Home Office Police Authority Chief Executives Event – Preparing for Police and Crime Commissioners

Home Office

1st Interactive Session

Preparing for a new Government

– Lessons for preparing for PCCs

Oscar Ramudo

Police Reform Unit

Home Office

1. Preparing for PCCs & their priorities (1 of 3)

• Follow media: identify key issues raised in debates, news, interviews

• Analyse your candidates’ backgrounds – look at skills, experience, special interests, use Google, Wikipedia etc

• Ensure all candidates get equal access to information – don’t do something for one candidate that you are not prepared to do for another

1. Preparing for PCCs & their priorities (2 of 3)

• Read manifestos and think about:• What policies will need consultation• What can be implemented immediately• How to time delivery• Information that the PCC may/will require to make informed

decisions about delivering manifesto promises - identify potential risks and mitigation

“The actions you take during your first three months in a new job will largely determine where you succeed or fail. Transitions are a period of opportunity, a chance to start afresh and to make needed changes in an organisation. But they are also periods of acute vulnerability because you lack established working relationships and a detailed understanding of your new role. If you fail to build momentum during your transition, you will face an uphill battle from that point.”Michael Watkins, The First 90 Days, p.1

1. Preparing for PCCs & their priorities (3 of 3)

• Briefing content – initially for candidates and then for PCCs • Feeding into National level briefing – centrally commissioned via project

5b of the PCC Transition Programme• Local level – locally commissioned via APACE with some Central

Government and input• Regional level – locally commissioned to form part of wider local level

briefing – eg collaboration agreements• Example briefings will be made available

• Important to minimise burden on police forces when producing material for candidate/PCC briefing

• when commissioning material ensure that: i. The task is clear with clear deadlines & a clear example to followii. Support is available to forces if they have any questionsiii.  We emphasise that the vast majority of material required should already exist

in some formiv. We emphasise that this process is designed to save them time in the long run

2. What PCCs will want & need to know about the force &issues locally (that they may not already know)

• Different approaches to briefing – consider what format to use• Oral, written, long, short, PowerPoint, Word

• Don’t assume they know it, don’t assume they will read it• Performance data including examples of actions underway

to minimise bureaucracy?• Criminal Justice Performance?• HMIC reports?• Demographics?• Public perception?• Social and economic?

“Imagine preparing for a new job by working flat out travelling the country for six weeks and then go a few nights without sleep.”

           Alistair Campbell, Diaries, Thursday, 1 May 1997

3. Presenting local challenges & issues

• PCCs will have a partial picture regardless of how informed they are

• Completing the picture to assist delivery without obstructing is key to gaining their trust

“The transition of power between administrations places the spotlight on the permanent institutions of the state [...]. The leaders of the permanent public service provide continuity between administrations. Their ability to earn and retain the trust of successive administrations is a critical factor in the smooth transition of power from one group of elected officials to another.”

Public Policy Forum, 2001, p.27

Table discussions: Preparing for the 1st 100 days

Question A for Tables: 1, 2 & 3• After you’ve said welcome & hello, what next? Identify 10 broad

issues to be dealt with for:• Day 1• Week 1• Month 1

Question B for Tables: 4 & 5• How do you prepare to deliver your PCC’s priorities and what

else should they also prioritise for their area post election?

Question C for Tables: 6, 7 & 8• What are the challenges for those new to working in the public

sector/CJS? – How to address them?• What are the challenges for those experienced in working in

the public sector/CJS? – How to address them?

