Updated: Added guidance on the impact of the new BSI 27001 standard and how this affects applications to join PSN.
Overview
The Public Services Network (PSN) will substantially reduce the cost of communication services across UK government and enable new, joined-up and shared public services for the benefit of citizens. PSN is creating one logical network, based on industry standards, and a more open and competitive ICT marketplace at the heart of the UK public sector.
Both the PSN connectivity and the services frameworks are now operational; the associated documentation is available on the Government Procurement Service (GPS) website.
PSN is at the heart of one objective of the Government ICT Strategy. PSN provides an assured network over which government can safely share services, including many G-Cloud services, to collaborate in new ways, more effectively and efficiently than ever before.
This is the latest Programme Director's interim update (August 2013)
(PDF, 119KB, 4 pages)
Browse
Public Services Network: FAQs
(PDF, 519KB, 16 pages)
for more information.
Start using PSN as a customer
To start using the PSN as a customer (buyer), go to the GPS website.
Customers (buyers) are usually local authorities, central government departments, or other public sector body.
The guide, What is a PSN service explains more about the kinds of services you can purchase and the level of accreditation of those services.
Transfer to PSN for existing customers (GCF or GCSX)
On 1 February 2013, we:
removed IL2 GCF Connectivity (GCSX Connectivity) as an available service from the GCF Catalogue
reaccredited GCSX to IL2, supported by the interconnect between GCSX and PSN at IL2
These steps have been undertaken to facilitate transition to PSN and should not have an immediate impact on business.
A first step that GCF customers can take to begin preparing for PSN is to switch from the GSi code of connection to PSN. Providing there are currently no significant IA issues with your environment, the transition should be straightforward. Once certified for PSN, the annual CoCo assessment charge you already pay allows you to connect either to GSi or to the PSN, and so it allows you to switch to PSN when it is most convenient for you.
You will need:
PSN code of connection
(MS Word Document, 761KB)
Annex B to the PSN code of connection
(MS Excel Spreadsheet, 1.42MB)
For further information on the transition to PSN please see the Technical transition guidance , and PSNA Notice 1 of 2012: migration to PSN CoCo, Update.
Help with making a Code of Connection submission
To help with your submission use this example of a completed PSN Code Template Annex B, to guide you when you complete the template for your own organisation. It should be noted that it is an example: your systems, organisation and way of working will be unique to your organisation and this should be reflected in your submission.
Help with filling in CoCo for Public Services Network: mistakes to avoid
(PDF, 281KB, 2 pages)
For more help, contact the PSNA Compliance Team directly at psna.compliance@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk.
Using the PSN as a customer (buyer)
Government Procurement Service supports procurement professionals through the award and management of contracts within common categories of spend for use across the whole public sector. These deals are made available through the use of a suite of eEnablement tools providing efficiencies in procurement processes and reducing the resource requirements within individual organisations.
Customers wishing to access services under the PSN frameworks should use the GPS eSourcing suite to undertake a further competition. To maximise value, GPS will also be managing and running a series of Aggregated Further Competitions. Further details of these events will be available on the GPS website.
PSN supplier compliance as of 22 January 2014
(PDF, 255KB, 5 pages)
Marketplace management information for the Public Services Network, October 2013
(PDF, 412KB, 12 pages)
If you are planning to buy telecommunications services through national PSN frameworks established by the Government Procurement Service, these documents offer an overview of the services available via these frameworks and a guide to using them.
National Frameworks brochure
(PDF, 406KB, 6 pages)
Guide to the PSN connectivity and services frameworks
(PDF, 937KB, 67 pages)
Start using PSN as a PSN service provider
PSN service providers are organisations supplying or approved to supply ICT services over the PSN. The supplied PSN service is usually one of the following types:
wide area network
broadband
telephony and call centres
public videoconferencing service
access to commercial databases
secure conferencing services
CCTV
access to a government database
data transfer via email
virtual private network
Many providers have submitted their services for PSN Compliance, even ahead of securing a clear procurement channel. Here is a list of service providers who are in the process of achieving PSN Compliance.
PSN supplier compliance as of 22 January 2014
(PDF, 255KB, 5 pages)
Applications from service providers for PSN Compliant services are welcome at psna.compliance@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk. Applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis. More information on the compliance process and the steps required can be found in
PSN compliance process for suppliers
(PDF, 405KB, 7 pages)
BSI standard 27001 has been revised. Read about the
Impact of BSI 27001 on applications to join PSN
(PDF, 71.2KB, 2 pages)
PSNGB industry association
The PSNGB is a trade association for any organisation or individual that provides PSN services to the public sector. It brings together the collective strength of suppliers in ways that allow them to change their market place for the better. The PSNGB continues the great work that has already been done in order to get the Public Services Network this far. PSNGB will continue to work to ensure that the Public Services Network is an efficient, dynamic and vibrant market place.
The transition to PSN
Central government departments and organisations across the wider public sector are advancing with plans to transition to PSN connectivity. We have produced and distributed a series of communications messages that will help ‘walk’ organisations through the transition process. Links to the messages are provided below and are in date order.
If your organisation is transitioning to PSN connectivity and you would like to speak to somebody who can help with any questions you may have, please contact your organisation’s nominated contact from this
PSN project managers contact list
(MS Excel Spreadsheet, 242KB)
GSI Convergence Framework and the transition to PSN Connectivity (5 March)
The letter below, signed by senior members of the GPS and PSN teams, sets the timeline and options for GCF customers to review their plans for obtaining PSN connectivity to ensure they retain access to GCF Services.
GCF announcement: action required by 15 August 2013
(PDF, 308KB, 2 pages)
Options for transitioning to PSN Connectivity (15 March)
The letter below, signed by senior members of the GPS and PSN teams, sets out the options available for organisations transitioning to PSN connectivity, the critical timeline and asking for a response by 5 April with an indication of their transition approach.
Options for transitioning: action required by 5 April 2013
(PDF, 303KB, 3 pages)
Supporting you through your transition to PSN connectivity (15 April)
The letter below, signed by senior members of the GPS and PSN teams, describes the steps organisations need take to complete their transition to PSN connectivity. It also explains the newly-launched PSN ‘drop-in’ calls that will enable those involved with an organisation’s transition to talk with PSN experts.
Supporting your transition to PSN connectivity
(PDF, 357KB, 2 pages)
PSN Compliance - a zero tolerance approach to the PSN Code of Connection (29 April)
With PSN comes a significantly greater sharing of services and we need to ensure that connected organisations meet the agreed standard if we are to maintain trust across the infrastructure. As a result we need to substantially tighten and enforce the Compliance process. The letter below describes the Compliance regime, the escalation and termination procedure and where access to supporting materials can be found.
PSN Compliance - a zero tolerance approach to the PSN Code of Connection
(PDF, 384KB, 4 pages)
Choosing your transition date (20 May)
The letter below requests organisations to advise us on which date they plan to transition to PSN connectivity. It asks for a response, via a link to a webform, by 14 June.
Choosing your transition date: action required by 14 June
(PDF, 269KB, 1 page)
Tell us about the application services you use across GCSX/GSi (10 June)
The letter below asks organisations to identify and advise us which application services their organisation consumes across GSi (GSI, GCSX, GCX and GSE). It asks for a response, via a link to a webform, by 28 June.
Tell us about the applications you use: action required by 28 June
(PDF, 289KB, 2 pages)
List of application services commonly used across GSi
(PDF, 181KB, 2 pages)
Update on the zero-tolerance approach and the feedback received (27 June)
The letter below provides organisations with an update of the compliance position and addresses a number of the questions raised. It also outlines the assistance available.
