Terms of reference and work programme

Report: 5
Date: 22 July 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

The Planning, Performance and Review Committee is a new MPA committee. As such, members appointed to the committee are asked to note the terms of reference agreed by the Full Authority. In addition, regular items of information to be received by the Committee are proposed as well as some future work areas.

A. Recommendations

1. Members are asked to note the terms of reference for the Planning, Performance and Review Committee
2. Members are asked to discuss the continuation of the Planning Panel and, if required, to determine the membership of this sub-committee
3. Members are asked to nominate a lead member for Best Value
4. Members are asked to agree the proposals for regular papers to be received by the Committee
5. Members are asked to comment upon the suggested areas of future work for Committee 

B. Supporting information

Terms of reference for PPR committee

1. The Planning, Performance and Review (PPR) Committee is a new MPA committee taking over some of the responsibilities from the previous Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring (PSPM) and Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee of the MPA. The terms of reference for The Planning, Performance and Review Committee have been agreed by the Full Authority to be as follows:

Performance monitoring

(i) (a) To consider and monitor performance against the Policing Plan targets and any performance indicators set locally or by external organisations. In doing so, the committee will consider performance at both a corporate and borough level in order to identify best practice.

(i) (b) To advise on the setting of relevant performance indicators and targets in annual plans and corporate strategies.

(ii) To develop the Authority’s scrutiny role in looking at areas of performance in need of improvement.

(iii) To identify and consider any other information needed to monitor performance.

Planning and best value

(iv) To discharge the Authority’s responsibilities as a best value authority, recommending to the Authority as appropriate on matters of significance. This role includes:

• overseeing the development and delivery of the best value review programme and associated supporting work
• approving the Project Initiation Document for the review
• monitoring the progress of each review
• considering final reports
• decommissioning a review following consideration of the final report
• ensuring management arrangements are in place to deliver and monitor a review’s implementation plan

(v) Working with the Commissioner, to prepare and recommend to the Authority an annual policing and performance plan. In taking the lead on this, the committee will consult with other MPA committees as appropriate.

(vi) To consider reports from external agencies, such as HMIC, the external auditors and the Audit Commission, which have strategic implications.

(vii) To act as the lead committee for any other corporate planning issues, including the development of any MPA strategies or development plans.

(viii) To lead on the production of the Authority’s annual report and any joint annual report prepared in conjunction with the MPS.

Criminal justice

(ix) To consider issues relating to criminal justice, its reform and the respective roles of the MPS and other agencies within it.

General

(x) To have due regard, in exercising the committee’s responsibilities, to equal opportunities generally, the general duty of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the requirements of any other equalities legislation.

(xi) Members of The Planning, Performance and Review Committee are asked to agree these terms of reference or to amend them as appropriate.

Planning panel

2. In addition to the main committee, there is also a Planning Panel, an informal sub-group of the Committee. The terms of reference for this panel have been agreed by the Full Authority as follows:

‘To oversee the process for the preparation of the annual policing and performance plan and also to consider the content of the draft plan, prior to formal consideration’. The Panel’s remit is to:

• approve the timetable for plan delivery
• ensure member engagement at key points (as agreed within the timetable)
• monitor progress against the timetable
• approve formal products for consideration by committees and/ or the Authority.

The panel has also taken on responsibility for considering the MPS Corporate Strategy.

3. Members may wish to discuss the need for the sub-group given the relatively small size of the full committee. If the committee thought that the panel need not continue then there could be other opportunities to engage in informal discussion about the planning process or draft products, for example:

• meeting after each committee in informal (non-public) session;
• meeting informally as and when appropriate;
• meeting in informal (non-public) session every other month;
• workshops under the process agreed for Co-ordination and Policing Committee.

4. The last of these options (workshops as part of COP Committee) would seem to offer the most flexibility given the bi-monthly schedule.

Link member for best value

5. Securing continuous improvement (best value) is a key responsibility of the Authority delegated to PPR Committee. A major element of this general duty is to oversee a series of best value reviews. It is considered that the responsibility for securing continuous improvement means that PPR Committee has the lead role within the MPA for issues related to the development of the overall audit, inspection and review framework. Members are asked to nominate a lead member for best value to facilitate continued dialogue with the MPS.

Regular reports

6. In order to meet these terms of reference the regular papers to the committee are proposed below.

Regular performance report

7. This is a paper carried over from the PSPM Committee which provides details of current performance against the Policing Plan objectives and targets. Commentary is also to be provided on the emerging trends and any action being taken to address shortfalls in performance, as detailed in the monthly MPS Performance Review Committee reports. A covering paper also provides the opinions and actions by MPS Management Board. This paper will come to every Committee meeting

Criminal justice developments

8. It is recommended that the Committee receives regular updates from the MPS on criminal justice developments. A report is suggested initially for every meeting of the committee.

In-depth performance reports

9. Performance against indicators in the Policing Plan changes over time and the urgency of the issues also change. It is hence suggested that, rather than set an advanced timetable of in-depth performance reports, a regular item on the agenda of the Committee is to discuss the reports required for the next two committees. Given MPS workload to provide in-depth reports it is suggested that these reports are kept to a maximum of two reports for each committee. These reports could cover such areas as street crime, burglary, autocrime, emergency response, youth offending etc. and will detail performance and trends at both a corporate and borough command unit level.

Planning

10. It is recommended that the Committee receives a regular report updating progress on the future year’s Annual Policing Plan, the Corporate Plan and how these link to developments on a national policing plan. Subject to earlier comments the Committee will also formally accept any recommendations from the planning panel and discuss objectives and targets to be set, to be put forward to the Full Authority for formal agreement. A report will generally be required at every committee.

Best value

11. It is recommended that the Committee receives a regular update on Best Value issues, probably every committee unless there are no significant developments. This will include the progress against the current programme and timetable, any changes required to the programme, details of any project initiation documents to be agreed and final reports for agreement.

12. Annual reports will be also required at the appropriate time on the performance against the policing plan targets and on the Authority’s annual plan.

Future work programme

13. In addition to the regular reports required by the committee, members may wish to discuss future work required by the MPA in the areas of performance, planning and review. Suggestions include:

Scrutiny on Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

14. This is an on-going scrutiny project set up by PSPM. It is recommended that the Performance, Planning and Review Committee continues with this scrutiny project, due to report in late Autumn.

Further performance scrutiny/policy review

15. Members are asked to consider whether they wish to set up another scrutiny project and what topic should be covered. Any proposed scrutiny topic would go to the Co-ordination and Policing Committee for agreement and would become part of the programme of Policy reviews.

Criminal justice

16. As well as receiving regular updates from the MPS on developments in criminal justice, members may wish to consider whether it wants any specific work, presentations or further information in this area.

Developments in national performance management arrangements

17. The Home Office is currently aiming to develop a coherent performance management framework. Work underway includes 10 interim top-level performance indicators, a new ‘domain’ based performance assessment framework, the Police Standards Unit to look at BCU level policing performance and plans to revise the resource allocation formula. Members may wish to discuss whether they wish to be just informed of these developments or whether the committee wishes to take a more active role.

18. Members may wish to suggest any other areas of work on which the committee wishes to concentrate over the coming year.

C. Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising from this report, although the work programme will involve issues of member and MPA officer support time required.

D. Background papers

MPA Annual General Meeting 27 June 2002 – Committee Terms of Reference

E. Contact details

Report author: Johanna Gillians and Derrick Norton, MPA.

For information contact:

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

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