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SPA STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE OUR EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE

FRAMEWORK AND THE ROLE OF THE STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE

DIRECTORATE

PURPOSE

x To set out the Authority’s ‘Evidence Based Strategic Planning and Performance Framework’ and to explain the role of the Strategy and Performance Directorate in its delivery and maintenance.

BACKGROUND

x The SPA ‘Governance Policy Statement’ (June 2013) stated:

‘working in close collaboration with Police Scotland, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders, the SPA will continue to lead the development of the long term strategic vision and ensure the delivery of plans for policing in Scotland’.

x This position was formalised in the ‘Principles and Practice of SPA Steady State operations’ (agreed by SPA

members in August 2013) which stated:

‘The Strategic Police Plan is developed by the SPA in consultation with the Chief Constable and agreed with Scottish Government. This provides an overall strategic vision and plan for the delivery of the outcomes that policing will aim to achieve over the medium and long term, based on the policing principles, the Strategic Police Priorities and the Justice Outcomes.’

x Section 34(3) of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 makes clear that the Authority must make

arrangements for obtaining views on what the Strategic Police Plan should contain from those with an interest in policing. In addition, section 34(4) states that the Authority must involve the chief constable in the preparation of the strategic police plan and the chief constable must provide the Authority with such assistance as it may reasonably require in that regard.

x SPA has developed a Continuous Improvement Plan (February 2015) which sets out clearly how SPA’s

strategic planning and performance functions should develop. The relevant actions from this plan are set out Annex A.

THREE YEAR STRATEGIC PLANNING CYCLE TO DELIVER A TEN YEAR VISION FOR POLICING AND FORENSICS

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x The 3 year corporate and strategic planning cycle aligns to the realisation of a clear vision of what good policing and forensics will look like in the long term (10 years +) and that the vision is driven by evidence of current performance and also best practice, taking account of effective horizon scanning of the challenges and demands that may lie ahead. After Corporate Strategy 2017-20, each subsequent Police Scotland three year Corporate Strategy will set out clearly how the Strategic Police Priorities and Objectives captured in the SPA’s Strategic Police Plan (covering the same three year period) will be realised and facilitated through Police Scotland’s corporate activity; all of which should align to the long term strategic vision we will work to establish in the coming year, 2016-17. This strategic cycle is set out at Annex B.

x Policing and forensics will face numerous challenges going forward which extend beyond achieving sustainability in a challenging budget context and becoming ‘fit for purpose’ corporate and operational organisations. The changing nature of Scottish society, the changing nature of individual and community demands and expectations of policing and forensics, the changing nature of crime and many other long term issues require to be considered, weighed and prioritised in the development of a vision of the long term that is flexible enough to be adjusted but that gives some coherence to a long term destination that all of our activity over the next 10 years should contribute to or align with. Our Evidence Based Strategic Planning and Performance Framework will enable both the development of this vison and the adjustment of strategy to take account of a changing landscape.

WHY DO WE NEED A LONG TERM VISION FOR POLICING AND FORENSICS?

x To describe the service we want policing and the forensics service to become over the next decade. x To set a clear direction of travel and sense check for all short and medium term activity - does it

contribute to achieving our long term vision? x To maintain engagement and focus across our people as the change journey continues.

EFFECTIVE LONG TERM AMBITIONS AND A VISION FOR POLICING AND FORENSICS MUST:

x Set a clear direction from the top x Support a continuously improving operational approach across policing and forensics x Support continuously improving corporate services performance

x The nationally and internationally recognised hallmarks of Scottish policing and the SPA forensics service

are:

o Professionalism; o Innovation; o Flexibility; o Mobility; o Visibility o Accessibility; and o Effectiveness

x These are anchored to the core tenets of public services:

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a. efficiency and best value; b. openness and transparency; and above all c. accountability

x Achieving our ambitions and vision will mean that:

x Policing in Scotland is an exemplar of evidence-based preventative policing, delivering measurable and lasting outcomes with communities through collaborative and coordinated effort with partners, including other ‘Blue Light’ services, wider public services and the private and voluntary sectors.

x Policing in Scotland is structured and styled in a locally responsive way, reflecting the diverse needs of

different communities and the differing threats that they face, realising proportionate and equitable access to its professional services.

x Policing in Scotland demonstrates continuous improvement across all of its operational and corporate

functions and is financially sustainable.

x The SPA forensics service works effectively with Police Scotland and Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to deliver a crime scene to court forensics service which delivers national consistency, improvement and best value contributing to detecting crime and keeping people safe.

THE SPA’S EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK x The SPA will fulfil its responsibilities around long term strategic planning, performance management and

financial strategy through our evidence- based framework. This will ensure that analysis of short, medium and long term influences on policing and forensics underpins decisions on the development of the services and the associated programme of investment. We have developed this framework to ensure that analysis informs plans that anticipate and respond to drivers that will impact on policing in future. See Annex C.

x This Framework will enable us to:

o Detect environmental changes, take account of Government priorities, consider community perceptions and the public voice;

o Identify opportunities, risks and threats; o Understand Scottish policing’s strengths and weaknesses; and o Ensure that our approach to strategy, planning and performance management is underpinned by

evidence. x What will success look like?

o RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS: We will ensure that research, analysis and evidence of best practice

underpin strategic planning and decision making across Scottish policing as well as the Authority’s governance of the service;

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o ENVIRONMENTAL AND HORIZON SCANNING: We will maintain a strong awareness of environmental factors that are impacting on policing, and regularly look ahead to identify horizon issues that are likely to have a bearing on service delivery within policing;

o STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT: We will build the capacity to capture and disseminate information

and facilitate knowledge transfer, and make this accessible through the creation of a Strategic Development Toolkit that provides detail on strategic challenges and threats, and strategic opportunities around policing practice and solutions;

o COHERENCE ACROSS POLICING: We will work effectively with Police Scotland to ensure coherent

strategic and annual planning towards the achievement of a shared long term vision of policing that is in step with communities’ expectations;

o DRIVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ACROSS THE SPA: We will maintain a focus on improvement

through the Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF);

o STRATEGIC RISK IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT: We will ensure that risks to the successful delivery of the Strategic Police Plan objectives are identified and assessed by analysing risk and formulating risk mitigation actions and strategies to manage strategic risk; AND

o PERFORMANCE REPORTING, MONITORING AND ANALYSIS: We will ensure that best evidence is

identified, that we are clear on the impact of policing on outcomes, that we benchmark performance against identified best practice and that we rely on the best possible indicators of success across Police Scotland and the SPA.

PROGRESS TO DATE – SEPTEMBER 2015

x RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS / ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING: The SPA’s Strategic Development Programme’

(SDP) launched at the end of 2014 and informs the strategic planning process, consisting of a programme of strategic discussion, engagement, research, analysis and scrutiny that will enable SPA, their partners and critically, the public to develop a vision of future policing for the long term. A key component of the Strategic Development Programme is a Research Seminar Series (RSS). Invited speakers from academia and public policy, recognised as experts in their specialist fields, speak to areas of current and future interest, imparting their knowledge, experience and thinking around ‘what works’ in policing and ‘what good looks like’ in policing and forensics. Speakers and seminar attendees are encouraged to engage with one another in positive and constructive discussion at each seminar. The learning outcomes from each seminar provide an opportunity for SPA to develop its evidence-based approach to strategic planning, using the outputs and learning outcomes specifically to influence and shape SPA’s regular reporting, including the Annual Review of Policing The ongoing Research Seminar Series is devised and coordinated by the SPA’s Strategy and Performance Team. Since its inception, the RSS has explored issues of principal significance including social and demographic change in Scotland, youth justice, approaches to police performance management and

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assessment, preventative approaches in policing, leadership within policing, and wider public service reform in Scotland. The next seminar in the RSS is scheduled for November 2015 and will cover strategic risk management in policing. Attendee feedback is critical to the future success of the Programme. At the conclusion of each seminar, attendees are asked to provide feedback on the seminar’s achievement of its individual aims and objectives. This feedback will be collated and reviewed regularly by the SPA Strategy and Performance Team, who will use it to inform subsequent seminars in the programme.

x STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT: The Strategy and Performance Team is currently in the early stages of developing SPA’s Strategic Development Toolkit. The Toolkit will develop incrementally in conjunction with the wider Strategic Development Programme, bringing together opportunities for best practice and solutions to improve policing in Scotland. The Toolkit will also provide a steer to the newly established SPA Strategic Development and Transformation Forum (SDTF). The Toolkit is being designed in a way that presents opportunities for further consideration through the SDTF, beginning with initial scoping and feasibility study work. The Strategy and Performance Team intends to develop the Toolkit as a Microsoft Sharepoint site to make the material and learning as accessible to Members and Officers of SPA as possible.

x KNOWLEDGE HUB: The Strategy and Performance Team is in the early stages of developing an online Knowledge Hub Library that will provide interested parties with multi-disciplinary information on what evidence has emerged from commissioned research studies about what works to prevent crime, reduce harm and improve individual and community safety and wellbeing. It will also detail research in progress, outlining the scope and design of the research, who is providing the research and when the findings are expected to be published. This is with a view to reducing research duplication. The Strategy and Performance Team will work closely with Police Scotland and SIPR to develop the evidence-base and co-ordination of a research programme, regularly reviewing the underlying evidence-base that underpins policing policy and strategic direction. In terms of the strategic planning and performance function, the Team will draw on the evidence emerging from commissioned research to identify opportunities for improvement within policing, review strategic development considerations and support Members in their role as informed champions of Scottish policing.

x COHERENCE ACROSS POLICING: The SPA Chair has set out his clear expectation over recent months that there is one strategy for the long term in Scottish policing and that SPA and Police Scotland approaches to strategy do not come into conflict. Given where we are in the strategy development process it will be late this calendar year when evidence is being synthesised into a longer term vision and strategy which will then underpin the next Strategic Police Plan. At the same time Police Scotland will be implementing the Futures portfolio of corporate change and developing the next Police Scotland Corporate Strategy. There is a shared commitment to alignment between SPA and PS teams throughout this year to deliver both a Strategic Police Plan and a Corporate Strategy that run to 2020 and are coherent with the delivery of an overarching long term vision of policing in 2026.

x DRIVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ACROSS THE SPA: During 2014/15 SPA conducted two self-

evaluation exercises with the SPA Board (facilitated by the Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF)) and the Corporate Team (including SPA Corporate and SPA Forensic Services). Findings were collated and assessed and key areas for improvement were identified that formed a corporate SPA Improvement Plan that is currently being worked on across all business areas and will take us into 2015/16. This approach to

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continuous improvement will continue, with a further self-assessment programme planned every 18-24 months.

x STRATEGIC RISK IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT: Risk management is a key control that SPA uses to

support its governance, scrutiny, strategic support and strategic delivery functions. A tiered approach to risk is taken, ranging from strategic risks at Tier 1, Corporate Risks at Tier 2, and Business Area/Project Risks at Tier 3. SPA uses risk management processes to identify barriers to the delivery of objectives and mitigate against these identified barriers. The Strategy and Performance Directorate leads on risk within the SPA and uses a number of streams to identify risks, including:

x Horizon scanning x Results from internal and external audits x Results from inspections x Concerns highlighted by partners or stakeholders x Concerns highlighted through performance and financial reporting

