Measuring community consultation – results, next steps and linked work

Report: 7
Date: 13 May 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report summarises the results of the recent MPS Measuring Community Consultation survey. Appendix 1 of this report details the findings of the work carried out. The report sets out how the MPS aims to address the findings and how this links with current developmental work. This developmental work is focused on the draft MPS consultation strategy statement that the MPS intends to develop with the MPA. Appendix 2 shows the strategy statement.

A. Recommendation

That

1. members note the results of the measuring community consultation survey; and
2. members endorse the plan of action outlined in the report.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. In September 2003 the Consultation Committee agreed the key stages for measuring community consultation and engagement. The MPS then held focus groups and carried out a survey to identify what community consultation and engagement activity MPS units were currently undertaking.

2. This has given the MPA/MPS a snapshot of the community consultation and engagement activity being carried out by the MPS with Londoners. The report at Appendix 1 gives detail on the process carried out.

Results

3. Below is a summary of some of the key findings and conclusions. The results of the survey have been grouped into six key themes:

• reasons for carrying out consultation
• formal groups consulted
• communities consulted
• frequency of consulting
• differences in methods used
• budgets

4. Each theme appears to show some variation in working practices throughout the MPS. Appendix 1 of this report details the findings of the work carried out.

Themes

Reasons for carrying out consultation

5. The majority of respondents stated that the main reason for carrying out consultation within their B/OCU is to identify community needs (92%), reduce fear of crime (83 %), gather intelligence and to be open and transparent (both 78%). Approximately six in ten respondents stated that the main reason for carrying out consultation was to establish priorities, reduce tension between police and the public and to build consensus (66%, 63% and 60% respectively).

Formal groups consulted

6. In terms of consulting bodies/groups, the majority of consultation takes place with local authorities (94%), and housing authorities (84%). Three quarters of respondents (75%) consult with local businesses e.g. pubs, clubs and retailers. Approximately two thirds stated that they consult with Community Safety Units (66%). Only 46% stated that they consult with an IAG.

Communities consulted

7. The majority of respondents consult with local residents (92%), visible ethnic minorities (68%) and young people/children (64%). Over half of respondents (54%) consult with faith groups. Less than half of the respondents directly consult with LGBT people (38%), refugees and asylum seekers (31%), disabled people (28%) and people without permanent homes (24%). Unfortunately, respondents were not specifically asked about old people, however 5% mentioned they consult with them.

8. The main hard to reach groups were identified by participants as refugees/asylum seekers (30%), people without permanent homes (26%), tourists (22%) and LGBT (21%). Many respondents found it difficult to reach these groups because they did not have a direct link/contact point (29%) and did not trust the police (23%).

9. Fewer than one in ten (7%) stated these groups are hard to reach as they are difficult to contact or obtain contact details. Respondents also stated that they are a small population with the BOCU and these groups, once contacted, do not always attend meetings, decline invitations and do not co-operate with police efforts to consult with them (5%, 6% and 6% respectively).

10. When asked to suggest other ways of improving this, just under a quarter (23%), stated that working closely with third party organisations could improve contacting hard to reach groups. Approximately two in ten respondents stated that identifying community leaders and having better access to contact lists would improve consultation with these groups (19% and 17% respectively).

11. Approximately one in ten respondents stated that these groups would be easier to reach if relationships and trust with the police improved, additional resources were provided and language barriers were overcome (11%, 8% and 8% respectively).

Frequency of consulting

12. The frequency of consultation with community groups, such as those identified as hard to reach, is not consistent throughout all areas of the MPS. For example, approximately four in ten respondents consult with young people/children, minority ethnic groups, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender people and disabled people on an ad-hoc basis (37%, 37%, 37% and 42% respectively). Four in ten respondents (40%) do not consult with disabled people. Table 3.13 on page 20 of Annex 1 details the differences across the organisation. However, it should be noted that participants were asked to identify how often they carried out formal consultation with these groups, and not how often it was done on their borough/business group.

13. The differences in frequencies also applied to groups such as reassurance teams, CDRPs, IAGs and PCCGs (table 3.14, p21 of Annex 1).

Differences in methods used

14. The most popular method for consulting was face to face via public and private meetings (both methods cited by 89% of respondents). This method allows for inclusive participation and does not restrict people who only have access to internet/email etc. Approximately three quarters of respondents use partnership events, conduct informal chats with members of the public and send letters to local residents/tenants (78%, 77% and 72% respectively).

Budgets

15. The majority of local consultations are not carried out from a consultation budget (80%) and funds are most commonly obtained from BOCUs funds (39%) and through partnerships (25%).

Acting on results

16. The survey collected information on who was most likely to carry out the consultation. Sector inspectors and sector teams were most likely to be highlighted as carrying out the consultation (highlighted by 70% and 58% of respondents respectively). PCCGs were highlighted by 49% of respondents. This information allows us to target practitioner action.

17. Similarly, information collected on who initiates consultation gives an indication of where we should target strategic information. B/OCU Commanders and local authorities (77% and 72% respectively) were most likely to request community consultation. Also approximately half of the respondents said that CPCGs, local councils, Community Inspectors and Sector Inspectors request consultation.

18. The MPS is already planning work that will improve the areas highlighted in the report and facilitate consultation being carried out in a systematic manner.

19 This work includes:

• developing an MPS consultation strategy statement to give practitioners, senior management, MPA members, partner organisations, and Londoners an understanding of what the MPS aims to achieve through its consultation activities.
• dissemination of guidelines and training to raise awareness of tools and techniques and improve standards at a corporate and local level.

Activity to date

20. To achieve these aims the MPS has:

• discussed ideas with MPA officers and staff within the MPA community engagement unit;
• drafted a consultation strategy statement with input from the Consultation Institute and from the MPA community engagement unit. It contains 6 strands; Building a Consultation Community; Ensuring Effective Dialogue; Analysing Results; Influencing Decisions; Giving Feedback; and Co-ordinating Activity. The draft strategy statement is shown at Appendix 2. Work is currently ongoing on an implementation plan;
• developed practitioner guidelines (in conjunction with external consultants) and trialled these within the MPS. These are to be used as a basis for the training course and given as course notes. The draft practitioner guidelines are available on request;
• scheduled a pilot training course for the 14 May. Participants have been recruited from all areas of the MPS (Boroughs, Policy units, and Business Groups). A place has also been offered to the MPA community engagement unit. The 1-day course will cover consultation techniques, tools to help plan a consultation activity, and planning a real consultation to implement on the return to the workplace. More detail is available on request.

21. These are complementary activities, the guidelines and training course are seen as part of the implementation of the strategy statement and the evaluation of the pilot training course and guidelines will inform the development of the strategy statement. The training and guidelines are also fed by the results of the Community Consultation survey that will inform the following sections of the course; What is consultation? Purposes, context and constraints of consultation for MPS; and Stakeholder analysis.

22. As an example of specific issues highlighted in the survey, to ensure MPS consultation practitioners are aware of the need to include provision to consult with the MPA designated hard to reach groups, a section on this has been included in the guidelines and in the training course.

23. Because of the impact of the Race Relations Amendment Act (RRA) and the issue of impact assessments one of the key participants in the development of the course of this stage is the MPS Policy Clearing House.

Key to the success of future activity

24. The MPS see the key to the success of building a secure foundation for MPS consultation activity is a solid working relationship with the MPA community engagement unit. This will enable us to share resources, knowledge, co-ordinate activity and influence decision-making. For example:

• Resources. Sharing consultation databases will enable the MPA/MPS to produce and keep up to date a corporate, sectored, searchable database that will ensure the most appropriate organisations and individuals are invited to participate in consultation exercises. (For more detail on this activity, see strand 1 of the MPS strategy statement, Appendix 2)
• Knowledge. The MPS and MPA have a considerable amount of knowledge and skills and we need to maximise opportunities to share these. For example, an MPA Community Engagement unit member has been invited on the pilot MPS consultation training course. This will enable both an increase in knowledge of specialist skill within the MPA, an awareness of the consultation activity going on within the MPS and an opportunity for the MPA to advise on the development of the training course.
• Co-ordination. The co-ordination of MPA and MPS consultation activity will ensure work is not duplicated and results are delivered in a timely fashion and maximise use of resources.
• Influencing decision-making. The sharing of findings on consultation activity carried out by the MPA and MPS will enable appropriate joint decision making on the dissemination of results. This will ensure that the results of consultation are acted on transparently and in a timely manner.

First steps

25. The joint development of the MPS consultation strategy statement and implementation plan will work out the details of how the activities in each strand of work fall into MPA or MPS remit.

26. In the interim and to facilitate the joint development of the implementation plan it is suggested that the regular schedule of meetings between the MPS consultation unit and the MPA community engagement unit be formalised, to include an agenda and minutes. This will form an interim conduit to decision-making and joint working.

27. This joint meeting will also enable sharing of MPA/MPS local knowledge, i.e. the MPA interface with MPA members and external bodies such as, the GLA, Home Office, PCCGs. and MPS with internal local and central units. Obviously this is not prescriptive, however as a starting point the meeting will allow knowledge sharing, skill and resource sharing and facilitate decision making.

C. Race and equality impact

The results of the survey indicate that the MPA hard to reach groups are not consulted systematically throughout the organisation. This paper outlines how this will be improved.

D. Financial implications

External consultants at a cost of £3,850 have developed the training course and guidelines. Delivery of one training event, run as a pilot by two experienced consultation trainers will cost £1,800, with subsequent courses run at a lower rate.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Jane Wilkin, Strategic Consultation Officer, Strategic Consultation Unit, Corporate Planning Group, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 2

Consultation strategy statement

Overview

A draft consultation strategy statement, outlining the guiding principles of consultation that are appropriate to observe in the police environment is set out at Annex A. The statement includes the benefits such a strategy would bring to the MPS and provides direction and a framework on which the MPS can structure consultation activity to ensure that it is both effective and efficient.

At present, there is no published strategy or co-ordinated approach to the significant amount of consultation carried out within the MPS at local and corporate level. This has resulted in confusion both within the MPS and with the public, as to what consultation is, and why it is done. This strategy adopts the MPA/MPS Best Value Review (2000) definition of consultation:

“Consultation is to listen, inform, exchange and respond appropriately in order to ensure that the overall service delivered reflects expectations, is perceived as fair, open and accountable and builds public confidence in the MPS.”

Background to the proposed strategy is outlined at Annex B. Related policy, strategy and legislation are shown at Annex C.

Drivers for the consultation strategy

• The government’s Building Safer Communities Green Paper
• The MPS Safer Neighbourhoods programme
• The Towards The Safest City aim to improve consultation
• Recommendations arising from the HMIC BVR Inspection and MPA/MPS review
• Legislative and mandatory requirements

Consultation Strategy Outline

The overarching objective of the strategy is “to make the best decisions for Londoners through effective engagement with Londoners”. To achieve this the draft strategy contains six strands, each with a specific goal:

1. Building a Consultation Community “Identifying stakeholders including ‘hard-to-hear’ groups. Managing stakeholder relationships and build up-to-date stakeholder database.”
2. Ensuring Effective Dialogue “Effective planning and implementation of a variety of consultation styles with stakeholders, using methods that make it easy for stakeholders to contribute having regard to the status of stakeholders and other defined criteria.”
3. Analysing Results “Consultation responses subjected to rigorous analysis, having regard to the status of stakeholders and other defined criteria.”
4. Influencing Decisions “Producing a final submission to decision makers by rationalising consultation responses, integrating this input with the full decision-making processes and recording the output.”
5. Giving Feedback “Meaningful feedback compiled and published from all consultation activities, showing respondents, stakeholders, Londoner’s and MPS staff, how their contributions have been considered in appropriate decision making processes.”
6. Co-ordinating Activity “Design and manage a series of consultation processes to inform key decisions, co-ordinated to minimise inconvenience to stakeholders and avoid confusion.”

