ADD2772 Multi-agency gold incident command (MAGIC) training, July 2025

1.1. The GLA intends to purchase an additional course of the multi-agency gold incident command (MAGIC) training from the College of Policing (the College).

1.2. MAGIC training is provided by the College, a professional body for policing in England and Wales. It sets standards, promotes good practice, and supports professional development for police officers and staff. The College is a company limited by guarantee, and an arm's-length body of the UK Home Office. It is an operationally independent, non-departmental public body. The College is the only provider of the accredited MAGIC training course - a prerequisite for any police officer being appointed as strategic commander at a major incident. This requirement is set out in the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for command, control and coordination. The APP is the official source of professional practice for policing.

1.3. This training is for strategic gold responders to perform the role of strategic civil contingencies commander. MAGIC training provides a legislative and practical framework for strategic-level command in emergencies and major incidents, where a multi-agency response is required. The objective of MAGIC training is to develop delegates' confidence, understanding and ability to perform the role of gold commander. It aims to do so by planning, implementing and reviewing a multi-agency strategy, to ensure the timely resolution of a major incident or civil emergency. Full course details are available on the College's webpage, Career & learning: Multi-agency gold incident command (MAGIC).

1.4. The training is for individuals representing their organisations at the strategic (gold) level of response to an emergency. It is directed at Category 1 responders (pursuant to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004) from the blue-light services and partner agencies who would normally perform strategic (gold) command for their organisation during a major incident or civil emergency. In London this includes the emergency services; the GLA; NHS organisations; local authorities; the Environment Agency; HM Coastguard; and other emergency-response organisations.

1.5. The College provides MAGIC training to emergency services and partner agencies across the country. It has delivered courses for the London Resilience Partnership (the Partnership) for many years.

1.6. The Partnership brings together over 200 organisations, each of which has specific responsibilities around preparing for, and responding to, emergencies. The Partnership's work is governed by the London Resilience Forum (LRF), chaired by the Mayor of London's Chief of Staff on behalf of the Mayor. The LRF oversees the LRF Training and Exercise programme, which includes the delivery of MAGIC training on behalf of the Partnership. The MAGIC training provision is therefore governed by the LRF. The LRF has already approved the training programme for 2025-26, including the delivery of two full and three lite (refresher) MAGIC courses.

1.7. The GLA's internal Resilience Committee (chaired by the Mayor's Chief of Staff) has agreed that those representing the GLA at the strategic (gold) level, in response to an emergency, should undertake MAGIC training, and be accredited as such. This is in line with standard practice in London and other local resilience forums across England and Wales.

1.8. The decision set out here is to purchase an additional course in July 2025, to increase capacity required to train sufficient GLA Gold officers.

1.9. MAGIC training is multi-agency, training staff and delegates alike. Therefore, this course also benefits our partner agencies who require MAGIC training and accreditation for their strategic (gold) level commanders and officers.

1.10. This decision seeks approval to spend £38,994 for a full MAGIC training course, to be hosted in London in July 2025. There will be delegates from the GLA, the Metropolitan Police Service, London Fire Brigade, the Environment Agency, local authorities, and Transport for London.

1.11. MAGIC training, provided by the College, is a requirement for any individual representing a blue-light service as a Gold commander. The course facilitators are experienced chief or senior officers (or former chief or senior officers) from the emergency services (fire, police and ambulance), working with a range of subject-matter experts.

1.12. MAGIC provides a foundation for delegates to:

• perform the role of strategic civil contingencies command
• continue multi-agency training through their LRF's training and exercise programme
• meet the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

1.13. Through the training, delegates are preparing to undertake their role in response to an emergency; and sharing and exercising local emergency response plans and procedures.

2.1. MAGIC training will help delegates develop their performance, by providing an opportunity for them to:

• define the roles and responsibilities of different agencies during a major incident or civil emergency
• take strategic gold command of a major incident or civil emergency
• plan, implement and review civil contingency plans and multi-agency communication strategies
• understand the legal framework of a civil emergency

Exemption from the Contracts and Funding Code

2.2 This decision form seeks an exemption from the requirement to procure competitively under section 10 of the GLA's Contracts and Funding Code (the Code). This is on the basis of the following (as provided by the Code):

• the supplier (i.e., the College) was previously involved in a specific current project; or is continuing existing work that cannot be separated from the new project/work
• there is a complete absence of competition
• the supplier is unique in its ability to provide compatibility with an existing service
• the supplier is asserting technical, artistic, exclusive right or intellectual property rights.

2.3 The College has delivered all previous MAGIC training in London, and this training course cannot be separated from that existing provision. It is due to take place in July 2025 as an additional session to a pre-existing, regular course that the College has delivered annually, over several years, to the relevant agencies in London (and other local resilience forums around the country). These include the GLA, emergency services and other agencies.

2.4 In London, the College's MAGIC course is the standard training for gold responders. The purpose of this additional course is to bring more people up to the existing standard for gold responders. It therefore needs to match previous MAGIC training delivered by the College. This training is necessary to achieve the learning outcomes - if it was not accredited MAGIC training, the police services and other agencies would have no reason to attend.

2.5 There is a complete absence of competition. The College is unique in its ability to provide compatibility with an existing service, which cannot be separated from the proposed service. This is due to the technical accreditation requirements (i.e., previous MAGIC courses). The College is the only provider of the accredited MAGIC training course. Therefore, no other supplier can provide the accreditation required by London's police services. The College retains the technical and intellectual property rights for the MAGIC training course and accreditation.

