Robotics Infrastructure

This paper refers to the development of robotics. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) involves the use of software that can be programmed to automate basic tasks across applications. Robotics is designed to reduce the burden of repetitive, admin-heavy, manual tasks on staff, freeing them up to focus on more productive tasks. This decision details a recommendation to approve funding for the creation of scalable Robotics infrastructure in MOPAC’s cloud tenancy (Microsoft Azure) and migration of MOPAC’s existing Robotics pilots from on premise to Azure.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

1. Approve capital funding of £883k for the creation and deployment of scalable Robotics infrastructure to host Robotics in Azure and migrate the existing Robotics pilots from on premise to Azure. This will be fully funded from the MOPAC approved Digital Policing (DP) budget 2020/21

2. Approve additional revenue costs of £336k per annum for the infrastructure to host Robotics in Azure and support the existing Robotics pilots. This will be fully funded from the MOPAC approved Digital Policing (DP) revenue budget with effect from 2021/22.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) involves the use of software that can be programmed to automate basic tasks across applications and complete them just as human workers do. Robotics is designed to reduce the burden of repetitive, admin-heavy, manual tasks on staff, freeing them up to focus on more productive tasks.

1.2. Robotics is most efficiently hosted in MOPAC’s cloud platform.

1.3. This proposal requests funding for the following:

1. Creation and deployment of scalable robotics infrastructure to host Robotics in Azure

2. Migration of the existing Robotics Pilot from physical machines on premise to Azure, moving them into sustainable cloud support

1.4. This proposal follows the successful completion of the Robotics pilot. Completing this new work will create a strategic capability to scale Robotics at MOPAC.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The benefits of Robotics have been demonstrated by the automation of the CHS robotics process in the pilot, which removed the need for two stages of rekeying. Benefits delivered include:

• Reduction of 500 hours of Digital 101 effort per month

• 47% reduction in Telephone & Digital Investigation Unit (TDIU) processing time, from 19 minutes to 10 minutes per form

• Improved public service as the time taken to receive a crime number has been reduced from 24 hours to 45 minutes on average

2.2. Creation of Robotics Infrastructure in Azure provides MOPAC with a range of benefits compared to on-premise hosting:

• Increased pace of Robotics delivery

• Improved scalability and flexibility of Robotic processes

• Reduced cost of future Robotics delivery and hosting

• Improved maintainability

• Removal of license compliance risks

• More efficient utilisation of Robotic licenses

2.3. The expansion of Robotics provides MOPAC with a range of benefits. The exact benefits will vary depending on the process being automated:

• Reduction of costs through time saving

• Improved data quality by eliminating user input errors

• Improved auditing of process activity

• Improved service provided to the public (officers can focus more time on public facing roles)

• Improved service delivery timescales i.e. can use robotics instead of building complex interfaces between legacy systems

• Improved RPA delivery timescales i.e. no need to acquire physical machines, no constraints on development environment access

3. Financial Comments

3.1. Approval for £883k of capital spend is required for the creation and deployment of scalable robotics infrastructure to host Robotics in Azure. This will be fully funded from the MOPAC approved Digital Policing (DP) budget 2020/21.

3.2. £336k per annum of additional revenue costs is required for the infrastructure to host Robotics in Azure. This will be fully funded from the MOPAC approved Digital Policing (DP) revenue budget with effect from 2021/22.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (the Regulations). All awards of public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £189,330 or above shall be procured in accordance with the Regulations and MOPAC governance.

4.2. Paragraph 4.8 of the Scheme provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) reserves the right to approve business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 and above.

4.3. Paragraph 4.15 of the Scheme provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) reserves the right to award MOPAC contracts with a total value of £500,000 or above.

4.4. Commercial services have obtained legal advice with regard to an acceptable and Regulatory Compliant route to market which has confirmed that the chosen route of Direct Award through the Digital Applications Services (DAS) Framework Lot 1 is compliant.

5. Commercial Issues

5.1. The Robotics Infrastructure work would be contracted through Project Works Orders under the existing Tower contract for AMS, BT, and SIAM. New Signature would be responsible for infrastructure support.

6. GDPR and Data Privacy

6.1. The MPS is subject to the requirements and conditions placed on it as a 'State' body to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights and the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018. Both legislative requirements place an obligation on the MPS to process personal data fairly and lawfully in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals.

6.2. Under Article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Section 57 of the DPA 2018, Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) become mandatory for organisations with technologies and processes that are likely to result in a high risk to the rights of the data subjects.

6.3. The Information Assurance and Information Rights units within MPS will be consulted at all stages to ensure the project.

6.4. The project does not use currently personally identifiable data of members of the public, so there are no current GDPR issues to be considered. If the project uses personally identifiable data of members of the public at a later date DPIAs will be completed as needed.

7. Equality Comments

7.1. As this is an extension of the existing Robotics pilot, this work does not change any aspects relating to equality or diversity.

8. Background/supporting papers

8.1. Report.