Further Advice Or Information, on This PSO Or the Systems Described Within It, Can Be

Prison Service Order
ORDER
NUMBER
9050
/ Functional Mailboxes
Date of Initial Issue / 26/09/06
Issue / 263
PSI amendments should be read in conjunction with the PSO
Date of Further Amendments
12/03/08 / PSI 13-2008 – Workforce Modernisation FMBs
15/01/07 / PSI 04-2007 – Visits Functional Mailboxes
22/12/06 / PSI 38-2006 – Finance Functional Mailboxes
22/12/06 / PSI 37-2006 – Security Functional Mailboxes
08/11/06 / PSI 34-2006 - Use of MDT Functional Mailboxes
08/11/06 / PSI 33-2006 – Use of Drug Treatment Functional Mailboxes

PSO 9050 Page 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The purpose of this PSO is to outline the process that must be adopted by establishments and HQ groups in order to successfully manage the Functional Mailboxes (FMB) deployed through the CJIT Secure Email project or as an outcome of a business requirement.
The PSO is not intended to stop any current working practice for which the individual establishments use the FMB, but merely to enhance it.
In the future when HQ Business Units release their FMB guidance will be provided through a supporting PSI.
DESIRED OUTCOME
The use of FMB will increase knowledge sharing and efficiency across both the Prison Service and ultimately the whole Criminal Justice System (CJS).
MANDATORY ACTIONS
Governing Governors and Heads of Groups must assign Functional Mailbox Administrators (FMA) for each FMB in their establishment or group. The role of the FMA is described in this PSO.
In addition to the FMA, there must be a named deputy to the FMA who can monitor the mailbox and in the FMA’s absence. This function needs to be covered during the normal working day – 24/7 cover is not required.
Sufficient users must be given access to ensure the FMB is accessed regularly.
The FMA must develop and implement a local management strategy for the set-up, use and file storage of the FMB.
The FMA must be responsible for ensuring that the agreed business workflows are used.
Future requests for FMB must be submitted via the Change Request Service (CRS).
FMB must be used for the workflows for which they were designed. That is, forwarding and receiving business information specific to that functional mailbox.
FMB must not be used for personal use as SPAM email to Prison Service Staff.
FMB must not be used for the creation of Distribution Lists as a means to send email to Prison Service staff, which would bypass normal agreed workflows with Internal Communications.
Misuse of FMB must be reported via the EDS Helpdesk.
RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS
Initial resource time will be required for the newly appointed FMA to consult with staff and develop a local strategy. User guidance can be found at the Quantum Intranet site. There will be a need for the FMA to allocate time for monitoring and review. The review frequency will be determined by the local management strategy.
IMPLEMENTATION DATE: / 1 October 2006
Ann Beasley
Director of Finance / Philip French
Head of Information and Communication Technology Group

Further advice or information, on this PSO or the systems described within it, can be sought from:

Change & Release Team (ICT), Second Floor, Room 214, Cleland House, Page Street, London, SW1P4LN Tel 020 7217 6516, Fax 020 7217 6418
Contents

1.  INTRODUCTION

2.  FUNCTIONAL MAILBOXES

2.1  SECURE EMAIL

2.2  Other Functional Mailboxes on the Global Address List

2.3  FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX PROJECT

3.  REQUESTING A FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX VIA CRS

3.1 HQ ASSIGNMENT OF THE FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX OWNER (MO)

4.  ASSIGNMENT OF THE FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX ADMINISTRATOR (FMA)

4.1  ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FMA

4.1.1 Development of Local Strategy

5.  MONITORING AND REVIEW

5.1  File Storage

6.  REPORTING

7.  WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION

8.  GLOSSARY

1. INTRODUCTION

Functional mailboxes (FMB) were created primarily to facilitate the exchange of information by secure e-mail (SeM). They will allow a number of users to have access to incoming mail for a particular business e-mail address. These mailboxes can be accessed at any time by delegates. By having multiple delegates, e-mails will not be sitting in an ‘inbox’ waiting for someone to return from absence to read them. Incoming e-mail can be checked regularly during the day to ensure they are being managed.

This PSO details the requirements that must be adhered to in order for establishments and HQ groups to implement and successfully manage their FMB. The order prescribes the assignment of a Mailbox Owner (MO) and local Functional Mailbox administrator (FMA). The FMA will be responsible for establishing a local management strategy, implementing the strategy, monitoring and reviewing.

2. FUNCTIONAL MAILBOXES

2.1 SECURE EMAIL

Currently there are three functional mailboxes in use which were implemented as part of the Secure Email Project, these are:

·  Reception

·  Custody

·  Probation

Further in depth guidance on Secure e-Mail can be found on the IT Help website, located under the Secure Email section.

2.2 Other Functional Mailboxes on the Global Address List

Currently there are a number of FMB found on the Global Address list (GAL). They fall into two categories. One set are generic mailboxes owned by Business Units to manage a central HQ function, i.e. Phoenix mailboxes etc.

The other mailboxes are locally managed FMB implemented by establishments mainly for the purpose of local inter - unit exchange of information.

FMB should not be confused with a Distribution List, which has the same naming convention as the FMB but when emails are sent, the email is sent to each person on the Distribution list, whereas the FMB receives the email and multiple delegates have access to that mailbox.

A distribution list is distinguished in the Global Address List (GAL) by a two headed icon adjacent to the name. A FMB has no distinguishing icons.

2.3 FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX PROJECT

Following agreement with EDS, there has been a project to deliver further FMBs to all establishments which will be managed by Business Units. The Business Units will determine the business flows which go through each mailbox. There will also be a supporting PSI issued for each mailbox describing the business workflows to be used in each mailbox.

Mailboxes to be delivered are:

Drugs Treatment

Finance

Legal Visits

Mandatory Drugs Testing

Security

Social Visits

3. REQUESTING A FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX VIA CRS

Future requests for FMB will need to be raised via a CRS. There will be two different categories:

·  A CRS for business units for local use. A business case will need to be submitted describing the business flows which will be used through each mailbox.

·  A CRS from HQ Units to request a generic FMB for use across the estate. A detailed business case is required describing the business flows which will be used through the mailbox.

Once the CRS has been submitted together with the Business Case, it will

be forwarded to the FMB Policy Team for review.

3.1  HQ ASSIGNMENT OF THE FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX OWNER (MO)

Each FMB prior to implementation will have a Mailbox Owner. The Mailbox Owner will have the responsibility for providing and baselining FMB business flows. For HQ Groups, they will also accept the responsibilities of owning the mailbox and completing the PSI template.

4. ASSIGNMENT OF THE FUNCTIONAL MAILBOX ADMINISTRATORS (FMA)

Each FMB must have an administrator (FMA) to carry out the role described below. A deputy must be appointed to ensure that monitoring of the mailbox is carried out in the FMA’s absence. Other organisations within the Criminal Justice System may refer to the role as that of the ‘secure e-mail coordinator’ (SeMCo). The FMA should be of a sufficient grade/level to develop and implement the management strategy and have the authority to provide the administration rights for delegates to the mailbox. They will usually be a person with line management responsibility for staff having access to the mailbox.

4.1 ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FMA

4.1.1 Development Of Local Strategy

A step by step guide to the setting up of a management strategy can be found in the document ‘Guidance For Administrators’ which can be located at the Quantum website in the Functional Mailbox section. A basic overview follows:

In order to derive benefit from the use of FMB, it is essential that, from the outset, the team members are consulted and encouraged to share knowledge.

In addition to establishing who will have access to the mailbox and share responsibility for forwarding on e-mails, the following should be considered:

·  How often should the Mailbox be checked for new items and by whom?

·  Are there certain times of the day or week that are lightly-staffed, which Mailbox users should be particularly aware of?

·  When an e-mail arrives, is there a common view held within the team on the priority of the e-mail (whether it is ‘urgent’, ‘important’, ‘requiring action’ or ‘for information only’)?

·  What are the expected turnaround times for an ‘urgent’ e-mail to ensure no loss or reduction in service?

·  Which individuals have specialist knowledge that could deal with certain queries? Is there more than one ‘specialist’ to cover holidays and sickness?

·  How often will you need to periodically review how you use the Functional Mailbox in terms of adding/removing users and working practices?

·  Are users aware of how and where to save e-mails?

·  Each business area should produce a local FMB protocol document. Information for SeM can be found on the IT Help website at the SeM section.

.

5. Monitoring and Review

FMB will provide benefit to your establishment, however, with any new process, time is needed to adjust to these new working practices. Therefore, it is important to periodically revisit these practices within your management strategy at your establishment and revise group lists, timescales and priorities accordingly.

5.1 File Storage

Similar to your personal e-mail Inbox, there are also size constraints on how much e-mail can be stored in a FMB at any one time. The maximum limit being 25MB. Therefore, in order to manage e-mails within capacity constraints, and support information audits, it is necessary for users to move the contents of both, the Inbox, and Sent Items, into a corresponding set of logical folders and subfolders on the establishment shared P:/drive, so that everyone in the group can access them. (NB If not available you should complete a CRS requesting the creation of group folders e.g. Custody. Once created authorised group members will be able to create sub folders).

6. Reporting

FMB Usage reports are provided centrally to HQ. For information on your sites usage, please contact Service Level Management Team (ICT) Second Floor Room 214, Cleland House, Page Street, London, SW1P 4LN, via the ICT Service Level Management functional mailbox:.

Tel 020 7217 6516. Fax 020 7217 6418

7. Where to Find More Information

For further information on the use of FMB please contact:

Change & Release Team (ICT) Second Floor Room 214, Cleland House, Page Street, London, SW1P 4LN. Tel 020 7217 6516 Fax 020 7217 6418

Further information on Secure e-Mail and FMB can be found on the IT Help Website.

Further information on the secure use of e-Mail, and Protective Marking can be

found in PSO 9010 IT Security.

Issue No. 263 Issue date 26/09/06

8. Glossary

CJA Criminal Justice Agency

CJIT Criminal Justice Information Technology

CJO’s Criminal Justice Organisations

CJS Criminal Justice System

CRS A request for new or amended IT or telephony services.

Delegates Staff/Users given the appropriate rights to access the FMB

EDS Electronic Data Systems

FMA Functional Mailbox Administrators

FMB Functional Mailbox

GAL Global Address List

ICT Information & Communication Technology Group

MO Mailbox Owners

PSI Prison Service Instruction

QPC Quantum Principal Contact

SeM Secure e-mail

SeMCo Secure e-mail coordinator

Issue No. 263 Issue date 26/09/06