A changing environment A new CPS vision& strategy for 2008-11 A priority programme of work
Managing performance
Managing risk
Planning business activities
06 Section I Introduction by the Director and the Chief Executive 08 Section II Working in a changing environment
16 Section III Developing a new CPS vision and strategy 2008 to 2011 18 Section IV Prioritising our programme of work
20 Section V Planning business activities 52 Section VI Managing performance 54 Section VII Managing risk
F O R E W O R D B Y T H E A T T O R N E Y G E N E R A L
4The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is the largest national prosecuting authority in England and Wales. The Service has developed
considerably over the past few years and is now recognised as a key part of the criminal justice system (CJS), and essential to the effective and efficient delivery of justice. The role of the prosecutor has been transformed so that priority is given to being a proactive prosecutor working with the police and other agencies to bring offences to justice.
But the CPS is also very well placed to make a much greater contribution to the prevention of re-offending and making communities safer. I am especially pleased that this strategic plan highlights that work; and this is something on which I will be working with the DPP and others over the coming year.
The CPS has also been, and will continue to be, at the forefront of championing efforts to support victims and witnesses. Through Witness Care Units and other initiatives the CPS will be meeting fully the Prosecutors' Pledge and focusing on the needs of particularly vulnerable victims and witnesses. Doing this will also encourage more people to come forward and engage with the criminal justice system.
A key feature of the next year will be a
concentration on improving performance in the core CPS work in the magistrates' courts. As part of that the CPS will continue to play its full part in rolling out Criminal Justice –
Speedy, Simple, Summary (CJSSS). This continues to be a success story for the criminal justice system and represents a strong partnership between the judiciary and other agencies.
Baroness Scotland QC Attorney General
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This strategy and plan build on the significant progress that the CPS has achieved over the last four years. We have taken greater responsibility by presenting more of our own cases in court; our decisions to charge in all but minor cases have made the criminal justice system more effective; and our focus on victims and witnesses has helped increase their confidence
and satisfaction. We have transformed our approach to and our performance on equality and diversity issues to become recognised leaders across government. All of these improvements have been made as part of the CPS's work to serve the public and make communities safer. But we realise that there is more to do. We need to extend the types of advocacy we undertake and improve the quality of our work in this area; we need to combine the robustness of our charging decisions with improvements that ensure we are efficient and support our police partners in tackling the crimes that have most effect on our communities; and we need to focus our efforts for victims and witnesses to maximise the quality of service they receive.
To do this we have identified six key priorities for the CPS in the coming year: improving our delivery in the magistrates' courts; completing and embedding our Advocacy Strategy;
improving our services to victims and witnesses; playing our part in achieving the Public Service Agreements (PSA) targets for the criminal justice system; restructuring our delivery model; and ensuring we lead, manage and engage effectively with our people, partners and the wider
community.
Our vision is ambitious and this programme of work is challenging. Success will only be achieved if our behaviours match our aspirations and our people are equipped to meet these challenges. We need to be visible and proactive, ensuring that we use our influence positively to inspire confidence in our partners and the public – both through the service that we give and the things that we say. We need to demonstrate the value that we add to the justice system. We need to show that we are what we aspire to be – the public's prosecution service.
We are grateful for the direction, guidance and support of Baroness Scotland, the Attorney General and look forward to working with her and Vera Baird, the Solicitor General to address our priorities and contribute to the reduction of re-offending.
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In the recent Capability Review, conducted by the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, the CPS was recognised as a well-led organisation, with many strengths, that has transformed its reputation over recent years. Much of this transformation was brought about in the period 2004-08 by the CPS being clear about its goals, planning effectively to achieve these and driving performance based on those plans. This document – the strategy for 2008-11, the detailed national business plan for 2008/09 and activities which will continue to support our programme of work beyond 2009 – sets out the next stages in the CPS's journey to becoming a world class prosecution service. It gives a brief description of who we are and the strategies that identify some of the key business drivers for the CPS in the period from 2008 to 2011. It goes on to outline the CPS vision and strategy for this period, priorities for action in the next year and key business activities that will ensure the priorities are addressed. Finally, the plan outlines the emerging performance management
framework that will be used to drive the
achievement of the CPS's priorities and, through these, the outcomes that we seek for the public.
Below is a diagram that illustrates how these elements of the vision, strategy and plan fit together:
A changing environment
CPS vision and strategy 2008-2011
CPS business priorities
Business activities
Managing performance Managing risks
Sir Ken Macdonald QC Director of Public Prosecutions
Peter Lewis Chief Executive
Any successful strategy needs to take account of the key changes and business drivers in the external environment and its own internal capability and capacity to deal with these. The CPS vision and supporting strategy have been developed taking into account a number of internal and external business drivers and changes across the criminal justice system.
A number of key central government reports and strategies combined with the new PSAs emerging from the government's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) have influenced our vision, strategy and priority programme of work. These strategy documents, reviews, plans, and PSAs are further explained below after an overview of the criminal justice system. The Criminal Justice System (CJS)
The purpose of the CJS is to deliver justice for all, by convicting and punishing the guilty and helping them to stop offending, while protecting the innocent. It is responsible for detecting crime and bringing offenders to justice; and carrying
out the orders of court, such as collecting fines, and supervising community and custodial punishment.
The CJS is one of the major public services in the country; it encompasses the work of the Police Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty's Court Service, the National Offender Management Service (comprising prisons and probation) and the Youth Justice Board. Within central government, three departments are jointly responsible for the criminal justice system and its agencies. They are: the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Home Office (HO), and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).
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The Ministry of Justice
The MoJ is responsible for criminal law and sentencing, for reducing re-offending and for prisons and probation. The MoJ also encompasses the responsibilities of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA), overseeing
magistrates' courts, the Crown Court, the Appeals Courts and the Legal Services Commission. The Home Office
The Home Office is responsible for crime reduction, policing, security and counter-terrorism, borders and immigration, passports and identity.
The Attorney General’s Office
The Attorney General and Solicitor General (the Law Officers) are the chief legal advisors to the government and are responsible for all Crown litigation. They have overall responsibility for the work of:
•The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); •Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol); •Serious Fraud Office (SFO);
•Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO); and
•Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI).
On 25 March the government published a White Paper entitled The Governance of Britain. This included the government's views on ways in which the role of the Attorney General should be reformed.
The review has confirmed that the Attorney General will remain the superintending Minister for the CPS and other prosecuting departments; but that the relationship will be redefined. This will include the drawing up of a protocol which will set out how the Attorney on the one hand, and the prosecutors on the other hand, are to exercise their functions in relation to each other.
The Attorney will remain responsible for setting the overall strategic direction for the prosecutors. The CPS will be working to ensure that its vision is consistent with that set by the Law Officers and that the work we do is consistent with the protocol referred to above.
The Office for Criminal Justice Reform The government body responsible for co-ordinating the efforts of the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the Attorney General’s Office is the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR). OCJR is a cross-departmental
organisation, which means that it reports to ministers in all three government departments mentioned above.
It drives forward improvements set out by the National Criminal Justice Board (NCJB), which is made up of ministers, senior civil servants and heads of service. The NCJB is chaired by the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Justice and the Attorney General.
Locally, 42 Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) co-ordinate activity and share responsibility for delivering criminal justice in their area.
The Crown Prosecution Service
The CPS, the largest organisation superintended by the Attorney General, was set up in 1986 as an independent authority to prosecute criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales. In undertaking this role, the CPS:
•Advises the police during the early stages of investigations;
•Determines the appropriate charges in all but minor cases;
•Keeps all cases under continuous review and decides which cases should be prosecuted; •Prepares cases for prosecution in court and
prosecutes the cases with in-house advocates or instructs agents and counsel to present cases; and
•Provides information and assistance to victims and prosecution witnesses.
When reshaping our vision and strategy,
consideration was given to a number of external and internal business drivers: key government strategies and plans, new PSA targets, the CPS Departmental Strategic Objective (DSO), CPS resources and the recommendations from the Capability Review.
Key government strategies, reviews and plans Key documents were reviewed: Cutting Crime: A New Partnership 2008-11, better known as the Crime Strategy, and Working Together to Cut Crime and Deliver Justice – the CJS Strategic Plan for 2008-11. Also considered were: the findings of Sir Ronnie Flanagan's report into the future of policing; our ongoing commitment to the government's sustainable development strategy Securing the Future which sets out the
government's plan for tackling sustainable development; and the Transformational
Governmentstrategy with the aim of designing our public services for the benefit of the citizen, taxpayers and frontline staff, and exploring the shared services culture.
The Crime Strategy
The government's Crime Strategy was published in July 2007. It presents the government's road-map to achieve a more holistic view of tackling crime, from prevention through to rehabilitation working in partnership across government. The document sets out the main lessons learnt over the past ten years, and looks at how this knowledge can be carried forward into new areas, find new ways of working and innovative solutions. The strategy identifies a number of key areas to focus on over 2008 to 2011:
•A stronger focus on serious violence;
•Continued pressure on anti-social behaviour; •Continuing to reduce re-offending – where the
government will continue to strengthen the capability of the police, the CPS and other prosecutors, and courts; and
•Work to simplify criminal justice system processes.
The strategy also highlights the needs to make CJS performance management and targets more sophisticated allowing for greater flexibility to respond to local crime priorities and local accountability.
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The CJS Strategic Plan
In November 2007, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Justice and the Attorney General published a CJS Strategic Plan for 2008-11: Working Together to Cut Crime and Deliver Justice.The plan sets out the challenges faced by the criminal justice system in the next three to five years:
•Whilst crime is falling, the public still believe it is rising;
•Whilst we have brought more offences to justice, most of the additional offences have been at the lower end of the scale and the public remain concerned about a perceived rise in serious crime;
•Whilst bringing offences to justice remains important, the CJS has to consider the best way of dealing with offences and offenders to prevent re-offending and make communities safer;
•To inspire the confidence of diverse communities, we have to ensure that CJS systems and processes are being applied fairly to all communities in England and Wales; •More should be done to improve the quality of
service to victims and witnesses and drive up their levels of satisfaction even further;
•In order to inspire confidence, the system has to work effectively and that a proportionate response needs to be made to each case (e.g. minor offences need to be dealt with quickly and effectively whereas the most serious offences need to be treated in a way that fully reflects the seriousness of their impact on society); and
•The funding increases of recent years have come to an end and the CJS as a whole will have to deliver its business more efficiently.
The plan states that, by 2011, the CJS will work together to respond more effectively to crime and be more effective in bringing offences, especially serious offences, to justice and reducing re-offending.
The public will be better informed and consulted about criminal justice so they can be confident that it is fair, effective and meets local needs. Further steps will be taken to ensure that people of all races are treated fairly by the system. Victims will be put at the heart of the CJS and they, and all other witnesses, will receive high standards of service. Processes supported by modern technology will be faster and simpler to make them more efficient; and the police will be in a position to focus even more of their time on tackling crime.
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PSA targets
The government's spending plans for the three years to 2010/11 incorporate 30 cross
government Public Service Agreements (PSAs) setting out the key commitments to improve public services to be delivered over the period. Two PSAs (referred to as PSA 24 and PSA 23) are most directly relevant to the work of the CPS and the wider criminal justice system. PSAs will typically be delivered across several departments, and in this instance, the PSA targets set out in the 2007 Spending Review are jointly owned by the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office.
PSA 24, also known as the Justice PSA, has the objective of delivering a more effective,
transparent and responsive criminal justice system for victims and the public. It has five specific commitments, which are, to:
•Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the CJS in bringing offences to justice;
•Improve public confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the CJS;
•Improve victim and witness satisfaction with the CJS and the police;
•Provide consistent collection, analysis and use of good quality ethnicity data to identify and address race disproportionality in the CJS; and, •Increase the recovery of criminal assets by
recovering £250m of assets acquired through crime by 2009/10.
The lead on PSA 24 is the Ministry of Justice. The Attorney General's Office and the Crown Prosecution Service will play a key part in its achievement.
'Make communities safer' (PSA 23) focuses on protecting the public from serious violent crime, reducing the level of serious acquisitive crime, tackling anti-social behaviour issues, and reduce re-offending. The lead on PSA 23 is the Home Office. In common with the Justice PSA, the Attorney General's Office and the Crown Prosecution Service will play a key part in its achievement.
The CPS Departmental Strategic Objective As the new PSAs only cover the government's key cross-departmental priorities, a new concept of Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs) was introduced as part of the Spending Review process to ensure that all the department’s other business was clearly set out and able to be used for performance management purposes. The CPS has one DSO for the period which is:
To bring offenders to justice, improve services to victims and witnesses and promote confidence, by applying the Code for Crown Prosecutors, adopting a
proportionate approach to determine which offenders should be charged and which should be diverted from court, and by firm and fair presentation of cases in court. The DSO translates into eight performance management indicators which, along with the public service outcomes and the priority
programmes outlined in the next chapters, form the basis of the revised performance
management framework for the CPS. This is described in Section VI of this document.
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The CPS Resources for 2008/9
The PSA targets for the CPS and the financial resources needed to deliver these were set as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR07). In common with many departments the CPS has been set some
challenging financial targets and the budget for the CPS will reduce in real terms over the three years of the CSR07 period by 3.5% per annum. Within this target, the costs of Headquarters and the Business Centres must reduce by 5% per annum in real terms.
The government has recognised the increasing workload associated with counter-terrorism activity and has agreed to provide the CPS with additional funding of £8 million per annum to ensure that the department is properly resourced to make a full and effective contribution. The following table shows the net resources available to the CPS in 2008/09:
The challenging nature of the CSR07 settlement means that the CPS has developed and agreed with HM Treasury an ambitious value for money delivery agreement that, if successfully delivered, will enable the department to maintain
performance within a reducing budget. The chart below shows that in real terms the CPS budget will be worth £66 million per annum less in 2010/11 than in the baseline year of 2007/08. This represents the resource gap that must be closed through the implementation of more efficient ways of working across the department.
The CPS Efficiency Delivery Plan – which supports the CSR07 Value For Money (VFM) Delivery Agreement – sets out how the department intends to deliver £66 million in savings, over the three year period from 2008/09 to 2010/11. The savings will be achieved by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the prosecution process, expanding the CPS Advocacy Strategy programme, obtaining better value through procurement and supplier management strategies, and reforming the department's corporate services functions and optimising use of departmental assets. The target represents year on year savings of 3.5% in real terms. The key themes from the CPS VFM Delivery Agreement are focused on:
•Efficiency and proportionality in the preparation and presentation of cases through programmes such as CJSSS, simplified case file preparation and implementation of the Optimum Business Model (OBM) in all Areas;
•Administrative efficiency savings in HQ and Business Centres;
•Savings from more effective procurement; •Maximising the efficiency benefits from joined
up IT; and
•Increasing the rate of effective deployment of Higher Court Advocates (HCAs) and Designated Caseworkers (DCWs).
CPS Resources
2007/08 2008/09
£000 £000
SR2004 Baseline 631,537 627,870 Of which Administration Costs 57,400 56,000 Counter-terrorism funding 8,000 7,928 CSR07 revised baseline 639,537 635,798 CPS Resour ce vfm sa vings 2007/08 Baseline 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 £672m £688m £46m £642m £66m £706m £640m £632m
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The CPS Capability Review
The Capability Review Programme is part of the wider Civil Service reform agenda. It will lead to a Civil Service which is better at delivering to the public. The reviews provide an assessment of capability for departments, identify key areas for improvement, and set out key actions.
Following the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PMDU) led Capability Review of the Service, the CPS has recognised that it has a number of key areas in which it needs to develop further if it is to deliver in the next three to five years. These are:
•Fostering pride in excellence– Making sure that we aim for excellence in all we do and that we value the contributions of all our people to the business, particularly the delivery of the core business in the magistrates' courts. •Articulating a single overarching strategy
focused on Public Service Outcomes– Ensuring that our strategy is expressed in terms of how we contribute to safer communities, the delivery of justice and that it allows us to set clear priorities for the CPS.
•Clearly defining what a national service, locally delivered means for the CPS– Articulating the roles of different parts of the organisation and how they work together to achieve our strategy, strengthening our partnership working and our financial capabilities.
•Developing the talent and capabilities of the CPS people– Demonstrating a passion for development at all levels and professionalising our managers and leaders as well as our lawyers. •Making performance management real for
everyone– Building on our progress with performance management systems and making performance management more effective at an individual level by rewarding good performance and tackling poor performance.
Taken together, all of the strategic drivers described above, give a clear picture of the environment in which the CPS will work in the next three years and the major challenges we face. The following chapters describe how these challenges will be met.
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Key strategic drivers: • A new Crime Strategy;
• A new vision and plan for the CJS for the period 2008-11, with an emphasis on partnership to respond more effectively to crime, bring more offences to justice and reduce re-offending with locally-led improvements supported nationally;
• A new spending review period, new PSAs and targets with a focus on efficiency and
effectiveness of the CJS in bringing offences to the public;
• Diminishing resources;
• A strong focus on the recommendations arising from the Capability Review.
The CPS works on behalf of the public, playing a key role in ensuring that our communities are safer. To ensure that the CPS continues to move forward, the vision and strategy for the organisation were reviewed and refreshed, to take into account the drivers and issues described in Section II.
The CPS vision
The CPS vision statement reflects the
government's priorities for the criminal justice system, the Attorney General's vision for the Law Officers' Departments and our continuing
ambition to improve our service to the highest level. The vision statement is as follows: The CPS is a prosecution service that is confident and independent, efficient and effective – becoming truly world class. Everything that we do aims to deliver justice for all and to make our communities safer. The achievement of this vision is set out in a high-level strategy which is built around five strategic themes to reflect the organisation's greater focus on achieving the right results for communities and the wider public. These are:
•Working effectively and efficiently to bring offences to justice;
•Championing justice and the rights of victims and witnesses;
•Inspiring confidence in the communities we serve;
•Working in partnerships to serve the public; and
•Improving ourselves to improve the service we give.
Under each strategic theme, we set out a vision for 2011 as a broad measure of success. Each theme is underpinned by a number of key tasks that we will need to undertake to ensure we achieve our objectives.
Working effectively and efficiently to bring offences to justice
By 2011, we will bring a greater proportion of serious and priority offences to justice; more cases will succeed because our legal decision-making will improve; and more cases will succeed because we have excellent administrative support for our cases. We will be using conditional cautioning and other diversionary powers and tackling prolific and priority offenders and persistent young offenders to help prevent re-offending.
We will do this by improving our magistrates' courts performance, handling cases from start to finish, and being proactive in managing cases. We will choose the right disposal to prevent re-offending, tackle the most serious crimes
locally, nationally and internationally, and tackle local crime and disorder which impacts adversely on communities. We will ensure that we handle all our cases professionally and appropriately to deliver a consistent, tailored, high-quality service for all our cases.
Championing justice and the rights of victims and witnesses
By 2011, more victims and witnesses will attend court because we provide excellent support to them from the point of charge. The CPS will be meeting its obligations to victims and witnesses in line with its revised victim and witness
strategy; victim and witness satisfaction with the service we provide as part of the CJS (as
measured by Witness and Victim Experience Survey – WAVES) will have increased. There will be a decrease in unsuccessful outcomes in cases involving violence against women.
We will do this by supporting victims and witnesses through the development of an integrated victim and witness strategy. We will ensure that our prosecutors respect and stand up for the rights of victims. We will focus on the needs of women and children who are victims and witnesses, and enhance our service to families of victims of murder and manslaughter by helping to ensure that their voices are heard in court.
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Inspiring confidence in the communities we serve
By 2011, our communities will see us as an organisation which involves them constructively in key decisions on the prosecution business; the public will know more about what we do and be confident that we do it well. More hate crime prosecutions will be successful; £250 million of assets will have been taken from criminals; and there will be significantly reduced disproportionality based on identity or community membership in our decision-making. We will do so by being accountable to the public for our decisions. We will engage with
communities, working alongside our criminal justice partners, and deliver community justice. We will improve performance on hate crimes, deprive criminals of the proceeds of crime by confiscating assets from criminals to show that crime does not pay.
Working in partnerships to serve the public By 2011, our partners will acknowledge that we have improved our service to them and the public. We will do so by improving our partnerships developing our ‘Prosecution Team’ relationship with the police and working more closely with the courts to deliver swift, effective, appropriate justice. We will also play a leading role on the
National Criminal Justice Board (NCJB), the Local Criminal Justice Boards (LCJBs) and other national and local strategic partnerships including liaison with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) to ensure that we play our part in identifying and tackling local priorities. We will influence legislation and reform, helping to rebalance the CJS in favour of the law-abiding majority, and informing policy making with the practitioner's perspective. We will work to streamline our processes and join up criminal justice using IT and demonstrating our contribution to a more joined up, efficient and effective criminal justice system.
Improving ourselves to improve the service we give
By 2011, the best people will want to work for the CPS and we will be a provider of talent to Whitehall and beyond. The CPS will have improved its performance against the Cabinet Office Capability Model (which focuses on the most crucial areas of capability – leadership, strategy and delivery) both in terms of ratings and relative to other government departments. Our people will show greater pride in public service. We will be improving our efficiency and effectiveness by critically reviewing what we do and how we do it. The CPS will have increased workforce diversity at all levels.
We will do so by ensuring we have the capability to deliver now and in the future through
improving the skills and behaviours of our leaders and managers. We will maximise the advantages of a new, flexible management structure. We will deliver and utilise the benefits from change. We will make the best use of resources by
delivering our efficiency plans; we will continue to be an employer of choice. We will tackle inequality and value diversity; we will build our learning and skills by making professional development the norm for all our people.
For the first time the CPS strategy has clear measures of success for each of the strategic themes. These measures have been used to develop a revised performance management framework for the organisation that will ensure we are focused on the outcomes that matter to the public.
But there is a need for the CPS to be clear about which, out of all of these activities, needs to be tackled as a priority to ensure we move forward as quickly as we can and that we tackle the issues that will have most impact on our delivery to the public. These priorities are discussed in the next section (IV).
Section III gives a clear guide to the strategic themes we will seek to address over the 2008-11 period, the key areas of activity within these themes and the outcomes that the public can expect from us. We recognise that we cannot focus on all these areas of activity at the same time and to the same extent. They are also different in their overall impact. It is important, therefore, to identify what we will focus on initially and how we will ensure that the focus drives real performance improvement.
The CPS priority programmes
Taking into account all of the drivers identified in section II and the potential impacts of the many activities we could undertake, the CPS has identified six priority programmes for 2008/9 and beyond:
• Improve performance in the magistrates' courts;
• Complete and embed our Advocacy Strategy;
• Focus our support to victims and witnesses;
• Play our part in achieving the agreed PSA targets for 2008-11;
• Restructure our delivery model to improve performance, particularly on serious cases, and improve value for money;
• Ensure that we lead and manage well to get the best from all CPS people, and that we engage with them, partners and communities to improve our service.
Whilst the first four are specific programmes aimed at changing what we do, the fifth and sixth are about changing the way in which we do things, making us more efficient as an
organisation and changing our behaviours to ensure that we achieve all the other priorities, move towards a culture of continuous
improvement and make the CPS world class. Section V describes the specific actions we will be taking under each of these programmes to drive the achievement of the outcomes we seek for the public, and move us towards achieving the CPS vision.
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20 The Optimum Business Model (OBM) Owner Mike KennedyThe aim of the OBM project is to review and identify best practice to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of magistrates' courts processes OBM is a framework of tested structures, key roles and processes, together with a toolkit to support
implementation
The recommendations continue to evolve to ensure OBM remains current and to ensure that best practice is captured, adopted and incorporated into the model
Drive operational efficiency improvements as part of a continuous improvement cycle across the CPS Areas
Reduce the number of adjournments due to the CPS and the number of hearings Improve the timeliness of trial readiness
Improve the timeliness of reviewing evidence and responding to actions Reduce file movement thereby reducing time spent looking for files Improve time taken to action correspondence
By the end of September 2008
all Areas to have implemented OBM
Areas to have formal sign-off following quality assurance by OBM Team
Development of leaders and managers across the CPS to support a continuous
improvement culture at all levels Review of success of initial OBM implementation
Extension of OBM approach to other areas of CPS business
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
Improve performance in magistrates’ courts
The magistrates' courts are where the CPS deals with the vast majority of its cases. It is where the crimes that most directly affect communities are brought to justice. The CPS strives to be excellent in its magistrates' court work by having efficient systems and committed staff to deal with this crime in an effective and value for money way.
