Scottish Criminal Record Office Primary Inspection 2004
2. Policy and Strategy
Developing Distinctive Capability
2.1 In anticipation of the Scottish Executive's review of common police services, a number of wide-ranging strategic options were prepared by the Deputy Director of SCRO during 2003, within a document entitled 'Developing Distinctive Capability'. The paper outlined strategic opportunities for the future of SCRO under four identified 'service pillars':
- Disclosure Scotland
- intelligence support
- management of national IT applications
- criminal justice information.
2.2 The paper was presented to the former Executive Committee meeting in June 2003 and, although not formally endorsed by members, it informed the direction of strategy until the CPS Programme Board assumed responsibility. A number of options emanating from 'Developing Distinctive Capability' have already been progressed and contributed positively to the service provision of SCRO. These include the establishment of CJIB, ISB and a partnership arrangement between Scottish Crimestoppers and SID. A number of other issues, including the management of other criminal intelligence processes at SCRO and the development of e-policing services were not progressed. While HMIC recognises the value of undertaking this piece of work at the time, it acknowledges that several of the outstanding strategic issues went beyond the current role of SCRO and require to be considered in a wider context. The CPS Programme Board will be able to provide the required perspective for these issues and SCRO, under its new Director, will wish to update 'Developing Distinctive Capability' for strategic consideration by that body.
2.3 Although there was a thrust to resolve any of its outstanding business prior to the dissolution of the SCRO Executive Committee, an issues log was compiled to ensure that all relevant matters were addressed. This facilitated transparency of action and provided an audit trail for the incoming Board. Only those matters which could not earlier be concluded were passed on. HMIC acknowledges the effective preparations made, and the resolve shown, by the Executive Committee in anticipation of the revised governance arrangements.
Corporate Plan
2.4 SCRO has published a Corporate Plan for the period 2004-07. This is a high-level document which sets out its:
- vision
- mission
- organisational environment
- corporate goals
- key business principles
- service development plans
- organisational enablers.
2.5 The document also contains a 'client information file' where it identifies its main client groups under the following categories:
- the uniformed police constable
- the force intelligence officer
- the detective officer
- the public
- child care employer
- procurator fiscal.
2.6 The section then asserts the service needs of these client groups, founded on its highly valued 'store of information on client expectations'. It goes on to express certain feelings, expectations and requirements attributed to these groups. HMIC recognises the wide ranging engagement SCRO has with its client groups but, while routine liaison forums exist and a number of customer satisfaction surveys are conducted, there is no evidence of a specific external consultation exercise having taken place in order to validate the main client group or inform the Corporate Plan. This is disappointing, tending as it does to undermine what otherwise offers the potential to be a very strong, useful and well written document.
2.7 It is the view of HMIC, informed by external consultation, confirmed by inspection fieldwork and illustrated in this report, that there remains considerable scope for SCRO to engage more fully with its service users within and outwith the police service. HMIC recommends that SCRO undertakes comprehensive external consultation to inform the future development of its Corporate Plan.
Recommendation 1
HMIC recommends that SCRO undertakes comprehensive external consultation to inform the future development of its Corporate Plan.
2.8 The Corporate Plan was launched internally to bureaux heads in August 2004 and thereafter cascaded by them to individual staff members. Although the plan is of relevance to service users, there was no evidence of it being marketed outside of SCRO to its partners in the wider criminal justice community or customers of Disclosure Scotland. This is a matter which should be addressed with future development of the plan.
2.9 Having identified scope to improve the legitimacy of the Corporate Plan and increase its circulation, HMIC acknowledges that it makes a number of commitments which will, if successfully delivered, enhance SCRO's external credibility and address recommendations made elsewhere in this report. HMIC therefore looks forward to assessing the extent to which the corporate plan 2004-07 has been implemented, and the benefits which accrue as a result, during the review inspection.