools which can change and evolve readily as needs change The development of this workspace modernisation strategy has reviewed and aligns with the following; Home Office Technology Strategy 2013 College of Policing Digital capabilities 2014 APP National Policing Vision 2016 Government ICT Strategy 2011 Government Digital Strategy 2012 Home Office Digital Strategy 2012 Public Service Network PSN Code of Connection Strategic Intent It is clear, and a key driver for the alliance, that leveraging the power of technology must be an enabler to providing acceptable services with less budget. Technology can play a significant role in delivering existing services in new and innovative ways and indeed adding new ones during these tough economic times. By taking advantage of the latest out-of-the-box capabilities of Microsoft and Citrix products we can transform business processes and improve efficiency and effectiveness by leveraging the key capabilities delivered by these workspace technologies to deliver a modern, feature rich, PSN compliant tool set for the organisation, our workforce and most importantly the public. Version 2.0 Page 4

5 At the heart of this proposal is a new strategic approach around our ICT workspace technologies driven by an ambition to be agile and seek continuous improvement through the rapid implementation of new versions and features as they are released by Microsoft and Citrix. This approach builds on the significant investment, knowledge and experience built up in both forces over a number of years. Based on this ambition the key procurement component of this new approach is to implement Enterprise Agreements(EA s) for licensing of the Microsoft and Citrix technologies which allows us to implement new versions and features as they are released during the term of the EA, without additional cost. However, it must be recognised that this new approach and the associated financial implications are only effective when there is a clear commitment to exploit this wider range of products and embrace the latest versions and features in a timely manner. The financial implications are significant and set out in the associated business case. A Microsoft EA, for example, is an arrangement whereby all employees in an organisation are licensed to use the most up to date versions of Microsoft products on any end user device. The Microsoft EA is a three year commitment that packages up a wide range of Microsoft products (Office, Exchange, Lync, Sharepoint, virtualisation, patch management tools, server licensing, Windows 8 OS, windows to go, mobile access certification, endpoint management tools, etc). Microsoft have also announced that they are moving away from traditional capital based licensing investment models to service based revenue models over the next few years, whilst Citrix licences are already loaded towards revenue. Exploiting the wider range of packaged products will deliver a seamless user and support experience as, for example, there is a common look and feel to all Microsoft products, reducing training and support overheads and time to implement. This seamless experience will also apply to the production, modification and sharing of documents across all platforms, including mobile. However, this needs to be balanced against the knowledge that Microsoft/Citrix products will not always be the best of breed in every area but as a composite set this will be outweighed by the user, support and cost benefits of this approach. The strategic intentions of this proposal are to deliver the following key capabilities and associated business improvements; Office Automation The latest Microsoft Office products provide a feature rich set of applications for desktop publishing. Moving to and maintaining the latest Microsoft versions will not only enable all users to benefit from these features but Version 2.0 Page 5

6 ensure our documents are compatible across end user devices and with partner agencies. Workspace Virtualisation A hosted shared virtual workspace will deliver all the flexibility and mobility to enable staff to work from almost any place at any time, whilst also realising the benefits of centralisation in terms of the support, security and management efficiencies of Citrix. Technology is complex and it is currently very challenging to integrate legacy applications with the latest products at the workspace however Citrix virtualisation overcomes this difficulty. Integrated communications Our staff will be able to utilise a wide range of workspace devices such as telephones, mobile phones, tablet computers, desktop computers, portable computers, radio handsets and many communications systems such as telephony, , voic , instant messaging, intranet to communicate and to access and share information. This proposal will simplify communications by integrating the myriad of separate options available to teams and individuals through the delivery of intelligent workspace software that enables people to easily connect to each other and to access the information they need, wherever they are and whatever device they may be using. Collaborative workspaces This element of the proposal will provide a single, holistic work environment to enable purposeful and focused communications and information sharing to support action. Imagine a virtual workspace that staff can tailor themselves and access from anywhere to communicate with one another, to author and share documents, and to manage activity/tasks and projects. Teams will be able to work together easily and efficiently. Access to information and people With the continuous rise in volumes of information stored and shared across the alliance and the increasing number of virtual teams, our people need a way to identify the right information and connect to the right people at the right time. This element of the proposal will deliver a portal and content management solution to provide appropriately managed and controlled but fast access to knowledge. Staff will be able to access critical information sources and get the data they need when they need it through customisable, self-service tools, helping them find who and what they need quickly. It must be however be recognised that to realise the full benefits that these new capabilities can deliver will involve significant cultural change in adopting new ways of working. This will require an SRO and programme team both lead and drive through new ways of working across both forces. Version 2.0 Page 6

