Best Value Review of Consultation – year one report

Report: 12
Date: 14 March 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

In March 2001, the full Authority received the report on the MPA/MPS joint Best Value Review of Consultation. The report contained a number of recommendations. The Authority asked that further development of the recommendation be made before it could agree them. This report outlines the development of the proposals since the report in March 2001, presents a draft implementation plan for progressing the recommendations of the report, an initial draft consultation strategy for members' consideration and a proposal to establish a management structure to progress the MPA/MPS strategic direction on consultation.

A. Recommendation

1. That the Committee note and comment upon the progress against proposals stated in the report on the Best Value Review of Consultation (Appendix 1);
2. That the Committee consider and approve the Draft Consultation Strategy and Implementation Plan (Appendix 2);
3. That If the Committee supports the further development of the pilots it is proposed that the officers be instructed to explore ways in which it may be possible to secure funding for the community consultation officer posts (paragraph 16).
4. That a Consultation Strategy Management Board (CSMB) to oversee the MPA and MPS consultation activities (Appendix 3) be established;
5. That the Committee remit those areas of work proposed in this report to the CSMB for urgent action in order to complete the work in time for HMIC's review of the Authority's progress on the BV report in summer 2002; and
6. That members note the action plan for the work to be undertaken with consultative groups (Appendix 4).

B. Supporting information

1. In March 2001, the Authority received the final report of the MPA/MPS Best Value Review of Consultation. The report outlined a number of recommendations arising from the findings of the review. At its meeting of 8 March 2001, the Authority expressed concerns about aspects of the recommendations including those in relation to the proposed costs of employing Community Consultation Officers to work in boroughs. Members were also concerned with the feedback to the proposals being received from consultative groups. Officers were asked to consult further on the proposals, to pilot the leading changes, to develop the consultation strategy and to prepare an implementation plan. This report updates members on progress, specifically against each recommendation in the report.

2. At the Authority's meeting in March 2001, the Authority agreed to 'receive' the report. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) is due to visit the Authority in the summer to audit the Authority's exercise of its best value responsibilities and implementation of specific reviews. This report seeks to establish an understanding of the Authority's position in relation to the recommendations. As the Authority appears to have made no formal commitment to accept the recommendations, HMIC will want to be assured that the Authority has paid due attention to the review and be advised of the rationale for not pursuing specific recommendations in the report. The Authority asked that CDO Committee take forward developments of the recommendations and refer these back to the Authority as appropriate.

Developments

3. Appendix 1 (see Supporting material) sets out each recommendation, progress towards these and further action for consideration. Members are asked to comment upon the progress, and suggested further proposed work. It is acknowledged that the level of scrutiny required on this section of the report may not be possible at the regular committee meeting. It is therefore proposed that a structure be put in place for progressing this area of the Authority's work. In addition to the proposed management structure, the Implementation Action Plan will be presented to the MPA/MPS Best Value Programme Board at its meeting on 7 March. The views arising from that meeting will be presented to this committee by means of an oral report.

The management of consultation

4. The Best Value Review of Consultation report proposed an organisational structure for the management of the MPA/MPS consultation strategy. The recommended organisation structure taken from the Best Value report is shown in Appendix 2 (see Supporting material). It was never put in place.

5. The MPA/MPS Corporate Planning Group, which is an officer led group, has tried to bring some corporacy to the work required for the Planning process as well as the wider consultation. There is still significant scope to focus more productively on the strategic and senior level involvement that is required in this aspect of the Authority and MPS' work.

6. The establishment of an MPA/MPS Consultation Strategy Management Board (CSMB) chaired by the MPA has the ability to give the strategic direction required for consultation.

Membership

7. The Best Value project proposed a remit for this group. These have been added to in order to ensure that the Board addresses the wider overviews of the Authority's responsibilities.

The purpose of the CSMB should be to:

• Oversee the development and implementation of the action plan and the consultation strategy.
• Approve the consultation strategy and planning of all major consultation at a strategic level such as the annual policing priorities.
• Take an overview of the consultation undertaken at borough level, including the financial cost of such consultation.
• Review the results of consultation undertaken to inform the policing plan before forwarding to the planning panel.
• Ensure that best value is achieved from various consultation initiatives by agreeing clear consultation performance measures and targets.

8. The membership should comprise both MPA and MPS and be chaired by a member of the CDO Committee. Further more local fora could be established to inform the work of the CSMB. These are represented in the Appendix 3. Detailed discussion on the proposal could be held at the first meetings of CSMB.

9. Members will note that a number of the recommendations (1, 10, 11,12,13 and 14) relate specifically to actions by the MPS. Progress on these has been slower than those involved would have liked not least because of difficulties in staffing and resourcing their area of work. The proposed Consultation Strategy Board could enable the MPS to progress its work on these recommendations and hold it more clearly accountable for those areas against which progress is needed. There is a significant amount of work to be progressed in order to satisfy HMIC requirements, and only a very tight timescale to achieve this.

Draft consultation strategy

10. Recommendation 2 of the Best Value report proposes that the MPA develops a consultation strategy. An initial draft of the work in progress is attached (Appendix 2). This is in the early stage of development and requires significant further input by MPA and MPS. There is also the need to ensure that the work currently undertaken by the Planning Panel is informed by the consultation strategy and vice versa. This proposal will therefore need to be considered by the Finance Planning and Best Value Committee (FPBV), and the Planning Panel.

11. If the recommendation to establish the CSMB is approved, it is therefore proposed that detailed discussion about the draft strategy could be remitted to that body.

Community consultation officers

12. Members are asked in particular to consider recommendation 6 proposing the employment of Community Consultation Officers (CCO). During the last year, briefings on the recommendations were carried out in every borough. These identified interest in the CCO role. Interest varied, very much depending upon how well developed a consultative framework a borough had. Those with good frameworks and active consultative groups expressed a preference for funding rather than an officer. Those less well developed were keenly interested in the principle of the role. The option of 'central' CCOs based with the MPA received little support.

13. An application process was set up and all boroughs were invited to submit bids for consultation development requirements, particularly to pilot the CCO role. Four boroughs were selected and a proposal was made to CDO and HR Committees to recruit four CCOs to these boroughs. This was approved by CDO committee and ratified by the HR Committee, subject to budget availability.

14. At the start of the summer, the Authority expected to have an additional £1m to support the consultation strategy and the pilots. On this basis meetings were held with the four boroughs in order to develop detailed specifications for the implementation of the pilot, and heading towards an agreed basis for implementation. The boroughs and MPA officers spent a great deal of time in progressing this area of work. Because of budget pressures the growth bid was not approved for 2002/03. This has meant that the resourcing of these pilots are not immediately identifiable.

15. Since the initial developments, one of the selected borough's consultative arrangements is in need of urgent review while the local authority of another of the boroughs is undertaking significant financial restructuring of its own. This report asks Members to show their support to the further development of the pilots. Although officers have done a great deal of work to progress the setting up of the pilot projects, the constant budget uncertainties have prevented progress. During the budget debate the possibility of reassigning resources between the MPS and the MPA was suggested as a solution.

16. If the Committee supports the further development of the pilots it is proposed that the officers explore ways in which it may be possible to secure funding for the CCO post

Consultative groups

17. Much of the focus of the Best Value Consultation report focused on the utilisation of consultative groups as the MPA's main consultation mechanism. Work undertaken by MPA officers over the ensuing months has identified excellent practice but also some serious gaps in performance on consultation and community engagement.

18. A separate report on this agenda specifically covers emerging issues in relation to consultative groups. Day-to-day issues in overseeing 34 consultative groups and other pressures has meant that progress in initiating change and improvement has been slower than officers would have wished.

19. The prevailing need is for a consistent framework of minimum standards, incorporating best practice, within which all groups can function flexibly according to local demands and priorities. There still remains historical inconsistencies in practices and performance which are unacceptable. Also the Authority is finding itself under increasing pressure to provide additional support to the groups, for example, secretarial assistance, information systems, and taking on insurance and accommodation responsibilities. The report outlines an action plan (Appendix 4) aimed at addressing the key issues facing the management of consultative groups.

20. The appointment of a lead member for consultative groups has been significant in progressing policy development for groups. This committee may wish to consider a timetable for reviewing the progress of groups in the next 12 months to assess the level of improvements that have been achieved since the publication of the Best Value Report.

