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Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority |
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Best Value Committee |
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31 October 2001 |
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Programme of Best Value (and other)Reviews |
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Report of the Chief Fire Officer |
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Contact: |
David Howells, Director of Corporate Services Tel: 023 8064 4000 Ext 203 |
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1 |
Introduction |
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1.1 |
One of the key findings of the District Auditor's Statutory Report on the Authority's Best Value Performance Plan was that: |
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"Good progress has been made with the review programme, but the programme of reviews has been difficult to manage." |
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The suggestion action to address this issue was for the Authority to: |
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"Revisit the programme of reviews to establish whether further rationalisation is possible." |
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1.2 |
The Authority's response was to agree with the recommendation and specifically commented that the Service Management Team: |
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"... has long held the view that the Best Value process initially encouraged too many (non-strategic) reviews to be created. Recent advice from HMCIFS has endorsed the need to reduce the number of reviews." |
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1.3 |
Members of the Committee will be aware that action has already been taken to re-label as `Scoping Studies' those reviews considered to be insufficiently strategic in nature. |
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2 |
Proposals for a revised programme |
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2.1 |
In response to last year's Corporate Plan, the District Auditor complimented the Authority on its decision to show, alongside the list of Best Value reviews, its programme for reviews of fire cover as well as other major reviews arising out of our various action plans. The outcomes of these can potentially have a far greater impact on resources, and consequently on our overall efficiency and effectiveness than some Best Value Reviews. |
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2.2 |
The Service Management Team (SMT) has now reviewed the existing programme of Best Value (and other) reviews, taking account of both the District Auditor's comments and also those of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services (HMCIFS). For ease of reference, the existing programme is reproduced as Appendix 1. |
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2.3 |
Of particular significance was the need to produce a revised programme that spread, as equitably as possible, the impact on resources (essentially the time commitment on individual members of SMT and their support staff to carry out the reviews). |
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3 |
Reviews of fire cover |
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3.1 |
Some fire authorities have chosen to include reviews of standards of fire cover as Best Value reviews. SMT takes a different view. Reviews of fire cover in Hampshire have long since been regarded as an essential and regular management activity to ensure that an effective and efficient response to emergencies is being delivered to all parts of the Authority's area. Such reviews are usually conducted within specific geographical areas, and the fire cover review programme itself is based on giving priority to those areas which might be experiencing shortfalls in performance when measured against national targets and expectations. |
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3.2 |
Based on the latest assessment, SMT considers that the existing programme of reviews of fire cover does not need to be revised at this stage - see Appendix 1. |
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4 |
Best Value Reviews and Best Value Scoping Studies |
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4.1 |
SMT assumed that it would still make sense to carry out a number of smaller `scoping studies' to help to determine the principal objective(s) and key issues to be addressed by wider-ranging, strategic Best Value reviews. Mindful of the impact on personal workloads, the following revised programme reviews was felt to give a reasonable balance. |
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4.2 |
2001/02 |
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· BV Review: 'Control and Communications' (statutorily required review) - completed, and now ready for presentation to SMT and then to the Best Value Committee |
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· BV Review: 'Procurement' (statutorily required review) - underway. |
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· BV Scoping Study: 'Property Services' - underway |
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· BV Scoping Study: 'Catering' |
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4.3 |
2002/03 |
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· BV Review: 'Training' (statutorily required review)- awaiting national guidance for scope/terms of reference. |
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· BV Scoping Study: 'Legal/Committee Services' |
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4.4 |
2003/04 |
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· BV Review: 'Community Safety' this will examine the entire function (Community Safety and Technical Fire Safety) |
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· BV Scoping Study: 'Personnel Services' |
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· BV Scoping Study: 'Financial Services' |
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· BV Scoping Study: 'Fleet Management' |
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4.5 |
2004/05 |
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· BV Review: 'Responding to Emergencies' - this will pull together a number of operational areas of activity and will take fully into account the outcomes of other reviews/scoping studies and reviews of fire cover |
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· BV Review: 'Support Services' - this will pull together a number of corporate support service functions and will rely heavily on the outcomes of other scoping studies covering specific services |