The Strategy and Performance Directorate has committed to undertaken a strategic assessment of risk on an annual basis as part of the annual SPA Strategic Assessment. Risk will be analysed in terms of risks that have been identified, risks that have been closed, risks and how they relate to different categories (e.g. HR or ICT), and the varying extent and success of mitigating actions. Additionally, and new for the next Strategic Police Plan 2017-20, the Strategy and Performance Directorate will create and main a Strategic Risk Register and Scrutiny Assurance Requirement to assist with governance processes in relation to the Strategic Objectives contained within the Strategic Police Plan.

x PERFORMANCE REPORTING, MONITORING AND ANALYSIS: The Evidence Based Strategic Planning and

Performance Framework is underpinned by the four Strategic Policing Priorities set out by Scottish Ministers and the seven SPA Strategic Objectives within the SPA’s Strategic Plan which was published in March 2013. As such, it supports reporting against the Priorities and the underlying Strategic Objectives.

The four Policing Priorities are:

x Making Communities Safer x Readiness to Respond to Natural Hazards and Major Events x Delivering an Efficient and Effective Service, including Reform Benefits x Increasing Public Confidence and Reducing the Fear of Crime

The Strategic Performance Framework and is new for 15/16 onwards and gathers evidence from Police Scotland and external sources about levels and quality of service and public perception, aiming to provide a full picture on performance across policing in Scotland. It is made up of the following elements:

THE ANNUAL REVIEW OF POLICING – a statutory annual review of policing performance in Scotland

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THE STRATEGIC POLICE PLAN DELIVERY REVIEW – a public quarterly review of the evidence to support the Strategic Police Plan objectives and to inform the Annual Review of Policing

POLICE SCOTLAND PERFORMANCE REPORT – a public quarterly operational policing performance report aligned to the Annual Police Plan and Strategic Policing Priorities that includes both quantitative data and qualitative evidence.

SPA CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT – a public quarterly report that includes SPA corporate performance information including Forensic Services delivery

A SELF-ASSESSMENT MODULE for the SPA to assess its own delivery of its functions A PERFORMANCE ASSURANCE ROLE that provides analysis and assessment of data and information presented by Police Scotland and external partners. SPA Corporate Service delivery; SPA PERFORMANCE INFORMATION PIPELINE (PIP) As part of this assurance role and to keep Members up-to-speed with current performance evidence-building, the SPA Performance Information Pipeline(PIP) will provide short, regular performance products. For example;

x Summaries of weekly C3 assurance reporting that provide trend and variation analyses x Stop and Search assurance/compliance reports on Scott Report Recommendations x Assessment of implications arising from external inspection reports

These regular information products will ensure that at SPA Board meetings where quarterly performance information is discussed, Members are already in possession of succinct, targeted assessment of key policing performance evidence.

STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE DIRECTORATE – OVERVIEW

x The Strategy and Performance Directorate supports the Members in fulfilling their role as the strategic

leaders of Scottish policing, driving continuous improvement through effective and informed governance. The Directorate's work is focussed on developing the Authority as a centre of expertise in the development of policing strategy and assessment of policing performance, drawing on the best available evidence and developing the evidence base further. The Directorate’s aim is to provide insightful and objective analysis of policing performance, seeking to benchmark in order to drive improvement and ensure delivery of the aims and benefits of reform, whilst at the same shaping the strategic direction of policing.

x The Directorate provides the Authority’s strategic planning, policy, research, analytical, risk and performance management capacity. The team provide high quality analysis, data and evidence to underpin strategic policy choices and to assess progress against strategic priorities and objectives. Our priorities are to fulfil the SPA’s core roles of offering SPA members expert Advice, Assurance and Alternative thinking.

x Specifically, the Directorate will:

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x Assess the suitability of performance measures and drive improvement of these; x Establish access to information and data and provide advice and analysis of this; x Undertake survey work to test perceptions of policing; x Analyse and assess evidence of performance improvement and the delivery of reform benefits across

policing; x Develop the Authority as a research hub and centre of knowledge dissemination and undertake

effective horizon scanning of issues and risks; x Build partnerships across the policy, practitioner and research communities; x Build our knowledge of ‘what works’ to deliver effective policing in the long term

STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE TEAM ROLES

x There is a strong interrelationship between the roles performed by members of the strategy and performance functions, even though each function individually brings distinct disciplinary specialist knowledge and skills. The team roles are as follows:

Tom McMahon Director of Strategy and Performance

Leadership of function, providing direction, developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships across evidence based strategic planning and performance framework as well as on standalone policy issues.

Martin Smith Strategy Programme Lead

Providing the lead and direction to the strategic planning function and the underpinning strategic development and policy research activity, including policy development, risk management processes, and maintaining the linkage between strategy and wider SPA corporate functional activity

Lynne Clark Programme Development Manager

Leads on the coordination of the directorate’s strategic planning and development activities, and provides wider programme management support to SPA corporate activities including business planning, improvement planning and the Annual Review of Policing

Graham Stickle Risk and Policy Specialist

Leads on a tiered approach to identification of risks (strategic, corporate, business area and project-specific), risk analysis and assessment techniques, and risk mitigation; also provides specialist policy advice and development work to support SPA Corporate activities

Jackie McKelvie Performance Lead

Providing the lead and direction to the strategic performance reporting function including development of an evidence-based strategic performance framework to assess delivery of SPA‘s Strategic Police Plan, including external evidence sources e.g. international police benchmarking

Irene Magill Senior Performance Analyst (SG secondee)

Providing statistical analytical expertise as well as developing a data system to enable comparisons of recorded crime across local authority areas

Gordon Cook Policy and Performance Analyst

Providing a flexible analytical resource to deliver quality assurance of Police Scotland Policing Performance information; SPA monthly and quarterly corporate and strategic performance reporting; delivery of planned corporate self-assessment to support continuous improvement

Karen Dodds Policy and Performance Analyst (Temporary)

Providing support to both Strategy and Performance Lead and Director in relation to management of tasks; administration/secretariat of governance meetings/development events; daily environmental/horizon-scanning; performance analysis as required.

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What would ‘Good’ look like in policing?

Evidence of Progress in Delivering ‘Good’

Strategic Development Programme

Knowledge Hub

Strategic Development Toolkit

Annual SPA Strategic Assessment

Quarterly Strategic Police Plan Delivery Review

SPA Thematic Assurance Reports (Performance Information Pipeline)

Annual Review of Policing

SPA Corporate Performance (incl. Forensics Services)

3 Yearly Strategic Police Plan

LONG TERM (10 YEAR) VISION FOR POLICING

STRATEGY AND PERFORMANCE DIRECTORATE PRODUCTS

x For 2015/16 the Directorate will deliver the following, all of which contribute to shaping a 2026 Vision by developing the detail and establish a current baseline:

x The second Annual Review of Policing by Quarter 1, using the evidence base from 2014/15 Quarters 1, 2, 3 and 4, to build a compelling story for the public on progress made in the delivery of the Annual Police Plan and the aims and benefits of reform.

x The first iteration of a new, public-facing, Strategic Performance

Product called “Strategic Police Plan Delivery Review”. This product will provide a quarterly appraisal of both Police Scotland and the SPA’s progress on their journey towards delivery of the Strategic Police Plan, drawing on learning outcomes arising from the wider Strategic Development Programme, as well as wider evidence and data gathering. The product is delivered as part of regular quarterly Strategic Performance reporting to the Board.

x The first iteration of a new annual product for Members: SPA Strategic

Assessment (not to be confused with Police Scotland’s own Strategic Assessment). This high-level, succinct product looks ahead to the next annual planning year, identifying key priorities for Police Scotland and SPA in delivering against the current Strategic Police Plan and the longer term 2026 Vision. The Strategic Assessment will adopt a SWOT analytical framework, exploring internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external threats and opportunities, based on a combination of internal and external evidential sources. The timing of the first strategic assessment – December 2015 – is designed to enable Members to:

o engage constructively in the development of Police Scotland’s next Annual Police Plan 2016/17 o help with preparation towards review of the current Strategic Police Plan and o determine the next set of strategic objectives for the Strategic Police Plan 2017-20.

