Partnership Strategy

Report: 08
Date: 19 June 2008
By: the Director of Resources on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

The MPS has a long history of partnership work which is seen to be at the heart of delivering an effective police service. Partnership work takes many forms and this report seeks approval to a Partnership Strategy and Implementation Plan to facilitate a consistent approach to partnership working across the Service. This approach will also help ensure the Service optimised the value of Partnership working in support of the delivery of the Service’s key objectives.

A. Recommendations

That members agree the Partnership Strategy and Implementation Plan set out in Appendix 1.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Partnership working is seen as a key aspect of the public sector change agenda and the number of partnerships have expanded in response to both central government requirements and local initiatives. This recognises the potential for partnership working to improve service quality and cost effectiveness in making best use of scarce resources.

2. The MPS has a long history of partnership working which is seen as an essential element in delivering the Service’s strategic objectives and an effective police service. Historically partnerships have been developed to meet specific needs identified at a local or corporate level. The Service, however, currently has no overarching strategy on partnership working and development of partnership arrangements is not treated in a consistent way across the Service.

Partnership Strategy

3. Against this background and given the size and complexity of the MPS there is now a need to develop a Service Partnership Strategy to ensure:

• partnership work is properly integrated into the Service’s medium term planning and budget work
• partnerships can demonstrate the delivery of added value and that their achievements outweigh the cost of developing and maintaining them
• best practice is shared across the service and proper guidance and support is available to Business Groups
• partnerships are supported by appropriate governance arrangements and comply with MPA/MPS decision making and governance processes.

4. A partnership can be defined as an agreement with an external body to achieve common objectives. Partnerships take many forms and require different governance structures. The partnership spectrum can be illustrated as follows:

Informal Collaboration

• Brings partners together to discuss shared goals
• May not have a budget or deliver any services
• May not need a formal agreement but may benefit from a toolkit.
• Eg. Local SNT working with Local Authority in specific area to address local community issues

Strategic Partnership

• Non-statutory, non-executive relationship.
• Plans, co-ordinates and monitors activities
• Takes strategic decisions
• May not have a budget (but not in all cases)
• Eg. BOCU working with private company to implement crime prevention / distraction etc. measures or working with voluntary organisations.

Statutory Strategic Partnership

• High level formal relationships pertaining to legislation where shared objectives demonstrate a clear alignment to the strategic aims of the Police Service.
• Likely to have a budget, with resources focussed on commonly agreed priorities.
• Takes strategic decisions.
• Eg. CDRPs & LAAs.

Service Delivery Partnership

• Involves the delivery of services by one body on behalf of another through joint working.
• Aspires to deliver more value than a traditional contract.
• If it is a contractual relationship then this type of partnership needs to be monitored as such.
• Eg. Palace of Westminster policing or Secondment to the Safer London Foundation.

Any strategy and supporting framework therefore needs to be flexible enough to support Business Groups in developing partnership activity whilst ensuring compliance with the relevant governance processes. The governance arrangements supporting partnerships need to be proportionate to the formality and risks involved without inhibiting innovation.

5. A proposed partnership strategy is set out in Appendix 1 for consideration together with an implementation plan.

Partnership Framework and Implementation Plan

6. The Director of Resources has been identified with Management Board lead on partnership work with ACTP having lead on LAA Partnership work. The work on developing and implementing the Partnership Framework and Implementation Plan will be led by the Director of Finance Services, in liaison with the Director of Business Performance.

7. The Implementation Plan also recognises the Director of Resources lead in developing the Service’s corporate approach on key partnerships relating to European Funding and joint working with the GLA Group and, in particular, TfL.

8. This work will support the three pillars of the Service’s Corporate Governance Framework:

1. Organisational Structure and Processes
   Guidance will be developed on the governance structures required to support different partnerships and compliance with MPA/MPS decision making processes.
2. Reporting to and Involving the MPA and stakeholders
   Implementation of the strategy will facilitate greater visibility of partnership work and the benefits delivered from such activity. The MPA has significant involvement in partnership working particularly with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Community Engagement Groups. This strategy will allow the MPS to work with the MPA in supporting this work.
3. Standards of behaviour
   The framework will support Business Groups in developing and clarifying roles and responsibilities of the MPS and other bodies in partnerships.

9. A number of reviews have been carried out on MPA/MPS partnership work including:

• MPA Scrutiny Report on Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
• Audit Commission reviews
  • The Partnership Review (data model initial research)
  • Partnership Review 2004/05
  • Partnerships 2006/07.
• MPA Internal Audit Review - Partnerships Funding and Control 2007

10. The issues highlighted in these reviews will be reflected in the proposed partnerships framework.

11. A workshop was held on 4 February 2008 with practitioners across the MPS with the aim of identifying issues being encountered with partnership work and areas where guidance and support was required. The issues identified at the workshop will be reflected in the proposed partnership framework.

C. Race and equality impact

1. In developing partnership activity Business Groups will be required to have due regard to race and equality issues. This will include, where appropriate, carrying out Equality Impact Assessments.

2. Much of the Service’s partnership work is with local communities. The development and implementation of the partnership strategy is expected to have an overall beneficial impact with the sharing of good practice and greater visibility of partnership work undertaken by the Service.

D. Financial implications

1. The delivery of the Implementation Plan outlined in Appendix 1 is expected to be contained within existing budgets and will be subject to the Service’s normal decision making processes.

2. A more consistent approach to partnership work is expected to support the delivery of value for money services through the sharing of good practice and by effective integration of the activity into the Service’s planning processes.

E. Legal implications

The development and implementation of the strategy should facilitate compliance with MPA/ MPS governance arrangement and reduce the risk of legal challenge to the Service in respect of its partnership work.

F. Background papers

• MPA Efficiency Plan 2007/2008

G. Contact details

Report author(s): Anne McMeel, Director of Resources

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Partnership Strategy

Vision

The MPS is committed to working together with other bodies to achieve a safer London.

Objectives

• To deliver MPS strategic objectives;
• To improve service quality and delivery;
• To provide cost effective services within a compliant environment;
• To make best use of scarce resources;
• To provide partnership working across the Service.

These objectives will be achieved by developing a consistent, but flexible, approach, to the establishment of, and support to, partnership work.

These objectives will be achieved by:

• developing a consistent but flexible approach to the establishment of, and support to, partnership work;
• ensuring partnership working actively supports the MPS strategic planning and performance management framework;
• ensuring that appropriate governance arrangements and processes are in place to support partnerships and ensure compliance with MPA/MPS decision making frameworks;
• ensuring intelligence about, and lessons learnt from, partnership work are shared across the Service;
• maintaining effective communication between the MPS and partners;
• supporting those engaged in partnership through guidance and awareness;
• monitoring the delivery of partnership activity and ensuring the work is integrated into the Service’s business plan and budget processes;
• working closely with the MPA on the development of, and support to, partnership working.

Partnership Strategy Implementation Plan

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