The Department of Justice and related agencies are powering up to spend significantly on new IT systems, according to tender documents seen by siliconrepublic.com. The IT systems will cover management of the asylum process and related immigration processes, a new enclosed email system of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and a countrywide deployment of thin client computers at the Probation & Welfare Office.
In the largest tender, the Department of Justice has invited tenders for the design and development of a number of IT systems for the management of the asylum process and related immigration processes. In 2002, an Information Management and Information Technology Strategy was commissioned for organisations directly involved in the asylum and immigration process under the auspices of the Department. This resulted in a number of major IT projects for which the department is seeking tenders.
The first project involves the design and construction of an integrated case management system to provide a complete picture of an asylum seeker’s progress through the asylum process, from initial entry into the system through to their current status.
The second project involves an accommodation management system to support the functions of the Reception and Integration Agency in its management of the direct provision system and to provide critical interfaces with the integrated case management system.
The third IT project involves the construction of a central Country of Origin information database incorporating library management functionality to facilitate the storage, search and retrieval of country of origin information and other related general information of interest.
The final IT project involves the development of a barcoding solution to assist with tracking and locating case files within and between the asylum agencies.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has put out a tender for the construction of a web-based solution for secure email. The system must be capable of being hosted within the ODPP separately from its local area network. Users should be able access their mail outside the ODPP using a standard web browser. The system should be a closed email community where only members of the community can mail each other.
In terms of security, authentication should involve the use of a strong two-factor authentication system. The system will be used mainly to exchange confidential information with parties (predominately barristers) external to the ODPP. The contract will be awarded from the qualifying tenders on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender.
The Probation & Welfare Service has issued a tender for the procurement of thin client computers for its offices in both the greater Dublin Metropolitan Area (DMA) and throughout the state. It is envisaged that the procurement will establish a contract with the successful tender against whom the Probation & Welfare Service and the Department of Justice and associated agencies will draw further stocks of thin client computers. It is likely that there will be an immediate requirement for approximately 100 units.
The Probation & Welfare Service has its head offices in Dublin, with 13 offices in the greater DMA and some 40 offices outside Dublin from Cork in the South to Letterkenny in the North West. The service employs approximately 400 staff.
By John Kennedy
