Summary policing and performance plan 2002/03

Report: 6
Date: 6 December 2001
By: Clerk

Summary

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has requested MPA participation and co-funding to help produce a second 'ON Magazine' which is to include a joint summary best value performance plan 2002/03. This report outlines the request plus implications and options for the MPA.

A. Recommendations

1. That members support the GLA request for MPA participation in the production of a joint summary best value performance plan 2002/03 (within a Mayoral/GLA magazine) and contribute a maximum of £130,000.
2. That oversight of the production of the joint summary and magazine is undertaken by the MPA/MPS planning panel chaired by Graham Tope.

B. Supporting information

Statutory obligations

1. The MPA is obliged to prepare and publish a policing plan / best value performance plan for the financial year 2002/03 by 31 March 2002. The contents of the plan and extent of distribution are defined by legislation plus statutory guidelines. Members are obliged to consider a draft plan prepared by the Commissioner and the MPS is in the process of agreeing the priorities and objectives to be recommended to members (see report at agenda item 5).

2. The Authority must also prepare and publish a summary of the plan. The content, publication date and extent of distribution of the summary are open to interpretation within statutory guidelines circulated by the Home Office on 12 January 2001. The guidelines, as they relate to the summary, are that:

• the summary should be a fair and accurate reflection of the plan and police authorities must decide what information to include in it;
• police authorities must publish and distribute the summary as soon as possible after 31 March 2002 (though a later date can apply to the MPA if it seeks to co-publish a joint summary with other functional bodies);
• there is no expectation that the summary should be distributed to every household but police authorities are expected to communicate the summary, as an advert for the full plan, to the widest possible audience without incurring disproportionate cost.

Approach taken previously

3. FPBV Committee previously considered options for structuring the summary of the 2001/02 plan (Report 6, FPBV Committee on 20 February 2001). Members agreed that, on balance, MPA interests would best be represented by a summary prepared with the GLA and other functional bodies.

4. Members also agreed that the joint summary should be included within a Mayoral/GLA publication ('ON Magazine') subject to a maximum cost to the MPA of £150,000 (an amount in line with previous expenditure by the MPS). MPA and MPS interests were overseen by the MPA/MPS planning panel chaired by Graham Tope.

5. The joint summary was circulated as an insert within a Mayoral/GLA magazine in July-August 2001 to 2.6 million (80%) households in London. District Audit subsequently concluded that this approach was a considerable achievement in making information accessible to Londoners. The magazine and joint summary cost a total of £690,000 of which the MPA contributed £125,000. The MPA's input was reflected primarily in a two-page 'best value' spread plus two-page interview with the chair of the MPA and Commissioner.

6. The joint summary was also intended to act as an advert for individual plans by pointing readers to libraries and relevant websites. The total number of 'downloads' from websites could not be determined for technical reasons but the number of requests for hardcopies was monitored. As of 19 September 2001 a total of 89 requests had been made for hardcopies (0.003% of distribution). Seven requests were made for hardcopies of the MPA's plan.

GLA proposal for 2002/03

7. The Chief Executive of the GLA has recently written to the MPA and other functional bodies proposing that a magazine and joint summary is again prepared to publicise the work of the GLA family and to meet best value obligations. The GLA propose to circulate a magazine with joint best value summary no earlier that May 2002 at a cost to the MPA estimated at £130,000.

8. The proposed format and size of the two documents would be similar to that used previously with each functional body working to a common 'house style' whilst retaining editorial control of relevant material. The exact format, size and space allocation to functional bodies has yet to be agreed.

Direction of best value

9. In forming a view on the value of contributing to a joint summary within a Mayoral/GLA magazine members may wish to consider the future direction of best value. In December 2001 the DLTR is publishing a white paper on streamlining best value and a DLTR three-month review of best value is to report in January 2002 (focusing on workforce issues).

10. The findings of both initiatives are awaited but, following a workshop hosted by the Audit Commission, the emerging signs point to a significant relaxation of the best value regime. It is possible that best value authorities will be left to decide what/how best to communicate with their communities and that revised guidelines may be in place before 1 April 2002.

11. In light of these ongoing developments the Home Office has decided to delay revising the best value guidelines applicable to police authorities and MPA officers have advised the MPS to prepare a draft plan using the guidelines published on 12 January 2001 (since these remain valid). Therefore, there is no obligation on the MPA to prepare a summary for circulation to every household.

Options for preparing and distributing a summary plan

12. The MPA is faced with a similar position as its 2001/02 plan in that the summary should be:

• a fair and accurate reflection of the plan;
• published as soon as possible after 31 March 2002 (unless published jointly with other GLA partners);
• made available to the widest possible audience without incurring disproportionate cost.

13. On the basis that the full plan is formally published on the internet supplemented by hardcopy distribution to police stations and libraries then, with respect to the summary, the obligations above could be met by:

1. information provided in (32) council tax leaflets;
2. an MPA sponsored advertising campaign;
3. an MPA summary for distribution to households and/or poster campaign for display in public places; or
4. a joint summary for distribution to households.

14. The logistics of option A are impractical given the lead times required and options B and C (although easier to manage) are unlikely to result in significant savings compared to option D since the whole cost would need to be met from MPA funds as opposed to sharing the cost as per option D.

15. Therefore, and in the absence of adverse comment from District Audit in its audit of the 2001/02 plan, it is proposed that the MPA meets its obligations via a joint summary prepared by the GLA family and distributed as part of the Mayoral/GLA 'ON' magazine. The cost last year was £125,000 and the GLA estimate a cost this year of £130,000 (full cost breakdown requested). As before, it is suggested that the planning panel chaired by Graham Tope should oversee production of both documents.

16. Unfortunately, the benefits of distributing a summary of the plan - independently or jointly with partners –cannot be fully quantified.

C. Financial implications

The total MPA expenditure (excluding officers' time) in designing, printing and distributing the joint summary would be limited to £130,000. The budget for publishing the plan is held by the MPS and MPS officers are in the process of confirming that sufficient funds exist to meet the request.

D. Background papers

• MPA policing and performance plan 2001/02
• FPBV Committee report 6 (20 February 2001)
• ON magazine (Summer 2001) with insert 'How does London work for you' (joint summary best value performance plan)

E. Contact details

Report author: Derrick Norton, best value manager, MPA.

For information contact:

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

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback