About the tool

The Police Force Efficiency Tool is one of a series of products developed to complement the joint national report, ‘Sustaining value for money in the police service’.

Using the tool is voluntary. It is designed to help police forces achieve transformational efficiency improve by providing a series of questions and responses around seven themes, and links to case studies and guidance materials. The questions in the tool follow the 10 characteristics of police efficiency used in the national study:

• Threat, harm and risk (THR)
• Efficiency integrated into policing plan
• Service transformation
• Organisational change
• Collaboration with police and local partners
• Workforce modernisation
• Efficiency planning and monitoring
• Sustainability of efficiency savings
• Timescales
• Management and leadership of efficiency

Using the tool

The questions will ask you to evaluate how well your force or basic command unit is doing. Colour coded responses are provided to help you through the improvement process. You will need to score each question separately as green, amber, or red. Green responses are the ‘ideal’ position.

The Police Force Efficiency Tool is designed to provide you with a whole systems report on the strengths and weaknesses of your force or basic command unit.

In advance of using the tool, we advise you to access the complete set of questions: Police force self-assessment questions (PDF file, 20 pages, 309 KB). It is advisable to discuss your responses with colleagues before completing the online tool.

Your police force efficiency lead or basic commanders should then register to the Improvement Network to access and complete the tool on behalf of your force or BCU. They should be the only people to complete the tool.

In completing the questions, your answers and action planning notes will be captured in a report, outlining your force strengths and weaknesses. This report can be downloaded to help with discussion at future ACPO or command meetings.

The image below is an example of what your overview report might look like, based on the answers you have provided.

How to access the tool

To access the tool, the police force efficiency lead or basic commander will need to register with the Improvement Network. Registering will also provide access to other Improvement Tools, available for free on the Improvement Network, covering generic management topics.

Access the: 'Police Force Efficiency Tool'.

The direct link is: www.policetool.improvementnetwork.gov.uk.

If you have any questions about the tool and how to use it, please contact the Improvement Network helpdesk: help@improvementnetwork.gov.uk.

Future planning

You do not have to complete all questions in one session. The tool is designed for your force or BCU to use periodically to find out what its strengths and weaknesses are at a given point of time. You may want to use it quarterly as part of your force or BCU performance management arrangements.