Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Twenty-First Report: Transforming electronic monitoring services
Public Accounts Committee
HC 34
Published 21 October 2022
Recommendations
9
Accepted
Both the Ministry and HMPPS told us that they had learnt lessons from weaknesses in...
Recommendation
Both the Ministry and HMPPS told us that they had learnt lessons from weaknesses in governance and scrutiny in the programme. The Ministry explained that a lack of scrutiny can be the nature of big departments with a small corporate …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that the Investment Committee has delegated powers to make decisions on portfolio projects. It also states that an improved control framework was introduced in November 2021 and governance structures were strengthened during 2021-22.
HM Treasury
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14
Accepted
In 2006, our Committee found that there was insufficient evidence available to determine whether tagging...
Recommendation
In 2006, our Committee found that there was insufficient evidence available to determine whether tagging helped to reduce re-offending or promote rehabilitation. We recommended that the Home Office—which previously managed tagging services— should carry out research to establish the role …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee’s recommendation and will use EM data to inform reporting. They will also implement a benefits management strategy and realisation plan by April 2023 and develop a formal evaluation strategy for EM.
HM Treasury
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26
Accepted
Earlier in its transformation programme, HMPPS outsourced the role of systems and services integrator to...
Recommendation
Earlier in its transformation programme, HMPPS outsourced the role of systems and services integrator to Capita, which involved pulling together suppliers’ work to deliver an end-to-end tagging service.48 In 2017, we examined earlier progress in the programme. We found that …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that project risks are managed according to the EM Portfolio Risk Management Strategy and that the procurement of new contracts is being run in compliance with the government standard, The Sourcing Playbook.
HM Treasury
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Conclusions (4)
12
Conclusion
Accepted
HMPPS’s failure to deliver Gemini also means that police forces and the Probation Service lack timely access to tagging data to investigate crime, supervise offenders and protect the public.20 HMPPS expected Gemini and the user portal to provide a range of benefits for stakeholders, including: a single version of case …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to improve the timeliness of responses to requests from probation practitioners for GPS location monitoring data by March 2023, and to review the process by which police officers make requests for information from the EM supplier by the same date. It states police do not currently consider real-time access to be a priority.
15
Conclusion
Accepted
The Ministry admitted that its evaluation in the transformation programme was not as strong as it should have been and recognised that it needed to put more effort into evaluation going forward. It told us that it was extending its team of analysts in its expansion programme, from three to …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to improve its evaluation of electronic monitoring programs, including rigorous evaluation of long-term impacts on reoffending, and outlines specific actions like improved data collection, a benefits management strategy, and a formal evaluation strategy.
23
Conclusion
Accepted
In parallel with managing its expansion projects, HMPPS is undertaking a re- procurement for its contracts with companies to run the tagging services. HMPPS has relied on Capita’s ‘bridge’ contract throughout its transformation programme. This was only intended to be a temporary arrangement until HMPPS launched its new service through …
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states that the procurement of new contracts is being run in compliance with The Sourcing Playbook, and risks are managed in accordance with the EM Portfolio Risk Management Strategy. They will update the committee in August 2023, once new contracts have been awarded.
25
Conclusion
Accepted
We questioned HMPPS on what it saw as the biggest risks in the expansion programme. HMPPS told us that it is challenging reprocuring the service as it is changing and as the number of tagged people is increasing. It explained that it has been managing this in different ways, such …
Government Response Summary
The government states that project risks are managed according to the EM Portfolio Risk Management Strategy and that the procurement of new contracts is being run in compliance with the government standard, The Sourcing Playbook.