PSN Compliance Update
(PDF, 299KB, 5 pages)
Supporting your transition with IA assistance (31 July)
The letter provides a reminder to transitioning organisations that we have specialist Information Assurance (IA) support within the PSNA team, which is available to support PSN compliance or completing your Code of Connection (CoCo) documentation.
Supporting your transition - IA assistance
(PDF, 238KB, 1 page)
First PSN transitions successfully completed (31 July)
The letter announces the first local authorities to transition to PSN connectivity.
PSN first transitions completed
(PDF, 235KB, 1 page)
Unmanaged end-user devices (6 August)
The letter details the issues around unmanaged end-user devices, presents a handling approach and includes a paper from CESG which describes the architectures in more detail.
Action Notice - unmanaged end-user devices
(PDF, 294KB, 3 pages)
Unmanaged end-user devices access for local authorities
(PDF, 697KB, 21 pages)
PSN Compliance IA Support and Unmanaged Endpoints – daily ‘drop-in’ calls (8 August)
The letter launches a new series of daily ‘drop-in’ calls for customers to get support and advice on high-level architecture issues.
Supporting your transition - IA drop-in calls
(PDF, 272KB, 2 pages)
Unmanaged Endpoints – Gap Analysis (12 August)
The letter introduces an impact assessment tool that enables organisations to understand how well their existing deployment meets the short-term PSN Compliance requirements.
Unmanaged Endpoints gap analysis
(PDF, 298KB, 3 pages)
Unmanaged Endpoint gap analysis template 16 October 2013
(MS Excel Spreadsheet, 14.3KB)
FAQs - BYOD and unmanaged devices
The following is a list of answers to frequently asked questions on the subject of unmanaged end-user devices and their use within local authorities. This document will be added to as new questions arise.
Public Services Network: FAQs
(PDF, 519KB, 16 pages)
Update - reporting and compliance validation failures (19 August)
The letter highlights the completed documentation that is required from organisations for their compliance submission. It also introduces a ‘status update template’ to help organisations engage more easily with the PSN team and track status.
Update - reporting and validations
(PDF, 214KB, 2 pages)
PSN compliance status report - org name
(MS Excel Spreadsheet, 15.6KB)
Action notice: Select/confirm your transition date (5 September)
This letter, sent to all transitioning local authorities, requests organisations to review their transition plans and confirm their transition date or provide a new date.
Confirm your selected transition date
(PDF, 310KB, 2 pages)
Action notice: Check, sign and return your new PSN Circuit Order Form (12 September)
This letter, sent to all transitioning local authorities, asks organisations to ensure their PSN Circuit order form is signed and returned before the deadline of Monday, 30 September.
Action Notice - Your PSN Circuit order form
(PDF, 265KB, 2 pages)
The Baseline Personnel Security Standard [BPSS] and PSN (23 September)
This letter and the frequently asked questions (FAQ) document aim to provide further clarity of the requirements for the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) under the PSN Compliance regime.
Baseline personnel security standard
(PDF, 202KB, 2 pages)
Baseline personnel security standard for PSN FAQs
(PDF, 283KB, 3 pages)
Update: Compliance status update and a change to the drop-in calls (24 September)
This letter provides an update of the compliance situation and provides details of changes to the frequency of the drop-in calls.
Compliance update and change to drop in calls
(PDF, 213KB, 2 pages)
Update: Latest transition date availability - transition date selection (24 September)
This letter and guide provide transitioning organisations with an update of the available transition slots to help with their planning. The guide is updated on a regular basis and organisations are asked to check this guide before confirming their transition date.
Latest transition date availability – transition date selection
(PDF, 263KB, 1 page)
GCF to PSN transition date availability: 11 November 2013
(PDF, 132KB, 3 pages)
Note: this guide is no longer being updated. To get the latest availability please get in touch with your organisation’s nominated contact from this
PSN project managers contact list
(MS Excel Spreadsheet, 242KB)
Update: Revised compliance regime, further support and confirming your transition date (4 October)
This letter outlines revisions to the compliance regime. It includes details of the revisions along with information about the additional support we will be providing. It also requests organisations to confirm their transition date if they have not already done so.
