Proposals for improving the Association of Chief Police Officer (ACPO) objective setting process in 2007/08 and beyond

Report: 4
Date: 8 December 2006
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

This report, whilst acknowledging that ACPO Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) have improved in the last 12 months, proposes more prescriptive guidelines for 2007/08 and beyond.

A. Recommendations

That members agree that the proposals at paragraphs 5 and 6.

B. Supporting information

Review of 2006/07

1. The Police Negotiating Board guidance on ACPO objective setting states that:

“the key personal objectives for the entire ACPO team must reflect national and policing plan priorities in a balanced way….. the objectives must capture the essence of what the Authority and the Service, i.e. the line manager, expects the officer to achieve over the coming year, with a particular emphasis on his or her personal contribution to improving the performance of the MPS as a whole. The objectives must be defined in such a way that at the end of the year it will be obvious whether they have been Exceeded, Achieved or Not Achieved…. one of the selected objectives must relate to crime reduction; and another must relate to diversity. All the selected objectives must be quantifiable….”

2. Having reviewed the objectives for 2006/07, officers of the Authority suggested that:

• a number are not explicitly SMARTER, e.g. they do not state a completion date. They should not all be he end of the reporting year by default;
• some of the objectives are identical to last year;
• some of the objectives will be difficult to ‘measure’ if they have been achieved and, if so, how well. This is a critical part of the assessment and bonus setting process;
• Not all ACPO objectives include Crime Reduction and Diversity specific objectives;
• Some ACPO officers have far too many objectives – in one case 18; and
• Many objectives relate to objectives or targets within other plans. This relies on these other plans going through a SMARTER process.

3. At the last meeting of the Remuneration Sub Committee, Members expressed their dissatisfaction with the scheme insofar as it related to metropolitan authorities, including London, their concerns about this year’s assessments primarily providing bonuses to officers from Specialist Operations and about how giving bonuses this year might be seen as solely rewarding officers dealing with ‘exceptional‘ events. There was, nevertheless, recognition that comparisons needed to be drawn at a national level rather than solely within London.

2007/08 and beyond

4. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Director of Human Resources (HR) has suggested that bonuses be paid on the basis of three separate elements, namely the performance of the organisation, the performance of the business group and the performance of the individual. Members welcomed this approach and felt that a more formal and well-defined process should be developed between the MPA and MPS.

5. It is suggested that for 2007/08 and beyond, objectives are set under three separate headings, namely:

• Corporate objectives
• Shared business group objectives
• Specific business group objectives

This will ‘fit’ the three separate elements proposed by the Director of HR at the last meeting.

6. It is further suggested that:

• the guidance provided as part of the training for this process be re-issued to all ACPO officers and their line managers (see attached at Appendix 1);
• the template for setting objectives provided as part of the training for this process be re-issued to all ACPO officers and their line managers (see Appendix 2) and its use made mandatory in order to ensure that the objectives set are demonstrably SMARTER;
• individual objectives based upon the policing plan or Police Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) must identifying which part of the policing plan or explicit PPAF objective and level they are addressing; and
• every ACPO officer’s key personal objectives are set within one month of the start of the reporting period

C. Race and equality impact

Terms and conditions of police officers must be applied fairly and equitably, irrespective of race, gender, disability, faith or belief, sexual orientation, age or any other irrelevant factor. It is the responsibility of the police authority to ensure that arrangements are in place to monitor the operation of these systems and to take action if these requirements are not being followed.

D. Financial implications

There are no additional costs associated with these proposals.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Alan Johnson (Head of Human Resources) MPA.

For more information contact:

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

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