As a priority we will be:
•Implementing the Optimum Business Modelas the first stage of a continuous improvement programme for our core business in the magistrates' courts;
•Implementing CJSSS;
•Improving our work in the magistrates' courts by developing proportionate approaches to simple cases; and •Rolling out and monitoring the benefits of
conditional cautioning.
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Criminal Justice Speedy, Simple, Summary in the magistrates' courts (CJSSS-MC) Owner Mike Kennedy CJSSS in the Youth Court (CJSSS-YC) Owner Mike Kennedy CJSSS-MC is a cross-CJS project involving the police, the CPS, the Legal Services Commission (LSC), the Courts, and the Judiciary
The aim of CJSSS is to make justice faster, more efficient and effective – to improve the CJS for victims, witnesses and offenders as well as the public CJSSS-YC is a cross-CJS project involving the police, the CPS, the Legal Services Commission (LSC), the Courts, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and the Judiciary
The aim of CJSSS is to make justice faster, more efficient and effective – to improve the CJS for victims, witnesses and offenders as well as the public
Dispose of a majority of guilty pleas at first hearing
Dispose of a majority of contested cases in two/three hearings Majority of trials to take on average no more than six weeks from charge to disposal
Dispose of a majority of guilty pleas at first hearing
Dispose of a majority of contested cases in two/three hearings Majority of trials to take on average no more than six weeks from charge to disposal
By April 2008 – rollout fully completed across all 42 Areas By May 2008 – conduct and evaluate post-implementation reviews
Develop and implement performance monitoring / reporting framework
By March 2009 – extend and complete rollout of CJSSS in the Youth Court across remaining 36 Areas
The aim is for an increasing majority of guilty pleas to be dealt with at first hearing; contested cases disposed of in two/three hearings; and trials to be commenced within six weeks of first hearing
The aim is to match CJSSS-MC performance by increasing the majority of guilty pleas to be dealt with at first hearing; contested cases disposed of in two/three hearings; and trials to be commenced within six weeks of first hearing
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
22 Developing proportionate approaches to simple cases (known as Streamlined Process – SP) Owner Mike Kennedy Conditional cautioning Owner Mike Kennedy
The aim of SP is to support the overall delivery of CJSSS and to deliver a more proportionate prosecution preparation for anticipated guilty pleas and anticipated not guilty pleas, both suitable for disposal in the magistrates' court The SP introduces a much simpler file build procedure for first hearing
The aim is to divert cases away from the magistrates' courts through conditional cautioning: a decision made by the CPS prosecutor
Reduce police time for building and submitting files for simple
anticipated guilty plea cases Reduction in Designated
Caseworker/prosecutor preparation time for simple, anticipated guilty plea cases
Continued increase in the number of conditional cautions issued, thus diverting cases away from the magistrates' courts
Oversee changes to conditional cautioning brought about by the new codes of practice
Dependent on the results of the preliminary evaluation of SP in the seven test Areas, planning for further implementation from April 2008
From September 2008 – if evaluation is positive, agree rollout programme with police partners
April-June 2008 – ministerial approval sought for revised codes of practice for conditional cautioning (which have been subject to public consultation) November 2008 – subject to ministerial approval, testing of punitive conditions (financial penalty) prior to further rollout Undertake an equality impact assessment for conditional cautioning
Complete agreed rollout programme and begin to capture benefits
Plan for Post-Implementation Reviews (PIRs)
Embed conditional cautioning as a CPS tool to contribute to speedier justice and prevention of re-offending
Refine streamlined process in line with PIR findings and maximise benefits Evaluate impact of conditional cautioning on magistrates' courts caseload and re-offending Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
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24
Advocacy Strategy Owner Mike Kennedy
The aim of the Advocacy Strategy is to transform the CPS into a Service that routinely conducts its own high quality advocacy in all courts, and across the full range of cases. This will have benefits both for the CPS, the wider criminal justice system, and the public.
The strategy consists of three main workstrands:
•Increasing in-house coverage of magistrates' court hearings and summary trials (thereby reducing reliance on external agents)
Increase national in-house coverage in the magistrates' court to 88.3% of available sessions will improve case progression through the courts and increase lawyers' experience of summary trial advocacy
Increase national DCW deployment in the magistrates' court to 22.6% of available sessions. This will provide dedicated and proportionate magistrates' court advocacy on straightforward cases and release lawyers to focus on more complex matters
Increased HCA deployment in the Crown Court will increase trial advocacy experience of the CPS lawyers and generate financial savings
By May 2008 – secure the extension of DCW statutory powers to expand their role, through the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, with Royal Assent (subject to successful passage through Parliament) By September 2008 – rollout training for, and implementation of selected new DCW powers (subject to passage through Parliament)
By December 2008 – establish pathfinder areas to pilot DCW conduct of, summary trials (subject to passage through Parliament)
Develop and introduce an Advocacy Quality Management Strategy to support continuing improvements in the standard of in-house advocacy
Complete and evaluate DCW summary trials pathfinders Further increase HCA deployment in the Crown Court, particularly in volume trials of up to five days, and beyond
Further increase DCW deployment and in-house magistrates' court coverage in all Areas
Carry out a follow up report based on the 2007 Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) and its recommendations
Complete national rollout of DCW summary trials powers
Further increase HCA deployment in the Crown Court, particularly in complex trials of up to 10 days and beyond, and in high cost cases, either as sole advocate or as junior
Further increase DCW deployment and in-house magistrates' courts coverage, so that all CPS Areas deal with 90% of available magistrates' courts sessions in-house March 2011 –
programme close
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
In-house advocacy
A visible prosecution service that takes real ownership of its cases is a fundamental part of a strong criminal justice system.
The CPS's efforts to use its own in-house advocates to conduct
more of its own cases in the Crown Court and the magistrates' courts and extend the use of Designated Caseworkers will benefit the public.
A focus on improving quality will give us a firm basis for the future. As a priority we will continue to deliver and embed the Advocacy Strategyin the Crown Court and
magistrates' courts.