7 The way forward The new workspace environment will deliver the following business capabilities, over a phased 18 month implementation: Public Enables the public to communicate with the police in a variety of ways(ref: National Policing Vision 2016, The College of Policing) New contact channels for public and partners through audio/video and web conferencing (Lync) Single number reach capability to enable contact with officers and staff wherever they are, including mobile. Informed contact management through presence information about whether individuals are logged in and available to receive contacts from the public (Lync) Extranet facilities where the functionality and information around our intranet can be extended to the public, partners and suppliers where appropriate (Sharepoint) Management of unstructured data delivering timely and efficient responses to FOI requests (Sharepoint) Organisation Provision of modern and intuitive technology to drive further improvements in investigations, proactive patrolling, the protection of vulnerable people and the management of offenders and dangerous people (Ref: National Policing Vision 2016, The College of Policing) Delivery of a data driven organisation (Home Office Technology Strategy 2013, pg 6) Support of best evidence in digital audio/visual formats (Ref: National Policing Vision 2016, The College of Policing) Supports the implementation of digital case files, accessible from anywhere and quality improvements of case files. (Ref: Digital capabilities 2013/14; The College of policing) Exploit packaged enterprise toolsets within Microsoft and Citrix to achieve our ambition to be agile and seek continuous improvement (EA agreement) Provision of Microsoft ICT workspace tools and products through the procurement of EA licensing arrangements inclusive of the following benefits: o cost to be spread over 3 years. (can be renewed every 3 years if benefits still exist) o free training and technical consultancy o fixed price for the duration of agreement o cost effective when compared with traditional licensing alternatives Version 2.0 Page 7

8 o allows user roaming, enabling users to utilise Microsoft products across multiple devices (inc mobile) with no extra charge. ICT assets are kept up to date (and PSN compliant) both in terms of new versions and features and also security patches (SCCM) Efficient and effective support toolsets providing remote control, patch management, software distribution, operating system deployment, and hardware and software inventory (SCCM) Management of unstructured records, in line with MOPI and our records management policy, through an Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) making the management of corporate information easier through simplifying storage, security, version control, workflow, and retention of documents (Sharepoint) Delivery of our internal communications strategic intent of engaging, informing and educating our workforce through the delivery of Intranet capabilities to provide a modern, easy to use, functionally rich communications platform for organisational, department and team information sharing and communications (Sharepoint) Mobility of our workforce, and therefore reduction in dependency on fixed desktop computers, through simplified access to the corporate workspace for front line officers, staff and volunteers through the provision of appropriate mobile remote access platforms and toolsets (Citrix MDM) Enables a migration away from as the defacto standard for communication A key foundation for the fundamental change developing through the StraDA programme Workforce Officers, staff and volunteers being equipped so that they can operate more productively and efficiently (Ref: National Policing Vision 2016, The College of Policing) Enables workforce to perform all activities away from police premises (Ref: Digital capabilities 2013/14; The College of policing) Access a rich set of apps that are tailored to their role and activity (Ref: Digital capabilities 2013/14; The College of policing) Utilise a range of digital tools to identify people and investigate crimes on the street (Ref: Digital capabilities 2013/14; The College of policing) Up to date, feature rich office and web browsing functionality in line with the expectations of our workforce and aligned to what most are familiar with in their personal environment (MS Office, IE) Multi-media capability to all end user devices A common user experience that is not dependant on the end user device through a private cloud based approach that enables both a common portal to our business applications and the seamless sharing Version 2.0 Page 8

