Update - 2nd April 2013:

On 6th March the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Royal Mail announced their joint plans for introduction of the PAF^® Public Sector Licence (PAF^® PSL). A lot of positive work has been done by Royal Mail and BIS since the announcement of the plan to create the PAF^® PSL. A few points of detail remain outstanding before an agreement can be signed. BIS and Royal Mail are working hard to finalise these.

This means that as of the 1 April 2013 there is no change to the situation of PAF^® use by PSMA members. You can continue to use your existing declared use of the addressing products as per 2012/13. Any new or expanded use of PSMA addressing products at this time may incur additional PAF^® royalties payable by your organisation. This is a continuation of the current arrangements.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience that the delay may cause, but work is continuing and all parties remain hopeful of a positive outcome for PSMA members and the public sector as a whole. We will keep you updated with progress.

From 1 April 2014, Public Sector organisations in England and Wales will be able to use PAF^® for free at the point of use. BIS will make a single, central payment to Royal Mail that will cover these Public Sector organisations use. There will be a phased approach to the introduction of the new terms for the use of PAF^® within the Public Sector. From the 1 April 2013 members of the Public Sector Mapping Agreement (PSMA) will be able to take advantage of the PAF^® Public Sector Licence to support their use of addressing products provided through the PSMA.

Angela Latta, Head of Data Services & Strategy at BIS said, 'Thousands of Public Sector organisations rely on the address and postcode information held within PAF^® to deliver vital services to the Public. The PAF^® Public Sector Licence will simplify PAF^® licensing for the Public Sector. This will enable organisations to access and use PAF^® to improve efficiency, support collaborative working practices and stimulate innovation.' Steve Rooney, Head of Royal Mail’s Address Management Unit, added, ‘The PAF^® Public Sector Licence will make it easier for Public Sector organisations to make greater use of PAF^®. In their recent consultation paper on PAF^®, Ofcom asked Royal Mail to simplify PAF^® licensing. We believe the PAF^® Public Sector Licence is the first step in delivering exactly that’."

'I am passionate about improving delivery of public services. Since its introduction in April 2011, the PSMA has started to provide significant value and efficiency savings. Addressing data is core to the PSMA and in supporting the delivery of effective and efficient services to the public. I am delighted that Royal Mail and BIS are introducing the PAF^® Public Sector Licence, and that it will available to the PSMA community from April 2013. The introduction of the PAF^® Public Sector Licence will allow wider access to the detailed addressing datasets already available through the PSMA and support better service provision and collaborative working for the benefit of the public across England and Wales.'

Sir Ian Magee, Chair of Geographic Information Customer Group

'Addressing is such a fundamental part of the work we do, it underpins so many services that the Public Sector provides and by having this agreement in place, it will enable PSMA members to deliver better services and improve information sharing.'

Steve Campbell, Chair of the PSMA User Group.

PAF^® Public Sector Licence (PAF^® PSL)

PSMA Membership Questions & Answers

BENEFITS:

What are the benefits for PSMA members?

BIS and Royal Mail are pleased to announce that PSMA members will have access to the PAF^®

Public Sector Licence from the 1 April 2013 for the addressing products supplied through the PSMA. BIS will centrally fund the PAF^® return to Royal Mail making the data free at the point of use across the membership. This will allow members to get the maximum value from use of the addressing data available under the PSMA, to share data, make efficiencies, and remove some of the remaining barriers to collaborative working across the public sector.

How many more Public Sector Organisations could benefit from the signing up to the PAF^® Public Sector Licence?

There are in the region of 10,000 Public Sector organisations. Currently, about 25% benefit from using PAF^® as End-Users. There is an opportunity for many more Public Sector organisations to use PAF® and benefit from it in the same way that other parts of the Public Sector have for some time.

As well as saving money, what additional benefits will Public Sector organisations get from the Public Sector Licence?

Public Sector Organisations, including PSMA members, will benefit from being able to share of information between other Public Sector organisations operating in England and Wales, and by supporting collaborative working. This will create efficiencies and stimulate innovation.

NATURE OF THE AGREEMENT

Who is funding the PAF^® Public Sector Licence?

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) are centrally paying the Address Management Unit (AMU) for the PAF^® use of registered Public Sector organisations across England and Wales. In year 1 this makes PAF^® based products through the PSMA free at the point of use, and from the 1 April 2014 all PAF^® data and PAF based products free at the point of use.

Does this mean that I can use address data for neighbouring authorities without incurring further PAF^® royalty charges?

The PAF^® PSL allows members to use national addressing at no cost to the organisation for the delivery of their core business and collaboration with other public sector bodies i.e. neighbouring authorities etc.

Why is this Agreement only for England and Wales?