2nd Interactive Session

Working with Ministers, PCCs & Elected

Office Holders

Gareth Redmond

Police Transparency Unit

Home Office

1. Your PCC (1 of 3)

Establishing an effective relationship with your PCC

• Need to understand and establish your PCC’s preferences early

• Consider organisational issues in advance, analysing strengths and weaknesses of your existing team with potential options for how to form the OPCC

• Expect change – be prepared to move away from existing ways of working and taking a new and fresh approach

1. Your PCC (2 of 3)

Promoting & delivering your PCC’s decisions

• Must help your PCC to promote and defend their decisions, even if you advised against them – it is vital that their programmes are professionally promoted and defended in order to achieve their objectives

• You will be responsible for delivery and implementing on the ground, whether that be delivery directly or indirectly through others – focus on ensuring the delivery of worthwhile outcomes, working closely with delivery partners both inside and outside the police

1. Your PCC (3 of 3)

Supporting your PCC

• Ensure you control access to your PCC in a constructive way – plan out who they would want to meet in the first few days, weeks, month

• Get involved in priorities – both development and forward planning

• Manage the workload – briefing requests, speeches, diary invitations, letters, scrutiny meetings and record and follow up actions including commitments made on visits, in phone calls etc

• Adopt a strategic approach to communications

2. Informing/Making Policy

Informing your PCC’s decisions

• Be prepared to give frank advice to your PCC before they make decisions

– they will need it

• Advice should be private, honest, informed and expect to face them with the truth even when it turns up in an inconvenient form

3. Effective ways of doing business

Single accountability vs collective accountability

• Consider potential governance models for single accountability and consider suitable options for your force area depending on existing structures within the force and their preferences for performance management frameworks and perceptions of key risks in the area etc

• Be prepared to throw out the received wisdom on ‘how things are done’ and don’t get stuck defending past policies or the status quo. There needs to be a fresh mindset and approach

Table discussions: Working with Ministers, PCCs and Elected Office Holders

Question A for Tables: 6, 7 & 8Your PCC

• What are the different ways of working that PCCs may bring with them?

• How do you plan to identify these & alter existing ways of working?

Question B for Tables: 1 & 2Informing/Making policy

• When/in what circumstances will you advise?• What form will it take?

Question C for Tables: 3, 4 & 5Single accountability vs collective accountability

• What are the challenges?• How to address them?

Next Steps

Feeding back the top ten issues

we have heard today

Summary of the key points raised throughout the Chief Executives’ Event (1 of 2)

• Take a constructive stance & be in no doubt of the legitimacy of the office. They are entitled to implement their agenda.

• Establish a working relationship in person rather than through endless pages of advice

• Change in: • risk - political, personal decisions and how this is to be approached

not just by the PCC but also the CC• functions - governance & strategic direction moving to governance

& executive decision making• governance - getting things done, gearing up now for November

• Preparing for day one - understanding the manifesto, diary, engagement with media, establishing & maintaining relationship with LAs & other partners.

Summary of the key points raised throughout the Chief Executives’ Event (2 of 2)

• Quickly deciphering what are firm commitments & what are aspirations, utilising local strategic assessments, knowing other partners priorities as well as keeping an eye on the national!

• Establishing working relationships with Chief Constables will be key

• Honest and clear advice – with pros and cons set out

• Personalities cannot be planned for but must be quickly adapted too – expect variation

• In terms of Partners – clarity is required on guidance – Home Office will produce some but PCCs are part of localised agenda

• Importance of partners – engage them locally on transition

CPG and Police Authority Chief Executives Proposed Buddying Scheme

Purpose and aim: • Allow Chief Executives to get an insight into what it is like to work with

elected individuals (Ministers) and deal with the demands that may arise

• Assist Chief Executives to understand how their roles may change when PCCs take office

• Provide CPG colleagues with real-life exposure to the preparations required to transition and implement a flagship Government policy on the ground and have the chance to make the most of any exposure resulting from the proposal to identify any opportunities to deliver our policies

• Help CPG/Home Office to inform how we will need to alter our ways of working to best fit the new policing landscape

• Allow all to establish mutually beneficial relationships, which can be continued once PCCs take up office

CPG and Police Authority Chief Executives Proposed Buddying Scheme

Interested?

How to sign up:•Each table has a sign up sheet •Please complete it with all your details and we will be in touch•If you’d like any further information contact

Şirin Geҫmensirin.gecmen@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk020 7035 8971