3.1. Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the Equality Act), as a public authority, the Mayor and the GLA must have due regard to the need to: eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act; and advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act are: age; disability; gender reassignment; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation; and marriage or civil partnership status. (The duty in respect of this last characteristic is to eliminate unlawful discrimination only.)

3.2. The potential impacts of this decision have been considered. No adverse impact is expected on equalities issues, or any people with relevant protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act.

3.3. This training is part of the delivery of the LRF Strategy. This was specifically revised in 2025 to take account of learning from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the COVID-19 Inquiry, including findings in relation to equality. As a result, the Strategy includes the following guiding principles in support of equality:

• People: People must be at the heart of London's resilience arrangements. The voices and lived experiences of people affected by an emergency (survivors, their families, the bereaved, communities and responders) are recognised as central to preparedness activity.
• Equity and justice: Recognising the disparities in risk, ensure that benefits of resilience activity are fairly distributed. Engagement and consideration should be meaningful, culturally competent and trauma-informed.
• Partnership working and 'whole of society' approach: Resilience is a collaborative effort beyond the remit and membership of the LRF and borough resilience forums. Expand and develop relationships and networks to support the resilience of all people and places.

3.4. The LRF Strategy also includes the following priorities of relevance to equality:

• Place people at the heart of London's resilience arrangements:

o Ensure the voices and lived experiences of people affected by an emergency, survivors, their families, the bereaved, and responders, are central to our preparedness; and inform policy, planning, training, exercising and learning.
o Develop a framework to consult and engage the public, with a focus on people with lived experience, in our resilience policy, planning, training, exercising and learning.
o Explore the concept of person-based and rights-based approaches to drive resilience activity (alongside extant risk-based approach).

• Support the preparedness of London's communities, and a whole-of-society approach:

o Review and enhance risk and resilience communications and engagement with London communities, amplifying messaging, countering disinformation and misinformation, and promoting trust which is essential to resilience.
o Support the voluntary, community and faith sector to contribute to resilience and to be better prepared.
o Further enhance partnerships between communities and formal resilience structures and agencies and ensure proactive engagement of community leaders.

• Support robust preparation, response and recovery: Enhance training and development of resilience leaders (including those in the voluntary and community sector) and practitioners, incorporating the lived experience of people affected by an emergency, survivors, their families, the bereaved, and responders.
• Enhance leadership, governance and accountability: Identify ways to support a diverse pipeline of talent into resilience, with an entry-level pipeline, career development, and a development pathway for senior leaders.

3.5. The College has three main equality objectives. Objective one is to "improve data quality and regular monitoring"; objective two is "pay and grading"; and objective three is to "offer targeted development opportunities for under-represented groups".

3.6. Work towards these objectives includes a Diverse Ethnic Action Network survey. This captured views and experiences, specifically on: racial equality and inclusion in the College; gender pay gap reports; reward and recognition ambitions; diverse interview panels; and staff networks based on, but not limited to, protected characteristics, with a senior leader as sponsor.

3.7. More information can be found at: College of Policing, Public sector equality duty report 2021, 14 January 2022.

4.1. This training supports the Mayor of London, and the GLA's responsibilities as a Category 1 responder (as per the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the Contingency Planning Regulations 2005 and associated emergency preparedness guidance). The regulations of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 require the GLA to provide training for an appropriate number of suitable staff to respond to an emergency.

4.2. Given the nature of this training, efforts will be made to ensure that any members of the public, or other staff, in City Hall on the relevant days are made aware that the training is taking place; and that any emergencies or major incidents discussed are scenarios for the purposes of training, and are not real-life events.

4.3. There are no conflicts of interest to declare from those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

5.1. Approval is sought for £38,994 of spend for MAGIC training (which includes facilitators for the four-day training; materials; expert speakers; and immersive-learning exercise equipment and staffing. The cost will be incurred in 2025-26; there is sufficient budget within the London Resilience Unit to meet this cost.

5.2. This spend forms part of the Core function under the delivery plans.

6.1. The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Assistant Director concern the exercise of the GLA's general powers, falling within its statutory powers to do such things considered to further, or that are facilitative of, or conducive or incidental to, the promotion of the economic development and wealth creation/social development, or the improvement of the environment in Greater London. In formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the GLA's related statutory duties to:

• pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
• consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the UK
• consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2. In taking the decisions requested, the Assistant Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty - namely, the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act; and to advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations, between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation) and persons who do not (section 149 of the Equality Act). To this end the Assistant Director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

Exemption from the Code

6.3. The procurement of the training services (scheduled for July 2025) from the College is valued at £38,994. Section 9 of the Code requires the GLA to undertake a formal tender process, or make a call-off from an accessible framework, for procurements with a value between £10,000 and £150,000.

6.4. However, section 10 of the Code provides that an exemption from this requirement may be justified on the basis of the service provider's previous involvement in a specific current project or continuation of existing work which cannot be separated from the new project/work. The officers have set out at paragraphs 2.2 to 2.5 (above) the reasons that the procurement for the July training course falls within the said exemption.

6.5. Officers should ensure that Procurement & Commercial have confirmed that the contract to be awarded to the College complies with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023, or the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, as appropriate.