How effective assurance steered a multi-year digital policing transformation.

Client

State Government Police Department

Industry

Policing & Public Safety

Our Role

Independent assurance partner for the project lifecycle

Services

Independent Assurance Reviews

Overview.

A major state government Police Department undertook a multi-year digital transformation initiative to upgrade its core records and information management system—a platform critical to policing operations across policing operations The project involved upgrading a complex, highly integrated system to a new, vendor-supported version, improving stability, delivering higher-security, and user experience while introducing a modernised interface for operational support and frontline staff.

To ensure disciplined governance, transparency, and delivery confidence, the Department engaged PM Solutions as its independent assurance partner across the full lifecycle of the program—from early planning through to benefits realisation.

Between March 2023 and June 2025, PM Solutions delivered a structured sequence of reviews—Gate 1 (preliminary evaluation), a mid-stage health check, Gate 4 (readiness for service), and Gate 5 (benefits realisation)—each aligned with the State Government’s Portfolio, Program and Project Assurance Framework for digital and ICT initiatives.

Throughout the two-year engagement, PM Solutions provided a dedicated senior assurance review lead, ensuring continuity of knowledge, consistent assessment standards, and an informed understanding of project evolution across its lifecycle.

Requirement.

The Department recognised the criticality of maintaining uninterrupted police operations while transitioning to a modernised technology platform that supports more efficient information management and interoperability with partner agencies.

To support these objectives, independent assurance was required at every key decision point to:

validate the business case, delivery model, and governance arrangements (Gate 1);
confirm that management controls, financial governance, and risk mitigations were effective through an in-flight health check;
assess organisational readiness for deployment, including testing, transition, and business-change preparedness (Gate 4); and
evaluate early-stage benefits realisation, operational stability, and lessons learned following go-live (Gate 5).

Each review followed the Global Digital Assurance® Gateway Assurance™ methodology, underpinned by the state government’s Assurance Framework and Gateway Reviews guidance. This approach ensured that findings were transparent, evidence-based, and fully aligned with digital investment standards for high-risk ICT projects.

Challenges.

Delivering a modernisation initiative of this magnitude within a live policing environment presented complex technical and organisational challenges:

system criticality and operational impact;
user change and adoption;
governance and readiness;
technical assurance; and
benefits realisation and transition.

Through consistent assurance oversight, PM Solutions provided early visibility of emerging issues, facilitated targeted management attention, and supported proactive remediation to maintain delivery confidence throughout the program lifecycle.

Outcomes.

Over a two-year period, PM Solutions delivered four major assurance reviews, and supportive health checks, that enabled the Department to make confident, evidence-based investment and implementation decisions.

Key outcomes included:

Progressive improvement in delivery confidence:
- the project maintained strong control and was rated as on track to deliver successfully, with consistent improvement in delivery confidence at each review.
Enhanced governance and readiness:
- recommendations from PM Solutions led to the refinement of governance structures, readiness checklists, and test management processes, ensuring robust oversight and preparedness for go-live.
Continuity of assurance leadership:
- the appointment of a single senior assurance review lead from March 2023 to June 2025 ensured consistency, trusted advisory support, and traceability of actions across all reviews.
Stronger risk and issue management:
- PM Solutions’ early recommendations regarding readiness tracking, environment remediation, and benefits management improved transparency and accountability across the project team and Board.
Validated outcomes and lessons learned:
- the Gate 5 review confirmed that the upgrade achieved its primary objectives—improving system supportability, user experience, and security compliance—while capturing valuable lessons for future digital programs.

Through this structured, end-to-end assurance engagement, PM Solutions demonstrated the value of continuous independent oversight—enhancing delivery confidence, strengthening governance maturity, and ensuring the Department achieved measurable public-safety and digital-transformation outcomes.