Priority Based Budgeting update

IN March the force gave details of the savings identified through the second phase of Priority Based Budgeting (PBB) for the financial year 2013/14.

Both phases of PBB have identified improvements in the way we deliver our services and to identify £41m of savings – phase 1 identified £25m and phase 2 identified £16m.

PBB involves identifying the services we provide so that:

• We improve the service we deliver
• We consider ideas for future opportunities to reduce costs
• We make the best use of how we procure services and facilities in future to obtain the best possible value for money.

The majority of the changes identified in phase 1 have now been implemented which has realised £25m savings.

The force is in the process of implementing the changes from phase 2 and this involves the implementation team, led by ACC Beale, working closely with heads of departments to facilitate and guide them through the process.

The implementation process also includes HR working alongside department heads to support them through any difficult decisions arising from the PBB process, such as those affecting people’s hours, location or conditions of work.

[pullquote_right]PBB has helped us to realise the savings that we need to make but crucially it has been able to identify improvements in how we carry out our day to day business.”[/pullquote_right]

A total of 86 central business functions have already been reviewed as part of PBB and the force is now in the third phase of the process.

Phase 3 is a consolidation phase covering areas not reviewed previously – areas in scope for phase 3 are: Custody, Force Identification, CJ Partnership and Policy, Casualty Reduction Partnership and Camera Enforcement Unit, Safer Travel, Vehicle Recovery, Regional Intelligence Unit, LPU Partnerships, Licensing, OSD and Planning, LPU Overtime, Support to Associations, Insurance, Sports and Social.

PBB phase 3 has also been used to confirm baseline costs and service descriptions for a number of areas reviewed under other force programmes, for example Continuous Improvement and 5Ci.

David Wilkin, Temporary Director of Resources, said: “A phenomenal amount of work has taken place and it shouldn’t be underestimated how hard people have worked on this process during all of the phases.

“We are also acutely aware that the PBB process has been difficult for those staff affected by the changes made as a result.

“We have worked hard to minimise the impact and in both phases the majority of savings were made from non pay budgets.

“No decisions have been easy and where posts have been at risk we have done our utmost to find staff positions elsewhere within the organisation.

“PBB has helped us to realise the savings that we need to make but crucially it has been able to identify improvements in how we carry out our day to day business which is why we will continue to adopt the methodology as we move forward as an organisation.”