Policing performance assessment framework

Report: 12
Date: 9 October 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report updates PPRC regarding the development of PPAF, a policing performance assessment framework for England and Wales police forces.

A. Recommendation

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) is an outcome focused performance measurement framework covering a broader range of policing activity than the current best value performance indicators. The model for PPAF shown overleaf is relatively straightforward, with resources, used to prevent and deal with crime and non-crime issues, impacting on user satisfaction and citizen trust in the police. The model includes the flexibility to include some elements of local performance.

2. The only existing measures seen as PPAF compliant are NCRS crime rates and some British Crime Survey data. From April 2004 additional measures to be collected will be sanction detection rates and offences brought to justice rates; killed and serious injury road traffic accidents (RTAs); standardised satisfaction rates for victims of crime and RTAs; and potentially new measures around fairness and equality, organisational capability, serious crime and gun crime. It is not yet clear how the local domain will be populated.

3. In some areas it has now been agreed that PPAF measures will not be introduced until April 2005. These include standardised non-crime incident rates; satisfaction of non-crime service users; and satisfaction of witnesses.

4. MPS performance against PPAF measures will be compared with the average for the most similar force (MSF) group. For the MPS the MSF group comprises West Midlands, Greater Manchester Police and West Yorkshire. Whilst the MPS accepts that these are the most similar UK forces, it is essential that we and our stakeholders understand that they are not sufficiently similar for direct comparisons or target setting (the MPS itself is not included in any other force’s MSF group). This point is likely to be starkly demonstrated as measures of more serious / organised crime and counter-terrorism are developed.

5. In the medium term, these PPAF measures will be used to set PSA targets for policing. However, at this time PSA targets are to be set based upon ‘interim indictors’, a subset of existing best value performance indicators published in the national policing plan. Planning panel have been provided with a summary of these measures and the implications of PSA targets for the MPS planning process.

6. It is currently expected that force performance will be assessed in each domain, probably using a ‘traffic light’ system comprising both the quantitative assessment of performance from PPAF and the predominantly qualitative baseline assessment by HMIC.

7. The Policing Standards Unit are communicating updates regarding PPAF both verbally and electronically, and ACPO, APA and the MPS are represented at project and programme boards. If further information is required, a full set of Frequently Asked Questions is available on request.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The measures chosen for the fairness and equality element of PPAF will be used to assess the MPS against other forces and care will be needed to ensure that the unique nature of London’s population is accounted for.

D. Financial implications

Where additional measures are being put in place, the financial implications of this data collection are considered as part of the measure assessment.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Carol McDonald, MPS Corporate Performance Analysis Unit, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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