9 of documents and content between users and devices. (Citrix MDM, MS Office) Unified/integrated communications to provide a one inbox capability for telephone (one number including mobile), audio/video/web conferencing, voic , , fax and instant messaging. This will be device independent and available through an anyplace at any time principle (Citrix MDM, Lync, Exchange) Corporate video conferencing capability to a wide range of devices, obviously dependant on end user device cameras and specialist meeting facilities where appropriate (Lync) Connect and collaborate with public, partners and suppliers using secure skype and web based technologies (Lync) Instant messaging through workspace technology that will inform you who is on line and available (presence) and enable our workforce to chat on line from any device through a secure private cloud to facilitate fast answers to issues where often it is an individual who holds the key to resolution quickly and effectively (Lync) Enable access to corporate/operational applications through a mobile application store approach that recognises the end user device and formats the application accordingly (dependant on further work with some source application suppliers) Mobile device management (MDM) that allows intelligent mobile access where it can recognise access via insecure wi-fi hotspots for instance, and only allow access to those applications that are not deemed sensitive (Citrix MDM) Collaboration with each other internally and with partners and suppliers through virtual meetings where audio, video and content can be shared as required and meetings notes can be recorded on line as the meeting progresses (Sharepoint, Lync) An Intranet communications space that is rich in multi media content but easy to use and customisable by individuals (Sharepoint) Create an enterprise social network where we can communicate with each other and between teams, as we do on social media, more simply, more timely and more regular (Sharepoint) This paper has been developed in conjunction with BlueLightWorks consultants and is consistent with their Enterprise Architecture work as it exists to-date. Wayne Parkes Head of ICT Paul Williams - ICT Infrastructure Manager Feb 2015 Version 2.0 Page 9

10 Appendix A Shortfall / Gap & [Type] Consequence 1 Out of date office tools such as Microsoft Office, Outlook & web/internet browser [Regulatory / Modernisation] 2 Out of date underpinning workspace infrastructure (servers/desktops etc) [Regulatory / Modernisation] 3 Inability to appropriately process multi-media content [Additional Functionality] 4 Lack of office collaboration tools [Additional Functionality] 5 Out of date remote access systems [Regulatory] 6 Increased and easier access key force systems / data when mobile working [Additional Functionality] 7 Inadequate management of unstructured data [Regularity /Additional Functionality] 8 No appropriate means of monitoring the security of our systems [Regulatory] 9 No means of migrating problem applications to compliant platforms [Regulatory] 10 Lack of single internal communications platform Lack of Microsoft product support to ageing versions, outdated functionality (with impact on related services such as printing, document sharing and quality) and lack of familiarity when compared to user s own environment (leading to low morale through frustration) Inefficient (sometimes ineffective) patching leading to security risks. Inflexible configuration restricting mobility Case by case investment in individual workstations as more and more functionality is required, rather than bringing all users stations to the same base standard. Missed opportunity for business process improvement Lack of manufacturer support for current platform, impacting supplier support for ICT systems and security risks to organisation. Inability to access key force systems / data in a more efficient and secure manner. Inefficient means of managing unstructured data (e.g. J, Q, I drives) Failing to meet regulatory requirements (e.g. MOPI, Data Protection) Inability to detect and respond to system attack and/or failure. Extends use of non-compliant platforms with their consequential security risks. Poor workforce engagement and opportunity to embed a shared Version 2.0 Page 10

11 [Additional Functionality] 11 Insufficient funding for PSNP project. [Regulatory] corporate vision, values and culture. Key deliverables are being delayed. Increasing risk of not achieving mandated compliance now critical. Risk of reputational damage and disconnection to national systems. Version 2.0 Page 11