Tasmania Police

• Home
• Community Alerts
• Our People
• Policing Services
• Community Services
• Security and Safety
• Road Safety
• Crime Stoppers
• Recruiting
• Permits & Forms
• Publications
• Hot Topics
• Contacts

Project Meridian

Introduction

In March 2008, the Commissioner of Police requested preliminary work on a new project to review business processes within the Department of Police and Emergency Management (DPEM) and to identify opportunities for efficiency gains.

The project will be designed to build on Project Baton, a reform program which was implemented across the organisation in the mid 1990s. Baton, which was an acronym for Business Alignment of Technology to Operations Network, reviewed existing business systems and developed opportunities for improvements to the operational efficiency of the organisation.

The benefits of Project Baton were experienced broadly across the organisation at both operational and strategic levels, and continue to influence the current health of Tasmania Police today.

Since the implementation of Project Baton, there have been significant changes to the environment in which Tasmania Police operates. Responsibilities of police have expanded, and the organisation has experienced major changes in legislative reform. These advancements have occurred in concurrence with heightened national security obligations, a significant expansion of business processes to incorporate those changes, and the rapid expansion of information technology and the opportunities that expansion presents.

These environmental changes extend well beyond the predictions or expectations of the original project team, and it is considered timely for a further review of the business framework to identify opportunities for improvement.

Why ‘Meridian’?

The working title for the project is Project Meridian, derived from the definition ‘a point or period of highest development, greatest prosperity, or the like’. *

What does the project hope to achieve?

The project team has been tasked with conducting a review of existing business practices, particularly those within the service delivery area, and to identify where opportunities exist to improve our efficiency.

Once those opportunities have been identified, the project team will then commence development of potential solutions. Those solutions could range from something as simple as the redesign of a form, to the implementation of a new or emerging technology.

Identifying the Opportunities

The Project Meridian team has been visiting a broad range of work areas to conduct feedback sessions with staff to identify key issues. The sessions have been conducted at many different work sites, involving the participation of a significant number of DPEM staff members.

The team has been collating the issues from the sessions as they arise, and will soon commence developing key themes and areas for further development.

In addition, the Project Manager and the Minister for Police and Emergency Management, the Hon Jim Cox MP, recently visited a number of international law enforcement agencies to examine current practices and initiatives.

The trip was highly successful, with a number of ideas identified for further development within Tasmania Police.

Agencies visited included the United Kingdom (UK) Home Office, the UK National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA), the London Metropolitan Police Service (including New Scotland Yard, Islington Police Station and Belgravia Police Station), the West Yorkshire Constabulary and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

The Project Manager also attended the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) – Association of Police Authorities (APA) policing exhibition in Liverpool, UK, which was a showcase for new and emerging technologies in law enforcement.

Current Project Activities

The Project team continues to collate suggestions and ideas emanating from the feedback sessions, as well as opportunities identified by the research, with a view to completing this process before the end of 2008.

Analysis of these issues will then start to identify the key opportunities for further development, as well as extracting some ‘quick wins’ for early attention.

Project Team

The Project Team currently consists of a Project Manager (Inspector), a Project Officer (Senior Sergeant) and a Project Assistant, with a view to expansion as the project progresses.

For further information, please contact Project Meridian

 * [1] Random House Unabridged Dictionary 2006, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse