The Human Resources strategic assessment

Report: 7
Date: 20 October 2005
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report summarises key issues that are identified in the Human Resources (HR) Strategic Assessment and outlines the contribution of Human Resources to the Corporate Strategic Assessment, which was presented in September 2005.

A. Recommendation

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. In accordance with the requirements of the National Intelligence Model, each Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) business group completes a Strategic Assessment bi-annually, in June and December. The purpose of Strategic Assessment is to focus on high-level medium and long-term issues with business group or organisation-wide impacts. Shorter-term issues and those more limited in scope are wholly susceptible to management by individual members of HR Board, and are not included in the Strategic Assessment.

2. The June 2005 HR Strategic Assessment, which is attached at Appendix 1, clarifies how HR can support the MPS in delivering policing objectives by identifying medium and high priority issues that will affect MPS process and policy and/or that have substantial financial implications. It feeds into the Corporate Strategic Assessment, informs the development of the Medium Term Financial Plan and provides a basis for the development of the HR Business and Performance Plan for the coming financial year.

3. Key political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal, governmental and organisational factors, including central and local government priorities, which were taken into account in the preparation of the June 2005 HR Strategic Assessment included:

• The report of the Morris Inquiry, its recommendations and the organisation’s responses to it;
• Building Communities, Beating Crime, the White Paper on Police Reform;
• The current National Policing Plan;
• Environmental issues impacting recruitment and retention, such as changes in the National Recruitment Standards pass mark, changes in the graduate recruitment market and the impact of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA);
• The MPS HR Strategy which sets out how the MPS intends to develop HR in support of wider organisational aspirations;
• The MPS’ Service Review was at an early stage at the time of writing, but the purpose and intentions of this exercise were taken into account.

4. The purpose of the June 2005 HR Strategic Assessment was not to provide a descriptive overview of performance. However, key features of the performance context within which the document was prepared, and which informed the selection of issues and exceptions to be addressed included:

• Targeted recruitment campaigns have enabled the MPS to successfully increase its diversity profile in relation to the numbers of graduates, women and black and minority ethnic (BME) personnel in the workforce.
• HR has supported the continued and successful rollout of Safer Neighbourhood programmes, with 160 new teams in place by the end of March 2006.
• The successful pilot of the Home Office Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) in Camden, means that this modular programme may be rolled out across the MPS.
• Month on month, the absence management of all MPS personnel continues to improve. This is a key issue, as in 2004/05, reductions in sickness absence among police officers and staff generated approximately £25M in non-cashable efficiency savings.

5. The priority issues from the June 2005 HR Strategic Assessment included in the September 2005 Corporate Strategic Assessment were:

• Capacity and capability: need to develop skills in a context where, due to the MPS’ rapid growth in recent years, a large proportion of the workforce has been recruited relatively recently and is relatively young in service.
• Workforce modernisation: close collaboration between HR and operational business groups will enable the MPS to progress this in line with both government aspirations and organisational need.
• Smarter and more flexible reward packages: use of non-pay rewards and incentives to position the MPS favourably within the labour market and support organisational change.
• Modernisation of probationer training: organisational financial impacts associated with the rollout of the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme.
• Diversity and recruitment: recognising the achievements delivered through targeted recruitment initiatives, but acknowledging that the 2009 25.9% BME police officer strength target is unattainable.
• Together, and the importance of its outcomes in respect of ‘team Met’, the ethos of the Service, cohesive partnership working and a developed and supported workforce focused on achieving shared goals.
• Need to improve data quality in all MPS information systems.

6. HR’s contribution to enable the MPS to fulfil its operational policing commitments are outlined in the HR Strategy and detailed in the HR Business and Performance Plan for the current financial year. Work within HR to develop a three year costed business plan covering the period 2006-2009 has been initiated. This will be informed by the HR Strategic Assessment, other MPS business groups’ strategic assessments, the emerging corporate strategy and the HR Strategy, and will be submitted to Members for consultation and approval in due course.

List of abbreviations

MPS

Metropolitan Police Service

HR

Human Resources

IPLDP

Initial Police Learning and Development Programme

SOCA

Serious and Organised Crime Agency

BME

Black and Minority Ethnic Communities/people

C. Race and equality impact

1. Equality and diversity considerations inform all aspects of Strategic Assessment processes. HR works proactively to identify disproportionality and develop appropriate corrective measures. This is clearly delineated, where appropriate, in the Strategic Assessment.

2. If there is any change of HR actions or priorities, equality and diversity implications will be considered.

D. Financial implications

1. No financial implications arise as a direct consequence of this report.

2. Any changes to HR priorities occasioned by the impact of the Corporate Strategic Assessment considerations that require additional funding or a significant reallocation of budgetary provision will be reported separately.

3. The June 2005 HR Strategic Assessment identifies corporate and high level priorities. The impact of progressing some initiatives, such as IPLDP, is not fully known at this time, but will be further clarified and considered in the context of organisational financial and business planning routines.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Lauren Marsland, Higher Analyst, HR Planning and Performance Unit, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Human Resources Strategic Assessment – July 2005

1.0 introduction

This is the fourth Strategic Assessment for HR Directorate. Its purpose is to identify the issues that will be driving HR’s business over the next one to three years, and to draw out the significant items for action. These include:

• items that cannot be managed wholly within HR Directorate and which require escalation to corporate level and/or a partnership approach by other business groups and units within the MPS.
• those items and areas of work that seem likely to be the subject of HR corporate level business plans, together with some, but not all, of those items likely to feature in business planning at the level of individual directorates.

The period since the December 2004 HR Strategic Assessment has enabled to MPS to consider its response and implementation of those recommendations contained within the Morris Inquiry report, Building Communities, Beating Crime, the White paper on Police Reform and the National Policing Plan.

This period has also seen the launch of HR Directorate’s HR Strategy, with four leading themes:

• Becoming an employer of choice
• Releasing potential
• Developing leaders and managers for the future
• Using people effectively

Contained within this strategic assessment is current thinking of how these strands can be managed and matched against managing the competing demands of providing an effective and efficient HR function both locally, and centrally; and increasing the capability of managers MPS wide.

2.0 becoming an employer of choice

2.1 Working towards a representative workforce

One of the big challenges, and something everyone is committed to, is making the MPS look more like London in terms of diversity profile of our workforce and there are compelling business reasons to do so as well. Strong recruitment performance coupled with high retention rates have meant that the MPS has been extremely successful in increasing the numbers of women and black and minority ethnic personnel in the workforce. At the end of May 2005, females made up 19.3% of police officer strength, 59.3% of police staff strength, 30.2% of PCSO strength and 54.6% of traffic warden strength. However, in a low growth, high retention environment, increasing female representation may prove difficult

The 25.9% black and minority ethnic police officer strength target remains unachievable. However, the drive to target specific minority groups continues with much success. One London, One Community events have shown an attendance rate of 2,500 with 41% of attendees from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups. The ‘Can You Be’ events also continue to be targeted towards specific groups – Muslim or Sikh for example – in partnership with Staff Support Associations. Separate brochures will be produced for specific diverse groups, with the understanding that there are different barriers affecting these individuals in their decision to join the MPS.

HR Recruitment’s campaign-based approach to targeted recruitment is delivering continued success in attracting an increasingly diverse group of applicants across the whole policing family. Managing the pool of successful police officer candidates who are awaiting start dates at Hendon continues to present challenges. HR Recruitment continues to employ the ‘Keep Warm’ scheme with these candidates, whilst developing an increasingly sophisticated approach to placing candidates on recruit training school intakes in response to organisational need. The admission criteria presently applied relate to Londoners and graduates. Information is being captured from applicants regarding community knowledge that has a particular operational relevance and fluency in one or more second languages, to inform the priority with which successful applicants are placed on intakes.

2.2 Graduate recruitment

Increasing graduate recruitment is a stated aim of the MPS. 45% of those taking their first degrees in London belong to black and minority ethnic communities, and the MPS’ Graduate Marketing Plan has been designed with the aim of attracting a diverse cross section of graduates. The Positive Action Team (PAT) has been developing working relationships with London universities with particularly diverse student profiles, in particular raising the profile of the MPS within university careers services and increasing the level of knowledge of the MPS amongst careers advisers, who will be invited to Hendon for a day to see the training facilities and learn about career opportunities throughout the MPS. HR Board Members will be assigned to a specific university, with a view to working together to increase graduate representation within the MPS.

It is estimated that 90% of final year students looking for work seek their first job on the Internet and 50% apply online. In response, MetHR is currently in the process of negotiating (with UNISYS) the building of a system to enable online applications for police officers and police staff roles, to make the application process more efficient and support further penetration of the graduate market. The Recruitment Directorate is also looking to place a contract with an online jobs board.

Work is progressing within the People Development Directorate in relation to the Intensive Development Programme (IDP) for police staff and High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS) for police officers. The ethos around both projects is to identify those personnel who show real potential to become future senior managers and to develop their careers from inception. These programmes can be particularly attractive to graduates and enable the MPS to become an employer of choice by offering comprehensive learning and development packages to those with the drive, skill and capability to become the organisation’s leaders of the future. This is discussed more fully in section 4.3 below.

