The MPA’S Member Role

Report: 9
Date: 24 September 2009
By: Chief Executive

Summary

This report asks the Authority to agree a new statement of the member role and responsibilities together with proposals for assisting members in that role through assessment and development.

A. Recommendation

That

1. The statements of the member role, responsibilities and expectations set out in paragraph 2 be agreed; and
2. An assessment and development process, as set out in paragraphs 3 and 4, be agreed.

B. Supporting information

1. Overview

1.1 The Authority wants to be able to operate effectively at the strategic level, making the best use of resources. It must be able to demonstrate that it is discharging its statutory functions and is adding value to the policing of London.

1.2 The MPA’s members are key to this so it is vital that members are clear about their role and responsibilities and are able to be effective in that role.

1.3 A statement of the member role is the basis for:

• A consistent approach across the membership
• Identifying the key competencies required
• Ensuring that the MPA has a range of necessary skills amongst its membership
• Enabling members to assess their individual effectiveness and to address development needs as appropriate

1.4 The Audit Commission will be carrying out a police authority assessment of the MPA in the autumn and the member role and performance will be an important part of that.

1.5 Following initial proposals, all members have been consulted on these current proposals and responses have been reflected in these proposals.

2. Role and responsibilities

2.1 There are three elements to a statement of the member role – the role, the responsibilities and the expectations both of members and of their support organisation. The following statement is proposed:

1. The MPA member role includes corporately or individually as appropriate the following elements:
   1. Ensuring that there is an effective and efficient police service for the Metropolitan Police District
   2. Setting the strategic direction for the Metropolitan Police Service and exercising effective oversight of police performance
   3. Ensuring that the MPS is answerable to Londoners at a local and pan-London level and that there is an opportunity for local people to influence local policing priorities
   4. Representing the views of the MPA to local communities and the views of local communities to the Authority
   5. Discharging the MPA’s equality and diversity responsibilities
   6. Working with partners at a local and pan-London level
   7. Participating constructively in the good governance of the Authority and the MPS”
2. The responsibilities that are implied by this role include:
   1. Participation in the MPA’s policy and decision making and oversight of the MPS through Authority and committee meetings and the MPA’s informal business processes
   2. Participation as required in other activities which are part of the MPA’s role, such as the appointment and discipline of ACPO officers, scrutiny inquiries or specific oversight projects and financial / risk management
   3. Discharging the responsibilities of a borough link member, as set out in Appendix 1
   4. Maintaining a good working knowledge and awareness of:
      1. MPS policies, practices and service delivery
      2. National and local policing issues
   5. Championing human rights and equality of opportunity and working to eliminate unlawful discrimination within the MPA and MPS and in the provision of policing services
   6. Compliance with the MPA’s Code of Conduct and demonstrating the highest standards of conduct and ethics
3. The following expectations are integral to this role:
   1. The MPA will take all reasonable steps to enable its members to carry out their role. For instance, it will provide them with timely and relevant of information and staff support and where a need is identified will arrange appropriate training.
   2. The MPA recognises that the contribution that individual members can make will vary depending on the extent of their other commitments.
   3. It also remunerates its members at a level commensurate to the time commitment required. This is estimated at the equivalent of up to two days a week. However, a greater time commitment is expected of Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees and special responsibility allowances are paid in recognition of that. Remuneration for other additional and significant pieces of work commissioned from members will be considered on a case by case basis.
   4. As a minimum, members are expected to:
      1. attend the monthly full Authority meetings and sit on at least one committee and one sub-committee
      2. act as a Link Member for at least one borough
      3. be prepared to carry out other duties as required, such as ACPO selection, scrutiny panels and development away days
      4. where possible participate actively in training and other activities intended to equip members to carry out their role
      5. participate in a member self-assessment process

2.2 The Authority’s Chair has additional responsibilities. These include:

1. Leadership in the development and implementation of the MPA’s strategic direction and policies for the MPS and policing in London
2. Chairing Authority meetings, ensuring that business is conducted efficiently and in accordance with standing orders whilst ensuring that members have an opportunity to participate in debates
3. At the strategic member level, ensuring that the Authority’s business is managed effectively and corporately
4. Regular strategic meetings with the Commissioner and maintaining the tripartite arrangement with the Home Secretary and the Commissioner
5. Representing the Authority to outside organisations and the media

The MPA is currently chaired by the Mayor of London. Because of the wide span of his responsibilities as Mayor, as reported to the Authority in October 2008, he delegates significant aspects of the MPA Chair’s role to the Vice-Chair of the Authority.

2.3 Similarly, chairs of main committees have additional responsibilities:

1. To provide leadership to ensure that:
   • The committee has in place an effective work programme
   • The committee operates in accordance with its terms of reference
   • Any responsibilities delegated to a sub-committee or panel are being discharged effectively
2. In chairing committee meetings to ensure that business is conducted efficiently and that members have an opportunity to participate in debates
3. As a member of the Authority’s Business Management Group, to identify the strategic issues for the Authority and to identify how these should be addressed through the MPA’s decision-making processes

3. Member assessment

3.1 Assessment systems are increasingly used for members of public bodies. For the MPA and its members the benefits are seen as:

• the recognition that the contribution of its members is key to the success of the MPA and there therefore needs to be a process which is more regular and focused than the re-election/re-appointment members face every four years
• the opportunity for members to reflect on their contribution to the MPA and what further support they need from the organisation to increase their effectiveness

3.2 The following elements are proposed:

• An assessment of individual performance and that of the Authority generally
• An optional training needs analysis

The proposed format is attached as Appendix 2.

