Bulletin 41 - March 27 2009
 

In this bulletin:

• CONTEST launch
• Water-borne tactics workshop
• Ambulance Service review
• Programme definition document
• Changing Places launch
• ACPO session on Olympic planning
• Consultancy support

The appointment this week of KPMG LLP to work with us through to 2012 is another step in ensuring the right resourcing for the programme.  I shall be writing shortly to Home Office sponsored bodies setting out the initial allocations for 2009-10 planning.  And we shall next week start the recruitment process for the permanent heads of the five programmes that will deliver our strategy.  Charles Farr and I also had discussions yesterday with staff in the Olympic Security Directorate that are at the beginning of a process to be completed over the next two months to decide the split between those who will be working on the overall programme, those joining the Metropolitan Police's programme and, the majority, who will be working as now on delivery projects.  We also look forward in a few weeks to the appointment of the Assistant Commissioner (Olympics) who will lead the police service's part in Olympic planning and execution through to 2012.  All of this reflects an increase in pace in Olympic planning and our determination to support that by having the right people in the right place to meet the demands on us.

Robert Raine

Director, Olympic Safety and Security Programme

Other news

CONTEST launch

On Tuesday, the government launched the new UK counter-terrorism strategy,  CONTEST. This builds on the successes of the existing policy and provides the basis for a coordinated approach to counter terrorism. The strategy provides a detailed account of the history of the terrorist threat to the UK and UK interests, underlying factors in this threat, and indicates how the threat may evolve in the next few years.

The strategy describes in some detail how CONTEST is delivered, taking into account the greater resources and the wider range of people working in counter terrorism. It sets out the roles for the many government departments now engaged in this area and for local and regional government. The safety and security of the 2012 Games is a key consideration in this strategy.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Protecting the public is my key objective and the aim of the government's new counter terrorism strategy is to reduce the risk of terrorism to allow people to go about their lives freely and with confidence.

"The UK has one of the most comprehensive and wide ranging approaches to tackling terrorism in the world and we have updated our CONTEST strategy to take account of the evolving threat, the lessons we have learned and the new challenges we face."

Our Olympic Security Strategy builds on and is fully integrated with CONTEST and a special article in the CONTEST document explains our plans. The full document can be read at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/counter-terrorism

Water-borne tactics workshop

On March 9 Dorset Police hosted a water-borne tactics workshop at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, to identify current capability to deal with maritime threats in policing the Olympic sailing and windsurfing events and identify where capability and capacity needs to be developed. The event was well attended by a significant number of key partner agencies and police forces engaged in maritime response, including Civil Nuclear Constabulary, ACPO, Home Office Scientific Support Branch, OSD, MOD police and a range of other Home Office forces.

Ambulance Service review

This week two senior mangers from the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) spent three days reviewing the progress of the London Ambulance Service's Olympic Programme to date.  The team reviewed a number of programme and project related documents and conducted one to one interviews with the LAS Olympic Planning Team, senior LAS managers and external partners including Clare Delaney and Bidisha Gosh from OSD.

The NWAS team will report their findings to the LAS Chief Executive, Peter Bradley, in May.

Programme definition document

A priority for the OSD is preparing the programme definition document which will set out how the programme will operate its governance, reporting and commissioning procedures and other forms of interaction between projects and partner agencies. A draft of this document will be circulated before Easter.
  

Changing Places launch

Last Thursday was the community launch of the London 2012 'Changing Places' programme, in which the OSD Community Engagement Team has played a key role. The 'Clean and Safe' aspect of the programme aims to ensure activity that will have lasting environmental benefits for London and communities adjacent to other Games venues nationally, to reduce crime and the fear of crime. It involves local people at every stage, empowering them to identify their own issues and giving them a sense of ongoing pride and ownership as they retain responsibility.

Volunteers including the OSD Community Engagement Team and Stratford and New Town Safer Neighbourhood Teams gathered at Three Mills Island, adjacent to the Olympic Park, to cut back the overgrown vegetation, remove graffiti and remediate the tow path by the canal.

London 2012 Chief Executive Paul Deighton said: "People will rightly be proud of the new park that is being created, but it is just as important that people are proud of their local community. This programme will help communities come together to make the most of their area both in 2012 and beyond."

The programme will initially run in the five host boroughs, with an aspiration to roll out across London and around other London 2012 venues outside the capital. More information on existing and forthcoming projects and how to get involved, can be found on london2012.com.
  

ACPO event for Olympic venue forces

Last week, ACPO organized an event for Chief Officers and planners from the Olympic primary venue police forces to meet with key partners from the Olympic Security Directorate. The session provided a tighter forum for positive and healthy discussion on a variety of topics. Presentations, followed by open question and answer sessions, were delivered on key Programme developments such as the recently approved security strategy, CONOPS, risk and national Co-ordination.  A follow-up event for football venue forces is planned for June.
    

Consultancy Support to OSD

Following an competitive tender exercise, by Olympic Security Directorate in collaboration with Commercial Directorate in the Home Office, KPMG LLB have been re-appointed as consultancy support providers to the Olympic Safety & Security Programme from 1^st April 2009 until Dec 2012.

This long duration framework will give OSD the flexibility to deal with peaks in workloads; drawing down as necessary specific work packages. It will ensure we deal with a partner who has continuity in our work, minimising disruption and re-learning time.  The contact will provide ongoing professional support for the following services: programme & project management and integration; transition planning; financial support and risk & assurance support.  Wherever possible of course work will be done by in-house staff, and consultancy support will always be managed by in-house staff.