MPS Strategy Report

Report: 7
Joint meeting of the Strategic and Operational Policing and Finance and Resources Committees
Date: 1 July 2010
By: Director of Resources on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

The report provides insights on the development of the MPS Corporate Strategy - the objectives, high-level activities and measures that provide the foundation for the statutory policing plan, the 2011-14 Policing London Business Plan. The report also describes how delivery of the strategy will be monitored and reviewed.

A. Recommendation

That

1. Members note progress to date on development of the MPS Corporate Strategy - the objectives, high-level activities and measures that provide the foundation for the statutory policing plan, the 2011-14 Policing London Business Plan.
2. Members note governance arrangements for monitoring delivery of the strategy.

B. Supporting information

Corporate Strategy 2009-13

1. Our current strategy, as detailed in the Policing London Business Plan 2010-13, is structured around three broad themes and five strategic outcomes.

Table 1 – Themes and strategic outcomes

These themes and strategic outcomes are currently supported by seven corporate objectives as set out in Appendix A. The 2010-13 Policing London Business Plan reflects this overall strategy and identifies a number of key activities for 2010/11 which support the delivery of that strategy. The plan also details the corporate measures and targets for 2010/11 reviewed monthly at the MPS Performance Board and the MPA Strategic and Operational Policing Committee.

2. Whilst the three strategic themes and corporate objectives set out what the MPS must focus on, how we work is equally as important. The Commissioner has outlined his five ‘P’ framework - Presence, Performance, Productivity, Professionalism and Pride - to focus police officer and staff behaviour in the delivery of activities on a day to day basis.

3. The MPS’s current mission is ‘To make London the safest major city in the world’.

What needs to be done and how we work as an organisation to deliver that mission over the medium term can be summarised as:

To deliver safety and confidence:

• Our presence must be felt across London
• Our performance must be outstanding
• Our productivity must be high, and
• Our professionalism must be a cause for pride.

Strategy delivery

4. The short and medium term delivery of our strategy is supported by our organisational structures and processes including:

• Development of specific operational and business strategies and policies
• Corporate governance framework and arrangements including the MPS scheme of delegation
• Consultation processes
• Strategic decision making
• Planning and performance management frameworks
• Accountability arrangements to the MPA, GLA and other stakeholders.

Strategy review and development

5. To inform and develop the corporate strategy, the MPS operates an annual corporate strategic assessment [CSA] process. This structured process consolidates information from three core activities: horizon scanning, strategic analysis and stakeholder consultation, to provide a solid evidence base to support senior executive debate and decision making in the development of our medium term strategy and our short and medium term delivery plans.

Strategic context - 2011 and beyond

6. Since the 2010-13 Plan was approved, our structured horizon scanning process has identified five issues that will have a significant impact on the future MPS operating environment and development of the 2011-14 Policing London Business Plan:

• Budgetary pressure – aftermath of the UK recession
• Demographic changes - non-uniform population growth and greater diversity across London, changing age profile (proportionately more 0 - 9 year olds and adults aged 50-59 years as the baby boomers gradually age), Thames Gateway regeneration
• 2012 Olympics - planning, policing the event, legacy management
• New Government - uncertainty on government direction post the 6 May 2010 general election
• New overarching confidence measure.

Strategic analysis

7. In addition to the structured horizon scanning activity, the MPS has also undertaken in-depth analyses of information from a broad range of internal and external sources, including:

• Mayor’s priorities and statutory strategies
• MPA MetForward - the MPA’s mission for policing London
• MPS performance - progress against corporate key performance indicators and supplementary measures
• MPS Confidence & Service Satisfaction Models - analysis of the views of London’s citizens and users of police services
• MPS Strategic Intelligence Assessment [SIA]- trends in crime and offending patterns
• London Landscape - in-depth analysis of London’s demography.

Stakeholder consultation

8. Stakeholder consultation forms an integral part of the CSA process. In advance of the MPS Management Board away day on 21 April a series of structured interviews were conducted with individuals from three distinct groups to capture insights on strategic challenges, organisational strengths, areas for improvement and future priorities:

• Deputy Assistant Commissioners and their director equivalents
• MPS Management Board members
• MPA Committee Chairs - Kit Malthouse, Reshard Auladin, Steve O’Connell, Cindy Butts and Toby Harris.

MPS Management Board - 21 April 2010

9. The draft strategy for 2011 and beyond was debated at the MPS Management Board away day on 21 April.

MPS mission

10. The current MPS mission: To make London the safest major city in the world received broad support with no changes deemed necessary for 2011 and beyond.

Strategic themes - safety, confidence & value for money

11. The consultation process with key stakeholders reaffirmed the enduring importance of Safety and Confidence and prompted a re-branding of the third theme from ‘Improvement’ to Value for Money. The latter reflecting the elevated importance of value for money in the aftermath of the UK recession and resultant pressure on the policing budget.

12. The three themes are a natural progression of those featured in the MPS’ current strategy - Confidence, Safety and Improvement. They also align with the three outcomes highlighted in the MPA’s MetForward - Reduce crime, Increase Confidence and Deliver better Value For Money.

Safety - rationale

13. Keeping London safe is a core activity for policing. Reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice is a key means to achieving the confidence of the public. Safety encompasses a range of activities - international terrorism, serious and organised crime, volume crime, local offending and anti-social behaviour. Safety also includes the challenge of public order policing across the capital.

14. Interviews with senior executives across the MPS, suggested a need to change the current crime type approach to one that is person and location-centric i.e. victim - offender - location focused. There are compelling reasons for this change:

• Budget constraints prompt greater efficiency in tackling crime
• Core problem wards persist
• Preventing escalation and tackling repeat victimisation are key challenges
• High profile multi-agency cases highlight the need for better risk management and intervention

Confidence - rationale

15. Whilst already high on the MPS agenda, the Home Office Green Paper and subsequent White Paper elevated the importance of public confidence “putting the public at the heart of policing and moving away from top-down targets.” Interviews with senior officers and executives surfaced a clear desire to include service delivery as a distinct activity within the overarching confidence theme - to create a focus on improving user satisfaction with service delivery. The consultation exercise also highlighted the need to ensure operational responsibilities to drive improvements in confidence and user satisfaction extended beyond Territorial Policing to all operational and support business groups, including: public order encounters (CO), PREVENT (SO), Trident & serious crime investigation (SCD), recruitment (HR), police station facilities (PSD), MPS internet (DoI), external communications (DPA).

Value for money - rationale

16. In common with many public sector organisations, the MPS faces the challenge of meeting increased demands for quality policing services against a backdrop of shrinking budgets. The theme will focus on delivering greater efficiencies in all operational and support processes via targeted process improvements, better deployment, training & supervision of MPS people, and better utilisation of technology, information and fixed assets.

17. The development of the Service’s value for money agenda is supported by the Service Improvement Programme and aims to maintain, as far as is practical, operational presence by:

• Delivering efficient and effective support services at the lowest possible unit cost
• Making the most productive use possible of our operational assets.

18. The Service Improvement Programme, which is an integral element of our corporate and business planning framework, will develop over time to reflect changing operational needs and the emerging environment within which we work. The current SIP programme is outlined in Appendix B.

Management Board Away Day - feedback

19. The CSA and proposed development of our strategy stimulated a valuable discussion on the MPS’ future direction and priorities. The overall response was very positive with the Board agreeing:

• the MPS vision supported by three strategic themes – Safety, Confidence and Value for Money
• a move away from a concentration on crime types towards a greater concentration on offenders, victims and locations
• the continuing commitment to the 5Ps in terms of how we deliver our services.

What needs to be done, and how we work as an organisation, therefore remains as stated in paragraph three, i.e.:

To deliver safety and confidence:

• Our presence must be felt across London
• Our performance must be outstanding
• Our productivity must be high, and
• Our professionalism must be a cause for pride.

