ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officer) ranks - mid year reviews

Report: 4
Date: 21 February 2008
By: the Chief Executive

Summary

At the reconvened Remuneration Sub Committee meeting on 14 December 2007 it was agreed that, a report would be prepared on the mid years reviews carried out for Management Board members.

A. Recommendations

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. The Chair of the Authority and the Chief Executive agreed to set out a paper on the mid-year Performance Development Reviews (PDRs) for the next Remuneration Sub Committee:

• what objectives they would expect to see at the end of the year;
• what evidence they would expect to see and to be provided demonstrating that the objectives had been met; and
• the importance of the objectives being SMARTER (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Time limited, Evaluated and Reviewed)

2. As members will recall, the Remuneration Sub Committee agreed that for Management Board members, including police staff, the Commissioner would at the end of the year provide to the Chair of the Authority his views on performance, on gradings, and on what objectives have been met. He would also agree objectives for the next reporting year. There would be mid year and end of year meetings involving the Management Board member, the Chair and one of the two Deputy Chairs of the Authority or other appropriate member, and the Commissioner to discuss progress and achievements, and current issues for the MPS/MPA. The Chair of the Authority may also seek the views of lead members before these meetings and provide feedback to them after these meetings.

3. The MPA wished to ensure that these arrangements were introduced within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in an appropriate and timely manner, and to ensure that comprehensive and SMARTER objectives are set. In order to accomplish this there was a desire to create greater clarity, coherence and consistency – and to build accountability and delivery into the performance management framework for chief officers.

4. The PDRs for 2006-07 were completed before the last Remuneration Sub Committee meeting so it was not possible to influence the objectives that had already been set for 2007-08 by the Commissioner and those MPA Members involved in the objective setting process. Having looked at the objectives for 2007-08, the evaluation criteria have not been clearly set out in all the objectives and therefore there may be the potential for a lack of clarity in terms of the Authority’s role in agreeing the level to which the objective has been met at the end of year meetings with the Chair and one of the two deputy Chairs, and consequently if bonus payments should be made (which is a decision for this Sub Committee). The end of year reports completed by the MPS will need to propose what evidence has been provided in the end of year report and it will be for the Chair and one or other of the two Deputy Chairs of the Authority to agree or challenge this evidence.

5. Similarly, some of the agreed objectives could have been more clearly worded in order to understand what evidence would be used to support the assessment. For example, for the objective “To achieve at the appropriate level (to be determined) agreed PPAF requirements by 31 March 2008” – what is the ‘appropriate’ level in the context of the objective? It is for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to propose what evidence has been provided at the beginning of the reporting year, and for the Chair and one or other of the two Deputy Chairs of the Authority to agree or challenge this assessment. The end of year reports will need to explicitly address what the wording of the objective meant and the Chair and one or other of the two Deputy Chairs of the Authority will need to agree or challenge its interpretation as part of the discussion with the individual and the Commissioner. This Sub Committee will then decided if the evidence supports the assessment.

C. Race and equality impact

These arrangements would ensure the objective setting process is clearer and more transparent, enabling decisions to be made on a more objective basis.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising directly from the report.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Catherine Crawford, Chief Executive, Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA)

For more information contact:

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

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