Recent communities include:

• ISIS, IMPACT, PND, PNC
• Forensics
• Mobile Information
• Olympics
• Uniform Operational Support

POLKA can be accessed from the police national network within the Criminal Justice Framework.

What is POLKA?

As an online collaboration area POLKA can provide fast problem solving and access to a vast range of professional expertise, reducing costs and avoiding duplication of effort.

Groups of users, working in communities, can have access and contribute to the development of documents, projects and consultations using a range of technologies such as blogs, wikis, discussion forums, document libraries and shared calendars.

POLKA is protectively marked up to the level of 'RESTRICTED' and appropriate security measures are in place to reflect this. The system has been accredited and is hosted by the NPIA in a secure environment.

POLKA is currently available to those users with a PNN email address and who can connect to the CJX/PNN. 

From September 2011, access to POLKA will be opened up to selected users of the GSi (Government Secure Intranet) network.  During the pilot phase only selected users of the homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk domain will be able to register.
 
From October, once the pilot is complete, the rollout to further GSi domains will be phased, to ensure continuity of service and support. Only selected users with a connection to the GSi will be able to request to become a member of POLKA. All requests will be reviewed by the POLKA Team and be required to meet the membership criteria. For users on the GSi or PNN networks, visit the POLKA GSi information page for more details and the process for requesting access..

Why should I get involved?

POLKA uses social media technology to encourage and enable sharing across a group of individuals who maintain a common, professional interest. It can open up far reaching channels of communication that extend beyond office boundaries with the added protection offered by a secure environment.

If you find current levels of email unrealistic to sustain, documentation difficult to share and opportunities for informed discussion limited from both financial and geographic reasons then POLKA  can offer you a solution.

How do I get involved?

If you are on a PNN network login to POLKA today and seek out the Learning to POLKA Community who can help to get you started, answer your questions and provide an opportunity for you to try things out. You will find a range of guidance to help you become familiar with the different tools and many communities who are already on the POLKA map eager to welcome new members.