2.3 Recruit retention

Recruit retention rates refer to police recruits undertaking their initial training at Hendon. During the period May 2004 to May 2005 non-black and minority ethnic recruit retention rates have been steadily increasing from 92.2% to 96.4%. Black and minority ethnic recruit retention rates rose from 85.2% in May 2004 peaking at 88.7% at the end of October 2004. From this point, black and minority ethnic recruit rates began to fall and by the end of February 2005 were at 82.3%. In recent months, retention rates have begun to improve for black and minority ethnic recruits, rising by 5.5% to 88.8% at the end of May 2005. The difference between black and minority ethnic and non-black and minority ethnic recruits is currently well within the CRE 4/5 rule of tolerance.

2.4 National Recruitment Standards

From 1 June, the National Recruitment Standards (NRS) pass mark increased to 60%.

Research suggests that there is a clear relationship between academic attainment, NRS performance and English as a second language. Those candidates who are graduates are likely to score highly on the NRS, whereas those who have English as a second language are more likely to obtain a lower score. As candidates from black and minority ethnic groups are more likely to have English as a second language than white candidates, this has resulted in the misperception that black and minority ethnic candidates are disadvantaged due to their ethnicity. However, recent research from the Home Office states that there is no significant difference between black and minority ethnic and white performance on the NRS. The determining variable is whether candidates speak English as their primary language. An assessment of demographic data would suggest that only 63% of black and minority ethnic recruits have English as an additional language, which means that the remaining 37% will perform to the same standard as their white peers.

Recruitment has undertaken research looking at PCSO candidate performance in the selection process (which is based on the NRS), with initial findings supporting that of the Home Office, that English language is a factor in determining performance. Recruit training school is currently providing additional tuition in English language, and plan to provide pre-entry courses in future for appropriate candidates.

2.5 Succession planning and the impact of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency

The rapid growth of the MPS over the past five years has resulted in a high proportion of police officers having limited years of service.

At the end of March 2000, 4,773, or 18.2% police officers had between 0-4 years service, with the largest proportion, 5,386 or 25.4% having served 10-14 years. By the end of May 2005, the number of those with 0-4 years length of service had increased to 9,991, or 32.1%, making this the largest category in terms of age range and length of service. With a third of MPS police officers having between 0-4 years experience, the need to develop skills and retain experienced officers are pressing issues.

The following figures highlight the need to accelerate the development of those with skills the MPS requires and to retain police officers with more experience. At present the MPS:

• is approximately 400 detective constables below strength.
• a third of detectives on borough are trainees.
• 180 sergeants will need to be delivered by the end of March 2006.
• Step change require 160 Safer Neighbourhood teams by the end of March 2006, consisting of 0.25 Inspectors, 1 sergeant, 2 police officers, and 3 PCSOs in each team.

Recruitment and retention of police officers may also be affected by the inception of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), which, subject to the passage of the Serious Crime and Police Bill through Parliament, will become operational on 1 April 2006. SOCA, which can offer attractive employment packages, has the potential to attract potential high-calibre recruits and experienced MPS personnel. It is also possible, that until SOCA becomes fully functional, the MPS may have to be prepared to manage Level 2/3 (force and/or regional crime/ serious and organised crime that is usually national or international) work that the fledgling agency is incapable of handling. This may have an impact on workforce modernisation, and place additional pressures on training/ retaining and promoting MPS personnel.

2.6 PCSOs

The current PCSO retention rate is 91.6%, as compared to June 2004 when the figure was 93.4%. Data from exit surveys suggests the main reasons for PCSOs leaving the MPS are insufficient scope for development, insufficient training and job reality differing from job expectation. Coupled with PCSO sickness absence data, this suggests there is a problem of employment enrichment versus what they were hired to do, which in essence is to increase public confidence by providing a visible presence on the streets of London and in reality means patrolling in a small area with little in the way of tasking or motivation. There is a need to harness the learning from the exit surveys to inform future recruitment, induction and deployment programmes, and for some further analysis into those who choose to stay within the organisation and those who leave.

Recommendation: HR and TP to address PCSO retention and job enrichment issues.

2.7 Smarter and More Flexible Reward Packages

The prevailing MPS pay structure for police staff is underpinned by a robust Hay evaluation scheme thus ensuring fairness and parity in relation to pay value issues. As such, the core structure is fundamentally sound. However the application and mechanics of the pay structure are perceived to be inflexible and are thought not to provide for emerging issues, e.g. to reward and encourage contribution, to reflect market and supply considerations or to enable cost effective organisational change. For example, areas of the MPS such as Met HR, DoI and the Modernising Operations project rely on contract staff to meet their skill and experience requirements.

In response HR is in the process of developing a total reward package to enable the MPS to better respond to the need to recruit a suitably skilled workforce and retain key capabilities, thereby enabling us to reward people in ways other than pay. This includes non-pay benefits, flexible working and the childcare voucher scheme.

One of the main components of being an employer of choice remains pay modernisation. The drivers for this change are:

1. Workforce modernisation, moving towards a more balanced workforce and more creative use of non-sworn police staff;
2. Emphasis on capability over capacity, which requires a two-pronged approach including:
   1. Pay/reward, and
   2. Further consideration of performance management and deployment processes as a basis for ensuring the ‘right skills, right post’.

2.8 Employee Relations Strategy

The area of employee relations is one that has been subject to considerable scrutiny, both from within and outside the organisation. A key focus continues to be the development of fair and effective practice in the management of a diverse workforce and much work is being undertaken within the Services Directorate in reviewing the discipline and Fairness at Work processes to ensure that the MPS remains an employer of choice.

However as part of the drive to put HR at the forefront of change and to create an expert, transformational centre, HR Services is undergoing a restructuring process, and as such has the opportunity to refocus HR Service delivery and develop/enhance employee relations practice and relationships at all levels of the organisation. Partnership working with trade union representatives across the MPS is essential to this development. This will become particularly relevant when the Service Review team deliver their findings and HR will need to work in partnership with business groups in defining objectives, performance standards, development of staff. Redeployment opportunities should be more actively considered as part of a renewed approach to organisational change management.

3.0 Releasing potential

3.1 Modernisation of probationer training

Following the pilot of the Home Office Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) in Camden, it is probable that the MPS will be rolling out this modular programme across the MPS. At present, the MPS is running two probationer training programmes in tandem: under the ‘old-style’ model, recruits undergo an initial 18 weeks’ training at Hendon followed by 12 weeks’ Street Duties on borough and probationer continuation training for the remainder of the two year probation period; under IPLDP student officers undertake an initial five week induction and then are posted to borough to complete the remainder of their modular training. Budgets are currently structured around the ‘old style’ model of recruit and probationer training, and the rollout of IPLDP will generate some financial pressures:

• Need for approximately 100 additional trainers.
• Changing requirements for training accommodation. The need for large scale recruit training accommodation at Hendon will be significantly reduced, whilst the need for training accommodation dispersed across the MPD or directly on borough will increase. ICG estimates that between 12-15 (probably 12) training centres will be needed, depending on what training can be done on borough. The training estate will need to be sufficiently flexible to cater for fluctuations in recruitment levels, as the volume requirements for recruit and probationer training change over time in response to Government and Mayoral decisions on growth in police numbers.

Whilst these budgetary impacts are not yet fully known, HR has identified some ways in which monies could be freed up:

• At present, Recruit Training School has a BWT of 407 recruits, to reflect the fact that they spend 18 weeks at Hendon before going out to borough. A proportion of this BWT could be transferred to boroughs, and a proportion retained to meet the requirement for greater numbers of trainers.
• At present, recruits’ salaries increase from the point at which they pass out of Hendon and transfer to borough to undertake Street Duties training. This is not in line with practice in other forces, and this salary increase could be deferred until the 31st week, producing significant savings.

Discussions will take place in early July regarding how these financial impacts will be managed between HR and TP. The outcome of these discussions will impact HR Directorate finances and will need to be built into the budget and financial plans.

Recommendation: HR and TP to confirm financial arrangements for the rollout of the IPLDP, including funding for the necessary additional trainers.

3.2 Protected Learning Time

Protected learning time is an integral part of modernised, modular Home Office programmes such as the IPLDP and the Core Leadership Development Programme (CLDP). Further, the MPS is increasingly moving towards computer based training as a means of delivering learning whilst minimising absence from the workplace. This requires managers to support their staff to make time for learning in the workplace. There is a risk that, if learners are not provided with time in which they can undertake learning activity, the business benefits of these more modern approaches to learning and development will not be realised.

Recommendation: DTD to lead the cultural change on the benefits of learning to service delivery and the importance of protected learning time.

3.3 Driver training

Driving courses are delivered throughout the year, with the exception of a short break during December. Historically, the Driving School, with anywhere between 80-90 officers and staff, has been under-staffed, comparative figures from 1985 show a current 36% shortage of driving instructors (both officers and staff). The opportunity cost of these vacancies is delivery of either response training to 585 students or advanced training to 293 students.

Over the last two years, there have been constant recruitment campaigns, with soon to retire officers being targeted to return as police staff instructors, and best use made of the media by way of advertisements in various journals. One of the biggest barriers to the recruitment of police staff instructors is the lack of flexibility in remuneration, with external companies such as BSM providing more attractive financial packages. It is hoped that by the end of this financial year full strength of 93 will be reached. Once the driving school is up to strength, it is hoped that the marketing of training and knowledge, already underway in Japan and America, can be increased. Other methods of developing training will be explored through the Learning Support Unit (LSU).