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· BV Scoping Study: 'Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Services' |
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5 |
Comments of the District Auditor on the draft revised programme |
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5.1 |
The opportunity has been taken to informally `sound out' the District Auditor on SMT's proposals for revision. The comments received can be summarised as follows: |
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Generally welcomes the rationalisation, but questions the need to detail the scoping studies as part of the programme. |
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Feels strongly that the proposal to make `Fleet Management' a `scoping study' is inappropriate and that this should be afforded the status of a full Best Value Review. |
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Accepts the need to achieve a balanced programme in terms of the impact on individual members of staff, but would prefer to see two Best Value Reviews in the next two years, followed by one in 2004/05. |
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5.2 |
If these comments are to be taken fully into account, a considerably simplified programme would be published within the next Corporate Plan. The following, re-worked, draft programme is therefore recommended for consideration and adoption by the Committee and Authority. |
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6 |
Recommended revised programme of Best Value Reviews |
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6.1 |
2001/02 |
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· BV Review: 'Control and Communications' (statutorily required review) |
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· BV Review: 'Procurement' (statutorily required review) |
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6.2 |
2002/03 |
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· BV Review: 'Training' (statutorily required review) |
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· BV Review: 'Community Safety' |
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6.3 |
2003/04 |
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· BV Review: 'Fleet Management' |
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· BV Review: 'Support Services' |
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6.4 |
2004/05 |
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· BV Review: 'Responding to Emergencies' |
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6.5 |
Further consideration will be given by SMT on whether to include in the programme of `other reviews' some or all of the `scoping studies' identified above. |
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7 |
European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 |
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7.1 |
The proposals within this report are compatible with the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998. |
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Recommendation |
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That the Committee considers and determines a revised programme of Best Value Reviews for inclusion in the Authority's Corporate Plan. |
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Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers |
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The following documents disclose the facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of the report. |
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· Corporate Plan 2001/02 |
· Statutory Report |
· Home Office Letter |
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NB The list excludes: |
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1 Published works |
2 Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act |
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Dir-fin HFRA BV 31 10 01 Reviews DCH/JMW/24/10/01 |
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Programme of major reviews: 2000/01 to 2004/05 (including progress statements) |
Year |
Best Value reviews |
Reviews of fire cover |
Other major reviews |
2000/01 |
Communications and control (statutory review): in progress, report to Authority December 2001 Hydrant maintenance: completed, reported to Authority December 2000 Mobilising policy: completed, reported to Authority May 2001 Driver training: completed, reported to Authority May 2001 |
Note: Implementation of outcome of 1998/99 reviews of Lyndhurst, Hardley, Eastleigh, Twyford, Portchester, Titchfield, Waterlooville Basingstoke: completed, reported to Authority September 2000 |
Health and Safety Executive Audit: completed, reported to Authority December 2000 Information and Communications Technology High Level Strategy Reviews: first phase completed, reported to SMT April 2001, second phase in December 2001 Asset Management (property): conducted by District Audit, completed, report to Authority May 2001 Diversity, Fairness and Dignity: action plan developed, reported to Authority September 2001 Community Fire Safety Plan: reviewed and updated, published March 2001. |
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Programme of major reviews: 2000/01 to 2004/05 (cont/...) (including progress statements) |
Year |
Best Value reviews |
Reviews of fire cover |
Other major reviews |
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2001/02 |
Procurement (statutory review): commenced, report to Authority May 2002 Catering (deferred from 2000/01): report to Authority December 2001 Property services report to Authority December 2001 Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare: (Deleted - not considered to be sufficiently strategic in nature) |
Winchester: largely completed - report to Authority, December 2001 Portsmouth: in progress -report to Authority in December, 2001 |
Training Centre - practical training facilities/ Headquarters Redevelopment: user specification and project appraisal to Authority by September 2001 (Deferred pending decision on Copnor) Copnor Fire Station: report on options for resolving major building defects, to Authority in October 2001. Basingstoke - Second Fire Station: prepare outline scheme, feasibility report to be presented to F&GP Committee in October 2001. |
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2002/03 |
Training (statutory review) Fire Safety - Technical (brought forward from 2003/04) Legal Services (deferred from 2001/02) |
South-East Hampshire (excluding Portsmouth) |
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