POL00447755 - Email from Tony Jowett to Mark Underwood and Liam Carroll re Computer Forensics and digital investigations

Evidence on official site

POL00447755
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Cc: Rodric Williams:
Hemingway}

Graha im
_.I Barbara

“} Kenneth

Subject:
Hi all
Just as background I thought I would let you know what we are trying to achieve.

We are setting up a forensic investigation team in IT to support GLO to be staffed by Post Office FTCs and
Permanents. Whilst we recruit the team the secret plan is jump start the team by getting a consultancy
partner skilled in this area to in part second people and give us the wisdom of their experience to help
shape the investigation approach and target operating model. Once we are up to speed (3 months or so
estimated) we will then need external support to perform forensic and legal evidence level investigations as
and when required — which will be the subject of a second procurement.

This is less about advice and more get your sleeves rolled up and help us.
Hope that helps

Tony

From: Mark Underwood!
Sent: 14 July 2020 19:19

1Ben Foat

GRO i
Subject: RE: Computer Forensics and Digital Investigations

Thanks Liam,

I don’t think you necessarily need to exclude suppliers at this stage but once you have a preferred supplier / shortlist -
prior to appointment, I would check with the GE and Board that they are comfortable with the appointment if that
preferred supplier has been involved historically with the GLO and or its predecessors. Looking at the below list
Deloitte, Fujitsu and PA have.

I have read the requirements document but it wasn’t entirely clear what service the successful firm would be
providing. Are you able to set this out in a couple of sentences? Depending upon the nature of the work, it may be
that the business will be more / less comfortable appointing the firms mentioned above.

I also noted that it include the following statement which I’m not sure is entirely correct as the GLO was settled in
December 2019.

ly b [ j. Much of the work around this tasking
interfaces with that legal case “as such all information supplied by either of us to the other relating to

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this process will be treated in confidence and you are asked to sign the standard non-disclosure
agreement accompanying this letter, as it is specific to this purpose. Any information we supply will be
given in good faith, but the Post Office will not accept any liability for its accuracy, adequacy or
completeness. We would not expect to bear costs and expenses incurred in connection with
responding to this invitation, nor should you assume that a contract will be entered into”.

Tomorrow is difficult but if you want to chat through, I have good availability on Thursday afternoon.

Mark

Mark Underwood
Legal, Compliance & Governance
Operations Director

Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street

London EC2Y 94Q

Mobile number:

On leave: 2, 8 & 22 July

From: Liam CarrollrI
Sent: 13 July 2020 17:59
To: Mark Underwood) GRO

iBarbara Brannot H Ben Foat

and Digital Investigations

Mark

Please find attached the latest version of the requirements document for the proposed mini competition via lot 1 of
the HTE Digital Consultancy Solutions and Advisory Services Framework for the supply of professional services in
connection with the Post Office’s Computer Forensics and Digital Investigations partner selection exercise. Under the
terms of the framework we should now contact all of the suppliers who have been identified from the capability
matrix who are able to meet our requirements, see table below:

Atos IT Services UK Limited

BDO LLP

Berkshire Consultancy Limited

Deloitte LLP

Fujitsu Services Limited

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KPMG LLP

Liaison Financial Services Limited

Linea Partners Limited

Mason Advisory Limited

The Boston Consulting Group UK LLP

NHS Arden GEM CSU

Nous Group (UK) Limited

PA Consulting Services Limited

The Boston Consulting Group UK LLP

I will need to make a case to HTE who administer the framework as to why we want to exclude some suppliers at this
stage, this should be fairly straight forward for Fujitsu as they are the supplier who services will be subject to audit
from the service but I need a robust argument to exclude any other supplier. We can of course add to the
requirements that no person involved in who has advised any party involved in the GLO case should be included in the
supplier tender or to deliver the services.

It is worth noting the PA Consulting are amongst the market leaders in this field and provide similar services for many
parts of government including the National Counter Terrorisim Security Office.

Can you give me a call to agree how we move forward with this.
Thanks

Liam

Thanks
Liam

Liam Carroll
Head of Procurement - IT

1** Floor,
20 Finsbury Street,
London EC2Y 9AQ

From: Ben Foat
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Sent: 13 July 2020 11:32

To: Liam Carroll GRO et “3 Tony
Jowett enneth Garvey

Ce: Rodric William: }Gra

{ _ GRO ~~ Barbara Brannon I

Subject: RE: Deloitte

Understood and fair challenge but the board and shareholder has raised this issue and strong preference given the
optics etc.