20. The Board also requested further work in the following areas:

• Olympic and Paralympic Games – to elevate the profile and relative importance of the Games
• Corporate objectives - to review and refine the draft objectives, in particular, to re-express the proposed Counter Terrorism and Public Order objective into two distinct objectives
• Corporate measures - to identify a coherent set of high-level measures to track progress against each corporate objective.

21. Progress on the above activities was discussed at Performance Group on 11 June and will be feature on the agenda of the 29 June MPS Management Board away day. An oral progress update will be provided at the 1 July MPA SOP committee meeting.

MPS structure

22. Guided by the Commissioner, the scope of the CSA and strategy development process did not extend to an evaluation of the organisational structure of the MPS. Since his appointment, the Commissioner has expressed the view that the broad business group structure is fit for purpose and requires no major overhaul in advance of the Olympics, albeit that operational needs are kept under review and transfers of responsibilities between business groups may be agreed as appropriate.

23. Responding to the unprecedented pressures on public spending in the aftermath of the UK recession, all business groups are actively reviewing their key activities, processes and internal structures to identify improvement opportunities and future efficiencies. The options being developed in the Service Improvement Programme may result in changes to MPS structure and will be subject to normal MPA/MPS approval processes. Presentations on the approach being taken by individual business groups featured on the agenda of the MPS Management Board away day on 21 April and further briefings and updates will be provided to the MPA in due course.

24. It is recognised that government proposals to introduce directly elected officials with responsibility for policing might require changes to the MPS senior governance arrangements. These will be considered when the shape of the proposals become clearer.

Next steps - development of MPA/MPS Policing London Business Plan 2011-14

25. Informed by discussions at MB away day on 21 April, the 2011-14 Business Planning process is now underway. Over the course of this financial year, the 2011-14 Policing London Business Plan and MPS proposals to support the development and delivery of that plan will evolve in defined stages against an agreed development timetable culminating in formal sign-off by the MPA by 31 March 2011. Throughout the development phase, verbal progress updates will be provided at the regular MPA Business Management Group meetings. These updates will also include progress on the further work areas requested by Management Board.

Development of component / functional strategies

26. The strategy development process has highlighted the need for more detailed component / functional strategies describing the actions necessary to deliver each of the corporate objectives. In parallel with the development of the 2011-14 MPS Policing London Business Plan we are reviewing our existing strategies and will, where appropriate, introduce changes. For example, a move towards a person (victim & offender) and location centric harm reduction approach to crime management will require modifications to our crime strategies. The component strategies include:

• Crime - addressing our approach to victims, offenders and locations across the full range of crimes from ‘low level’ crimes and anti-social behaviour through to the most serious violence
• Counter Terrorism
• Olympics - preparation & planning, policing the event, plus the post-games legacy
• Confidence - focusing on public engagement and communication
• Customer Service - including customer access (telephone via 999 & non-999, front counter), service response and police treatment
• Technology - IT platform, systems & databases, information management
• People - recruitment, training & development, skills and capability
• Fixed Assets - including the MPS estate.

Governance arrangement / performance review

27. Once approved, it is currently anticipated that progress against the corporate objectives and measures featured in the 2011-14 MPA/MPS Policing London Business Plan will be monitored monthly via the established MPA / MPS governance arrangements - MPA Full Authority and its committees, Strategic and Operational Policing Committee, Finance and Resources Committee, as well as the MPS Management Board and it sub-boards - Performance Board and Governance Board.

C. Race and equality impact

1. The strategy development process is designed to ensure that race and equality issues are fully considered during the strategic analysis and consultation stages.

D. Financial implications

1. The development of the strategy is carried out within existing resources and supports the delivery of value for money by ensuring that increasingly scarce resources are directed to agreed corporate priorities.

E. Legal implications

This report forms part of the governance process to assist in delivering the corporate strategy which is designed to improve performance and achieve value for money. It is consistent with the Business Plan and no legal implications arise.

F. Environmental impact

None given.

G. Background papers

• Appendix A: 2010-13 Policing London Business Plan, Strategic Outcomes & Corporate Objectives
• Appendix B: MPS Service Improvement Programme

H. Contact details

Report author: Gerwyn Williams, DoR, Strategy & Improvement Department

For information contact:

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

Appendix A: 2010-13 Policing London Business Plan Strategic Outcomes & Corporate Objectives

PRESENCE, PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTIVITY, PROFESSIONALISM, PRIDE

Appendix B: MPS Service Improvement Programme

Improving Police Information - DoI

The IPI Programme consists of a number of different delivery areas which, once integrated, will deliver a seamless, efficient approach to the management of policing information.

Implementation of thin client and virtualisation - DoI

The Virtualisation Programme for the AWARE environment is currently envisaged as consisting of two projects, one which applies virtualisation technologies within the Data Centre (to Servers, Storage etc) and one which applies virtualisation technologies to the Desktop.

Reduce cost of supporting current IT systems - DoI

This project includes reviewing existing systems to identify systems that can be decommissioned. Review and improve and reviewing arrangements for licensing, SLA's, 3rd party contracts, inventories, machine usage, archiving strategies, business continuity arrangements and implementing business process improvements.

Shared IT Platforms and Shared IT Services - DoI

Exploit opportunities to leverage better pricing for licences and commodity asset purchasing; Use of shared contractor frameworks for ICT staff; Benchmarking of core IT services; Share contractor resource using a talent pool

Corporate Print Management Solution - DoI

The key aim of a Corporate Print Management Solution (CPMS) is to create an environment which: Lets a single agreement incorporating printing, photocopying, scanning and faxing functionalities. Deploys a standardised spectrum of devices which are fit for purpose; where appropriate, ensuring multifunctional devices are installed as one machine can do the same job as four separate devices. Delivers benefits which are measurable in financial, efficiency and environmental terms.

Review the Capgemini Contract - DoI

The project, known as G2+, that has been set up to review the Capgemini ICT contract aims to deliver significant cost savings, service and relationship improvements to the MPS, and improve the user experience through a step change in the current ICT sourcing arrangements.

Delivery of Property Services - DoR

Property Services is responsible for the management of the Metropolitan Police Estate, currently in excess of £220m annual revenue spend. To ensure that the service is cost effective, fit for purpose and is strong in ‘value add’ a review of the PSD delivery model is required.

Shared Services - DoR

Collaboration with the GLA Group functional bodies has been identified as a significant opportunity to achieve economies of scale and other benefits through shared services (e.g. IT). A GLA shared services strategy has been drafted to drive forward the Shared Service agenda, sponsored by GLACE (GLA Chief Execs).

Consultancy - DoR

This review will build on the work undertaken on temporary agency workers and will identify current arrangements on the spend, management and monitoring of consultants with the aim of understanding that spend and seeking opportunities to reduce it.

Developing Resource Management - DoR

The Developing Resources Management programme was formed to improve MPS services through effective governance, by minimising the risk of control failures and maximising cashable efficiencies. The following projects for included in the 2nd phase of the DRM programme 'DRM2':

Corporate Landlord workstream, to include Corporate Real Estate project (formally a standalone SIP Project) - A CL approach to the planning delivery management and use of the MPA/MPS estate facilities is being developed to improve utilisation of the estate and deliver significant cost reductions P2P and Contract Compliance and Strategic Procurement Plans Benefits Delivery Next Phase - To continue the focus on improving Procurement compliance and demand/supplier control SAP development - To establish and embed SAP as a corporate platform and implement a suite of specific systems developments F&R - Learning the lessons of the F&R Review and having regard to the increasingly restricted financial landscape, proposals are being developed to moving to a more centralised model for the delivery of F&R functions.

Third Generation Outsourced Services - DoR

Validate potential size of cost savings opportunities and understand potential benefits of extending current agreements. Support better management decision making process by improving control and visibility of category spend. Review of the current operating models before next round of tendering to ensure they remain fit for purpose. Risk to the organisation of currents models becoming unfit for purpose. To make cost savings and better and more efficient use of resources.

