Continuous Improvement Arrangements in the NI Policing Board 2011

Mr Kieran Donnelly, the Comptroller and Auditor General, today issued his report to the Assembly on Continuous improvement arrangements in the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Mr Donnelly said: ‘An effective partnership between the Policing Board and the PSNI is key to achieving continuous improvement in policing. While this is important to everyone in our society, it cannot be achieved by good will alone. Instead, it needs sustained effort, supported by arrangements that meet the needs of both partners.’

Background

Section 28 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 requires the 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 economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The Board is required to prepare and publish a performance plan for each financial year, detailing how the continuous improvement arrangements are to be implemented. Under the Act, the Board must also prepare and publish a performance summary. This report from the C&AG, the first following the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly, reviews the systems underpinning the plan and performance summary. It is not an audit of PSNI’s performance.

Main Findings

On the performance plan 2010-11 and the performance summary for 2009-10:

  • The Board has put in place 16 performance targets for 2010-11 outlined in the performance plan. The targets are reasonable, for example to increase the number of police officers assigned to front line roles by 600, and have clear deadlines for achievement.
  • The Board’s assessment of its own and the Chief Constable’s performance in 2009-10 is reasonable, and includes clear detail on the outturn against each performance target.
  • There is a continued focus upon quantitative targets. However, latest developments in policing put a greater emphasis on qualitative targets as a measure of performance.
  • The validation of data relating to each target is inconsistent. There is consequently a risk of inaccurate reporting of performance.

On the continuous improvement arrangements:

  • An independent review of how the Board carries out its functions - the Independent Assessment Report - included some positive findings, but also suggested several areas for improvement:
    • the Board has been slow to develop a strategic or corporate vision, effective strategic planning or an ethos of continuous improvement; and
    • there is little evidence of a systematic approach to value for money.

Key Recommendations

  • The Board should review its approach to assessing police performance. The Policing Plan should contain a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative indicators.
  • Data input to information systems used to generate PSNI performance information should be validated.
  • The Board should implement swiftly an action plan in response to the Independent Assessment Report.