Outgoing Sponsorship Policy

Report: 11
Date: 23 February 2006
By: Commissioner

Summary

The sponsoring of events, organisations and activities by the MPS can provide clear benefits to both the MPS and the community. The previous absence of a corporate policy has led to an ad-hoc approach, which may, unintentionally, be neglecting the diverse nature of the communities in London.

Members are asked to approve the policy for the sponsoring of external events, organisations and activities by the MPS.

A. Recommendation

That

1. the sponsorship policy be approved; and
2. the results of the June 2007 review be reported to the Authority.

B. Supporting information

1. In 2004, Members expressed concern that the MPS had sponsored an event that had subsequently drawn significant media attention. Although the MPS had in place a policy for the acceptance of sponsorship, no such policy existed for the awarding of outgoing sponsorship by the MPS to outside bodies and organisations. Absence of a specific policy led to these arrangements and events and them not being recorded centrally had led to no clear overall picture being provided.

2. Local OCU commanders have in the past, gained benefit in promoting engagement with the community through the support of local activities and events using funds at their disposal. There is benefit to the MPS for this type of local sponsorship to continue.

3. Responsibility for the acceptance of sponsorship rests with the Resources Executive Group of the MPS. It was asked to develop an appropriate policy for awarding outgoing sponsorship. The new policy would provide transparency in the decision making process and clear lines of accountability.

Development of the policy

4. Resources Executive Group asked Commander Akers to undertake a project to develop the policy. Her previous experience as a borough commander was to prove invaluable in ensuring the procedures were not overly bureaucratic while at the same time allowing for the levels of accountability necessary for proper controls to be exercised. A working group consisting of representatives from the Directorate of Public Affairs, Diversity Directorate, Events and Income Development Unit, Finance Services, Specialist Operations Directorate and Territorial Policing was set up to capture views from across the MPS.

5. The policy document at Appendix 1 was produced following a period of consultation across the MPS and working in close co-operation with the MPS Policy Clearing House. Together with a supporting Standard Operating Procedure and decision making framework, it provides managers across the MPS who may be approached to provide sponsorship of an activity or event with:

• a process of dealing with such approaches in a consistent manner;
• an audit trail of decisions made;
• the ability to call upon advice and assistance from the Event and Income Development Unit on previous precedents; and
• access to a database of requests held within Finance Services to ensure multiple bids are avoided.

6. Managers are provided with clear guidance as to when it would be inappropriate to agree to sponsor an activity or event.

7. Although the responsibility for the decision will remain at a local level, the requirement that requests for sponsorship should be recorded centrally provides the opportunity to audit, and if necessary challenge, any requests that might arouse particular public interest or attention.

C. Race and equality impact

Central monitoring of all requests for sponsorship, combined with adherence to the decision making process, will establish whether all communities are being equitably treated. Regular reports will be made to the Resources Executive Group indicating the distribution of sponsorship by OCU and community and this will identify any trends that need to be addressed.

D. Financial implications

The expenditure on sponsorship for 2004/05 was estimated at £2 million. Introduction of the sponsorship policy will enable expenditure to be captured and monitored across the MPS through the use of dedicated account codes. Adopting a business case approach will introduce greater rigour to the decision making process and provide greater focus and clarity.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Keith Luck, Director of Resources.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Outgoing Sponsorship Policy

Introduction

The sponsoring of activities across London can provide clear benefits to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the community. In the past, in the absence of a corporate strategy, individual MPS units have sponsored activities, initiatives and events on an ad-hoc basis. This is a new policy, which sets out the principles associated with sponsoring external organisations and/or activities and events. It details the procedure to be followed when requests are made for MPS sponsorship.

It leaves the decision-making process at a local level, but requires all requests to be audited and recorded centrally.

Application

This policy will apply with immediate effect. The requirement to report any sponsorship expenditure is retrospective and will apply from 01 April 2005.

All police officers and police staff, including the extended police family and those working voluntarily or under contract to the MPA must be aware of, and are required to comply with, all relevant MPS policy.

However, this policy applies in particular to officers and staff in the following roles:

• OCU commanders
• police officers and police staff in partnership / community roles
• Business Managers
• Finance and Resource Managers

N.B. This list is not intended to be exhaustive.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish corporate guidance concerning the MPS sponsorship of external organisations and/or events. Adoption of a business case approach will ensure that sponsorship requests are properly evaluated and, as far as possible, decisions made equitably with audit trails being established. Central recording will ensure that multiple requests are identified and resolved. Additionally, inconsistent decisions can be identified and procedures developed to ensure equality is maintained.

Scope

This policy is restricted to sponsorship expenditure, where funding is from MPS budgets. It does not include:

• partnership monies, e.g., Communities Against Drugs, etc.;
• income generation;
• purchase of advertising;
• supply of goods and services to third parties; and
• licensing of intellectual property to third parties

Policy statement

The sponsoring of events, organisations and activities by the MPS must:

• provide clear benefits to the MPS and its communities, using a business case approach;
• support corporate objectives and priorities; and
• be properly accounted through the documentation of all requests for sponsorship (whether accepted or declined) to ensure clarity of decision-making and fairness of the application of this policy.

The sponsoring of events, organisations and activities by the MPS must not be provided:

• where support for the activity would not be conducive to the duties of the MPA or MPS in fulfilling their obligation to eliminate unlawful discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and promote community relations;
• where the activity or its organisers seek to promote views that are inconsistent with Human Rights or UK anti-discrimination laws;
• where the activity or its organisers seek to promote or oppose any political party or candidate for election;
• where the activity is a political activity or the activity may be perceived as being part of a campaign relating to a politically sensitive or controversial issue;
• where the activity or its organisers seek to oppose religious beliefs or singularly promote a faith to the detriment of others; and
• in any other case where the activity or the organisers may bring the MPA or MPS into disrepute.

Benefits

The benefits of this policy will be to:

• provide corporate guidance to (B)OCU commanders, Business Managers, Finance and Resources Managers and personnel in partnership roles for when requests for sponsorship are received;
• ensure an equitable, consistent and proportionate approach to the award of outgoing sponsorship;
• identify multiple bids to MPS departments by organisations;
• provide an audit trail through the central co-ordination of payments and the creation of a single budget line; and
• make valuable information available to those in receipt of subsequent bids, through evaluation of sponsorship awarded.

Responsibilities

The ownership of this policy lies with the Resources Executive Group.

The Events and Income Development Unit will maintain this policy.

The policy will be reviewed in June 2007.

Standard operating procedure

• Decision making process
• Decision making flow charts one and two
• Decision making Pro-forma
• Evaluation form
• Guidance information

Associated documents and policies

• Partnership guidance
• Management and development of sponsorship income, trading and events policy
• ACPO guide to income generation in the police service - MPS version
• Finance manual

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