Benefits of an over arching consultation strategy

• Improved public perception of the MPS
• More effective community engagement
• Co-ordinated approach to consultation
• More effective use of MPS resources
• Increased quality of consultation
• Increased ability to meet community/public expectation

Annex A

Draft Consultation Strategy Statement

“Consultation is to listen, inform, exchange and respond appropriately in order to ensure that the overall service delivered reflects expectations, is perceived as fair, open and accountable and builds public confidence in the MPS.”

The overarching objective of the strategy is

“to make the best decisions for Londoners through effective engagement with Londoners”

Outlined below are the six strands that will achieve this objective. They comprise the goals, activities and benefits that would make up an effective consultation strategy statement.

This has been drawn up after some consultation with MPS business groups. If broad approval is given further consultation will be needed and then work done to polish the strategy statement and develop an implementation plan.

The implementation plan will cover a 3-year period with an annual programme of activity agreed by the MPA consultation Committee. The workplan will include:

• Create steering Committee + professional training throughout the organisation + initial capacity-building
• Consolidated Stakeholder Database and improved co-ordination/value for money + further capacity-building
• Centralisation of consultation findings, integrating results with intelligence systems, analysis and better integration into decision cycles.

1. Building a Consultation Community

Goal: “Identifying stakeholders including ‘hard-to-hear’ groups. Managing stakeholder relationships and build up-to-date stakeholder database.”

Some groups in society have always been adept at influencing decisions. Today’s need for more inclusive consultation means making special efforts to engage those groups that are less equipped to participate in traditional consultation methods. As a result, the MPS needs to consult with a wide stakeholder base and use a variety of methods. The localised nature of MPS consultation activity means there is currently no centralised stakeholder database within the organisation, resulting in duplicated activities and confused participants.

Activity to achieve the goal

• Publicise regular bulletins on consultation activities/ past successes to help recruit future participants.
• Promote what consultation is and is not, to manage stakeholder/ community expectations.
• Identify a range of stakeholders including community groups representing the ‘hard-to-hear’ groups as identified by the MPA.
• Capacity building exercises with stakeholders where need identified.
• Ensure local up to date lists of stakeholder organisations/ representative groups.
• Identify an ‘owner’ unit within the MPS for a centralised stakeholder database.
• Create a centralised relational stakeholder database with stakeholder profiling.
• Investigate the use of new technology to reduce resource intensity, i.e. stakeholder portals to allow stakeholders to update their own details.

Benefits to the MPS of achieving the goal

• Readily available representative sample of the community
• Effective use of internal resources
• Effective engagement with participants
• Ability to more effectively meet stakeholder/ community expectations
• Improved ability of stakeholders to respond effectively to consultation exercises
• Single accurate database
• Results based on informed consultation
• Ability to carry out targeted consultation

2. Ensuring Effective Dialogue

Goal “Effective planning and implementation of a variety of consultation styles with stakeholders, using methods that make it easy for stakeholders to contribute having regard to the status of stakeholders and other defined criteria.”

There are many tried and tested methods of consultation currently in use within the MPS. However, knowledge within the MPS of these techniques and how to carry out a consultation dialogue is variable. A significant amount of consultation carried out within the MPS is at a local level and although the Strategic Consultation Unit is able to give advice on methods, there is currently no documented ‘toolkit’ available. Local units are left to re-invent the process each time, which is a major source of avoidable waste as many consultation processes are repeatable, and with good documentation can be refined and improved over time.

Activity to achieve the goal

• Prepare a centralised ‘toolkit’ to include
  • distinction between continuous and single consultation activities
  • advice on traditional methods (public meetings, focus groups, document circulation, etc) and newer e-methods (online consultation, online debates, web surveys)
  • guidelines to ensure consultation activities adopt a communication mix that allows a representative response
  • established processes with a ‘checklist’ of steps to follow
  • mechanism to ensure best practice is captured and centrally collated.

Benefits to the MPS of achieving the goal

• Better consultation carried out by the MPS
• Consistent standards of consultation activity
• Structured consultation processes
• Consultation activity is planned rather than ad hoc
• Auditable consultation processes
• Maximise participation in the consultation process

3. Analysing Results

Goal “Consultation responses subjected to rigorous analysis, having regard to the status of stakeholders and other defined criteria.”

The variety of consultation methods utilised within the MPS often results in a mass of unwieldy information. Additionally, MPS staff carrying out consultation often do not have the expertise to turn this information into useable intelligence. As a result, the information can easily be put on a shelf and forgotten about. To ensure participant responses are effectively analysed, the resources and mechanisms for analysis must be considered and put in place when designing the consultation.

Activity to achieve the goal

• Upfront consideration of
  • what format information will be generated in
  • what resources and expertise will be needed for analysis
• Analyse responses
  • with consideration of both quantitative and qualitative results
  • objectively and free from bias – independent analysis if necessary
  • weighted where appropriate.

Benefits to the MPS of achieving the goal

• Consultation process integrated with NIM
• Robust conclusions from consultation information
• Quantitative and qualitative results
• Decisions based on full consideration of consultation results
• Transparency

4. Influencing Decisions

Goal “Producing a final submission to decision makers by rationalising consultation responses, integrating this input with the full decision-making processes and recording the output.”

Consultation data management i.e. the mechanisms that convert consultation input into ‘advice’ for decision makers and records the result of the consideration of this data - is an area of weakness within the MPS. Carrying out consultation activities, without appropriately feeding the input from consultees into the decision making process, loses essential input into that process. Feeding consultation information to decision makers is a key part of consultations. Without it, at best, the MPS misses valuable intelligence and at worst is just ‘going through the motions’, wasting money, effort and goodwill from all concerned.

Activity to achieve the goal

• Engender a consultation culture within the organisation.
• Decide who presents consultation data and through which fora.
• Produce and publish robust methodology for consultation data management including -
  • mechanisms for feeding information to decision-makers
  • recording the result of this input.
• Produce timetables for decision making where appropriate.

Benefits to the MPS of achieving the goal

• Better informed decisions
• More robust decisions
• Wider ownership of decisions
• Transparency
• Increases organisational focus on consultation
• Credible processes
• Best use of consultation results

5. Giving Feedback

Goal “Meaningful feedback compiled and published from all consultation activities, showing respondents, stakeholders, Londoner’s and MPS staff, how their contributions have been considered in appropriate decision making processes.”

The MPS as a whole is a consultative organisation. Both officers and police staff tend to operate in a consultative manner. Talking to the people is something they take for granted. However, even when this dialogue occurs as part of a formal consultative process, respondents who have participated in consultation exercises are often left unsure of what happened. Exacerbated by a lack of guidance, this is the part of the consultation process that the MPS currently struggles with most.

Activity to achieve the goal

• Plan and fund feedback to stakeholders.
• Publish proportionate and sufficient feedback to encourage the responder to participate again next time.
• Consider options on feedback such as
  • full text of all submissions and responses
  • edited digest
  • summary of entire consultation
  • independent analysis
  • consolidated response
• Give interim feedback where consultation is on going.

Benefits to the MPS of achieving the goal

• Improved public perception
• Better engagement
• Increased future engagement
• Creation of a consultation community
• Increased transparency
• Increased accountability

6. Co-ordinating Activity

Goal “Design and manage a series of consultation processes to inform key decisions, co-ordinated to minimise inconvenience to stakeholders and avoid confusion.”

Most consultation within the MPS is organised at local OCU/BCU level with no central co-ordination. Knowledge of how to carry out this consultation dialogue is widespread but variable. Although it would not be viable or desirable to run or even co-ordinate all consultations centrally, ensuring consistent standards is paramount. MPS staff carrying out consultation activity often do so as an addition to their regular role, which means training for this function is very limited.

Activity to achieve the Goal

• Co-ordinate key consultation activity throughout the MPS.
• Produce guidelines on when/how central co-ordination is necessary.
• Co-operate between local autonomous B/OCUs with a central co-ordinator for specified consultation activities.
• Forward plan consultation activities, including a visible schedule published ahead of time of ‘regular’ consultation activities.
• Tie in consultation with activity carried out to implement related MPS strategies and policies, i.e. Internal Communication Strategy and Media Policy.
• Implement a central training facility for MPS consultation practitioners.

Benefits to the MPS of achieving the Goal

• Reduce consultation fatigue
• Value for money
• Quality assurance
• Consultation activity integrated with other related strategies and activities
• Consultation seen as means to an end
• Increased transparency and public confidence
• Better collaboration between MPS units
• Better partnership
• Increased standards and consistency across the MPS

Annex B

Background information

MPA

The MPA has the legislative lead on consultation. To facilitate this they published a draft strategy and action plan in November 2002. The draft strategy was a good first attempt at drawing up a plan and structure to implement many of the recommendations made in the MPA/MPS Best Value Review of Consultation and the GLA family review of Consultation.

For example, the action plan recommended the setting up of a MPS Strategic Consultation Unit aligned to the MPS Corporate Planning Group to co ordinate consultation within the MPS that was subsequently established. MPA Community Consultation Co-ordinators were funded and put in place to develop, co-ordinate and support existing local consultation mechanisms.

The draft strategy went out to consultation within the MPS in early 2003, but needed development and was never approved. The resources required to either develop an approved strategy or carry out many of the activities outlined within the strategy are not presently in place. The MPA are currently proposing to review the strategy as a result of the government green paper ‘Building Safer Communities’.

HMIC Best Value Review Inspection of Consultation (2002)

The recommendations made in the MPA/MPS Best Value Review of Consultation, were endorsed in the HMIC Best Value Review Inspection of Consultation (2002).

The HMIC graded consultation activity within the MPS as ‘fair’ with the prospect for improvement as ‘promising’. This was on the basis that the MPA/MPS had implemented the above changes and were intending to implement a consultation strategy, to include the recommendations from the MPA/MPS Best Value Review.

Progression within the MPS of the proposed consultation strategy would ensure the above recommendations were implemented and put the MPS in a strong position for improved grading in future HMIC reviews of this area.

Proposed consultation strategy statement

The proposed consultation strategy statement takes into account the recommendations made in the reviews/inspections mentioned above. In addition, the Consultation Institute Guidelines have been incorporated to ensure the strategy encompasses current academic thinking on consultation and the strategy statement itself has been ‘sanity checked’ by the institute’s Programme Director.

Annex C

Related policy, strategy & legislation

In the absence of an MPS Consultation Strategy the MPS does not have any strategy, policy or guidance relating to communication or consultation with the public, partners, stakeholders, or other such defined groups. Outlined below are related MPS policy and strategy.

Local consultation within the MPS is mainly carried out through local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) to comply with the Crime and Disorder Act. (It is with the exception of the Crime Disorder Reduction Partnerships, that the legislative requirement to consult lies with the MPA.)

Internal Communication Strategy

The MPS published the Corporate Communication Strategy in 1998 and commissioned an examination of internal communication in December 1999 by external consultants. This report made a number of recommendations on how internal communication should be structured and provided a list of tactical options to be taken up by the MPS. These were reflected in the ‘Internal Communications Strategy for the MPS’ circulated in April 2001.

In December 2001, the MPS Inspection on Internal Communication and Consultation identified that the purpose and nature of consultation was not properly understood within the MPS. This was a result of a common misconception of staff that consultation meant they were being asked to decide, and were therefore felt they were not being listened to when their views were not accepted. However, the report did not make any specific recommendations relating to consultation and the resulting requirement for all B/OCUs to have Communication Actions Plans (CAPs) did not refer to the role of consultation within the MPS.

Media policy

The MPS Media Relations Policy (owned by the DPA) covers all aspects of communication with the media.

Crime and Disorder Act

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 imposes a duty on each London Borough Authority (with which the MPS has a duty to co-operate) to formulate a Crime and Disorder strategy for each Borough. The Police Act 2002 strengthens this arrangement and makes the MPS a joint partner.

CDRPs are one of the main conduits through which local consultation takes place within the MPS. In support of this the home office Crime Reduction website publishes guidelines on writing a communication strategy as well as a yet to be published ‘community consultation toolkit’.

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