Olympics Legacy - DoR

The Thames Gateway is the largest economic regeneration and development programme in Europe, attracting over £9million of government funding alone. It is a joint public-private initiative governed overall by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The Gateway spans from the Isle of Dogs to the Kent and Essex coasts. The programme is driving the regeneration of residential, commercial and industrial sectors, as well as public transport infrastructure. The Olympics Legacy (post-Games) also falls under its terms of reference.

Transforming HR - HR

THR is introducing PeopleServices a more efficient and effective way to deliver HR advice and support to all 55,000 employees of the MPS. Full implementation of the operating model is now anticipated to go-live in Spring 2010.

MPS Language Programme - HR

The MPS Language Programme is improving the manner in which we provide linguistic support to take account of the ever changing demographics of London.

Transport Services - HR

Improvements to transport service achievable across a number of areas including vehicle replacement (procurement), current transport support contracts and allocation and ownership of vehicle fleet.

Catering - HR

There are 96 locations with catering facilities. A number of these are open 24/7 and a number cater for a relatively small number of MPS officers and staff. With Investment in the Catering estate including the provision of modern vending machines, retail servery’s, up to date dining room facilities and EPOS systems, catering services will be able to rationalise the number of catering operations and drive the improvement in patronage

Training - HR

Following a detailed analysis of corporate data available from the 2008/09 training plan, HR Learning Management identified areas across all training that, if appropriately challenged, could improve the efficiency of Learning and Development within the MPS.

Agency / Interim staff - HR

The introduction of a four-year master-vendor contract for agency/interim staff worth £180 million. The contract will provide agency/interim staff in the following categories: finance, administration and clerical, ex-police officers, occupational health and nursing, professional services (Procurement, Property Services).

Expenses Policy & Processes - HR

This project focuses on the time savings, reduction in incorrect claims and improved governance that would result from the simplification and rationalisation of processes and forms associated with the claiming of various expenses by officers and staff.

Operational / Non-operational officers - HR

Reviewing the roles of police officers categorised as organisational support.

Uniform Storage and Delivery - HR

The proposal is to move the Central Property, Uniform Services and Distribution / Dispatch Services to more suitable premises in a cheaper / less expensive geographical area using recently designed and constructed warehouse for the use of the Service. The plan is also to rationalise the means of uniform supply.

Terms and conditions - HR

Terms & Conditions project will be an enabling project and therefore will not be identifying any cashable savings (similar to the expenses policy).

Forensics - SCD

SCD leads on the Forensics service improvement plan. The SIP centres on the savings and business efficiencies that could be achieved against the corporate forensics budget by creating a Forensic Science Examination and Management Unit.

Operation Reclaim - TP

Operation Reclaim is an initiative to roll-out the use of RTA powers to all officers allowing them to seize vehicles for no insurance and/or no valid licence offences.

Diamond Districts - TP

This is part of the wider Criminal Justice Programme implementing a multi agency response to prevent re-offending. The project will work in a targeted way with offenders leaving custody, including those who serve 12 months or fewer, for whom there is often limited or no statutory supervision.

Metropolitan Special Constables - TP

The purpose of this project is to significantly grow the MSC by 2012 and to improve the training, management and supervision of these officers.

Operation Herald - TP

This project is part of the wider Criminal Justice Programme which identified costs and savings in the budget, introducing a new custody staffing model that aims to deliver a new more efficient, safer custody environment.

Integrated Prosecution Teams - TP

This project is part of the wider Criminal Justice Programme which identified costs and savings in the budget. The project will deliver the co-location of MPS and CPS staff in police stations to deliver a more effective service.

Virtual Courts - TP

The Virtual Courts Pilot Project will enable first court hearings to be heard through a ‘virtual court’ in a police building. The court operates on the basis of a video conferencing live link between police stations and courts for first hearings for both ‘in custody’ and bail cases and the electronic sharing of case information with HMCS and CPS using an electronic record and document management solution.

TP Modernisation - TP

The overall aim of this project is to realign our activities to drive out better value for money, economies of scale, consistency in delivery and better performance – putting the community at the heart of delivery. In scope for this project therefore are all of the activities undertaken by the borough operational command units – both operational and supporting activities - and those undertaken by the operational portfolios.

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