Resource Allocation Formula – recommendation for implementation

Report: 10
Date: 10 December 2001
By: Commissioner and the Clerk

Summary

This paper sets out the recommendations from the joint MPA/MPS Project Board for the implementation of the Resource Allocation Formula (RAF) in 2002/3 including the proposed structure of the new formula, the impacts across boroughs, consultation arrangements and the longer term application of the formula.

A. Recommendations

That-

1. Members agree the revised RAF formula.
2. Members approve the recommendation of the Project Board that implementation be based on a best strength baseline where no borough will be allocated fewer officers than its best strength position between March 2001 and October 2001 (Option 4 – Appendix 1)
3. Members note the application of Commissioner's judgement for additional posts to Lambeth, Greenwich and Newham as a result of exceptional operational factors currently existing in those boroughs
4. Members note that the Project Board is keen to move to a full application of the formula outcomes as soon as possible, and take a view on the timing of implementation.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. A fundamental review of the formula began in February 2001, steered by a joint MPA/MPS Project Board, chaired by Lord Graham Tope. This Project Board has overseen the research and development work undertaken by a number of working groups, which have included several borough commanders.

2. The consultation process also began in February with a questionnaire being sent to local authorities, London MPs, MPA members and borough commanders. Two workshops have been held, in April for MPA members and in September for GLA and MPA members. The September event was attended by 80 people. A progress report on the review was presented to the last Authority meeting in October. Subsequently, Members received an update from Lord Tope, the Project Board chairman, setting out the Board's recommendations.

3. Since the last meeting of the Authority, there have been developments to the formula including adjustments to both the need and demand components. These were based on the views of the overview panel and feedback from boroughs. This further round of consultation culminated in an open seminar held at Central Hall, Westminster on Wednesday 21 November that was attended by MPA members, GLA members, London MPs, PCCGs, local authority crime & disorder partners, police borough commanders and staff associations. Full details of this proposed formula were provided to all invitees.

4. At the seminar members of the Project Board were asked a range of questions about the formula and its proposed implementation for next year. More than 20 boroughs expressed their views in an open and balanced debate.

5. As a result of the discussion at the seminar, the Project Board convened on 22 November to consider the key issues raised and what should form the basis of its final recommendation to the Authority. The decisions can be broken down into two elements; what should be the baseline date against which the allocations are based, and what boroughs should be given further consideration for additional posts under capital city allowance or Commissioner's judgement.

6. There was much discussion at the seminar about the most appropriate option given the Project Board's stated intention that no borough should lose officers against existing strengths. The Project Board circulated three potential options to seminar delegates as part of the consultation process. These options were based on;

• actual borough strengths as at the end of June 2001
• forecast borough strengths as at the end of December 2001, and
• budgeted workforce targets for March 2002

7. The significance of the baseline date is to define what should constitute existing strength. The earlier the date chosen, the less growth in officers is required to implement the result. All the three circulated options are based upon a given point in time. A further suggestion that emerged during the debate was for a 'high tide' option based on each borough's best strength between March 2001 and October 2001.

8. The Board felt that this option was preferable to any of the three circulated options for the following reasons;

• it endorses the "no losers" criterion
• it avoids the application of arbitrary baselines at selected times when boroughs could have recently imported or exported significant numbers of police officers
• Using the BWT as the baseline has no obvious logic since it is based on the discredited existing formula and contains significant amounts of management judgement. It would also mean negligible application of RAF 2002 in the short term, and at least 4-5 years before full implementation could be achieved

9. Full details of the impact across boroughs of the Project Board recommendation can be found in the table at Appendix 1.

10. The second element for the Project Board to consider was whether any borough should receive additional posts under Commissioner's judgement or the capital city allowance. The Commissioner's judgement is exercised for those boroughs faced with exceptional operational requirements that are not captured by the formula, and are reviewed after 12 months. The capital city allowance is a more permanent recognition of the extra resourcing requirements that fall upon central London boroughs.

11. After some consideration the Project Board decided to apply the following Commissioner's judgements;

• Lambeth – 72 posts in recognition of its current demand and crime levels far exceeding those indicated by the need component of the formula. The Board considered that it is imperative that the BOCU receive an adequate number of police officers to combat these increased crime levels. This allocation is predicated on the basis of an investigation into the police and partnership's performance in the borough. The basis for this investigation will be the recently completed HMI inspection of the BOCU which is due to be published shortly
• Greenwich – 25 posts in recognition of the requirement to provide full time security patrols at Belmarsh Prison
• Newham – 20 posts in recognition of the need to supply security patrols at City Airport

12. The Project Board also decided that it was appropriate that Camden should be allocated an additional 20 posts under capital city allowance in recognition of its similar environment and characteristics to the other central London boroughs.

13. The outcome of these decisions around Commissioner's judgement and capital city allowance and the net impact across all the boroughs is set out in the table at Appendix 2.

14. The Project Board's recommended option requires a 'top up' of 275 officers over and above the current target of 17,585 on boroughs by March 2002 in order to ensure that there are no losers against the best strength. In other words, each borough will receive its RAF allocation or the best strength figure, whichever is the higher.

15. The outcomes for boroughs using the September 2001, December 2001 and March 2002 baselines, incorporating the Project Board revisions outlined above, are set out in the summary table at Appendix 3.

C. Financial implications

All the four options contained in this paper will require additional officers for borough OCUs over and above the target levels set for March 2002. The recommended proposal from the Project Board requires 275 additional officers.

The options all assume an increase in officers in 2002/3 sufficient to ensure at least 300-500 will be assigned to boroughs. This will obviously be dependent upon the size of the MPS budget, details of which should be clearer by the date of the meeting.

D. Background papers

MPA/MPS budget files.

E. Contact details

Report author: Michael Debens, Corporate Planning, MPS.

For information contact:

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

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