Kind regards
Ben

Ben Foat

Group General Counsel
Ground Floor

20 Finsbury Street
LONDON

EC2Y 9AQ

Mobile

From: Liam Carrol!
Sent: 12 July 2020 14:
To: Mark Underwood! ; Ben Foat; Tony Jowett; Kenneth Garvey
Ce: Rodric Williams; Graham Hemingway; Barbara Brannon
Subject: RE: Deloitte

Mark

I think we need to be careful about excluding suppliers from participating in procurement exercises of previous
involvement in Post Office activities related to the GLO, no matter how indirectly, otherwise we will open ourselves
up to challenge.

Where there are conflicts of interest we should of course look to exclude them but we need robust reasoning that will
stand up to challenge. Do you have a list of suppliers who this would apply to together with the reasonning for that
decision. I have copied Ken into the email as he may have a view from a PCR perspective.

Thanks
Liam

Liam Carroll
Head of Procurement - IT

1% Floor,

20 Finsbury Street,
London EC2Y 9A¢
Mobi!

j Ben Foat

“Ce: Rodric Williams
Subject: RE: Deloitte

I Graham Hemingway}

Hi Liam,

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Tony Jowett

PA Consulting were heavily involved in the Complaint Review & Mediation Scheme (one of Group Litigation
Predecessors) and as such, if this piece of work ties back to the litigation at all, it may be better — purely from an

optics points of view — to use an alternative firm.

Mark

Mark Underwood
Legal, Compliance & Governance
Operations Director

Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street
London EC2Y 9AQ

Mobile number:!

On leave: 2, 8 & 22 July

From: Liam Carro!
Sent: 10 July 2020 1:
To: Mark Underwood

GRO
Ce: Rodric Williams,
Subject: RE: Deloitte

___.I Graham Hemingway

Mark

Depending on the final requirements we may use either lot 1 or 6 of the framework:

Lot 1 - Business Consultancy Solutions and Advisory Services

BDO LLP

Deloitte LLP

PA Consulting Services Limited

Lot 6 - ICT and Digital Consultancy Solutions and Advisory Services

Tony Jowett

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Deloitte LLP

Moorhouse Consulting Limited

PA Consulting Services Limited

Software Box Ltd

Please give me a call if you would like to discuss.
Thanks
Liam

Liam Carroll
Head of Procurement - IT

1** Floor,
20 Finsbury Street,
London EC2Y 9AQ

From: Mark Underwoo:
Sent: 10 July 2020 1

Tony Jowett

Ce: Rodric Williams
Subject: RE: Deloitte

‘Graham Hemingway!

Thanks Liam — can I ask who is, as there are optics issues with a number of firms.
If you are able to share the list, I can let you know if there are any issues with them
Mark Underwood
Legal, Compliance & Governance
Operations Director
Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street

London EC2Y 94Q

Mobile numbe

On leave: 2, 8 & 22 July

From: Liam Carrolli-
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Sent: 10 July 2020 14:57

To: Mark Underwood Tony Jowett

raham Hemingway},

Subject: RE: Deloitte

Mark

Thank you, KPMG are not on the short list of suppliers for the framework we are looking to use for this requirement.
Liam

Liam Carroll

Head of Procurement - IT
1°" Floor,

20 Finsbury Street,
London EC2Y 9AQ

From: Mark Underwoo
Sent: 10 July 2020 1

Hemingway
Subject: RE: Deloitte

Hi Tony,

If it is helpful, the relationship partner at KPMG is lan.Smithy GRO

Mark Underwood
Legal, Compliance & Governance
Operations Director

Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street

London EC2Y 94Q

Mobile number: I

On leave: 2, 8 & 22 July

From: Ben Foat
Sent: 10 July 2020 1
To: Tony Jowett ¢

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Graham Hemingway

Hi Tony!

Deloitte were previously involved in GLO historically. I would prefer we didn’t given the conflict and PR challenges
accordingly. KPMG would be well placed.

Ben Foat
General Counsel
Post Office Limited

From: Tony Jowett
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2020 11:32 am
To: Ben Foat
Ce: Liam Carroll!
Subject: Deloitte

Hi Ben
Hope all's well

Liam and I are helping Jeff with a GLO-related procurement for services connected with investigations and
forensics. Is there any reason (optical or otherwise) why we cannot include Deloitte in this subject to a
successful procurement?

Many thanks
T

Tony Jowett
cIso

Cyber Security
20 Finsbury Street,

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