Revised compliance regime, further support and your transition date
(PDF, 276KB, 3 pages)
Update: Compliance drop-in calls and new transition drop-in call (4 November)
These letters provide an update on the drop-in call series. One message invites customers with post-Christmas transition dates to continue to attend the Compliance drop-in calls. The second message introduces a new drop-in call for organisations transitioning before Christmas to answer transition-related questions.
Update on compliance drop-in calls
(PDF, 277KB, 2 pages)
Update on pre-transition drop-in calls
(PDF, 281KB, 2 pages)
Help architect the future: join the Local Authority Architecture design sessions (6 November)
This letter invites transitioning organisations to apply to attend a design session to look at how the business requirements of local authorities can best be met within the framework of today’s security demands.
Architecture hot house event
(PDF, 217KB, 2 pages)
Action notice: Tell us how IER DS is set up in your network (11 November)
Many organisations have indicated they are piloting or planning to use IER DS. This letter asks organisations to advise us how IER DS is set up within their network infrastructure. Organisations are asked to respond using an online form.
Action notice: Tell us how IER DS is set up in your network
(PDF, 245KB, 1 page)
IP Address Allocation request and guidance
Current GCF customers should use the following form to request mapped IP addresses to support your GCF to PSN transition.
GCF to PSN new IP address request form
(MS Word Document, 55.6KB)
If you need support or guidance please contact your organisation’s nominated contact from this
PSN project managers contact list
(MS Excel Spreadsheet, 242KB)
Transition plans - October 2013 update
Both central and non-central government have advanced plans for transitioning to PSN; links to the latest high level roadmaps for both central and non central government are provided below. These roadmaps form a core element within an evolving market maturity picture which the PSN Programme has committed to publish and maintain under the direction of the PSN Programme Board.
This latest release not only demonstrates the significant traction gained in 2012 / 13 but also positions a number of major PSN procurement activities to be launched by Tier 1 departments in 2013/14, and sets out the wider ambition to capture the bulk of Tier 2 and Tier 3 organisations within central government.
PSN central government transition plan as at October 2013
(PDF, 809KB, 15 pages)
PSN non-central government transition plan as at March 2013
(PDF, 189KB, 3 pages)
Cover note: PSN non-central government transition plan as at March 2013
(PDF, 169KB, 3 pages)
The letter below, signed by senior officials in Cabinet Office, Connecting for Health and local government, articulates the current position with respect to plans for the transition of services currently provided via the NHS N3 network to the PSN and enabling local public sector organisations to more effectively and efficiently deliver joined up public health services.
Cross-government collaboration on the PSN: enabling the provision of efficient Public Health services
(PDF, 369KB, 4 pages)
PSN Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) approval guidance - March 2013 update
The attached supplementary guidance has been produced by the PSN Programme to assist central government organisations. This guidance complements the latest Cabinet Office Spend Controls guidance framework, currently at Version 3.1. The ICT Spend Control (Section 8) content makes specific cross reference to the PSN SRO control requirement.
Supplementary guidance: PSN approvals process
(PDF, 253KB, 7 pages)
The full Cabinet Office Spend Controls can be viewed here.
PSN Standards
PSN Standards enable the sharing of services whilst ensuring a consistent level of information assurance.