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE CYCLE The Strategy and Performance Directorate is using an Evidence-Led Strategic Planning Framework (ANNEX 1) to shape its medium-term strategic planning process (3-yearly and driven through the Strategic Police Plan) and longer-term defining of a vision for policing (10-yearly). The framework brings together knowledge from three landscapes and establishes where SPA is situated in the strategic planning hierarchy of relevance to policing in Scotland. The three strategic landscapes include (1) known challenges and changes in the dynamic external environment that impact on policing,(2) internal organisational factors and organisational change within policing and (3) community perceptions and needs (the ‘public voice’) in relation to policing, community safety and public service reform.

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The strategic planning cycle, which supports an overall long-term 10 year vision for policing, is illustrated in ANNEX 2. The diagram illustrates the overall cycle (and sub-cycles), reinforcing the importance of an ongoing and dynamic strategic development process within SPA to ensure that there is alignment between SPA’s vision, strategic priorities and objectives and what the evidence-base suggests looks good. ANNEX 3 – The SPA Strategic Performance Framework is evidence-based, drawing on existing best policing practice at local, national and international level, enabled by SPA’s developing environmental, horizon scanning and information management business processes, as well as partnership working with Police Scotland to identify key evidence and share information. An inbuilt research and analytical capability informs regular and targeted reporting on policing as well as complementary criminal justice, inspection and local authority partnership activity. The framework consists of internal and external SPA Corporate Performance reporting (including SPA Forensic Services) as well as the SPA Strategic Police Plan Delivery Review, a quarterly assessment of policing and external evidence. The Delivery Review’s aim is to present a current assessment of policing performance, reflecting on the efficacy of the partnership between SPA and Police Scotland in continuously improve policing and deliver the overall benefits of police reform. An Assessment Matrix has been used to evaluate the evidence collected by Police Scotland and SPA. The Matrix has been developed from assessment criteria previously used SPA’S Annual Review of Policing, a statutory document delivered every year and laid before Parliament. Evidence from this and subsequent quarters will build to inform production of the next Annual Review of Policing for 2015/16. The Matrix supports assessment as we ask the following questions; 1. HOW HAS THIS COMBINED EVIDENCE FROM SPA AND POLICE SCOTLAND ENHANCED DELIVERY OF EACH STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE? 2. DOES THE NEW EVIDENCE MEET A CERTAIN STANDARD IN TERMS OF ITS QUALITY, DEPTH AND COVERAGE? 3. IS THERE CONSISTENCY ACROSS SCOTLAND AND ACROSS EACH CRIME OR HARM GROUPING? Conducting a regular evidence review reflects a similar approach taken by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR), ScotCen and What Works Scotland in their 4-year evaluation of Police and Fire Reform, commissioned by Scottish Government. THE SPA EVIDENCE-LED STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK – POST-MARCH 2017 The Strategy and Performance Directorate’s work programme does not end in March 2017 with the implementation of the next Strategic Police Plan 2017-20. The strategy function and the performance function will each progress with activities as part of the overall, ongoing Strategic Development Programme and Performance Analysis Reporting capability in support of SPA’s ongoing corporate responsibilities:

x Quarterly Strategic Performance Reporting to the Board (Public Session) x Regular Thematic Performance Assurance Reporting to Members x Annual SPA Strategic Assessment x Ongoing Research Programme (commissioning projects) and development/maintenance of the

Knowledge Hub and Strategic Development Toolkit x Ongoing Strategic Development Programme (Think Tank Seminars, Conferences) x Support to Committees and the Strategic Development and Transformation Forum (and its Sub [working]

Groups)

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