Annual Learning and Development Business Plan 2009-10

Report: 11
Date: 16 July 2009
By: Director of Human Resources on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

All Home Office police services are required to prepare an Annual Learning and Development Business Plan that meets the criteria specified in Home Office Circulars. This report provides a summary of the MPS Plan. A full copy of the plan is in the MPA’s Members Room.

A. Recommendation

That

1. Members approve the Annual Learning and Development Business Plan (AL&DBP) for 2009-10.

B. Supporting information

2. All Home Office police services are required to prepare an AL&DBP and submit it to their police authority for approval. The template and specifications for the plan are specified in current Home Office Circulars and the MPS Plan fully complies with these. The AL&DBP specification is under review and it is likely that this will result in a more accessible document in future years.

3. The AL&DBP represents a snapshot of the predicted training provision at the time data was submitted and the resources required to fulfil that provision. The MPS is a dynamic organisation and, as with any other function, learning and development must continuously adapt to changing operational needs. Nevertheless, the plan remains fundamental to monitoring the learning and development function throughout the year.

4. The MPS AL&DBP is split into 3 parts. Part 1 is the ‘MPS Training Strategy (2009-2012)’ and is focused on supporting the Policing London Strategy. The Training Strategy provides direction on training issues for all engaged in the provision of MPS learning and development. Part 2 is the ‘Specification of the Client Side Learning Requirement’ and outlines the clear distinction between the responsibilities of those specifying the training need and those providing the learning solutions. Part 3 is the ‘Learning & Development Business Plan’. This part includes the Annual Costed Training Plan with analysis of information based on Home Office Course Categories.

5. This year the MPS plans to deliver just fewer than one million student training days through 25,430 training events and 1,200 different training course titles. Of all training planned, corporate mandatory training accounts for 15.63% and a further 76.11% is accounted for by training required of specific roles. This means that just over 90% of MPS training activity is focused on needs identified either by the MPS on a corporate basis or the lead authority for a specialism with the balance directed at local and individual needs.

C. Race and equality impact

6. The MPS is committed to upholding the values of diversity and equality in all its activities. To support this commitment the trainer development programme equips our trainers to challenge, respond to, and support course participants on diversity issues. Equalities issues are also considered in the selection of the method of training delivery, with training materials scrutinised by diversity specialists.

7. MPS efforts focus on mainstreaming race and diversity training. This means that equality and diversity issues are not dealt with separately in training but fully integrated into the training itself. Over recent years there has been a systematic move to ensure equality and diversity are “designed in” rather than “added on” with particular attention paid to learning policy, processes and delivery.

8. To support the Police Race and Diversity Learning and Development Programme (PRDLDP), a national suite of diversity e-learning modules has been developed, and is available to all staff. An integrated Equality and Diversity module was launched in January 2009 and is the largest mandatory MPS-wide e-learning programme ever to be delivered. Individual competence for promoting equality and diversity is a core responsibility reported on in all annual Performance Development Reviews (PDRs).

9. The MPS values ensure that all staff can access opportunities to develop regardless of their gender, race, colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or marital status. Learning and development opportunities will be scheduled, as far as possible to allow those working flexibly to attend.

10. An integral part of all diversity training is community involvement, with members of the black and minority ethnic (BME) community and others participating in training sessions as associate trainers or lay contributors. This is particularly prominent in the initial training of police officers and provides opportunities for this involvement to be taken forward at a local level.

D. Financial implications

11. The MPS is required to use the National Training Costing Model to cost the Plan. Using this methodology, the total cost of MPS planned training for 2009-10 is £89.3 million compared to £93.1 million in 2008-09. This broadly reflects a slight reduction in the planned training days in comparison with 2008-09. The average cost of provision of a student training day continues to compare very favourably with other public sector and private suppliers.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Madhvi Shah – HR7 Learning Management Information Team Lead, MPS

For information contact:

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

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