Document map
PSN Document Map v2.0
(PDF, 96.6KB, 1 page)
Governance standards
PSN Compliance - version 3.7
(PDF, 1.13MB, 45 pages)
Deed of Undertaking v2.0
(PDF, 620KB, 86 pages)
Management Information Requirements - version 1.2
(PDF, 495KB, 13 pages)
PSN Document Management and Change Control - version 1.3
(PDF, 470KB, 11 pages)
PSN glossary - version 1.5
(PDF, 385KB, 10 pages)
PSN code of connection
(MS Word Document, 761KB)
Annex B to the PSN code of connection
(MS Excel Spreadsheet, 1.42MB)
Technical interoperability standards
Technical Domain Description v4.0
(PDF, 4.68MB, 161 pages)
Government Conveyance Network Service Description v4.0
(PDF, 725KB, 18 pages)
Service management standards
Service Management Framework - version 2.2
(PDF, 551KB, 21 pages)
PSN interim event management - version 2.4
(PDF, 428KB, 13 pages)
PSN change and release management - version 3.4
(PDF, 586KB, 26 pages)
PSN incident and problem management - version 2.4
(PDF, 654KB, 27 pages)
Service catalogue structure v2.2
(MS Word Document, 561KB)
Contact details v2.2
(MS Word Document, 728KB)
Autonomous Service Delivery (ASD) Framework Overview
(PDF, 457KB, 18 pages)
PSNA Operating Manual: Change Control & Design Authority Process
(PDF, 1.03MB, 24 pages)
IT Health Check (ITHC) guidance
IT Health Check Supporting Guidance
(PDF, 180KB, 2 pages)
Security standards
Common Standards for Patch Management
(PDF, 974KB, 39 pages)
Common Standards for Malware Protection
(PDF, 946KB, 47 pages)
PSN Risk Management and Accreditation Reference Document (RMARD) - version 1.3
(PDF, 1.14MB, 38 pages)
Common Standard for Protective Monitoring, Security Incident Management and Situation Awareness v1.0
(PDF, 1.31MB, 56 pages)
IA Requirements for shared PSN and G-Cloud services
(PDF, 405KB, 6 pages)
Security guidance
PSN IA Conditions Supporting Guidance – version 1.4
(PDF, 536KB, 32 pages)
Local Public Services Data Handling Guidelines version 2.0
(PDF, 772KB, 22 pages)
Public Sector Internal Identity Federation (PSIIF) requirements
(PDF, 629KB, 20 pages)
IT Health Check Supporting Guidance
(PDF, 180KB, 2 pages)
The Use of Unassured Tail Circuits in the PSN Environment
(PDF, 324KB, 6 pages)
Security strategy
PSN Information Assurance Strategy - version 1.0
(PDF, 337KB, 15 pages)
PSN Cryptographic Framework - version 1.0
(PDF, 299KB, 24 pages)
Identity Assurance Strategy - version 2.0
(PDF, 400KB, 17 pages)
Operational Security Architecture – Conceptual Layer v1.0
(PDF, 3.14MB, 44 pages)
Operational Security Architecture – Contextual Layer v1.0
(PDF, 1.05MB, 20 pages)
PSN Security Model v2.0
(PDF, 308KB, 7 pages)
PKI strategy, policy and requirements
Public Key Infrastructure Strategy - version 1.0
(PDF, 440KB, 16 pages)
PSN Certificate Policy IPsec IL3 version 1.0
(PDF, 901KB, 69 pages)
PSN Certificate Authority Service Requirement version 1.8
(PDF, 130KB, 12 pages)
CESG Clarification Notice for PSN PKI CA Assurance 2 July 2012
(PDF, 97.8KB, 2 pages)
PKI Implementation Strategy v1.0
(PDF, 846KB, 26 pages)
PKI Business Operating Model v5.0
(PDF, 895KB, 24 pages)
PSN Assured Separation Strategy v1.0
(PDF, 529KB, 12 pages)
IP Address Allocation request and guidance
The PSNA has a very limited stock of IPv4 addresses for use on the PSN by the Public Sector.
PSN IP Address Allocation Guidance version 1.4
(PDF, 244KB, 4 pages)
PSN IP Address Allocation Request version 1.4
(MS Word Document, 72.5KB)
PSN Operating Model V2.0
(PDF, 1.56MB, 34 pages)
Current GCF customers shoul