Contents
Report 9 of the 18 Mar 04 meeting of the Consultation Committee and details work carried out to date to deliver the process outlined in the original scoping paper.
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Measuring community consultation – update report
Report: 9
Date: 18 March 2004
By: Commissioner
Summary
A scoping paper was agreed at the Consultation Committee in September 2003. It described the key stages for identifying what community consultation and engagement activity MPS units are currently undertaking.
This report details work carried out to date to deliver the process outlined in the original scoping paper. Further work to develop the process, is detailed in the implementation schedule at appendix 1.
A. Recommendation
That members note progress to date regarding measuring community consultation.
B. Supporting information
Background
1. The MPS is going through a process to identify what community consultation and engagement activity MPS units are currently undertaking. The scoping paper agreed at the Consultation Committee in September 2003 described the key stages of the process.
2. The process aims to enable the MPA & MPS to understand the current situation with respect to community consultation and engagement activity being carried out by the MPS. Currently no clear picture exists of this activity across London, so no assessment can be made about its effectiveness.
3. As a result, the MPA/MPS will have a snapshot of the community consultation and engagement activity being carried out by the MPS with Londoners. It will provide a baseline for future planning.
Process outlined in the scoping paper
4. The scoping paper outlined four broad stages upon which a picture of consultation could be built.
- Set up and run initial focus groups with MPS unit representatives to agree the questions to be asked.
- Carry out an electronic survey, based on the MPS Intranet, with selected MPS staff involved in consultation activity (up to 500 staff to be targeted).
- Analysis of the information collected to provide a snapshot of the current situation.
- Follow up the results of the survey with more targeted interviews and/or focus groups, based on identified good practice, patterns or gaps in the information, if deemed necessary.
5. Because of the complexity of this process, only MPS units are to be asked for their views. However, we hope to build on this work to measure the outcomes of consultation once the initial scoping work has been carried out and the results analysed.
6. Detail of suggested questions to be asked and which MPS personnel should be consulted were contained in the original report to the Committee.
Progress to date
Changes to the original scoping paper
7. The scoping paper proposed that the MPS commission an external company with specialist knowledge of consultation to project manage the work as a joint venture with internal MPS resources.
8. The Corporate Performance Group (CPG) of the MPS now possess the necessary skills to carry out the work internally rather than relying upon an external company. The makes the project more cost effective and increases the skill base within the MPS to carry out future consultation activity. CPG therefore ran the focus groups, and the process is currently project managed by the MPS Strategic Consultation Unit. This decision had been discussed and agreed with MPA officers.
Schedule of work
9. A schedule of work has been put forward by the MPS Research and Survey Unit that has the support of the MPS Strategic Consultation Unit. The schedule is shown in Appendix 1 of this report and complies with that outlined in the original paper.
C. Equality and diversity implications
The aim of the project is to identify how widespread our consultation is. It will identify whether there are any equality and diversity implications in our consultation work.
D. Financial implications
1. The costs identified in the scoping paper have been negated by the decision to carry out this work in house rather than use an external company.
2. If it is identified at any time during the process that the skills and resources to run the process internally within the MPS are not available then the financial implications will be re assessed.
3. The electronic survey and the focus groups, including data analysis, will incur the opportunity cost of using the MPS CPG Research and Survey Unit staff. The MPS Strategic Consultation Unit will carry out the remainder of the work.
E. Background papers
None.
F. Contact details
Report author: Jane Wilkin, Strategic Consultation Officer, Corporate Planning Group, MPS.
For more information contact:
MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18
Appendix 1
Implementation schedule for the key stages as outlined in the scoping report
| Time scale | Activity | Progress as at 01.03.04 |
|---|---|---|
| November 2003 | Develop the ideas in Appendices 1&2 of the initial scoping report into a more detailed project plan. | Done |
| December 2003 | Set up and recruit for initial focus groups | Done |
| 2 week period starting 2 January 2004 | Run initial focus groups with MPS unit representatives to agree the questions to be asked | Done |
| 3 week period starting 16 February 2004 | Have electronic survey online to be completed by selected MPS staff involved in consultation activity 27% response to date. | 27% response to date. |
| 3 week period starting 8 March 2004 | Analyse results of survey | |
| 18 March 2003 | Report back to the MPA with a verbal update on top line findings. | |
| 29 March 2004 | Provide a snapshot of the current situation based on analysis of the information collected from online survey | |
| 2 week period starting 29 March 2004 | Consider what further work is required to follow up the results of the survey; such as more targeted interviews and/or focus groups, based on identified good practice, patterns or gaps in the information. |
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