Non-consultative group consultation

21. The best value review identified the need to use wider channels of consultation than simply consultative groups. The MPA has benefited from the GLA stakeholder developments while establishing its own consultee database. Further work is needed. This is reflected in the implementation plan (Appendix 2), particularly by highlighting the need for capacity building in the voluntary sector and developing the MPA's own networks and contacts.

22. More recently the Chair of the MPA, Toby Harris, has established positive working relationships with the London Civic Forum (LCF), which has a membership of over 900 organisations across London, including businesses, faith groups, the Black Londoners Forum and the voluntary sector. The LCF has actively assisted the MPA in its limited consultation on the policing priorities and it would greatly benefit the MPA to utilise the effective structures that the LCF has in place for inclusive consultation and engagement.

23. Officers are also engaging with local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) with the aim of utilising the structures and consultation processes that they have in place for local consultation. Most Consultative Groups are not members of the local CDRPs.

24. One of the key priorities for the MPA has to be the establishment of a much more active engagement with young people. This is reflected in the Implementation Plan as well as in the CDO Work programme for 2002-04.

Policing plan

25. In its first two years of being responsible for development of the policing plan, the MPA has adopted interim approaches to the consultation process for the policing plan. In the absence of an approved consultation strategy progressing the consultation required for the Policing Plan, the MPA Planning Panel has taken responsibility for progressing this plan and the MPA Public Attitude Survey. A criticism of the Public Attitude Survey in the Best Value Report is that it is not clear how this informs and contributes to the planning process. The survey is shortly due to be re-commissioned.

26. Discussions at officer level between the MPA and MPS have agreed that the consultation process to inform the Plan for 2003/04 should begin by end March this year in order to ensure that meaningful consultation can be carried out. These have arrived at the draft outline timetable below:

27. The Consultation Strategy Board could usefully progress these proposals, if this is the case, this will need to be done early to ensure that the timescale proposed does not slip, resulting in the need to consult with Londoners during the peak summer period.

Mar 2002

Planning Panel to be provided with consultation brief

May

CDO Committee to approve consultation programme

Jun to Aug

Consultation programme carried out

Sep

Analysis of results and of Crime and Disorder Partnership Audits

Oct

Proposed Consultation Strategy Board, and CDO Committee receive analysis of results; Feedback stage 1

Nov

Development of policing priorities by Planning Panel

Feb/Mar

2003 Feedback stage 2

May/Jun

Publication

The GLA and consultation

28. The MPA is participating in a GLA led, functional bodies' joint best value review of consultation. As with the MPA's own review, it has been difficult setting the boundaries of the review and establishing a definition of consultation. A GLA consultation framework for itself and the functional bodies is imminent. One key outcome already is the working together principle that has been established. This framework should inform the completion of the draft MPA strategy.

Budgets

29. One of the key drawbacks to development of the implementation plan is lack of finance. With a draft plan now shown, it is possible to cost these requirements. This committee is asked to remit the detailed discussions on the budget to support the Authority's consultation implementation strategy and implementation action plan to the proposed CSMB. This work will need to take place in conjunction with work to assess the value for money from consultation i.e. costs/benefits. The CDO Unit is in the process of employing a permanent part time finance officer who would be able to provide some advice on this matter.

30. At the November 2001 FPBV meeting, the proposed new initiative (along with a number of other proposed by the MPS) were not included in the budget bid. As it stands currently, there is no budget to support the CCO posts in the current financial year.

31. The best value review mooted several areas for potential savings and ways of funding the new objectives. These included actual or opportunity cost savings from:-

• Reviewing the role of MPS Borough Liaison Officer should the CCO model prove successful,
• carrying out the Public Attitude Survey in partnership with another agency,
• reviewing the administrative/secretarial arrangements to consultative groups, currently provided on a borough by borough basis
• reviewing the consultative group budget.

32. The report on the review did not provide firm guidance on these issues and many of the savings were linked with the development of the CCO role and/or negotiation with the MPS. It is proposed that these are now considered and taken forward by the Consultation Strategy Management Board, if agreed.

C. Financial implications

The costs of 4 community consultation officer posts are estimated at £160,000 in a full year. If the Committee supports the futher development of the pilots in the light of the extremely challenging budgetary pressures for 2002/03 it does not prove possible to identify available resources then the matter would need to be considered in conjunction with other emerging bids during the 2003/04 budgetary process.

