Update on Policing Plan 2004/05 - supplementary paper

Report: 14b
Date: 9 October 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

The report highlights the issues that emerged from the Commissioner’s planning conference including the proposed priorities for 2004/05, and some further details about the workshops to be held in October.

A. Recommendations

That

1. the key issues emerging from the Commissioner’s conference be noted;
2. the proposed policing priorities for 2004/05 be agreed;
3. the proposals for planning workshops be noted; and
4. the developments on business planning be noted.

B. Supporting information

Commissioner’s conference

1. Delegates at this year’s conference were invited to discuss the establishment of next year’s priorities using the ‘Towards the safest city’ (Ttsc) framework and informed by the results of public and staff consultation and, for the first time, the Corporate Strategic Assessment (CSA).

2. The messages emerging from conference were:

• There was full engagement and participation
• Three key areas required particular operational focus
• Need to deliver against a range of performance measures across policing operations
• Need to manage a complex major business change programme
• Need to improve the planning process and develop better links with the budgetary process
• Need for a simpler corporate plan accompanied by better planning at business group & OCU level

Policing plan 2004/05

3. The MPS is of the view that the policing plan for 2004/05 must address the risks to London associated with terrorism and serious crime and, at the same time, provide a plan for Londoners that helps to address reassurance and deal with the fear of crime.

4. The three priority areas that the MPS therefore proposes to the Authority are:

• Securing the capital against terrorism
• Tackling serious crime; and
• Providing reassurance to Londoners

5. The nature of the risk and the required intervention under each proposed priority is still being developed by the relevant Management Board lead and will be set out for members in more detail in due course.

Development of business planning

6. It is recognised that if the MPS is to justify current funding, and to pursue an increase in that funding to support the creation of community based policing, it is essential to demonstrate that resources are being deployed efficiently and effectively in support of the corporate priorities.

7. The MPS is therefore embarking on improved business practice on planning and redefining what planning is about. This includes:

• Ensuring that the corporate plan is focused purely on corporate concerns
• Integrating corporate planning into financial assumptions (e.g. top slicing to fund corporate programmes)
• Allowing business groups to plan within defined corporate parameters
• Developing bespoke targets for OCUs based on their own locally identified issues
• Fully engaging the support side of the organisation to ensure that business group plans are compatible

7. The planning parameters for OCUs to follow when compiling their own plans will be set at a business group level. The National Intelligence Model (NIM) provides the framework for the right decisions to be made at the right levels and the MPS will ensure that its staff have the appropriate skills to make those decisions.

8. For this year the policing plan will probably be in a transitional format, retaining some of the traditional structure (while focusing on fewer priorities) but introducing some improved business planning developments as described in paragraph 6.

Planning workshops

9. Discussions will be taking place within the MPS with the Assistant Commissioners with the lead responsibility on each priority on how to take those priority areas forward, this will possibly be through the use of workshops. By the time that the PPRC meeting takes place there may be more detail available. Six dates have been provisionally scheduled (see earlier report) and some of these may be used if the appropriate people are available.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The equality and diversity issues have been highlighted in the earlier planning report submitted to this PPRC meeting.

D. Financial implications

The financial implications arising from this report surround the links to the corporate budgetary allocation process.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Michael Debens, MPS Corporate Planning Group, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback