The Accenture review (Mayor’s scrutiny) of the Directorate of Professional Standards and the Directorate of Legal Services

Report: 8
Date: 18 July 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report highlights the initial stance taken by Accenture in their review of how the Directorate of Professional Standards and the Directorate of Legal Services deals with the issue of compensation. It details the results of their week-long scoping study which led to the MPA Board terminating the scrutiny after five days rather than the forty days given over to this work.

A. Recommendations

Members are asked to note this encouraging decision.

B. Supporting information

1. Under the rolling programme of efficiency scrutinies Accenture were due to conduct a review of how the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), together with the Directorate of Legal Services (DLS), deal with the broad issue of compensation.

2. This work, which is headed by the lead consultant Indra Morris, commenced with an introductory meeting on the 16th May 2002 attended by members of Accenture, DPS and DLS. Accenture proposed a preliminary hypothesis which was unacceptable to the MPS. This preliminary hypothesis read as follows:-

• “Considerable improvements could be made to the management of compensation claims that could potentially:-
  • Reduce the cost of claims to the MPA
  • Improve the service to complainants e.g. speed of resolution.
  • Reduce the negative effect of claims on MPS staff and on MPS reputation.
  • The MPS could better apply its skills in risk management to the management of compensation claims”.

3. The MPS proposed an alternative terms of reference as follows:-

• The overall objective of the Accenture Review is to examine and report on the systems and methods used by the Metropolitan Police Service in its handling and prevention of civil litigation taken against the service.
• In particular, the following areas of claims handling will be reviewed:
• Malfeasance cases – Civil Actions Unit and the Directorate of Legal Services.
• Employment Tribunals – Employment Tribunals Unit and DLS.
• Accident Claims – Accident Claims Unit.
• The review will compare MPS systems and methods against examples elsewhere.
• The review will suggest improvements to efficiency and effectiveness within the MPS including risk management systems.

4. Accenture agreed these terms of reference and commenced their scoping study on the 17th June 2002. They were provided with DPS and DLS liaison officers to create the timetable of work for Accenture, provide the necessary documentation and arrange the logistics of the interviews and focus groups that would be required during the course of the review.

5. At the conclusion of this first week of scoping, Accenture requested that the joint DPS/DLS Board that had heard their initial hypothesis be reconvened. The purpose of this was to discuss a draft presentation which was due to be presented to the Metropolitan Police Authority Project Board on the 25th June 2002. Within this presentation Accenture pointed out that in the case of Accident Claims volume of cases was down by 12% for the year 2000/2001, Civil Actions were down by 17% and Employment Tribunals new cases were down by 12% since 2000/2001. They were able to point out that the MPS is taking concerted action across a number of areas which they highlighted as follows:-

Strategic

• Emerging corporate risk management approach.
• DPS: the introduction of an intelligence led partnership-based approach for targeting and preventing civil actions, employment tribunals and accident claims.

Organisation

• Corporate risk manager being sought.
• Civil actions, employment tribunals and accident claims brought together within DPS.
• The setting up of a strategic intelligence desk within DPS targeting hotspots and applying the National Intelligence Model.

Financial

• Actions to control costs evident, e.g. proactive case management.
• Best Value efficiencies; redeployed posts to front line and recycling savings into the strategic intelligence desk and preventative activity.

Management

• Key corporate actions such as the diversity scheme, safer driving policy and giving evidence video/training.
• Civil actions, employment tribunals and accident OCUs all driven by action plans and data collection.
• DPS/DLS: professionalism, leadership and shared goals evident.

6. This encouraging insight from the Accenture team led to them proposing three options to the MPA Board on the 25th June 2002. The first option was that the work should focus on prevention in one of the main compensation areas, but pointed out that given the activity that they had witnessed the potential cash savings were limited. The second option was to quality assure the progress on the Willis Report of risk management and its implementation by the MPS. Given the progress being made by the MPS and the MPA in this field this suggestion did not find favour with the Treasurer of the MPA or the lead officer within the MPS.

7. The final option presented to the Board was to drop the review altogether. Accenture pointed out that this was a very unusual stance to take. The MPA Board heard this presentation on the 25th June 2002 and came to the conclusion that this latter option was eminently sensible and brought the Accenture work within DPS and DLS to a premature conclusion.

8. Members of Professional Standards and Complaints Committee of the MPA are invited to note this satisfactory position. It is an independent acknowledgement that the current direction of the DPS and DLS, in particular the preventative regime being developed under Strand 5 of the Professional Standards Strategy, is entirely sensible.

C. Financial implications

The MPA Board in bringing this review to an early conclusion has now created the opportunity to apply the available freed up time to an area of policing where greater savings may be accrued. In addition the unquantified but nevertheless substantial opportunity costs involved in DPS/DLS servicing this review have been avoided.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

Report author: Phillip Hagon, MPS.

For information contact:

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

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