The Implementation Action Plan will have to be funded from within existing staffing budgets. The Plan aims to develop the strategy and proposals for change in 2002/03 in order to identify additional funding requirements for new initiatives and savings for future years, with a view that implementation commences fully from 2003/04. It is proposed that the development of a budget strategy and bid for submission for 2003/04 for the Implementation Plan is placed under the steer of the Consultation Strategy Management Board.

D. Background papers

Best Value Review of Consultation 2001.

E. Contact details

Report author: Jude Sequeira and Julia Smith, CDO, MPA.

For information contact:

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

Appendix 3: Best Value Report organisational structure

A suitable organisational structure for both the MPA and MPS management of consultation is vital. This structure is outlined below. The rationale for the groups and their relationship is explained at figure 3.

At the corporate level a Consultation Strategy Management Board (CSMB) should be established to:

• oversee the implementation of the strategy;
• review the results of consultation before forwarding these to the Planning Oversight Panel;
• ensure best value is achieved from the various consultation initiatives.

The membership should comprise both MPA and MPS officers and be chaired by a member of the Consultation Diversity and Outreach (CDO) committee of the MPA. The Corporate Consultation Working Group would co-ordinate the central consultation initiatives and feed results to the CSMB.

A representative group comprising chairs of PCCGs and BOCU commanders will be set up to provide the necessary channel for information to and from local communities and to provide a helpful means of distributing advice and good practice.

A Pan London Agency Liaison Group should be established to co-ordinate consultation relating to policing and crime reduction across agencies to ensure; complimentary practice; minimal duplication and effective sharing of information.

See also: organisational structure for the management of a consultation strategy (appendix 3)

Appendix 4: Community and Police Consultative Groups - Action plan – year 1

Objectives

1. To establish an integrated framework of local consultation through consultative groups across London;
2. To engage consultative groups in MPA activity and the MPA in Consultative Group activity;
3. To develop effective financial accountability of consultative groups.

Issues

1. The MPA needs to seek how to implement the series of recommendations identified in the Best Value Report for improving the way consultative groups work and are supported. These recommendations aim to tackle the key challenges groups' face in terms of their:

• Accessibility and representativeness;
• Role within the current context of the MPA, Crime and Disorder Partnerships, multi-agency and sector level consultation;
• Poor image and perceptions.

2. The Best Value report recommended that the MPA retain consultative groups and seek to build upon these. The MPA has to support the development of consultative groups and link itself effectively with these.
3. Consultative groups vary in scope, size and financial resources across London. The MPA needs to allow for local flexibility, maintain the independence of consultative groups while ensuring an appropriate standard of consistency is achieved.
4. In its early relationship with consultative groups, the MPA has been perceived as a threat to consultative groups. The MPA needs to develop its partnership working with consultative groups and assure groups of its independence of the police service.
5. Consultative Groups cost the MPA nearly £1m per year. The MPA needs to ensure that this expenditure

• meets its own and local objectives;
• is properly accounted for;
• is achieving value for money;
• is equitably distributed across London.

6. Groups are managed and employ staff in a variety of ways. The MPA needs to ensure local arrangements are effectively working in all boroughs.

MPA Action Plan 2002/03

1. To arrange and hold a one-day seminar for consultative groups;
2. To develop a budget strategy incorporating:
   1. Future consultation budget structure
   2. A review of the funding application procedure and criteria;
   3. Funding of Best Value Report proposals.
3. To prepare a position statement and development plan for groups as requested, considering:
   1. Staffing;
   2. Accommodation;
   3. Consultative processes;
   4. Structure;
   5. Integration with local agencies;
   6. Links with Independent Custody Visiting.
4. To identify central support to be provided to consultative groups.
5. To publicise and promote consultative groups.
6. To review how to involve consultative groups in future policing plan and other MPA consultation.
7. To develop consultation feed-up and feed-back channels between consultative groups and the MPA as well as the corporate centre of the MPS.
8. To identify MPA staffing requirements to support the day-to-day management and longer-term development of consultative groups;
9. To identify, review and exchange best practice existing in consultative groups.
10. To develop and introduce relevant financial monitoring procedures.

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