Consultation: developing a draft strategy - the MPA member role

Report: 4
Date: 28 July 2000
By: Clerk

Summary

A joint MPA/MPS team is currently carrying out a Best Value Review of Consultation. It is intended that this review of how the Metropolitan Police consults the community, its interested partners (as well as internally within the service) should lead to the preparation of a Consultation Strategy. This report outlines suggestions as to the role members might have in the development of the strategy. Members are asked to note and comment on the suggested role.

A. Supporting information

Background

1. Public services are increasingly required to consult with the communities they serve. There are various statutory requirements to consult but consultation is also good practice in that it serves the need to plan and deliver services in the way users and the community demand.

2. A Best Value Review of Consultation is currently being undertaken. This review aims to identify how consultation is now carried out and how this can be improved. A Consultation Strategy will be developed out of this review. This will present a future position with regard to how the service will carry out consultation (a Vision). It will also identify the issues that need to be addressed by the service in order for it to achieve the Vision. An action plan will detail the steps to be taken to address the issues.

3. Ownership of the strategy is key to its successful implementation. Stakeholders therefore need to be involved in developing the strategy. As the owners of the strategy, members of the Authority are its key stakeholders. This report seeks to clarify to members the nature and level of their proposed involvement in the strategy’s development.

4. Members should also note the Authority’s Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee, meeting on 20 July, agreed that all the Best Value Project Boards should have at least one member of the Authority in membership. The CDO Committee is therefore asked to agree that its Chair, R. David Muir, should become a member of the Best Value Review of Consultation Project Board.

A process for the consultation strategy

5. Five stages of the Strategy development process have been identified and are shown in Table 1 below.

6. Stage 1: The first stage is currently under way. Fundamental to Best Value reviews is the application of what comprise what are known as the “4c’s” - comparing, consulting, competing and challenging. The 1st stage in particular deals with comparing, consulting and competing. It includes the literature search, visits to authorities, consultation work and other fact-finding activity. Progress reports will be provided to each meeting of this committee. A Members’ Focus Group will be included at this stage, to ascertain members’ views on and requirements from consultation.

7. Stage 2: The second stage involves the challenge element of the review. This is work carried out by the Independent Challenge Panel, which aims to undertake a review of whether the project has been properly conducted. At this stage, the project will seek strategy input from key stakeholders, including members.

8. Stage 3: From the review and stakeholder input above, findings, initial conclusions and issues will be identified. A report will be presented to the CDO Committee on these.

9. Stage 4: A draft strategy will be produced and circulated formally. Members and the other key stakeholders for comment. The proposed structure of the strategy is shown in Appendix 1.

10. Stage 5: Comments received at the draft strategy stage will be used to turn the draft into a final strategy for approval at the Authority’s meeting in November.

Implementation

11. Once an agreed strategy is in place, periodic review including use of performance indicators will be established in order to monitor implementation. Near the end of the strategy life, a full evaluation of implementation will be carried out and the process will be repeated.

B. Recommendations

1. That, subject to any comments received, the proposed role for members in developing the Consultation Strategy be approved.
2. That the process for developing the Strategy with a view to publication in November be approved.

C. Financial implications

There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. Strategy options will be costed in later reports.

D. Review arrangements

A specific reporting timetable is to be agreed, based upon the processes identified above. The aim is to have a draft strategy prepared in October for reference to the CDO Committee. The final version of the Strategy will be presented for adoption at the Authority meeting on 9 November 2000.

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

F. Contact details

The authors of this report are Paul Dutton, Jude Sequeira and Lisa Bailey.

For information contact:

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

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