3.3 It is proposed that each member should meet with the MPA’s Vice Chair and Chief Executive once a year to discuss their performance and any issues they might have. The kinds of areas that it is anticipated this meeting will cover are shown in Appendix 2, but this will be the opportunity for those present to discuss other matters too. Because of the logistics of arranging 21 meetings in busy diaries, these will be spread over the year.

3.4 The discussions at those meetings, and any note taken of them, will be confidential. However, if a note is taken it could reasonably be part of the information made available in the four-yearly appointment process: those for Independent Members could be made available to the Selection and Appointment Panels; those for Assembly Members could be made available to the Party Groups - to inform their nominations to the Mayor - and the Mayor to aid decisions on appointments to the MPA.

3.5 A similar process is proposed with regard to the Vice-Chair of the MPA. The areas shown in appendix 2 would be covered at these meetings, with perhaps a focus on leadership and the MPA’s strategic direction. In terms of who would attend these meetings members may wish to consider the suggestion that the membership should be the members of the Business Management Group (comprising the chairs of the main committees) and two other members.

3.6 The Mayor has a distinct statutory status as Chair of the MPA and the above process would not be appropriate in his case. However, arrangements will be put in place to enable MPA members to feed their views to him.

4. Induction, briefing and training

4.1 On their appointment in 2008, members were offered an induction programme. This consisted of:

• Documentary background information about the MPS and the MPA
• One-to-one and group briefings on specific MPS and MPA functions and units
• Access to hard skills training, such as IT skills, time management or dealing with the media
• An away day in October and an ongoing programme of lunchtime briefings on policing issues

4.2 The optional information / training needs analysis proposed in Appendix 2 will help to identify the extent to which members’ requirements are being met and will form the basis for an ongoing member development programme.

4.4 It is suggested that there are some key competencies or areas of knowledge that it is reasonable to expect all members to receive training in or to be able to demonstrate that they have received relevant training recently from another organisation. These include:

• Financial management / risk management
• Equalities and diversity – legislative requirements and awareness training
• The Member Code of Conduct and ethical behaviour

4.5 Whilst it is always difficult to make member training mandatory, it is felt that these are key areas where the Authority must be able to demonstrate that it has made every effort to equip its members.

5. Conclusion

5.1 The above proposals should lead to a more consistent approach to the member role and a process whereby members can take responsibility for identifying their own development requirements. The organisation will then be better placed to meet those. By documenting these processes the MPA will also be better placed to demonstrate how its membership adds value to the policing of London.

C. Race and equality impact

These proposals should have a positive impact in two ways. First, a more focused approach to member support and development should enable the Authority to tailor that support to individual members’ specific needs and requirements. Second the development of a training programme with some ‘mandatory’ elements should ensure that all members have a common awareness of equalities and diversity issues relevant to their role. An Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out. No adverse impacts from these proposals have been identified.

D. Financial implications

There is already budget provision for member training and it is anticipated that any additional costs will be contained within that budget.

E. Legal implications

Not given

F. Background papers

• None

G. Contact details

Report author(s): Not given

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1: The Link Member Role

It is MPA policy that each Authority member will elect to link with at least one London borough to engage with and represent the MPA in its Crime and Disorder Partnership duties. Each link member will be supported by a link officer, working within the Engagement and Partnerships Team. The link officer is assigned to support link members in a number of Boroughs and also undertakes specialist duties. The MPA has adopted the principle that constituency Assembly Members on the MPA will be the link member for their constituencies.

Link members:

1. Represent the MPA, undertaking its role as a responsible authority within each crime and disorder partnership (CDRP) and ensuring that local people’s views on crime and disorder reduction are understood and included in the development of the CDRPs work through the active involvement in the local Community and Police Engagement Group (CPEG).
2. Attend the borough’s executive level CDRPs (members are asked to advise their link officer if they cannot attend these meetings).
3. Act as the nominated MPA signatory to CDRP plans and submissions.
4. Consider CDRP strategic assessments partnership plans and Local Area Agreements (see below) to ensure a close and appropriate fit between the MPA Policing Plan priorities and CDRP priorities
5. Meet with the Borough Commander at reasonable intervals
6. Refer actions, key matters arising and MPA commitments made at CDRP meetings to MPA officers to follow up as appropriate.
7. Promote MPA policy and strategies in their work with CDRPs.
8. Fulfil the MPA Equal Opportunities Statement and promote the General Duty of promoting race equality set out in the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 in the work with CDRPs.
9. Promote key objectives with regards to CDRP issues as agreed by the Authority from time to time.
10. Feed into the MPA’s strategic planning processes experience gained at the local level.
11. Ensure a two-way flow of information from the borough to the MPA and the MPA to the borough.
12. Act as the MPA’s nominated ‘expert adviser’ to the respective borough CDRP oversight & Scrutiny panels

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback