IT Department Strategy, Organisational Chart, Annual Business Plan and Budget Details 2020

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Keywords

ICT, Internal, Plans, Strategy, Documents, Information, Communication, Technology, Current, Future, Objectives, Organisation, Chart, Visual, IT Department, Structure, Annual, Business, Capital, Programme, Budget,

Publication number

PUB 1169

FOI reference number

15435

Request title

ICT Internal Plans & Strategy Documents

Date range

2020

Information requested

I wish to submit a request for some of the organisation’s information around the internal plans and strategy documents around ICT.

The ICT documents I require is the most recent update.

I wish to obtain the following documents:

1. ICT/IM&T/IS Strategy- The IT department strategy or plans, highlights their current and future objectives.

2. ICT Org Chart- A visual document that presents the structure of the IT department, please include name and job titles. If this cannot be sent, please work towards a structure with job titles.

3. ICT Annual or Business Plan- Like the ICT strategy but is more annually focused.

4. ICT Capital Programme/budget- A document that shows financials budget on current and future projects.

If some of these documents are not valid, please state when the 2020 onwards ICT documents are planned to be published.

You may have received the same request in the past. But the information sent has now expired and I required an updated 2020 onwards document. Please arrange the same.

Disclosure with exemptions

Part Disclosure with Section 31(1)(a)(b) and Section 40(2) Exemptions

Information correct as at

16 April 2021

Date of disclosure

21 April 2021

FOI 15435 response

Having completed enquiries within Essex Police in respect of Section 1(1)(a), Essex Police does hold information relating to your request. Under Section 1(1)(b) the below and attached have been provided in relation to your request:

Caveat: The data is correct as at 16 April 2021.

1. ICT/IM&T/IS Strategy - The IT department strategy or plans, highlights their current and future objectives.

Please find attached, the requested document entitled FOI 15435 Strategy Document. Please note that no changes have been made to this document since you received it last year under FOI 14548.

2. ICT Org Chart- A visual document that presents the structure of the IT department, please include name and job titles. If this cannot be sent, please work towards a structure with job titles.

Please find attached, the requested document entitled FOI 15435 Organisational Chart. Please note that no changes have been made to this document since you received it last year under FOI 14548.

3. ICT Annual or Business Plan- Like the ICT strategy but is more annually focused.

Please find attached, the requested document entitled FOI 15435 IT Services Annual Business Plan 2019-20. Please note that no changes have been made to this document since you received it last year under FOI 14548.

4. ICT Capital Programme/budget- A document that shows financials budget on current and future projects.

The 20/21 capital programme is £6.8m across a wide portfolio of projects inclusive of (but not confined to) Emergency Services Network, Mobile First, Tech refresh, Digital Hub, Vetting, Property Management system, DAMS/DETS, Force Control Room, Firearms. The future capital programme for 21/22 is c£4.9m across a portfolio of project inclusive of (but not confined to) Emergency Service Network, Integrated Command Control System, ANPR, Tech refresh, Zenith, Airwave, door entry, AV equipment and Forensics.

No further information will be provided by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement

Section 40(2) in conjunction with Section 40(3A)(a) Personal Information

Evidence of Harm

ICT is fundamental to how the Police Service manages the technological challenges faced in modern policing. Information that exposes details of the ICT organisation could be used to the advantage of terrorists or criminal organisations and individuals.

The information compiled in a detailed structure chart is for the purpose of ensuring the Essex Police has a robust ICT infrastructure. Such a chart showing how Essex Police’s ICT Department is structured exposes the configuration of the ICT organisation. This would provide those who wish to know the precise number of personnel in specific roles within IT. This would enable individuals or groups to work out the amount of effort required to overcome Essex Police IT resources, providing opportunities to undermine the IT Infrastructure, target individuals and initiate cyber-attacks. This would include terrorists, criminal organisations and individuals determined to undermine the policing of Essex.

The information compiled in the business plan is for the purpose of ensuring the policing of Essex is supported by a robust ICT business plan for the future. Detailed information that exposes specifics about the ICT budgets, ICT plans including IT infrastructure, applications, development needs, organisational risks, IT capabilities, critical systems, at risk hardware etc. could be used to the advantage of those intent on undermining the policing of Essex including terrorists, criminal organisations and individuals determined to cause disruption to policing activities.

Public Interest Considerations

Section 31 Law Enforcement

Factors Against Non-Disclosure

Disclosure of ICT Strategy and Business Plans notably current capability, strengths, weaknesses along with current and future objectives would lead to law enforcement capabilities and tactics being compromised, which would hinder the prevention and detection of crime. Disclosing information of this nature also has the potential of providing intelligence that would make Essex Police more vulnerable to ICT breaches by those individuals who are intent on disruption to Police infrastructure, including major cyberattacks, ‘hacking’ into Police systems and other attacks on the infrastructure. Some of these individuals may include terrorists, terrorist organisations and organised criminals intent on causing disruption. It would also expose Police IT resources and could create a mosaic effect highlighting ‘soft’ areas of the country that could be exploited leaving those forces open to disruption of IT systems, thereby compromising the effective delivery of operational law enforcement. This in turn would be met by an increase in criminal offending which ultimately affects policing capabilities nationally. This would adversely affect public safety and have a negative impact on policing as a whole.

Factors Favouring Disclosure

The public are entitled to know how public funds are spent and by disclosing this information the public would be able to see where public money is being spent and know that the Police are doing as much as they can to investigate and combat crime and terrorism.

Revealing this information would enable the public to have some reassurance that the force’s ICT programme is robust. This is an issue high on the public agenda and, therefore, the release of this information would contribute to an informed public debate.

Section 40 Personal Information

Personal information is information that relates to a living individual who can be identified from that information alone or from that information together with other information in the possession of, or likely to come into the possession of, the Chief Constable. Some of the information requested includes the names of individuals, the disclosure of which under FOIA would constitute the processing of personal information contrary to the Data Protection Act 2018.

Balancing Test

Whilst there is a strong public interest in the transparency of policing technology, Essex Police will not divulge information if it is likely that it will compromise the work of the Police Service or place members of the public at risk. Disclosure of the requested information would highlight areas that could be exploited by terrorists, criminal organisations and individuals.

This will adversely affect Essex Police’s ability to detect and prevent crime, as it may alter the behaviours of those intent on criminal activity. This in itself could put members of the public at risk and hinder law enforcement. It is, therefore, our belief that the balance test lies in favour of not disclosing the information.

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