Audit of policing and performance plan 2001/02

Report: 5
Date: 19 July 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

This report summarises the findings of the statutory audit of the Authority's policing and performance plan 2001/02. A draft response to the audit is also attached (see Appendix 2).

A. Recommendations

1. That members note the statutory audit of the Authority's policing and performance plan 2001/02 (see Appendix 1).
2. That members consider and approve the proposed response to the audit (see Appendix 2).

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The Authority's policing and performance plan 2001/02 is subject to statutory audit. District Audit conducted the audit in line with criteria agreed nationally and the audit report/ opinion see Appendix 1. The auditor (Kash Pandya) will attend the meeting to answer any questions from members.

2. The Authority must:

• publish the report;
• prepare (within 30 working days from 29 June 2001) a statement outlining any action it will take as a result of the report and proposed timetable;
• incorporate the statement in its next policing and performance plan.

Summary of report, opinion and recommendations

3. The overall conclusion is that 'the Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP) is a well-presented and useful document. The Authority's Best Value agenda now needs to be fully integrated across the whole organisation and moved forward with vigour, to ensure that tangible service improvements are secured'.

4. The auditor's formal opinion is that 'the Authority has prepared and published its Best Value Performance Plan in all significant respects in accordance with Section 6 of the Local Government Act 1999 and statutory guidance issued by the DETR, except that:

• the performance information included for 2000/01 was incomplete; 5 out of the 33 performance indicators required were not included'.

5. The auditor makes three statutory recommendations (plus nine non-statutory recommendations):

• the Authority needs to ensure that all of the necessary performance information is included in next year's BVPP;
• integrate Best Value principles into day to day processes to ensure that managers across the organisation are adopting a consistent and effective approach to continuous improvement;
• tighten implementation planning arrangements for Best Value reviews to ensure that delays are minimised in developing clear and measurable improvement plans for completed reviews.

Summary of response

6. The full draft response see Appendix 2. In summary, it is considered that the report is fair and helpful. The process of audit was useful and contributed to a better policing and performance plan than would otherwise have been the case. The statutory and non-statutory recommendations reinforce the need to address key issues and for that work to be overseen by the MPA/MPS Best Value Programme Board (chaired by Reshard Auladin).

7. The 'except for' qualification resulted from a lack of data on five statutory Best Value Performance Indicators (from a total of thirty-three). The reason for the lack of data varies for each BVPI and is explained see Appendix 3. The qualification should not obscure the overall positive nature of the report nor the need to address other important issues.

C. Financial implications

There are no direct financial implications.

D. Background papers

• MPA policing and performance plan 2001/02

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Derrick Norton, MPA Best Value Manager.

For information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Appendix 1: Best Value Audit Report - BVPP 2001/02 is available from MPA.

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