Continuous Improvement Arrangements in Policing 2026

Section 28 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 requires the Northern Ireland Policing Board to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which its functions, and those of the Chief Constable, are exercised, having regard to a combination of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The Board is required to prepare and publish a performance plan (Annual Performance Plan) for each financial year. The Board also has to prepare and publish a Performance Summary of the Board’s assessment of its and the Chief Constable’s performance in respect of the previous year.

Under section 29 of the Act 2000, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) is required to audit the Performance Summary and Annual Performance Plan and, and to send a report to the Board, the Chief Constable and the Department of Justice.

This report to the Assembly on continuous improvement arrangements in policing summarises the findings of the C&AG's audit of the:

• Performance Summary for the year ended 31 March 2025; and
• Annual Performance Plan for the year ended 31 March 2026.

The report gives an unqualified audit opinion on the Performance Summary for the year ended 31 March 2025 and the Annual Performance Plan for the year ended 31 March 2026, with two recommendations for the attention of the Board and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).