Met Police offers up to almost £200,000 for CIO role

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is offering up to £197,133 to fill its CIO position, which has been open since February 2015.

A job advert posted online claims the role will involve shaping the future strategies and operational policing for the Met Police, and is offering between £152,915 and £197,133, plus £3,501 location allowance.

Whoever fills the position will be in charge of the Met’s Digital Policing team, which is responsible for “developing and delivering ICT policies, processes, tools and services”.

“By successfully building ICT’s strategic capabilities, and by aligning our ICT strategies to corporate priorities, you can make a high-profile impact on almost every aspect of policing in London,” the advert said.

The opening of the position came after previous CIO Richard Thwaite’s interim contract came to an end, leaving the position to current interim John Lowry.

During Thwaite’s time in the position, he oversaw the release of the Met’s Total Technology IT strategy, a three to four-year plan outlining how the organisation would transform its use of technology to improve interaction with citizens and improve internal functions.

The strategy was developed in light of an internal investigation by consultancy Deloitte urging the Met to overhaul legacy systems and invest in new technology.

But earlier this year Computer Weekly was told the Met would be cutting 700 IT jobs under a plan to outsource software development and IT services at its Digital Policing arm to reduce costs.

The job posting for the Met Police CIO details how the new IT leader will be responsible for dealing with IT delivery across in-house and outsourced teams.

“Your leadership will ensure that our combination of in-house and external managed functions delivers robust, high-performing and innovative ICT services – while delivering true value for money from budgets and investment,” said the advert.

“Championing ICT MPS-wide, you will face the challenge of guiding Digital Policing through a major transformation programme. We are moving to a new operating model based that will use third-party providers to run aspects of the function.”

Previous back-office outsourcing contracts by the Met Police have been criticised over fears of putting sensitive data in the hands of other companies overseas.