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3 MANAGING PERFORMANCE
Performance management is an activity of tracking performance against targets and identifying opportunities for improvement to allow for delivery of a better quality service. To manage performance an organisation should:-
- Know what its aims and objectives are
- Know what has to be done to meet objectives
- Know how to measure progress towards objectives
- Be able to detect poor performance and take corrective action
Our information was obtained in face to face meetings, an analysis of Crown Office statistics, the Grampian Area Business Plan and other documentation and the case review.
Targets:
Key operational targets and supporting internal targets identified by the Grampian Area are as follows:
Target 1
60% of Sheriff Summary and District Court cases disposed of within 26 weeks of the date of caution and charge by March 2008 [Joint target with Justice Portfolio].
Supporting Internal Targets:
- To take action in 75% of crime reports within 5 weeks of receipt
- To issue 90% of complaints for service at least 3 weeks before a pleading diet
- To complete investigation of complaints of criminal conduct by police officers and advise complainer of outcome within 10 weeks of report to Procurator Fiscal in 60% of cases and within 12 weeks in 90% of cases
- Procurator Fiscal to provide initial response to preliminary report of complaint against the police within 7 days
- To achieve a 100% approval level of the quality of investigation and decision making in the random selection of complaints against the police case examined annually by the Inspectorate
Target 2
To implement agreed recommendations of COPFS Inspectorate's Review of the prosecution of racial crime by March 2006 and other agreed recommendations of COPFS Inspectorate's Reviews within two years of such agreement.
Target 3
Serve indictments in 80% of Sheriff and Jury cases that involve bail within eight months of first appearance on petition by March 2008.
Supporting Internal Target:
- Procurator Fiscal Offices to report 75% of custody cases to Crown Office by 60th day from full committal and 95% by the 70th day (subject to meeting last service dates)
Target 4
To serve all High Court indictments that involve bail within 10 months of first appearance on petition and 80% within nine months of first appearance on petition by March 2008.
Supporting Internal Targets:
- Procurator Fiscal Offices to submit 80% of well prepared High Court bail cases to Crown Office within 8 months of CFE (Continued for Further Examination) date
- Procurator Fiscal Offices to submit 100% of well prepared High Court bail cases to crown office within 9 months of CFE date
Target 5
In partnership with Justice portfolio, reduce by 10% the level of High Court trial diet adjournments by March 2008.
Target 6
To communicate court bail decisions within 24 hours to 90% of victims in cases in which the accused has appeared from custody by March 2008.
Supporting Internal Target:
- To achieve 85% customer satisfaction levels amongst survey respondents
Target 7
In deaths which require further investigation, to conclude investigation and advise next of kin of outcome within 12 weeks in 80% of cases.
Supporting internal Targets:
- Procurator Fiscal Offices to conclude enquiries in 80% of deaths not requiring further investigation within 6 weeks
- Crown Office to issue instructions within 5 working days of receipt in 80% of cases
- Procurator Fiscal to hold mandatory FAI (Fatal Accident Inquiries) within 24 weeks of report received in 95% of cases
- Procurator Fiscal to hold discretionary FAI within 16 weeks of receipt of Crown Counsel's instructions
Practice Followed by the Area in Managing Performance:
The Grampian Area Business Plan details the targets and performance that should be achieved. This is available to all staff and can be found on the Intranet.
Office Managers are required to complete and submit monthly statistics to Crown Office on performance against targets. Statistics are produced by the Management Information Team at Crown Office which are forwarded to the Area Team who keep a record of performance for all offices in the Area and use them to show progression over the years, analyse peaks and troughs and performance over the longer period. This is of assistance if an approach has to be made to Crown Office, for example, for further resources.
The Area reports that the information received from Crown Office Management Information Division is adequate. It is discussed at the Area Team Meetings 12 which take place every two months.
District Fiscals and Office Managers advise that they also monitor performance for their own office and discuss issues with staff at team briefings which usually take place once a month. In addition to this the Area Team will discuss performance with staff at office visits which take place every two to three months.
The above procedures of monitoring performance allow management to address areas of poor performance and agree steps that should be taken to address them.
Achievement of Key Targets:
On examination of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service management information relating to key targets for April 2006 to March 2007 and April 2007 to September 2007 we found that the Grampian Area as a whole met the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service internal targets for serving indictments in custody and bail cases, take and implement decision 13 (initial case marking), the investigation of routine deaths and the investigation of 80% of deaths within 12 weeks. They also met the Complaints against the Police 10-week target for period April 2006 to March 2007 - this target was withdrawn from April 2007. Of the all the relevant targets in this period the Area only failed to meet one - closing 90% of Complaints against the Police within 12 weeks although this was just narrowly missed at 89%.
We were informed that there is currently a shortfall between Petition cases and precognitions reported to Crown Office in the Aberdeen office. This is being addressed using the Fast Track System.
We were also advised that there are ongoing court pressures particularly in Aberdeen and Elgin. To address this an agreement has been made for an additional daily court for undertakings (where an accused has been released from custody to appear at a later date) in Aberdeen and for additional Sheriff and Jury sittings at Elgin to address the increase in solemn business there.
It is to the Area's credit that targets continue to be met despite the severe shortage of staff and increasing pressure of work. The Area is fortunate that they have the good will of staff who are committed to doing their best to get through the work. It is essential the measures already taken to address the staffing issues continue (see Chapter 7 - 'Staff Management').
Achievement of key targets for period April 2006 to March 2007 and April 2007 to September 2007 are shown in a table at Appendices 2 and 3.
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