Due to the size and the scale of the Public Sector Licence implementation a phased approach is being adopted. The first phase of this is based around the current PSMA membership. Discussions are, however, ongoing with Scottish representatives and it may be possible to include Scotland in the future.

Can I still share data with Scottish Public Sector bodies when working cross border?

Work is ongoing with Scottish Government, and more information will be provided nearer to the agreement coming into force.

The joint statement separates the PSMA membership and the Public Sector. What is the difference?

There are a number of public sector organisations that are not currently members of the PSMA, but take PAF^® data from various Royal Mail solution providers. They currently have no requirement for mapping in the work that they do and are therefore have chosen not to become a member of the PSMA, but do use address data. This agreement allows those bodies to take advantage of the PAF^® PSL as of 1 April 2014.

Royal Mail and BIS do not appear to have consulted the Public Sector on the terms of the agreement. Why is this?

Royal Mail and BIS have been working on the terms of the PAF^® Public Sector Licence for some time now. To avoid delaying the planned introduction of the PAF^® Public Sector Licence, both parties feel that we should publish the PSL Member Terms as soon as possible, and that the marketplace will welcome this as we expect them to be aligned to the PSMA member terms with which everyone is already familiar.

Why is the agreement only two years long?

BIS and Royal Mail have agreed a two year deal as it aligns with the current Comprehensive Spending Review. Both parties expect the Agreement to be successful and that it will be extended beyond the initial two years.

Why can’t all Public Sector Members benefit equally from April 2013, rather than waiting until April 2014?

The Agreement will see all Public Sector Organisations in England and Wales benefit from 1 April 2014. At the request of BIS, Royal Mail have agreed to provide early access to the PSMA community from the 1 April 2013 which will continue through 2014. From a practical perspective, given the enormous size and scale of the migration, this will help facilitate a smooth and successful deployment.

Why has it taken so long to agree the PAF^® Public Sector Licence?

Discussions between Government and Royal Mail have been happening for some time now. Due to changes in responsibilities and demands between different Departments, the work has taken longer than both parties had hoped. Royal Mail and BIS are delighted to be in the position now to implement these arrangements.

How does the PAF^® Public Sector Licence tie in with Ofcom’s consultation paper, entitled “Postcode Address File Review” published on the 7th February?

In their consultation, Ofcom have recommended that PAF^® licensing should be simplified. The PAF® Public Sector Licence will offer simplified licence terms for Public Sector End-Users and, as a result, is in line with Ofcom’s recommendation. 

PRACTICAL QUESTIONS:

Which organisations will be able to join the PAF^® Public Sector Licence?

In general terms, the PAF^® Public Sector Licence is open to all organisations that are Public Sector bodies in England and Wales that come within the definition of ‘contracting authority’ in Regulation 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 for England and Wales. The membership includes Central Government, Local Government, Emergency Services, Health, Emergency Respondents and other public bodies as defined. Full criteria will be made available as part of the Agreement.

How will PSMA members be able to use PAF^® ?

The intention is to replicate wherever possible the current PSMA agreement terms. Primarily the licence will support core business – i.e. anything in the delivery of core business services. Commercial re-use of the data will not be supported by the licence terms as per the current PSMA licence.

Will I have to sign a new licence?

Ordnance Survey is in discussions with Royal Mail about how best to incorporate these new terms into the existing PSMA licences. You will be notified in due course by Ordnance Survey as to a course of action.

How can a Public Sector customer register interest in the PAF^® Public Sector Licence?

Full details of a sign up process will be made available in due course.

If I use Address Layer 2 rather than AddressBase, will my use of PAF^® be free at the point of use in April 2013?

Yes. PSMA Members who use any addressing products under the terms of the PSMA will be able to use PAF^® for free at the point of use as long as they register and accept the new member terms.

Will this include the PAF^® elements that are included within my LLPG/NLPG use?

Yes, it will cover all of the address datasets currently supplied under the PSMA agreement.

Does this impact on the withdrawal of legacy addressing products within the PSMA?

The PAF^® PSL has no impact on the withdrawal of legacy addressing products set out in the PSMA at the end of October 2014.

Will PSMA Members still be required to report web clicks?

No, they won’t need to. The PAF^® usage will be covered by the new licensing arrangements.

My question is not answered here, who should I ask about it?

At this stage not all the details of the agreement are finalised. BIS and Royal Mail are working hard to agree and put in place all the necessary details and processes for the 1 April 2013. More information will be made available once the details have been finalised. In the interim please submit your questions to the PSMA help desk using PAF^® PSL in the subject line. These will be collated and answered when more information becomes available.

Download these Questions and Answers

If you would like to download a copy of these questions/answers, please use the document below.

PAF^® Update Q&A