Update on the planning process 2006/2007

Report: 14
Date: 8 December 2005
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report outlines the progress on the development of the high level objectives that underpin the operational corporate priorities for inclusion in the Annual Policing Plan 2006/2007. The Annual Policing Plan will form part of the one year delivery mechanism for the three year Corporate Strategy agreed by Management Board and the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) Full Authority in September 2005.

This report also identifies the high-level objectives that would deliver the Policing and Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) and Public Service Agreement measures, and identifies the areas where improved performance is required.

As part of the planning process, it has been agreed that the draft high-level objectives for the operational Corporate Priorities be presented as work in progress at both the MPA Full Authority meeting on the 6 December 2005 and the MPA Planning, Performance and Review Committee (PPRC) meeting on the 8 December 2005. Confirmation of the objectives will enable the target setting process to begin immediately.

This reports also updates on the published final version of the National Community Safety Plan (NCSP), which includes the National Policing Plan (NPP) as part of the NCSP.

A. Recommendation

That

1. Members provide feedback on the proposed high-level objectives; and
2. Members note the development activity required to undertake the target setting process

B. Supporting information

Introduction

1. The Corporate Strategy, agreed by the MPA Full Authority in September, has set the direction, strategies and priorities for the MPS. The priorities are:

• Safer Neighbourhoods
• Counter Terrorism, Security and Protection
• Organised Criminal Networks
• Capital City Policing
• Information Quality
• Citizen Focus
• Together

2. The 2006/2007 Annual Policing Plan will form part of the one year delivery mechanism of the three year Corporate Strategy. Other elements of the delivery mechanism will be included as part of the Met Modernisation Programme, which is currently under development. MPS Management Board reviewed the draft operational corporate objectives on 21 November 2005. It was agreed that the objectives be forwarded onto the MPA Full Authority meeting on the 6 December for members to provide feedback, and the PPRC meeting on the 8 December, for members to discuss the proposals in more detail.

Methodology for developing the High Level Objectives

3. The MPS Management Board lead accountable for each of the operational corporate priorities has nominated a working lead to develop the high level objectives that underpin the priorities.

4. Representatives from Strategic Planning, Corporate Performance and the National Intelligence Model (NIM) team have been meeting with the working leads and business group planners to shape the high level objectives included in Appendix 1. The objectives have been developed with a view to considering the inclusion of the PPAF measures where appropriate, and to ensure that the overall process is NIM compliant.

5. Within Appendix 1, the proposed high-level objectives for each operational priority have been set against the four strategic outcomes, which were agreed within the Corporate Strategy. These strategic outcomes are placed along the top of the table and are:

• Communities are confident in, engaged with and satisfied with our police service,
• Security is improved and the public feel reassured,
• Crime, disorder, vulnerability and harm is prevented and reduced,
• More offenders are brought to justice

6. The objectives have been viewed by MPS Management Board to check for consistency and cohesiveness. These will be further developed and an updated report will then be submitted to the MPA Full Authority in January 2006, through MPS Management Board. Work is ongoing to ensure that the measures, targets and activities take into account the results of community consultation, MPA Members’ feedback and the Mayoral priorities. The tight timescales are to enable work on target setting process for 2006/2007 to begin immediately.

Improvement in PPAF assessment

7. The Home Office issued its assessments of forces based on their 2004/2005 Statutory Performance Indicators and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s baseline assessments for that year. The assessment gave grades on seven domains for delivery of service and direction of travel on a four-point scale - excellent, good, fair and poor. The domains and the MPS's score were: Reducing Crime - fair; Investigating Crime - poor; Promoting Safety - poor; Providing Assistance - good; Citizen Focus - poor; Resource Use - good; and Local Policing - good.

8. It is important for the MPS to improve its assessment in the domains where it received either a fair or poor grading. The 2006/2007 Plan will incorporate the Statutory Performance Indicators (SPIs) that drive the assessments so that improving performance in those emerges as a clear priority. At the same time, it is important also to monitor performance in the domains where we are doing well so that it continues to be of a high standard.

9. Appendix 1 outlines the objectives that could deliver the PPAF and Police Service Agreement measures and highlights the areas where improved performance is required. Appendix 2 contains the 2006/2007 SPIs and the member of Management Board responsible for delivery. It is imperative that we align our PPAF and Policing Plan priorities clearly and unequivocally. It is proposed that the high level objectives form the basis for individual and collective objective setting as part of Personal Development Review’s for MPS Management Board members. Further links will be determined at the MPS Performance Board on the 30 November 2005.

The National Community Safety Plan (NCSP) incorporating the National Policing Plan (NPP)

10. This year, for the first time, the MPA and MPS prepared a joint response to the Home Office on the draft NCSP, which includes the NPP? The key points raised were:

11. The MPA/MPS support the approach to a more holistic strategy, joining up the police and other partners towards an increase in community safety. Accompanying this welcome development needs to be an appropriate governance structure with built in accountability to ensure that the other agencies deliver too.

12. Compared to previous years, the plan itself is more strategic and less tactical, thus allowing use of local knowledge to deliver the plan’s direction in the most appropriate way. This local flexibility is sensible. However, including targets such as 11,500 Community Support Officers merely constrains us in a different manner and is not helpful. It is a big step forward that ‘Terrorism’ is now a key priority. This sends out an unambiguous message regarding its importance to UK safety and security. A wider element of this is the police force’s role in resilience and emergency planning.

13. The absence of any financial information is of concern, whilst noting that the funding settlement will be published shortly. Naturally, an informed comment on the realism of the plan’s aspirations requires confirmation that sufficient resources will be made available for delivery.

14. The draft contains a series of actions for the police service in 2006/2007 and Corporate Planning Group has analysed these to check whether any additional MPA/MPS action would be required to ensure these are progressed. The actions were singled out for particular attention as it is assumed that the Home Office may want some reassurance and/or evidence that they are being taken forward.

15. Although the NPP is far less prescriptive than in previous years, there is likely to be an expectation that we will have progressed the specified actions. The analysis has shown that most of the draft actions are already in existing work programmes and so will not require any additional resource to progress them. Where reservations have been expressed (e.g. concerning the realism of the 2006/2007 action 'to develop an information and intelligence infrastructure across all forces via the IMPACT programme'), these have been raised in our response to the Home Office.

16. Overall the essence of the MPS Draft Corporate Strategy and the draft NPP align. Specifically the Government’s proposed five key priorities have a direct relationship with two of the MPS outcomes and six of the seven MPS priorities (the exception being Capital City Policing).

17. The Home Office took account of these comments in publication of the final version on 16 November 2005.

C. Race and equality impact

There are significant issues directly impacting on race and equality in this report, however, as part of the delivery plans for the high-level objectives, an equality impact assessment will be completed in consultation with the Diversity Directorate.

D. Financial implications

There are no specific financial implications arising from this report, although the development of the operational corporate priorities will determine in broad terms how the MPS proposes to utilise resources in 2006/2007.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Ross Daniels, Met Modernisation Programme

For more information contact:

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

List of abbreviations

• MPA – Metropolitan Police Authority
• MPS – Metropolitan Police Service
• PPRC – Planning, Performance and Review Committee
• PPAF – Policing and Performance Assessment Framework
• NPP – National Policing Plan
• NCSP – National Community Safety Plan
• SPI – Statutory Performance Indicators
• NIM – National Intelligence Model

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