This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Police performance report
29/09/2005
Proposals to refine the way the police service establishes its priorities and manages its performance, were published today by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.
The report 'Managing Improvement - A Thematic Inspection of Performance Management in the Scottish Police Service' found much has been achieved to develop performance management across the forces and in common police services but further progress was required.
Many examples of good practice were found, particularly in relation to leadership, ownership, accountability and review.
However, the review also found that the processes for communicating organisational priorities to front-line officers and those for reviewing performance of support departments were underdeveloped.
It also found there was substantial scope for development in relation to planning and priority setting, particularly at a national level.
There was also a recognised need to collect and process timely, reliable performance data at a force and national level, ideally supported by suitable IT.
HMIC has made 10 recommendations, including:
- Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) should establish a formal arrangement so that strategic oversight is applied when setting national priorities. This arrangement should include consultation with the Executive and the Accounts Commission and be timed to align with business planning cycles
- ACPOS should engage with the Executive and Audit Scotland on the establishment of a strategic steering group to co-ordinate performance measurement and reporting in the Scottish police service. The group should also conduct a review of existing performance indicators and targets, with a view to establishing a systematic approach to performance monitoring which meets the needs of all partners
- Forces and common police services should establish systems to ensure robust performance data can be captured easily and on a timely basis
- ACPOS, in liaison with the Executive, should pursue the procurement of suitable common IT solutions to support performance management across all Scottish forces as a top priority
Assistant Inspector of Constabulary Kenny McInnes said:
"Demonstrating good performance in a policing context is a complicated matter - particularly given the wide spectrum of police work from community safety to tackling international terrorism. This report shows that much has been achieved in developing performance management but if meaningful progress is to be achieved across the service, then ACPOS and its partners need to build on existing relationships and work together in a more coordinated way.
"The public, now more than ever, demand high standards of policing and expect to be kept informed of how the police are performing at local, force and national levels. Best value and the Executive's efficient government agenda also dictate that the police service needs to demonstrate that it is providing value for money. That requires accurate, reliable and timely performance information, gathered in a way that does not tie up valuable resources.
"I believe the recommendations in today's report recognise the efforts and progress already made at force and national level to improve performance management and seek to build on that firm foundation."
During the inspection HMIC undertook:
- An initial literature review and desktop research and academic opinion was sought from the Universities of Aston, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle and University College London
- Visits to six police forces in England, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Home Office, the Police Standards Unit and HMIC (England and Wales), together with a number of non police organisations
- Liaison with all relevant stakeholders
- Circulation of a comprehensive protocol questionnaire to all forces and common police services followed by visits during which senior management and relevant staff at all levels were interviewed