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3 MANAGING PERFORMANCE
Performance management is an activity of tracking performance against targets and identifying opportunities for improvement to allow for delivery of a better quality service. To manage performance an organisation should:
- Know what its aims and objectives are
- Know what has to be done to meet objectives
- Know how to measure progress towards objectives
- Be able to detect poor performance and take corrective action
Operational priorities identified in the Ayrshire Business Plan for 2007/08 are based on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service corporate objectives and are as follows:
- To secure the confidence of our diverse communities by improving delivery of justice through timely, efficient and effective prosecution of crime
- To give priority to the prosecution of serious crime, including drugs trafficking and persistent offenders
- To provide services which meet the information needs of victims, witnesses and next of kin, in co-operation with other agencies
- To ensure that all deaths reported to the Procurator Fiscal are investigated appropriately and speedily
The Area has listed internal supporting objectives with completion dates in their Business Plan that will help them achieve each of the above objectives.
Practice Followed by the Area in Managing Performance:
Each month the Office Managers at Ayr and Kilmarnock collate and submit statistics to Crown Office on performance against targets. Statistics are produced by the Management Information Division at Crown Office which are forwarded to the Area Team who keep a spreadsheet which is used to show progression over the years, analyse peaks and troughs and performance over the longer period. This is of assistance if an approach has to be made to Crown Office, for example, for further resources.
Office Managers also receive information relating to data integrity which highlights areas where data (codes etc) has been recorded incorrectly. This allows management to take steps to correct mistakes.
Performance is discussed nationally at the Area Fiscals Group and locally at Area Management Meetings and Team Briefings. The Area Fiscal and Area Business Manager also discuss performance twice a year with each office during their office visits. Staff are trained as appropriate as a result of information received on performance.
Achievement of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Targets:
On examination of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service management information for April 2006 to March 2007 and April 2007 to December 2007 we found that the Area as a whole met the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service internal targets for serving indictments in custody cases, take and implement decision (initial case marking), the investigation of routine deaths and the Complaints against the Police 10-week target.
Of the 11 targets relevant for the Area during period April 2006 to March 2007 the Area failed to meet two - investigation of 80% of deaths within 12 weeks and closing 90% of Complaints against the Police within 12 weeks. Of the 9 targets relevant for the Area during period April to December 2007 the Area failed to meet two - serve 80% of High Court indictments in 9 months and closing 90% of Complaints against the Police within 12 weeks.
In this later period of April 2007 to December 2007 the take and implement target was moved from its 2006/07 target of 5 weeks to 4 weeks, which the Area met.
The Area project that they will meet all current targets for year 2007/08 but will struggle to meet the new target of serving 80% of Sheriff and Jury indictments by 8 months although Ayrshire were one of five from eleven Areas that did in fact meet this target in January 2008. Staffing issues and the Disclosure burden have been highlighted as a constraint in meeting targets.
Achievement of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service targets for periods April 2006 to March 2007 and April to December 2007 are shown at Appendix 2 and achievement of targets per office during period April to December 2007 are shown at Appendix 3.
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