The marketplace technology that can provide driving simulators with the graphics and interactivity required by the MPS is now available, and has been offered to the MPS on a free 3-month trial period. Should the evaluation of the trial be successful, consideration could be given to purchasing a simulator costing in the region on £70,000 - £100,000 dependent on specification. This would allow the potential for income generation as smaller forces interested in hiring the simulator have already approached the MPS.

Another avenue for income generation would be the provision of driving courses to external clients, for example the Bank of England and the diplomatic corps. This could be combined with the provision of free vehicles from certain manufacturers who want to work in partnership with the MPS for marketing purposes.

Recommendation: DTD to progress the possibility of income generation from driver training

3.4 Management and resourcing of training

There are a number of issues in the training arena that demand a more corporate approach to the management and resourcing of training and the adoption of common business processes:

• There is a tendency in the MPS to regard training as an abstraction from duty rather than as an investment and a necessary prerequisite to improving organisational performance and delivery. There is also a tendency to regard formal training as the default way of meeting a need, and opportunities to use other types of learning interventions may not always be fully exploited. These issues need to be investigated and addressed: part of the solution may lie in encouraging managers to play a more active role in the development of their staff, but this is unlikely to provide all of the answer.
• The establishment of Training Boards and Training Management Board have taken the MPS forward in relation to the way it prioritises training activity and the allocation of training resources. However, there is scope for further improvement in the way the organisation allocates learning resources to support capability building in areas of business priority, and in the sophistication with which the MPS is able to forecast and plan for its skill requirements for the future. On a very basic level, if the MPS were able to assess, within the management line, whether individuals are able to perform to the required standard of competence in particular areas, this would allow training resource to be better focused and targeted towards areas where organisational and individual performance gaps have been identified.
• There is some evidence to suggest that there is an element of duplication in the design and delivery of some local training, where a number of local training units invest resource in developing and delivering their own materials covering the same subject areas. Not only does this offer potential for efficiency savings, but also for the application of clear corporate standards in training design and delivery. A library of training materials is currently being developed as a first step towards addressing this issue, although it is suggested that more fundamental changes may be required.
• The MPS is currently undertaking research, with the aim of ensuring that all personnel designing and delivering training (of whom there are around 1,000) are able to achieve a minimum professional standard of competence in respect of needs analysis, design, delivery and evaluation of outcomes. Whilst a great many of our trainers are doubtless extremely competent and able, the MPS is not able to state with confidence that this is universally the case. Some work has been initiated within the Learning Support Unit of HR DTD to develop a community of trainers and networks of support.
• In line with the stated organisational aim of redirecting resources to the front line, the proportion of MPS training that is delivered by police officers should perhaps be re-examined, whilst respecting the need for trainers to be occupationally competent in respect of the material they are delivering. In some areas, it is proving difficult to attract police officers into training roles and to retain the best officers in such roles for long enough to repay the investment that is necessary to enable them to achieve professional excellence as trainers. This has undermined training capacity in some areas (e.g. driver training). At the same time, the potential for increasing the proportion of police staff in training roles is limited by the fact that the remuneration packages the MPS is able to offer to training professionals are not felt to be competitive in the market place.
• There is scope for the MPS to improve the evaluation of outcomes, i.e. the extent to which learning and development activity has contributed to improving performance in the workplace.

In order to tackle these issues, the MPS needs a stronger central training capability that is empowered to take a strategic overview and coordination role. Whilst business processes are strong in some areas of the MPS, some training providers, particularly those outside DTD, employ weak and inconsistent business processes. Whilst corporate standards are defined, compliance is not well enforced across the MPS. Further, the degree of ‘fit’ between disparate training business processes and the information system where training and competency data is stored needs to be made more robust if the quality of the data held by the MPS in this area is to be as good as other areas of our people data. This has consequences for the quality of key management and strategic decisions that need to be made on the basis of this data. HR Directorate, local HR units, central and local training providers and business group level HR professionals are working together to ameliorate this problem within the current framework. However, without a wider review and integration of training practice, management, business processes and supporting information systems these endeavours can have only limited success.

Recommendation: HR to lead organisation-wide review of all aspects of training.

3.5 Training accommodation

As described above, there are a number of drivers that are likely to result in significant changes in the management and delivery of training in the MPS. One of the significant impacts of these pressures will be a change in the organisation’s requirement for training accommodation, particularly in respect of its location. The Home Office’s Raytheon Report proposes a good practice model with a central ‘hub’, satellite centres providing a mixture of specialised and general training, and an arrangement whereby staff based at the satellite centres might travel off-site to individual B/OCUs to deliver volume training at a location convenient to trainees, in order to minimise abstractions.