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Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones Advocacy
Strategy (continued) Owner Mike Kennedy
•Increasing the proportion of those magistrates' court sessions dealt with by DCWs, releasing lawyer capacity and
•Increasing and developing HCA deployment in the Crown Court
Increased experience of trial advocacy in the magistrates' courts and Crown Court improves lawyer performance across the board, including charging and effective case building or preparation, and results in an improved service to victims, witnesses and the public
Develop and introduce a system for supporting appropriate in-house applicants for appointment as Queen’s Counsel
26 Implement the Victim and Witness Strategy 2008-11 Owner Mike Kennedy
The Victim and Witness Strategy 2008-11 provides for the first time a unified strategy to support delivery of the CPS vision to champion justice and the rights of victims and witnesses
A strengthened prosecution process by securing the attendance of victims and witnesses who are able to give their best evidence, and to make a significant improvement in our standards of victim and witness care which contribute to the relevant public service outcomes included in the Justice PSA Improve Direct Communication with Victims (DCV) and No Witness No Justice (NWNJ) performance Improve HMCPSI Overall Performance Assessments (OPA) in relation to services to victims and witnesses
Improve the level of assurance on delivery of victim and witness care commitments in Annual Certificate of Assurance
By June 2008 – official launch of Victim and Witness Strategy 2008-11 at the senior managers’ conference
Communications strategy to support delivery of the CPS victim and witness care commitments produced
By July 2008 – review impact of DCV Action Plan and assess requirement for further action By March 2009 – undertake thematic reviews designed to improve delivery of NWNJ Minimum Requirements Develop an effective mechanism for the identification and sharing of victim and witness care best practice advice
By September 2010 – scoping exercise for future policy development and operational support required to inform the Victim and Witness Strategy 2012-14 By December 2010 – review of monitoring arrangements to ensure compliance with victim and witness care commitments
By March 2011 – review and evaluation of key victim and witness care policies
Programme of thematic reviews to support improved victim and witness care performance throughout the year
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
Victim and witness care
Those in society most directly affected by crime are the victims. Perpetrators cannot be brought to justice unless witnesses are willing to play their part in the criminal justice process. The CPS has come a long way in ensuring that the needs of victims and
witnesses are taken into account within the criminal justice process. Now we need to ensure that our efforts are co-ordinated and targeted to deliver excellence in all that we do for victims and witnesses. As a priority we will be:
•Developing an integrated victim and witness strategy, improving our Witness Care Units and meeting our Victims' Code obligations;
•Improving our performance in dealing with violence against women.
From April 2009 – set Area Performance Review targets for improvement in victim and witness satisfaction using WAVES data
By October 2009 – review all written guidance to support delivery of victim and witness care commitments
By June 2009 – review the standard of recording of victim and witness details on CMS and WMS and assess requirement for further remedial action
By July 2009 –
post-implementation review of the pre-trial interviews with witnesses scheme
By March 2010 – multi-disciplinary review of resources dedicated to victim and witness care
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Implement the Victim and Witness Strategy 2008-11 (continued) Owner Mike Kennedy Victim and witnesses with mental health issues and/or learning disabilities/ disorders (part of the V and W Strategy) Owner Roger Daw
The aim is to improve the management and outcomes of cases involving victims and witnesses with mental health issues and/or learning disabilities/disorders
Ensure early identification of this category of witness
Ensure the identification of appropriate special measures Improve support for this category of victims and witnesses
By March 2009 – develop an effective mechanism for the evaluation of services to victims and witnesses which will seek to obtain views beyond the WAVES survey to provide comprehensive feedback from victims and witnesses
By June 2008 – identify existing best practice within the CPS By March 2009 – publish guidance and public policy statement in relation to victims and witnesses with a mental disorder / learning disabilities Develop disability awareness and related mental health/learning disorder training for relevant CPS staff
Engage with Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) to ensure that court case management (listing practices, appropriate support) complements pre-court support
Publish a comprehensive public policy statement on the CPS victim and witness care
Review how information is made available to the public in relation to victim and witness care with a view to making such information more easily accessible
Appropriate guidance, monitoring and performance management systems will be in place
Improve satisfaction of this category of victim/witness in relation to case outcome and access to support
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
28 Violence against women (VAW) Strategy Owners Séamus Taylor Roger Daw
The aim of the strategy is to secure the co-ordination and improved prosecution response to a range of crimes that fall under the umbrella of VAW, these include domestic violence (DV), rape, sexual offences, honour crimes, prostitution and trafficking
Improve prosecutions of VAW crimes (VAW unsuccessful outcomes reducing to overall: 29%, DV: 28%, rape: 41% and other sexual offences: 28%)
Improve support for victims Improve our understanding of the equality and diversity issues within VAW crimes and address any disproportionality
By June 2008 – implement VAW indicator and targets for DV, rape and sexual offences and evaluate performance data quarterly Complete DV training for prosecutors, caseworkers, and DCWs
Put in place further 36 Specialist DV Courts with support for victims
Publish report on so-called honour crimes and forced marriage pilot
Publish VAW report
Finalise VAW guidance to inform prosecutors of the links between existing policies/guidance – to include a review of the trafficking and prostitution policy and guidance By March 2009 – develop methods to measure views of stakeholders
Expand VAW indicator to take on further VAW strands
Publish VAW performance report of 2008/09 data
Start of new Area VAW co-ordinator and specialist prosecutor roles/structure VAW co-ordinator seminars bi-annually
Measurement of stakeholder views
Work with HR to address any VAW issues in staff policies and practice
By 2010 – VAW indicator to cover performance monitoring of DV, rape, sexual offences, forced marriage, so-called honour crimes, child abuse, crimes against older persons, prostitution and trafficking
Publish VAW Performance Report of 2009-10 data Measure victim's satisfaction, safety and access to support
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
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Refresh of the CPS Public Policy Statement on Rape (as part of VAW) Owner Roger Daw Gangs and gun crime – improving witness support and protection Owner Mike Kennedy An update of an existing document to take into account changes in the law and the CPS practices and procedures which have taken place since the publication of the first edition
The CPS participation in an OCJR led project to improve witness support and protection before and during the court process, as part of the Tackling Gangs Action Programme. The project group comprises of representatives from the CPS, AGO, ACPO and OCJR The CPS provides input and advice on reforms to procedures relating to special measures, anonymity and reluctant witnesses
