Bureaucracy Taskforce report implementation

Report: 13
Date: 10 Jul 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report outlines the progress of the Bureaucracy Taskforce Implementation.

A. Recommendations

That the Committee

1. notes the progress made within the MPS on the Taskforce recommendations; and
2. appoints a member to take responsibility for driving/monitoring progress in addition to a force nominee coming from the Policing Bureaucracy Change proposals

B. Supporting information

Background to and copy of the evaluation template

1. The Anti-bureaucracy Team (ABT) (originally the Bureaucracy Task Force) was set up in June 2000 following a recommendation in the Annual Staff Survey. In June 2001 the Unit’s remit expanded to include the Learning Organisation and internal diversity issues, and the name was changed to the Central Advisory Team to reflect this change. It was soon recognised that Bureaucracy did not sit easily with the other elements, and the department split to create the DOIT (Development & Organisation Improvement Team) and the Anti-Bureaucracy Team (the name change was to prevent confusion with the new Home Office Policing Bureaucracy Task Force). The Anti-bureaucracy Team now sits within DCC2, as part of Reform and Growth.

2. When the Unit was first set up, the Commissioner's Action Plan was created following a number of focus groups, which were held to identify areas of unnecessary bureaucracy within the MPS. These were turned into initiatives for action and given a Management Board lead. Other departmental initiatives, including Clearing the Decks and a number of initiatives taken on directly by the Bureaucracy Team were added to the Plan and this was all monitored by the Team, with progress reported back to Management Board. Cost savings were included where appropriate.

3. In the second year, completed items were removed from the Plan and departments were required to come up with a further five items each to add to those which were still ongoing from the previous year. The Bureaucracy Team included a few further items that it had found directly and the remit was monitored as before. During the third year, completed items were removed leaving only those still ongoing. With the advent of the police reform process and Sir David O'Dowd's Home Office Policing Bureaucracy Task Force, the ABT became responsible for monitoring progress within the MPS on the 52 reports which resulted from the task force, reporting progress to Management Board, ACPO and Home Office as required.

4. A template was designed by Staffordshire police for local forces to use. This is updated regularly and sent to ACPO. This then feeds into the national template prepared by the Home Office. A copy of the current MPS template is attached.

Detail on how the template is being used/is planned to be used in the MPS

5. The template works in the following way. Each of the 52 proposals has a Management Board lead and a designated lead. The ABT monitors progress against the proposals, updates the template and reports to Management Board on a quarterly basis. Following meetings of the Policing Bureaucracy Implementation Steering Group the template is updated on national progress. This is fed to designated leads.

Information on how the template is being reported centrally through the ACPO intranet and reports to HMI

6. The template is sent to the ACPO Intranet site on a bi-monthly basis. This feeds into the national template, which is updated for the meetings of the Bureaucracy Task Force Implementation Steering Committee.

Information on how and when the MPA will monitor progress against the evaluation framework

7. There is currently no mechanism for the MPA to monitor progress against the evaluation framework. One suggestion would be to include the MPA in the distribution of the template when updates are sent to ACPO. HMI have requested that the MPA appoint a local member to drive/monitor progress on the change proposals

Comment on the marketing strategy for reducing bureaucracy and how this is being utilised in the MPS

8. There is no written marketing strategy for reducing bureaucracy at present, however a communication strategy is in the process of preparation.

9. Also, an Anti-bureaucracy web site has been created which explains the work of the unit, distributes good news, seeks suggestions and includes a copy of the 52 change proposals template.

10. Strategically, all MPS policies will be reviewed by December 2004 through the medium of the Policy Clearing House. All policies will have a bureaucracy review. In addition, all new policies will be scrutinised for unnecessary bureaucracy.

11. The ABT is aiming to mainstream anti-bureaucracy into the strategic consciousness of the organisation. Aiming not only to deal with bureaucracy in existing process management but also to design out bureaucracy at policy inception. The chosen mechanism is the 17 Strategic committees. Papers have been written on policy and form creation and are currently being trailed with the Human Resources and Criminal Justice committees. Papers have also been written on form creation.

12. One of the 52 change proposals is the creation of a Police Forms Editorial Board. A national body, whose aim is to introduce national forms, realise opportunities to reduce bureaucracy arising from new legislation and provide forces with a template for ergonomic design and development of forms. The MPS has identified over 1300 forms, from a collection of over 3,000, that are suitable for discontinuance. A Police Notice will be issued shortly to publicise this. A forms strategy has been written and will ensure all forms are “fit or purpose”.

13. A service suggestion scheme will be produced, linked into the web site, where practical improvement ideas can be identified. Coupled with focus visits by the ABT to BOCUs and departments, with successes advertised on the web site. This will ensure a “top down, bottom up” approach and demonstrate real and tangible results.

There is a significant opportunity for the ABT to impact on reducing bureaucracy through liaison with the MPS Inspectorate. Through thematic inspections, local inspections of pan-London units, Specialist Operations and Specialist Crime OCUs and compliance checks. This area of work has yet to be progressed.

15. Prevention and cure. An awareness at the strategic level to vet policy for bureaucracy combined with a tactical approach to cure existing barriers to effective and efficient working.

16. The above will ensure an effective marketing strategy is in place to reduce bureaucracy.

Any other information the MPS considers relevant/useful for MPA Consideration

17. The change template is only one strand of the work of the ABT, albeit the most important. Many of the change proposals are coming to fruition and will require evaluation by the various inspectorate methods available. New initiatives are required to maintain momentum. A mechanism is required to identify possible future process improvements.

18. From April 2003, HMIC increased the number of lead staff officers. These will routinely visit every force on a quarterly basis to examine progress being made in relation to the implementation of the Policing Bureaucracy Change proposals. This will include identifying any savings of efficiencies attached to the recommendations and more detailed inspections of individual recommendations. All forces will be examined between July and September 2003 and a baseline assessment compiled by March/April 2004. It is asked that the MPA appoint a member to take responsibility for driving/monitoring progress in addition to a force nominee.

19. HMIC plan two major thematic inspections for 2003, gun crime and a review of civilianisation. The latter has significant implications for bureaucracy. The following change proposals impact on this, prisoner transportation, detention management, call handling, retired officers database, civilianisation, reducing the burden of best value, crime recording and volunteers.

C. Equality and diversity implications

See attached template

D. Financial implications

See attached template

E. Background papers

• MPS template on Taskforce Recommendations

F. Contact details

Report author: Chief Inspector Keith Lunson, DCC2 (2)

For more information contact:

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

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