IDENT1 contract

The request was successful.

Ganesh Sittampalam

Dear Sir or Madam,

I request a copy of the contract plus any appendices and indexes for the IDENT1 system, as referred to in the Information Commissioner's recent decision notice FS50125350.

Yours faithfully,

Ganesh Sittampalam

NPIA FOI Team,

Dear Ganesh Sittampalam

Thank you for your recent request for information, about IDENT1 contract, dated 7th July 2009. Your request was received on 7th July 2009 and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

We have logged your request which is receiving our attention. Your request reference number is 46823.

Please quote this reference number in any further correspondence or call relating to this enquiry.

Further information about the NPIA is routinely published on our website at www.npia.police.uk or through our publication scheme. If you require any further assistance in connection with this request please contact us at our address below.

Regards

NPIA FOI TEAM
National Policing Improvement Agency

Email: [NPIA request email]
Website: www.npia.police.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Ganesh Sittampalam [mailto:[FOI #14397 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 4:44 PM
To: NPIA FOI Team
Subject: Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear Sir or Madam,

I request a copy of the contract plus any appendices and indexes
for the IDENT1 system, as referred to in the Information
Commissioner's recent decision notice FS50125350.

Yours faithfully,

Ganesh Sittampalam

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NPIA FOI Team, National Policing Improvement Agency

16 Attachments

Dear Ganesh Sittampalam

Please find attached the NPIA's response to your request.

Regards

NPIA FOI TEAM
National Policing Improvement Agency

Email: [NPIA request email]
Website: www.npia.police.uk

Your right to complain

We take our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act seriously but, if you feel your request has not been properly handled or you are otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request, you have the right to complain. We will investigate the matter and endeavour to reply within 3 – 6 weeks. You should write to:

David Horne
Director of Resources
National Policing Improvement Agency
10-18 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0NN

E-mail: [email address]

If you are still dissatisfied following our internal review, you have the right, under section 50 of the Act, to complain directly to the Information Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints procedures provided by the NPIA. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

FOI Compliance Team (complaints)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Ganesh Sittampalam

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

Your response appears to only include schedules M-W - is that an oversight?

Yours sincerely,

Ganesh Sittampalam

NPIA FOI Team, National Policing Improvement Agency

13 Attachments

Dear Ganesh Sittampalam

Please accept our apologies as this was an oversight on our part.

Please see attached the remaining attachments to your response.

Regards

NPIA FOI TEAM
National Policing Improvement Agency

Email: [NPIA request email]
Website: www.npia.police.uk

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily those of NPIA.
It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged information.
Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
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Ganesh Sittampalam

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

Thanks very much. I notice that Schedule E is still missing; if it's your intention to withhold this please could you provide a proper refusal notice stating the exemption(s) and public interest arguments as appropriate?

Thanks,

Ganesh

NPIA FOI Team,

Dear Ganesh,

Thank you for your response.

Our interpretation of your request was for those Schedules referred to in the Information Commissioners Decision Notice (Case Ref: FS50125350). Schedule E was considered exempt information, a point conceded and not pursued by the original applicant, and therefore it was not considered by the Information Commissioner as part of his decision.

I have logged this request for Schedule E, as a new request (ref: 46855)

Regards,

Andy Woodgate
FOI Compliance Manager
National Policing Improvement Agency

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8358 5587
Mobile: +44 (0)7714 711020
Email: [email address]
Web www.npia.police.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Ganesh Sittampalam [mailto:[FOI #14397 email]]
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 11:03 PM
To: NPIA FOI Team
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

Thanks very much. I notice that Schedule E is still missing; if
it's your intention to withhold this please could you provide a
proper refusal notice stating the exemption(s) and public interest
arguments as appropriate?

Thanks,

Ganesh

-----Original Message-----

Dear Ganesh Sittampalam

Please accept our apologies as this was an oversight on our part.

Please see attached the remaining attachments to your response.

Regards

NPIA FOI TEAM National Policing Improvement Agency

Email: [National Policing Improvement Agency request email]
Website: www.npia.police.uk

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual
and not necessarily those of NPIA. It is intended only for the
person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged
information. Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or
distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a
breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
*****************************************************************

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #14397 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
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Ganesh Sittampalam

Dear Andy,

I'm sorry you misinterpreted my request, as I thought it was clear and unambiguous. If I had wanted just the information already released or ordered to be released, I'd have said so. I only mentioned the decision notice at all to be precise about which document I was referring to.

In any case, please consider releasing this schedule (and if not the whole thing then as much as possible) as there is a clear public interest in knowing how much the government is spending on a major IT procurement exercise such as this one and since the contract is such a bespoke one it is very unlikely to prejudice future pricing negotiations for either party.

Regards,

Ganesh

NPIA FOI Team,

1 Attachment

Dear Ganesh Sittampalam

Please find attached the NPIA's response to your request.

Regards

NPIA FOI TEAM
National Policing Improvement Agency

Email: [NPIA request email]
Website: www.npia.police.uk

Your Right to Complain

We take our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act seriously but, if you feel your request has not been properly handled or you are otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request, you have the right to complain. We will investigate the matter and endeavour to reply within 3 – 6 weeks. You should write to:

David Horne
Director of Resources
National Policing Improvement Agency
10-18 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0NN

E-mail: [email address]

If you are still dissatisfied following our internal review, you have the right, under section 50 of the Act, to complain directly to the Information Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints procedures provided by the NPIA. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

FOI Compliance Team (complaints)
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Further information about the NPIA is routinely published on our website at www.npia.police.uk or through our publication scheme. If you require any further assistance in connection with this request please contact us at our address above.

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily those of NPIA.
It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged information.
Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
*****************************************************************

Ganesh Sittampalam

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

The reply says that you are disclosing a redacted version of schedule E, but I can't spot it in anywhere - did you miss out an attachment?

Thanks,

Ganesh

NPIA FOI Team,

1 Attachment

Ganesh,

Apologies, here is the document.

Thanks

Andy.

Andy Woodgate
FOI Compliance Manager
National Policing Improvement Agency

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8358 5587

Web www.npia.police.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Ganesh Sittampalam [mailto:[FOI #14397 email]]
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 3:55 PM
To: NPIA FOI Team
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

The reply says that you are disclosing a redacted version of
schedule E, but I can't spot it in anywhere - did you miss out an
attachment?

Thanks,

Ganesh

-----Original Message-----

Dear Ganesh Sittampalam

Please find attached the NPIA's response to your request.

Regards

NPIA FOI TEAM National Policing Improvement Agency

Email: [National Policing Improvement Agency request email]
Website: www.npia.police.uk

Your Right to Complain

We take our responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act
seriously but, if you feel your request has not been properly
handled or you are otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your
request, you have the right to complain. We will investigate the
matter and endeavour to reply within 3 – 6 weeks. You should write
to:

David Horne Director of Resources National Policing Improvement
Agency 10-18 Victoria Street London SW1H 0NN

E-mail: [email address]

If you are still dissatisfied following our internal review, you
have the right, under section 50 of the Act, to complain directly
to the Information Commissioner. Before considering your complaint,
the Information Commissioner would normally expect you to have
exhausted the complaints procedures provided by the NPIA. The
Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

FOI Compliance Team (complaints) Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Further information about the NPIA is routinely published on our
website at www.npia.police.uk or through our publication scheme. If
you require any further assistance in connection with this request
please contact us at our address above.

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual
and not necessarily those of NPIA. It is intended only for the
person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged
information. Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or
distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a
breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
*****************************************************************

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #14397 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
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If you find WhatDoTheyKnow useful as an FOI officer, please ask
your web manager to suggest us on your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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Ganesh Sittampalam

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

Thanks for that. Could I have an internal review of the redactions, please?

Firstly, I do not think you can apply section 41 here at all: http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

Secondly, I would like you to review the application of section 43. I do not accept your assertion that pricing information for a long-running bespoke contract is likely to disclose useful information to competititors. In addition, your redactions seem to have been overly enthusiastic, in that all values have been removed from the document regardless of why they were there. These can be split into three categories:

(1) Actual prices of services
(2) Expenses [8.5.3(b)]
(3) Example figures just to demonstrate calculations

Even if you continue to redact (1) [which I also disagree with], I can see no reason for either (2) or (3) to be omitted. In the case of (3) the contract is clear that they are just for illustration, whereas in the case of (2) this is not pricing information but rather information about typical expenses incurred.

For values that you do continue to redact, please consider not redacting the entire value (e.g. £53582 could be redacted as £5xxxx), or replacing it with a range within which they fall to give an idea of the scale of the costs, in a similar way to how salary information for senior staff is disclosed. Even if precise numbers would prejudice commercial interests, the general range would not.

Finally, I think that my original request clearly stated the information I was asking for, and you breached the time limits by not sending this part in the time allowed. Omitting parts of the original request and then treating a follow-up email as a fresh request is something you were criticised for by the ICO in FS50125350 so it's disappointing to see you're still doing it.

