Policing plan and strategy plan for 2004/05

Report: 15
Date: 10 Jul 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

The report gives a high level overview of the planning timeframe for the production of the 2004/05 policing plan.

A. Recommendations

That the Committee notes the high level timeframe proposed for the 2004/05 planning process .

B. Supporting information

Background

1. At the May Planning, Performance and Review Committee (PPRC) members considered a series of concepts that will underpin the 2004/05 planning process. The Planning Panel have met subsequently and discussed how the planning process might be developed this year in areas such as consultation and business planning and how these factors might influence the shape and sequence of the planning cycle.

Proposed timeframe

2. There was discussion at Planning Panel about bringing forward the priority and objective setting process, particularly as 2004/05 would form the second year of the strategy plan ‘Towards the Safest City – the strategy’. Members felt that on balance this might not be possible for the following reasons:

• A more iterative and extensive approach to public consultation would require more time to complete and analyse.
• The use of corporate strategic assessments for the first time to inform priority setting could not be achieved in a shorter timeframe.
• The timetable for the issue of the National Policing Plan is similar to last year (i.e. November) and this is likely to modify ‘local’ priorities.
• The structure and content of the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) will still be emerging

3. At Appendix 1 is a proposed high level timeline that sets out many of the key dates in the 2004/05 process where decisions are likely to be required and some indicative time periods to illustrate where activities such as consultation and strategic assessments might take place.

4. The timeline does contain specific Planning Panel and COP meetings which have been scheduled to discuss key points in the cycle such as the products from public consultation, from facilitated workshops and Management Board proposals on objectives, measures and targets. The workshops to discuss objectives have been organised for 6-17 October. The intention is that each workshop will have a particular theme and that there will be appropriate MPA member or officer representation.

5. The timeline should be viewed as illustrative only as it is subject to change and is not intended to represent all facets of planning activity. The high level summary is underpinned by a series of interrelated lower level timelines covering dedicated areas such as the financial planning process and the borough planning process.

Costing of policing objectives

6. Members have expressed a wish to be advised on the relative resource levels and costs attributed to the corporate objectives in the plan. This is not a simple process since the budget was constructed on business group and functional lines and not aligned to corporate priorities and objectives, which consume resources from a range of business groups. Additionally, the budget takes account of all ‘business as usual’ activities and not merely that proportion directed towards the objectives.

7. Corporate Planning Group is currently considering ways in which these objectives might be costed, given the data available and the format in which it is collected. Discussions are presently taking place with the relevant senior planning manager in each business group to examine the best approach to determining what additional resources are being directed towards the achievement of each objective.

Improvements in business group planning

8. At the 2003/04 debrief session members expressed their desire to strengthen the links between the key activities set out in the annual plan and the performance achieved. This is seen as beneficial in:

• improving the quality of planning at business group level;
• demonstrating that resources and activities are steered by the corporate objectives; and
• moving towards improved business planning in the MPS with closer links to budgetary planning and value for money.

9. Corporate Planning is about to commence an exercise to evaluate whether the supporting activities set out under each objective in the policing plan are still valid and, if so, whether they are under way. In addition, the lead department responsible for delivering the objective will be asked whether there are other, new, emerging activities that need to be taking place. This will then be incorporated into the performance reporting process for each business group so that the planning and performance processes become more closely linked.

C. Equality and diversity implications

At this stage in the development of the 2004/05 planning process there are no equalities implications, other than those considered routinely during design of the consultation arrangements.

D. Financial implications

The financial implications of the 2004/05 planning process will be taken into account as the Step Change growth programme develops and budgetary guidance from the Mayor is analysed.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: John Zlotnicki, Director MPS Corporate Planning Group

For more information contact:

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

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