Promoting interoperability for effective multi-agency response

Challenge

The clients - an army and a police agency - lacked formal systems and processes for planning public order missions and sharing information during joint operations. Recognising the potential of enhanced coordination to enable the smarter deployment of resources and improve public safety outcomes, they requested support in establishing a formal relationship of interoperability.

Approach

Siren’s approach involved facilitation and advisory support; developing the network infrastructure and software to enable data exchange; and process re-engineering.

Facilitation and advisory

• Workshops on interagency collaboration to bring together the relevant stakeholders from both organisations. This enabled a shared articulation of the issues hindering coordination, and promoted a common understanding of the advantages of interoperability. A joint roadmap toward interoperability was a key outcome of the workshops.

• Long-term follow-up with working groups implementing measures promoting interoperability. This ensured high level buy-in, and included helping mid-ranking officers identify and tackle emerging obstacles.

Process engineering

• Drafting new coordination processes and institutionalising them through Standard Operating Procedures, Terms of Reference and policies governing shared work.

• Appointment of a police liaison officer to the army operations room to follow up on planning processes and aid information sharing.

Technical support

• Network infrastructure: Direct fibre optic connection between the army and police with microwave backup; firewall protection at each end; and providing access to the police's public order management interface.

• Web platform: building on the public order management module of the police's existing digital information system, Siren developed a portal for the army, enabling it to input and share relevant information when planning public order missions. The web platform enables both agencies to specify their strategic intent for each operation, their tactical plan, and where units will be deployed. Deployments update on a map in real-time as operations progress.

Outcomes

• Formalised relationship of interoperability

• Police and army routinely conduct joint planning and inter-agency briefing/debriefing sessions

• Professionalisation of the liaison officer role

• Shared digital platform adopted by both agencies and used to exchange information and coordinate missions

• Shared command structure adopted by both agencies for public order events

• Optimised resource allocation on security missions