The refresh of the CPS Public Policy Statement of Rape is designed to set out the standard of service which the public can expect in respect of cases of rape and to increase public confidence in the CJS
Improve prosecutions of rape Increase support for rape victims Reduction of attrition rate in rape cases
To reduce the fear of reprisals which prohibits witnesses from coming forward
To make more effective use of judicial measures to ensure greater certainty of protection for potential witnesses and to promote improved police protection through better support, commitment and inter-agency co-operation
By end of June 2008 – hold focus groups internally and with external stakeholders to consult on revised policy statement By end of September 2008 – amend policy statement in light of responses and hold second community engagement event By end of October 2008 – sign-off by DPP and Law Officers and launch
New procedures (and possibly rules of court) to clarify and simplify applications for anonymity for witnesses from investigative stage through to charge
Update legal guidance
From April to December 2008 – develop an implementation plan with other stakeholders
By August 2008 – work with OCJR, AGO and ACPO to inform proposals to: make gun crime cases automatically eligible for special measures; place common law on anonymity on a statutory basis; extend the powers of magistrates to take depositions from reluctant witnesses By March 2009 – work with CJ partners on legislation
Ensure guidance is up-to-date by adding legislative case law and any procedural developments
Legislation introduced and implemented
Complete training of all rape specialist prosecutors
Evaluation of success of implementation
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
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Asset recovery Owner
Mike Kennedy
Realise the benefits of the proceeds of crime legislation
Deprive criminals of the proceeds of crime by confiscating assets to show that crime does not pay
Improve asset recovery performance through better use of resources and performance management
Contribute to the all agency enforcement target to recover £200m of criminal assets of which £120m will be in respect of confiscation
Obtain 4,437 confiscation orders to a value of £109,013,000 of which £102,000,000 will be in respect of confiscation only
Obtain 772 restraint orders
By March 2009 – increase the use of specialist POCA advocates through specialist HCA training
By March 2009 – ensure that a dedicated enforcement champion per Group (with necessary skills and support) is in place to enforce CPS confiscation orders in conjunction with the HMCS Centres of Excellence and police financial investigators
By March 2009 – increase the use of MG17 form and restraint orders in appropriate cases Need to ensure that adequate training is provided to lawyers in CPS Areas and to ensure police co-operation with the use of the MG17 and restraint orders
Contribute to the all agency target to recover £250m of criminal assets by 2009-10 of which £150m will be in respect of confiscation
Obtain confiscation orders to a value of £117m (the CPS Areas and ACPO police forces)
Restraint target yet to be agreed
All agency enforcement targets yet to be agreed The Home Office ambition is to deprive criminals of up to £1 billion a year in the longer term
LCJB and Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) confiscation volume and value targets yet to be agreed
LCJB restraint targets yet to be agreed
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
Play our part in achieving the agreed PSA targets
for 2008-11: other contributions
All of our priority programmes will assist in the achievement of the CJS Public Service Agreements for 2008-11. But above and beyond these there are some essential activities that need to be
undertaken to ensure the CPS makes its full contribution to ensuring justice for all and making communities safer.
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Asset recovery (continued) Owner Mike Kennedy Exchange Links programme Owner David Jones Counter terrorism legislation and strategy Owner Roger Daw
From April 2008 – make use of civil recovery powers
The aim of the Exchange Links programme is to improve information sharing between the CPS and CJS partner organisations
Develop Counter Terrorism (CT) legislation and strategy by the Home Office and other stakeholders
Develop a role for the CPS in civil recovery and cash seizure/forfeiture and develop relationships with potential partner agencies
A joined-up CJS through enabling technology
Improved information flows in the CJS
2008 Counter Terrorism Bill reflects CPS policy input and facilitates improved prosecution work The CPS government-wide reputation enhanced
Seek approval of the CPS Board as to the level and way in which the organisation will organise its work
By December 2008 – in line with programme plans, complete the agreed links between the CPS and Police IT systems
By end of December 2008 – first, second and third readings of the Bill
New CT Act in force
Develop a role for the CPS in civil recovery and cash seizure/forfeiture and develop relationships with potential partner agencies
New Criminal Justice Bill reforms law on conspiracy reflecting the CPS CT input
Future CT legislation
Develop a role for the CPS in civil recovery and cash seizure/forfeiture and develop relationships with potential partner agencies Ongoing liaison between the CPS and key stakeholders such as the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice Possible future CT legislation
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
32 Anti-social behaviour legislation Owner Mike Kennedy Prolific and Priority Offenders (PPOs) Owner Mike Kennedy Improve the CPS’s implementation of anti-social behaviour legislation and to work with partner agencies to contribute to the multi-agency drive to tackle anti-social behaviour
Tackle the offending behaviour of the small hard core of offenders who commit disproportionate amounts of crime and harm to local communities
Improvements in the CPS’s response to anti-social behaviour via internal and inter-agency training
Closer partnership working Specialist Anti-Social Behaviour prosecutors
A focus on the issues of greatest priority in each locality and the most harmful offenders, particularly drug-misusing offenders
A partnership approach to reduce re-offending, through the PPO programme and recently aligned Drug Interventions Programme
By May 2008 – national network of prosecutors leading on the CPS anti-social behaviour work in place
Continued delivery of the PPO CJS Premium Service provided locally (this is driven by LCJBs) with national and local support from key agencies including the CPS
Work in partnership with the Home Office, and other relevant criminal justice agencies, to ensure the CPS is effectively contributing to the PPO CJS Premium Service
Issue legal guidance on PPOs
Programme of work and associated milestones yet to be determined (subject to Home Office priorities and availability of funding)
Review the CPS contribution to the PPO CJS Premium Service and implement any necessary changes
Programme of work and associated milestones yet to be determined (subject to Home Office priorities and availability of funding)
Continue to provide a prioritised service in relation to PPOs, and support the delivery of the PPO CJS Premium Service (suitably modified if appropriate)
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
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Gangs and gun crime Owner Mike Kennedy
A central ministerial taskforce on guns and gangs, chaired by the Home Secretary, is overseeing a Tackling Gangs Action Programme. The Attorney General is a member of this ministerial group and the CPS will support delivery of this work stream
National co-ordinated approach to training on firearms, incorporating the perspective of gang-related crime, focusing initially in the four hot spot areas of London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester
Spreading of good practice amongst prosecutors in handling complex gun and gang-related crime
Contribute to delivery of the outcomes arising from the Home Office led Tackling Gangs Action Programme, including spreading good practice and improving witness support
May 2008 – dissemination of a national CPS good practice guide for prosecutors on how to handle complex gun and gang-related cases
A national training course on firearms to be developed and delivered via courses arranged locally
Milestones for 2009/10 and 2010/11 to be agreed following completion of Guns and Gang planning work
There will be a need for ongoing liaison between the CPS and other criminal justice partners
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones
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The Hate Crimes Monitoring and Reporting Strategy Owners Séamus Taylor Mike Kennedy
The strategy provides for the recording, analysis and reporting of essential data on the prosecution of racist incidents, religious incidents, homophobic crime, and disability aggravated crime. During 2007/08, the necessary changes were made to the CMS to enable the recording and extraction of data on all hate crime offence types The linked VAW crimes management projects includes recording, analysis and reporting of essential data on the prosecution of VAW crimes, starting in 2008/09 with domestic violence, rape and sexual offences
Reduce unsuccessful outcomes on hate crimes to 18%
Publish annual hate crime reports and VAW Report
Increase stakeholder awareness of the CPS’s handling of hate crimes Increase public awareness of the CPS’s handling of hate crimes
By July 2008 – implement and commence regular quarterly hate crime reports
By September 2008 – agree Annual Hate Crime Report and linked VAW Report and make arrangements for publication
Reduce unsuccessful outcomes on hate crimes to 17%
Revise report formats in the light of changing requirements Continue with the presentation of regular quarterly reports and linked Annual Reports on Hate Crime and VAW
Reduce unsuccessful outcomes on hate crimes to 16%
Continue with the presentation of regular quarterly reports and linked Annual Reports on Hate Crime and VAW Area/national
performance targets for hate crime
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
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36 Area restructuring (1:15:42) Owner Mike Kennedy Operation of Complex Casework Units (CCUs)
Improve the Service's capability to deal effectively and efficiently with complex casework at the Area level through the operation of a Complex Casework Unit within each of the 14 Groups and CPS London
By June 2008 – established network of CCUs providing assurances of compliance with Blueprint, facilitating specialist training and sharing best practice By July 2008 – review of the role of a CCU lawyer
By September 2008 –
development of time recording system to analyse resources used in CCU work and allow future forecasting
By December 2008 – compliance with departmental security requirements for physical and personnel security in an intelligence led environment
By April 2009 – evaluation of programme leading to plans for further improvement
Continuous improvement culture visible within Complex Casework Units and Group Operations Centres leading to improved efficiency and effectiveness
Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
Structural reform
The CPS is committed to delivering an excellent service to the public on serious crimes and ensuring best value for money. To do so we are restructuring the way that we deliver our services both in terms of frontline prosecution of serious cases and the
essential services that support our work, regionally and nationally.
As a priority we are:
•Restructuringto deliver the benefits of our move to a 1:15:42 structure and through the Headquarters Review in order to improve performance through better use of resources and better performance management;
•Using our complex casework unitsto improve performance on serious cases.
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Area restructuring (1:15:42) (continued) Owner Mike Kennedy The CPS Headquarters (HQ) Review implementation Owner John Graham
Operation of Group Operation Centres (GOCs), and Group Strategy Boards (GSB)
The HQ Review is designed to clarify the role of HQ now and in the future by developing proposals for the structure and function of a modern HQ Maximise opportunities for sharing services with other government organisations
Improve resilience and maximise effectiveness and efficiency through the operation of 14 Groups and Group Strategy Boards by exploiting opportunities for more effective deployment of skilled resources across Area boundaries within Groups and from enhanced economies of scale and skill
A finalised HQ structure and an implementation plan for delivery across the three year period The changes to HQ will produce at least a 5% per annum reduction in administrative costs and support the aim of directing as many resources as possible to frontline delivery
By June 2008 – specialist professional networks in place led by Heads of Profession
By July 2008 – group operation centre minimum model staff in post
By September 2008 – minimum performance standard framework and measures implemented
By the end of April 2008 – finalise detailed HQ structure and staffing levels for each directorate Implementation milestones to be confirmed
By April 2009 – evaluation of programme leading to plans for further improvement
A step change towards modern streamlined HQ with a strategic core of people in London A further 5% reduction in administrative costs A modern streamlined HQ with a strategic core of people in London A further 5% reduction in administrative costs Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
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Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
Ensuring that we lead, manage and engage
To give the best possible service to the public, and be recognised as doing so, the CPS needs to work effectively with its partners in the criminal justice system and with the communities we serve. This is a job not only for the leaders of the organisation but for all of our people.
We need to make sure they have the skills, support, confidence and commitment to be ambassadors for the CPS. We also need to ensure that performance is well managed to ensure that a consistently high level of service is provided.
As a priority we will be:
•Improving our leadershipskills, practices and behaviours; •Building on our performance managementsystems to
ensure excellence; and
•Engaging with our partners and communitieslocally, nationally and internationally to play our unique role in making communities safer.
Supporting leadership Owner Ros McCool
Embed the CPS leadership model into recruitment, induction, talent management, and governance structures Provide training and support for staff at all levels to manage and lead with confidence
Provide a complete audit of leadership behaviours Identify leadership talent Improved leadership skills New leadership and management development programmes are clearly focused on the CPS’s business needs
By November 2008 – initial succession planning outcomes reported to top management By March 2009 – evaluation of initial phase to show improved leadership skills across the CPS
Improved feedback on staff survey and OPA assessments around managing change and Area leadership
Increasingly excellent leadership behaviour in all parts of the CPS as shown by:
•confidence in
the senior management and % of staff who feel that change is well managed is in the top half of civil service, and •no area rated poor in
OPA assessments of leadership
Ensure that we lead…
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Business activities 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Outcomes & Project title Project description Expected outcomes High-level milestones Outcomes & milestones milestones
Supporting leadership (continued) Owner Ros McCool
Further develop the framework for Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP) and Senior Civil Servant (SCS) performance
management
Develop a talent management strategy
Establish clearer links between corporate objectives and individual CCP/SCS performance agreements Agree talent management strategy
By end of April 2008 – CCP/SCS performance agreements in place By end of June 2008 – talent management strategy agreed Begin implementation Ensure that we lead…