The MPS therefore has the opportunity to consider a number of possibilities:

• The service costs of the two accommodation blocks at Hendon are approximately £2 million per year. Neither is being used to full capacity, and occupancy will continue to reduce as IPLDP rolls out, and intakes reduce to approximately 1,300 per year. Possible cost-saving measures to lower accommodation overheads are:
• Making one building unisex, as much university accommodation now is, and possibly renting the other out to an industry with security considerations similar to those of the MPS, e.g. the MoD.
• There is the potential for Hendon to be physically downsized, with the allocation of space to the Crime Academy being reduced at Hendon. Alternatives venues could be borough-training units and at MPS sports clubs.
• The Metropolitan Police Dog Training Establishment (MPDTE) at Keston could be incorporated on to Hendon’s grounds.
• Lippetshill houses the National Police Training Centre and a purpose built heliport, and could possibly be sold.

There are issues around security, access control and who owns the monies generated, and whether it would flow into upgrading training facilities via the estates strategy or be redirected into training.

Recommendation: HR to work with PSD to manage the cost implications for the Hendon Estate and wider geographical training sites.

3.6 Workforce modernisation

The workforce modernisation strand is designed to review roles and skill profiles to ensure that both underpin front line service delivery in an efficient and effective way. There are a number of key activities that need to be examined:

• Consider roles
• Define competencies based on role analysis
• Training and training outcomes
• Career pathways and performance management
• Multi-point entry

The MPS’ ability to further progress workforce modernisation is circumscribed by a number of factors, including the legislative change that would be required to enable direct entry above the level of constable to take place, the political pressures around police officer numbers that limit the opportunity for wide scale modernisation, and clarification following the white paper on police reform on the acceptable level of change. However, there are a number of areas in which it would be possible for the MPS to initiate work in order to move forward and respond to organisational need, for instance:

• It may be possible to mitigate the impact on boroughs of the loss of skilled and experienced officers to specialist units by exploring the use of T/DCs outside TP.
• The MPS could experiment with the deployment of probationers outside of TP boroughs, once an initial period of induction training had been completed. This might be especially relevant for new police officers who have previous work experience that is of particular relevance to a specialist career pathway in the MPS. This could prove an efficient way for the MPS to buy in these skills without having to grow them in-house, as well as being a particularly attractive offer for individuals who already have specialist skills and know they do not want a career in community based policing.
• It might be possible to utilise a mix of sworn and non-sworn staff in investigative roles. There are a number of industries outside policing where non-police officers run and manage investigations under PACE, and there may be potential for supplementing teams with experienced personnel at more senior and professional levels than those currently undertaken by many of the civilian investigators currently employed by the MPS.

Pilots in these areas would position the MPS well to move quickly if and when the legal and political parameters currently constraining the scope of workforce modernisation are lifted, and may assist the organisation in managing the effects of recent growth on the skill and experience profile of the workforce and the distribution of those skills and experience throughout the organisation.

Recommendations: HR to work with operational business groups to determine desirability and feasibility of possible initiatives around workforce modernisation, and progress as appropriate.

3.7 Work based assessment

The MPS trial of TOWBAR completes in December 2005, and the Home Office will not take a decision as to what will replace it until August 2006. This potentially leaves an extended period of uncertainty for the MPS as to how it will manage the relevant promotion processes.

Another issue that arises in relation to work-based assessment is that of qualified assessors. There are a number of drivers towards the greater use of work-based assessment, including the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP), the A1-qualified assessors that are required for TOWBAR, and that would be required for formal assessment of National Occupational Standards (NOS) where this leads to a formal qualification. The National Police Race and Diversity Learning and Development Programme requires that ‘priority groups’ (as identified by each force, but likely to include groups such as chief officers, B/OCU commanders, SIOs, training managers and staff, supervisors, tutor constables & FLOs) must be assessed as competent under NOS 1A5 (promote people’s equality, diversity and human rights) by 2007; others by 2009. They must then be assessed as competent at every PDR thereafter. Everyone in the police service (inc. Extended Policing Family) must be assessed as competent against NOS 1A4 (foster people’s equality, diversity and rights) by 2009, and must be assessed as competent at every PDR thereafter. This is supported by Skills for Justice Assessment strategy that is in place. If the MPS were to take the pragmatic view that the assessment of personnel against 1A5 and 1A4 should take place through the PDR process and be undertaken by line managers, this would significantly reduce the administrative burden, which would otherwise be unmanageable.

In any event, A1 qualified assessors are required for TOWBAR, and agreement has not yet been reached within the MPS as to how best provide these assessors, i.e. whether bought-in, retained as permanent staff as an overhead or through using line managers who are trained as assessors.

4.0 Developing leaders and managers for the future

4.1 Leadership and Together

Together, headed by DAC Griffiths, is an approach rather than a programme. It involves us all and centres on the way we go about our day-to-day work. Through working together more collaboratively both as Team Met and with our partners and Londoners, Together aims to contribute towards improved performance and service delivery. Leadership, and communication, enabled by changes to relevant HR process and structures, will be the principal means of delivering the approach in support of the widening mission.

4.2 360-degree feedback

To support wider organisational development for leaders and managers there is a need to refine the PDR process and the Commissioner has suggested that a 360° appraisal would complement the PDR process. The National Competency Framework has a model for this, and members of Management Board will lead by example, being the first in the organisation to participate in a 360º appraisal exercise. It is acknowledged however that there is already a 360° element within the Commissioner’s Leadership Programme which enables managers to get feedback on how they are perceived by those around them; and any further work to include the wider use of 360° feedback should complement this already established process, and be used specifically for personal development and career enhancement.

4.3 High potential schemes

The High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS) run by the Home Office caters for very small numbers of police officers. At present the BWT for these HP staff is concentrated on boroughs, which proves problematic for central HR to play an interventionist approach in managing and developing careers. There is a tension between operational business groups being required to give up postings to HR that will need to be managed. The HPDS within the MPS is not currently functioning as intended or to the satisfaction of many of its members. It will be reviewed and enhanced in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

In 2003, the Police Leadership Development Board recommended that a career management scheme be put in place for police staff. This position was endorsed in the 2004 White Paper and the HO established the National Senior Careers Advisory Service. Nationally, there will be places for 70 senior police officers and staff. This means that over 600 members of senior staff at the MPS will not be able to access NSCAS. Implementation of a formal scheme, targeted at Band B and A police staff (directors will automatically be able to access NSCAS), in the MPS is, therefore, desirable. It is estimated that it will cost approximately £100,000 to design and deliver the scheme to 100 staff. A further £100,000 would be needed for the facilitation of work-shadowing and project attachment opportunities. The hiring of a Band E (approximately £18,000 salary, not on cost) would be required to support the Project Manager. There is also the chance that this will develop in conjunction with the Intensive Development Plan (IDP) for those at band D level, whose applications will be measured against criteria. Those who demonstrate potential will be encouraged and mentored along their career pathways. However, a resulting problem from the existing situation is that as police officer training becomes more devolved to BOCUs, police staff training is becoming more centralised at a national level. As high potential people and graduates become more widespread across the MPS, the impact of internal promotion on workforce modernisation will also have to be considered. The scope for integrating the HPDS and IDP (targeted at police staff) is being considered.

There is a need for partnership working to deliver these programmes to reflect and complement the work currently undertaken in the Graduate Recruitment programme. There is also a need to manage the perception that certain individuals are not considered ‘key’ or high potential and thereby would not qualify for these services. This could lead to a lack of motivation and a potentially divided workforce.

Recommendations: HR to cost bringing the HPDS ‘in house’ and to develop a suitable support and development structure. HR to scope the feasibility of developing a Careers Advisor / Development structure for bands B and A.

4.4 Police Officer promotions

The Director of HR has commissioned a review of police officer promotion processes in order to reduce bureaucracy, clarify appeals criteria and ensure that the MPS is promoting people with the right leadership and management capabilities. One of the concerns about the current process is that local managers recommending individuals for promotion do not ‘own’ promotion decisions, which are made through central processes. This has resulted in managers recommending for promotion officers whom they would not choose to have in their own B/OCUs at the higher rank. It is in everyone’s interest that a revised promotion process should address this issue and encourage honest and meaningful dialogue between managers and individual officers about how people can best reach their potential and aspirations.

Recommendation: HR (CMU) to review police officer promotion processes, exploring possibilities for giving local managers more ownership of promotion decisions.

5.0 Using people effectively

5.1 Defining and managing the corporate HR function

Key drivers in this area include the stated strategic intention to enhance the MPS’ HR capability, indeed to enhance the capability of managers within the whole organisation; and the consideration currently being given within the Service Review arena to revised delivery models for support services across the MPS. The aim is to deliver effective transactional HR support in a cost effective manner alongside a slim, capable transformational HR facility. In support of this, work has been initiated within HR Services to reconfigure and modernise the way central HR supports HR practice across the organisation. In parallel, there is a need to gain clarity about the roles to be played by the central HR function, business group level HR and business management staff, and local HR units in respect of expert, advisory, operational and support functionality. This must be followed through with explicit agreement about accountability, performance standards and performance management arrangements to ensure the agreed configuration of central, local and business group level HR functionality works effectively to meet organisational need and to drive outcomes.

5.2 Met HR

Partly in response to the corporate project that is exploring revised delivery models for DoI and HR/F&R services to name a few, it will be of critical importance to ensure that information systems and the business processes fit well together, otherwise both data quality and the quality of the strategic and operational decisions that can be made on the basis of that data will always be compromised. A coherent programme of work around HR data quality is being progressed, but its potential is limited by the current configuration and resourcing of the HR function.

DoI is leading a move towards greater integration of IT systems that hold similar and related data, and will be expected to start delivering on this by the end of 2005. The purpose of this is to reduce inefficiencies and data inconsistencies associated with double-keying data into more than one system, and this is to be supported. Met HR currently has a number of interfaces with other MPS information systems (e.g. MetaDirectory), and these cover a relatively small number of data items. Further, the MPS is in the process of establishing interfaces with MetTime and payroll, and these interfaces will cover a significant proportion of the Met HR data. In some cases it is necessary to change the business processes currently in place to allow the data to be captured and inputted to Met HR by HR personnel in the way that is required by the systems to which MetHR is linking. A further consequence of linking Met HR increasingly tightly to other MPS information systems will be to constrain the scope for changes and customisations to Met HR. Increasingly, this could mean adapting business processes to fit the constraints of IT systems rather than vice versa. To do this without compromising the strategic alignment of the relevant business processes will require careful and detailed thought and planning, combined with high level influence and process enforcement. This combination is not something the MPS has historically found easy, and will present some significant challenges to the corporate HR function.

5.3 Performance management

The MPS needs to move away from a paternalistic culture to one that is much more focused on supporting business need. This means providing clarity to police officers and staff as to what is expected of them in their role, and working with individuals where appropriate to either retrain to enhance their skills and harness their potential, or move them to a position more suited to their abilities. In cases where this approach is inappropriate or ineffective, and following a process of support, guidance and development, the final option may be to use performance and inefficiency processes robustly to displace individuals who are not able to reach the required standard, or offering compulsory severance terms in cases where the organisation’s need no longer fits with what individuals are able or willing to offer. Even in expensive cases, break-even point for severance packages is approximately three years, which is within the Service Review timescales.

This poses significant challenges to the MPS in terms of:

• The skill with which managers are able to manage and develop their staff to enhance their performance;
• The skill with which managers are able to use performance and inefficiency processes when this is necessary;
• Making budgetary provision for severance packages that may be necessary;
• Managing the employee relations fallout whilst working towards being an employer of choice;
• The pay and reward implications of moving away from a paternalistic to a more performance-based employee relationship.

5.4 Occupational Health

In 2004/05, reductions in sickness absence among police officers and staff generated approximately £25M in non-cashable efficiency savings. Proactive health promotion work by Occupational Health was a significant contributor to this achievement, and has previously been funded by the Home Office to the tune of £600k annually. Although it is likely that some monies will be secured to ensure the continuation of the Surgical and Psychological Spend to Save schemes, the continuation of other health promotion work is at risk. A further financial pressure, in the wake of the Gary Wells case, is a potential requirement to provide defibrillators at a number of sites where police officers undergo fitness testing, etc. The associated costs here are c. £2k per machine, plus maintenance costs and the training of staff operating the defibrillators.

There are a number of areas within Occupational Health where cost savings could be made to partially offset these financial pressures, and some of these have been offered up in the context of Service Review:

• If the MPS were to cease to provide spectacles to police officers this would save c. £100,000 annually in direct and hidden costs, although opposition from the Police Federation would be likely;
• Cost savings of around £1,000,000 per year (although this is an estimate figure based on Band 1 payments) could be realised if the MPS were to act on Home Office advice to reduce injury on duty pensions to individuals once they reach the age of 65. There are a number of issues that will affect how this plan is implemented from 1 April 2006, and options are under discussion. Advice on the impact of the Disability Discrimination Act and Age Discrimination Act will be sought;
• There is potential to generate income through sale of award-winning MPS health promotion training videos, and through delivery of training and sale of training packs in relation to police cycling techniques.

5.5 Health & Safety

There needs to be more clarity about which risks HR should identify and manage. Although HR is the corporate lead on health and safety, other business groups, which have personnel with both a comprehensive and specific overview of risk identification and management in their business areas, should develop and manage their own risk portfolios. Problems arise over what the HR can reasonably expect to identify as risk, and their power to enforce or control changes.

Health and Safety Branch is making more effort to get out to B/OCUs and any increased costs are defrayed by the protection from litigation that results.

Health and Safety Branch is also championing the outcomes of a study on the human aspects of police driving, which was recently completed by a branch of the HSE.

Recommendation: Facilitate other business groups to arrive at effective risk assessments for their areas of activity, and to own responsibility for the consequent issues.

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