Corporate business planning update

Report: 8
Date: 14 February 2008
By: the Director of Strategy and Modernisation on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report outlines the proposals for the critical performance areas for 2008/09 for PPRC agreement and also outlines progress in developing the performance challenge for 2008/09 including the target setting process.

A. Recommendation

That

1. members approve the critical performance areas for 2008/09; and

2. note progress on the work regarding the performance challenge for 2008/09 including the target setting process.

B. Supporting information

1. The critical performance areas (CPAs) for 2008/09 (Appendix 1) will feature in the Policing London Business Plan 2008/011 and are outlined in this document for approval.

2. This document also outlines the principles that were used in the development of the CPAs to ensure alignment with the Government’s new framework, as well as the MPS’ performance framework.

3. The methodology by which the targets are being negotiated to ensure compatibility between local and corporate targets is also outlined.

Principles for the development of the CPAs

4. In order to try to minimise the number of targets that business groups and OCUs are required to deliver, whilst ensuring delivery of the MPS-wide objectives, the following principles for the selection of the CPAs has been applied:

• CPAs are aligned to delivery of the MPS-wide objectives
• Where appropriate, an Assessment of Policing And Community Safety (APACS) Statutory Performance indicator (SPI) will be used as the CPA to monitor delivery of the strategy.

Proposed CPAs for 2008/09

5. An assessment of the overall critical performance areas (CPAs) has been undertaken using the principles outlined in paragraph 3, the results of which were taken to PPRC on 13th December 2007. At this stage the CPAs were in draft, and not fully agreed by MPS Management Board. As a result, it was decided that an extraordinary PPRC meeting would be held on 9th January 2008 to fully consider the CPA proposals.

6. The key actions arising from the extraordinary PPR meeting were as follows:

• The need to ensure that all CPAs are clearly defined and baselined. These should be included within the published 2008-11 Policing London Business Plan.
• The MPA agreed with the idea that progress against the Counter Terrorism strategy should be monitored but felt they needed more information on what would be reported before it could be endorsed.
• Within the CPA of ‘reduce serious youth violence’, the MPA requested that the MPS look at including a measure around reducing the victimisation of young people as well as offenders.
•  The CPA ‘disrupt more criminal networks’ includes a measure relating to the number of assets recovered. The MPA felt that this should also include the value of assets.
•  The sanction detection rate for supply of Class A drugs should include both the rate and the number of sanction detections.
•  Regarding the CPA ‘improve satisfaction with our service’, whilst the MPA understood the difficulties of surveying young people, it was felt that the needs of young people must be understood in order that we improve our service provision to them. For this reason, the MPA have asked that the MPS consider different approaches to engaging young people.

7. To ensure that there is a collective understanding of what is to be measured, the Strategic Planning team have developed a template to be used for each of the measures that outlines: the definition of the measure, what the source data is, the baseline target etc. These are in the process of being completed between the strategic leads, Performance Directorate and the Strategic Planning Team. These documents were not available at the time of submitting this report, but are expected by mid-February. This includes the Counter Terrorism CPA. Note, however, that APACS will not be finalised until March. This means that if a CPA is also an APACS measure it could be subject to change until APACS is finalised.

8. Following the meeting of 9th January, it has been decided that the measure relating to ‘reduce serious youth violence’ should be related to the victimisation of young people, in line with the MPS-wide objective of ‘Reduce serious violence and protect young people’ and the Youth Strategy.

9. Both the number and value of assets is now included as is the number of sanctioned detections for Class A supply.

10. The MPS is looking into the options for obtaining the views of young people in relation to the service that the MPS provides to them.

2008/09 performance framework

11. Each of the MPS-wide objectives has a delivery plan that includes what the key activities are for the forthcoming year, what measures will be used to monitor successful delivery of the objectives, who is responsible for delivery of each of the measures and targets where appropriate.

12. The CPAs have been derived from these delivery plans as the critical areas to monitor in determining successful delivery of the MPS-wide objectives.

13. In line with the principles outline in paragraph 3, APACS /PSA measures have been used where appropriate. This will allow Performance Board to monitor delivery of all of the MPS-wide objectives as well as the key indicators contained within the PSAs.

14. All Business Groups have outlined key activities and measures in support of the MPS-wide objectives and overall business need. These will be published in the Policing London Business Plan 2008-11 and will be monitored by Performance Board. These include APACS measures where appropriate.

15. All other APACS measures will be assigned a strategic lead within the MPS to ensure accountability for delivery.

The 2008/09 target setting process

16. In order to ensure consistency in target setting at the corporate and local level, the following principles are being adopted:

• target setting will be locally driven (e.g. BOCU led in concert with CDRP partners with the corporate target being the aggregate of the BOCU targets), unless there is compelling evidence to suggest otherwise, for example:
  • performance analysis at a corporate level indicates that there is a need to improve overall performance
  •  a corporate target has been agreed by Management Board/MPA as a result of a particular strategy
  •  a target has been imposed by an external stakeholder.
  • Where an indicator is part of a PSA and included in the national set but not chosen as a priority in the LAA, TP will determine the minimum standard required.
  • Targets will be negotiated in partnership with, and approved by, the MPA.