Yours sincerely,

Ganesh Sittampalam

Horne David,

Dear Mr Sittampalam,

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you regarding the internal reviews that you have requested.

The delay is as a result of a change in the way that the Agency deals with Internal Reviews.

Grateful if you could bear with us for a few more weeks, we hope to be in a position to reply to you by 23rd October 2009.

Thanks
David Horne

-----Original Message-----
From: Ganesh Sittampalam [mailto:[FOI #14397 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 7:37 AM
To: NPIA FOI Team
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

Thanks for that. Could I have an internal review of the redactions,
please?

Firstly, I do not think you can apply section 41 here at all:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

Secondly, I would like you to review the application of section 43.
I do not accept your assertion that pricing information for a
long-running bespoke contract is likely to disclose useful
information to competititors. In addition, your redactions seem to
have been overly enthusiastic, in that all values have been removed
from the document regardless of why they were there. These can be
split into three categories:

(1) Actual prices of services (2) Expenses [8.5.3(b)] (3) Example
figures just to demonstrate calculations

Even if you continue to redact (1) [which I also disagree with], I
can see no reason for either (2) or (3) to be omitted. In the case
of (3) the contract is clear that they are just for illustration,
whereas in the case of (2) this is not pricing information but
rather information about typical expenses incurred.

For values that you do continue to redact, please consider not
redacting the entire value (e.g. £53582 could be redacted as
£5xxxx), or replacing it with a range within which they fall to
give an idea of the scale of the costs, in a similar way to how
salary information for senior staff is disclosed. Even if precise
numbers would prejudice commercial interests, the general range
would not.

Finally, I think that my original request clearly stated the
information I was asking for, and you breached the time limits by
not sending this part in the time allowed. Omitting parts of the
original request and then treating a follow-up email as a fresh
request is something you were criticised for by the ICO in
FS50125350 so it's disappointing to see you're still doing it.

Yours sincerely,

Ganesh Sittampalam

-----Original Message-----

Ganesh,

Apologies, here is the document.

Thanks

Andy.

Andy Woodgate FOI Compliance Manager National Policing Improvement
Agency

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8358 5587

Web www.npia.police.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #14397 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about...

If you find WhatDoTheyKnow useful as an FOI officer, please ask
your web manager to suggest us on your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily those of NPIA.
It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged information.
Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
*****************************************************************

hide quoted sections

Hollick Tom,

Mr Sittampalam

Please see the attached letter from David Horne in response to your internal review application.

Many thanks

Tom

Tom Hollick
Staff Officer to David Horne

-----Original Message-----
From: Khanom Fateha On Behalf Of Horne David
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 4:22 PM
To: [FOI #14397 email]
Subject: FW: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear Mr Sittampalam,

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you regarding the internal reviews that you have requested.

The delay is as a result of a change in the way that the Agency deals with Internal Reviews.

Grateful if you could bear with us for a few more weeks, we hope to be in a position to reply to you by 23rd October 2009.

Thanks
David Horne

-----Original Message-----
From: Ganesh Sittampalam [mailto:[FOI #14397 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 7:37 AM
To: NPIA FOI Team
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

Thanks for that. Could I have an internal review of the redactions,
please?

Firstly, I do not think you can apply section 41 here at all:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

Secondly, I would like you to review the application of section 43.
I do not accept your assertion that pricing information for a
long-running bespoke contract is likely to disclose useful
information to competititors. In addition, your redactions seem to
have been overly enthusiastic, in that all values have been removed
from the document regardless of why they were there. These can be
split into three categories:

(1) Actual prices of services (2) Expenses [8.5.3(b)] (3) Example
figures just to demonstrate calculations

Even if you continue to redact (1) [which I also disagree with], I
can see no reason for either (2) or (3) to be omitted. In the case
of (3) the contract is clear that they are just for illustration,
whereas in the case of (2) this is not pricing information but
rather information about typical expenses incurred.

For values that you do continue to redact, please consider not
redacting the entire value (e.g. £53582 could be redacted as
£5xxxx), or replacing it with a range within which they fall to
give an idea of the scale of the costs, in a similar way to how
salary information for senior staff is disclosed. Even if precise
numbers would prejudice commercial interests, the general range
would not.

Finally, I think that my original request clearly stated the
information I was asking for, and you breached the time limits by
not sending this part in the time allowed. Omitting parts of the
original request and then treating a follow-up email as a fresh
request is something you were criticised for by the ICO in
FS50125350 so it's disappointing to see you're still doing it.

Yours sincerely,

Ganesh Sittampalam

-----Original Message-----

Ganesh,

Apologies, here is the document.

Thanks

Andy.

Andy Woodgate FOI Compliance Manager National Policing Improvement
Agency

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8358 5587

Web www.npia.police.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #14397 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about...

If you find WhatDoTheyKnow useful as an FOI officer, please ask
your web manager to suggest us on your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily those of NPIA.
It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged information.
Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
*****************************************************************

hide quoted sections

Hollick Tom,

1 Attachment

Sorry - the document failed to attach first time.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Hollick Tom
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 5:44 PM
To: '[FOI #14397 email]'
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Mr Sittampalam

Please see the attached letter from David Horne in response to your internal review application.

Many thanks

Tom

Tom Hollick
Staff Officer to David Horne

-----Original Message-----
From: Khanom Fateha On Behalf Of Horne David
Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 4:22 PM
To: [FOI #14397 email]
Subject: FW: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear Mr Sittampalam,

Apologies for the delay in getting back to you regarding the internal reviews that you have requested.

The delay is as a result of a change in the way that the Agency deals with Internal Reviews.

Grateful if you could bear with us for a few more weeks, we hope to be in a position to reply to you by 23rd October 2009.

Thanks
David Horne

-----Original Message-----
From: Ganesh Sittampalam [mailto:[FOI #14397 email]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 7:37 AM
To: NPIA FOI Team
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - IDENT1 contract

Dear NPIA FOI Team,

Thanks for that. Could I have an internal review of the redactions,
please?

Firstly, I do not think you can apply section 41 here at all:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

Secondly, I would like you to review the application of section 43.
I do not accept your assertion that pricing information for a
long-running bespoke contract is likely to disclose useful
information to competititors. In addition, your redactions seem to
have been overly enthusiastic, in that all values have been removed
from the document regardless of why they were there. These can be
split into three categories:

(1) Actual prices of services (2) Expenses [8.5.3(b)] (3) Example
figures just to demonstrate calculations

Even if you continue to redact (1) [which I also disagree with], I
can see no reason for either (2) or (3) to be omitted. In the case
of (3) the contract is clear that they are just for illustration,
whereas in the case of (2) this is not pricing information but
rather information about typical expenses incurred.

For values that you do continue to redact, please consider not
redacting the entire value (e.g. £53582 could be redacted as
£5xxxx), or replacing it with a range within which they fall to
give an idea of the scale of the costs, in a similar way to how
salary information for senior staff is disclosed. Even if precise
numbers would prejudice commercial interests, the general range
would not.

Finally, I think that my original request clearly stated the
information I was asking for, and you breached the time limits by
not sending this part in the time allowed. Omitting parts of the
original request and then treating a follow-up email as a fresh
request is something you were criticised for by the ICO in
FS50125350 so it's disappointing to see you're still doing it.

Yours sincerely,

Ganesh Sittampalam

-----Original Message-----

Ganesh,

Apologies, here is the document.

Thanks

Andy.

Andy Woodgate FOI Compliance Manager National Policing Improvement
Agency

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8358 5587

Web www.npia.police.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #14397 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be
published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/about...

If you find WhatDoTheyKnow useful as an FOI officer, please ask
your web manager to suggest us on your organisation's FOI page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily those of NPIA.
It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged information.
Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
*****************************************************************

hide quoted sections

Ganesh Sittampalam left an annotation ()

FS50280571

Ganesh Sittampalam left an annotation ()

I've just received a decision notice dated 31st August dismissing the NPIA arguments in favour of the exemptions and ordering full disclosure within 35 days (unless appealed).

Ganesh Sittampalam

Dear National Policing Improvement Agency,

I'd like to remind you that unless you have appealed this decision (FS50280571), disclosure of this information is due on October 5th.

Yours faithfully,

Ganesh Sittampalam

NPIA FOI Team, National Policing Improvement Agency

1 Attachment

Dear Ganesh Sittampalam,

Please find attached the information to be released as a result of the Decision Notice .

<<NRSB99-0111 101005 schedule e 47123.pdf>>

Regards,

NPIA FOI TEAM
National Policing Improvement Agency
Email: [NPIA request email]
Website: www.npia.police.uk

*****************************************************************
Any opinions expressed in this email are those of the individual and not necessarily those of NPIA.
It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain privileged information.
Accordingly, the copying, dissemination or distribution of this message to any other person may constitute a breach of Civil or Criminal Law.
*****************************************************************