Tuesday 22 March 2011

Collaboration

Collaboration.

I am at the Essex Kent or Kent Essex conference re Collaboration. An impressive array of speakers and views. Well done you two, and professionally supported by NPIA with some great sponsors.

Some thoughts so far.

Within the service we are faced with a real challenge of creating an affordable and balanced budget against considerable reductions in income.
This equates to about 20% over the next few years.
A simple option is to “salami slice” budget headings in equal proportion. This is not the most effective approach as it fails to recognise certain priorities like supporting visible patrol or the provision of basic support to deliver services

Having identified a range of priorities and outlined those areas that could take a disproportionate cut, a budget emerges.

At the same time we are undertaking a massive programme of reform including ISIS, NCA,ECA the demise of NPIA, Wasserman Review, Neyroud review of management and of course Winsor and Hutton. With Winsor 2 to come soon.

We are also being courted by the private sector and asked to open up to outsourcing or collaboration with either them, or other forces.

On top of this mergers are essentially out.

An interesting time to be a police leader, as well as the day job of delivering policing.

Today we have several definitions of collaborating ranging from the dictionary to the literal.
A range of people outlining how it has worked to create savings in forces such as Kent and Essex as well as others.

The challenges create some interesting questions about governance and speed of delivery. But nonetheless some really useful examples of how to work closer. All served up with a taste of reality that the HMIC will again be popping in to see how we are doing.

Views from the Policing Minister and others suggest that we are slow at collaboration. Others, that we have done more than other sectors.

On first analysis we will need to analyse all the contributions today and come to some conclusions.

I did like the simple approach from one speaker who identified the need for:

1.      Agreeing the benefits
2.      Speed up the decision making
3.      Get the 3 enablers (IT £ and HR) right at the start
4.   Above all, accept that any collaboration will produce benefits beyond cash.

The final comment, that you will never get it all worked out before the agreement, was helpful. Equally that there needs to be a high level of trust throughout, is also essential

A useful day and some valuable networking with colleagues, both police and private sector.

More tomorrow

Finally thanks for the bottles of water on the seats. A thoughtful gesture form NPIA, to celebrate World Water Day


1 comment:

  1. If I were the Head Honcho of an organisation I wouldn't outsource anything.

    You are a not for profit organisation Public Sector the outsourcers make a profit. The Only way they make a profit is by making your targets by hook or by crook

    ReplyDelete

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