T&CG

In general the majority of the forces in Scotland showed commitment to tasking and co-ordination at level one. There were several examples of good leadership at both daily management and tactical tasking and co-ordination group meetings. This led to good decision making, focused tasking and clear accountability.

Tayside Police

During the planning and implementation phases of the policing of the G8 conference at Gleneagles, T&CG processes were used effectively throughout. This allowed for effective identification of threats and risk, prioritisation in relation to the allocation of resources, and effective ongoing tactical review.

Business Planning

Strathclyde Police

The force has made excellent progress in the integration of the NIM with business planning and evidence of this was found in the rescheduling of business and strategic timetables. A number of force support departments are involved, e.g. corporate communications, IT, human resources etc., allowing all areas of force business to be directed or affected by priorities identified through NIM strategic processes. This is clearly good practice and markets the use of the NIM as a business model.
Strategic and Tactical Tasking and Coordination

SCDEA

The SCDEA’s corporate development plan and annual report are based on the Scottish control strategy. A significant effort has been made to integrate the NIM with business planning and a performance management system incorporating ‘Balanced Scorecard’ methodology has been developed.

Central Scotland Police

The force has made excellent progress in integrating the NIM in its business planning processes. The force has identified a Safer Central policing philosophy targeting four key areas. All aspects of financial and business planning consider the recommendations of the force strategic assessment.

Grampian Police

Grampian Police have reviewed their core areas of business within the organization which has resulted in the force Control Strategy and the Business Strategy being delivered through the Force’s eight Business Areas each headed by a Chief Superintendent or a senior support staff member; and by two other business units headed by a Superintendent and a senior member of support staff.

Senior managers set out their objectives to address these strategies. Their areas and units are responsible for delivering the priorities set out by the force.

This is evidenced in the ‘Keeping our Communities Safe – Delivering on our Platform for Success 2007 plan. The strategic assessment is at the heart of this work and the current level of integration of business planning and the NIM is clearly good practice.

Control Strategy

Strathclyde Police

The force currently produces a good example of a strategic assessment which informs the selection of control strategy priorities. It was heartening to see that the force has a low number of these arrived at through the use of a risk assessment matrix. This ensures that the most serious threats to communities are appropriately acknowledged by the force and communicated to staff for action through relevant T&CG meetings.

Central Scotland Police

The force has identified action plans to implement the three phased response of the control strategy. Ownership of each policing priority is devolved to a champion. This allows for clear direction and accountability of tasks.

Daily management meetings

SCDEA

The daily management meetings fully assess operational tactics in line with control strategy priorities. A regular update on operational results is provided on a 24 hour basis. Through regular review of tactical activity in this way senior management are able to monitor progress of operations and effectively control outcomes.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary

This meeting which was well driven and extended across the whole range of police business. It did not focus solely on crime issues and covered operational priorities, making good use of prevention, intelligence and enforcement responses.

NIM Admin Unit

Grampian Police

Aberdeen division has personnel working within a dedicated NIM admin unit whose responsibility includes the management of tasking processes within the division, daily and at TT&CG meetings. The unit is staffed by a sergeant, a constable and a clerical assistant. The duties carried out involve the provision of records of meetings, and ensuring that tasks and action plans are updated. The unit also forms the link between the level 1 and level 2 TT&CG meetings, providing relevant information for the consideration of the force group.

The division operates a directed patrol matrix issued by the unit. This is linked with the requirement to contribute to the divisional briefing held on the force Intranet. The devolution of the administration of the various tasks identified to a small designated unit assists in ensuring accountability, and provides a mechanism to keep track of all work currently commissioned by T&CG meetings. The main advantage of this approach is that the burden is removed from intelligence units, which is where this responsibility lies elsewhere.