TP’s variable target setting process

17. In broad terms TP have applied the same methodology this year as was used in previous planning processes - in that wherever possible target proposals have been 'variable'; appropriate within the local context; and the result of 'bottom-up' process. This approach is not only in line with the Government’s guidance around the new PSAs, but it also has a proven track record for delivering bespoke BOCU targets that are both realistic and achievable.

18. BOCUs have arrived at their draft proposals as a result of consultation with key partners, at both CDRP and LSP levels. Although LAA targets have yet to be fully defined, Borough Commanders have been better informed than ever about how the MPS and LSP (LAA) processes are intended to mesh together, and will have taken account of both the internal (MPS) and external (LSP, GOL, Whitehall) pressures when proposing their particular MPS/LSP targets.

19. TPHQ are managing the process to ensure that the aggregate targets arising from the variable target setting process will result in an improving corporate target in line with Home Office guidelines.

20. The timing of this report will not allow for the results of the target setting process to be included within this document. However, TP will give a verbal report of the outcome of the variable target setting process at PPRC on 14 February. This will include the impact on over-arching MPS targets.

MPA involvement

21. The MPS/MPA’s performance development process is complicated by the assessment framework that the Government is in the process of implementing for the 2008-11 planning period. This includes APACS, Public Service Agreements (PSAs) and LAAs that will be agreed with Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs). This is a shift in emphasis from central government, from targets set at a corporate level to locally agreed priorities and targets with some associated funding.

22. As a result of this shift in emphasis, MPA members have been advised to become members of their local strategic partners to ensure they are involved in the local target setting process. In addition, BOCU Commanders have been instructed to ensure that they engage with their link members throughout the variable target setting process.

23. The MPS have attempted to ascertain which MPA link members are also members of their LSP. The MPS and MPA have contacted MPA members and have received responses from 11 people. It is clear from these responses that levels of engagement with LSPs varies considerably across the MPS. From the information obtained, it appears that 6 BOCUS have MPA link membership of their LSPs at Board level, but there is also a range of engagement at sub-group level across the MPS.

24. In addition, the MPS is endeavouring to keep members informed as the new process takes shape and starts to be implemented. For instance:

• The MPS and MPA jointly agreed the target setting principles in paragraph 3 and 2008/09 target setting process outlined in paragraph 16.
• The Strategic Planning team presented a comprehensive planning and performance document to the December 2007 PPRC that outlined how the corporate, local and Government assessment frameworks have been aligned.
• TP have emailed updates to members on the TP variable target setting and LAA processes.
• MPA officers are involved in the corporate and TP planning processes, attending fortnightly meetings and will also be involved in the variable target setting Star Chamber exercise to agree the proposed targets.

Future Key Dates

25. The key forthcoming meetings and dates in relation to the development of the Policing London Business Plan 2008-11 are as follows:

• 5 February 2008 – Agreement by Management Board to targets following TP’s variable target setting process
• 14 February 2008 – verbal report of TP’s variable target setting process results
• 4 March 2008 – Final agreement by Management Board to CPAs and targets
• 27 March 2008 – MPA Full Authority consideration of draft Policing London Business Plan, including proposed targets
• 31 March 2008 – Policing London Business Plan published.

C. Race and equality impact

There are no specific equality and diversity issues regarding the overview provided in this paper. Where the setting of a particular CPA and related target will have diversity implications (e.g. the proposal to use as a CPA the comparison of satisfaction for white users and users from minority ethnic groups with respect to the overall service provided), these will be considered in full when setting a challenging yet realistic target. Equalities impact assessment (EIAs) are in the process of being completed for each of the MPS-wide objectives.

D. Financial implications

There are no specific financial implications arising from this report, although the way in which the budget is aligned to delivering the MPS-wide objectives forms the basis for the integrated business planning process. The MPA have been involved with the planning process for 2008/09 through informal scrutiny processes and the formal Finance and PPRC committee where the budget and performance issues have been discussed. Any budgetary implications will have been factored into the draft 2008/09 Business Plan.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Angela Emery, Strategic Planning MPS

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Proposed critical performance areas (CPAS) for 2008/09

Improve victim satisfaction with our service

Percentage of victims satisfied with the overall service provided (from User Satisfaction Survey)

Improve equality of victim satisfaction with our service

The gap between the satisfaction of white users and users from minority ethnic groups with respect to the overall service provided

Support our counter-terrorism strategy

Progress against the achievement of milestones relating to the CT plan

Tackle serious violence

• serious violence rate (Tier 1)
• gun enabled crime rate
• OBTJ rate of serious violence and serious sexual offences (Tier 1)

Increase the domestic violence arrest rate

Percentage of domestic violence related offences that result in arrest

Reduce serious youth violence

• Percentage change in the number of under 20 year olds becoming victims of serious youth violence

Disrupt more criminal networks

This includes:

• the number of criminal networks disrupted
• the number of cases where assets recovered and value of assets recovered

Increase sanction detections for Class A supply

The number and sanction detection rate for the supply of Class A drugs

Deal with local concerns

Percentage of people who agree that police are dealing with ASB and crime that matter in their area

Tackle serious acquisitive crime

This includes:

• serious acquisitive crime rate (Tier 2: comprises robbery, burglary and MV crime)
• OBTJ rate for serious acquisitive crime (Tier 2)

Reduce road traffic casualties

Percentage change in people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions

Support for the development of the Olympics programme

Progress against the achievement of milestones with regard to the long term planning and preparation for the London Olympics and Paralympic Games

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback