Procurement of new Corporate Identity and related Public Information/Awareness raising Campaign for the Office of the Police Ombudsman

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is an independent statutory body established in 2007 by the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended) (‘the Act’) under the aegis of Department of Justice. GSOC is responsible for receiving, processing and investigating complaints made by members of the public concerning the conduct of members of the Garda Síochána. GSOC also has statutory responsibility for conducting investigations in circumstances where it appears that the conduct of a Garda, or Gardaí, may have resulted in death or serious harm to a person. Such incidents are referred by the Garda Síochána so that the public can be confident that these investigations are independently conducted. GSOC is empowered to investigate any matter, even where no complaint has been made where it appears that a member of the Garda Síochána may have committed an offence or behaved in a manner that would justify disciplinary proceedings. In addition, it may investigate any practice, policy or procedure of the Garda Síochána with a view to reducing the incidence of related complaints. GSOC’s mission is to provide an independent, high quality and trusted system for dealing with matters involving the possible misconduct of members of the Garda Síochána, in a manner which respects human rights and promotes public New legislation, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill ('PSCS Bill') is currently making its way through the Oireachtas. The Bill seeks to implement the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, and proposes a number of major changes in GSOC’s remit and powers. Some of the major changes envisaged in the Bill include: - Replacement of GSOC with a new restructured agency called the Office of the Police Ombudsman - Adoption of a new structure, moving from GSOC’s three-person Commission model to an Ombudsman/Deputy Ombudsman model to ensure that the body has a clear and publicly identifiable leadership; - The new agency’s independence to be reinforced by it becoming a Vote holding body with a new chief administrative officer assuming the responsibilities of accounting officer; - Expansion of scope of the new agency’s remit, to include the fielding of all complaints in the first instance - An obligation for timely and effective handling of complaints and conduct of investigations; - Streamlining of complaint and investigation processes; - Increased information sharing; - Introduction of a research and data analysis function The Bill, both as initiated and following amendments at Committee stage can be viewed HERE. GSOC is planning for the major transformation which this will entail, both structurally and functionally, over the coming years as a result of the proposed new legislation, as well as other changes in its operating environment. A core aspect of this is the winding-up of GSOC as a corporate entity, and the transfer of its functions to the new Office of the Police Ombudsman. Achieving this will require the development and rollout of a new corporate identity for the Office of the Police Ombudsman, alongside a broad-ranging public information campaign to ensure that the new agency’s functions are well-understood. It is anticipated that the proposed legislation will come into effect on 1 January 2024. While GSOC expects that the long-term transition to the new agency will take a phased and iterative approach over the course of 2024, the current focus is on ensuring that core functions are in place for ‘day 1’ operations. This includes a new corporate identity, applied across core collateral, and an initial public information campaign.