Northern Ireland Policing Board : best value performance plan for 2005-06

The Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 requires the Northern Ireland Policing Board to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the way in which their functions and those of the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are exercised, with particular focus on economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

This NAO report represents part of the Comptroller and Auditor General's function to audit the Best Value Performance Plan, setting out any actions and recommendations for the consideration of Parliament, Members of the Policing Board and the Chief Constable. A number of findings and recommendations are as follows: both the Policing Board and the PSNI can improve how they present what they do, and where quality improvements have taken place to the general public; that the Board and the PSNI have significantly improved the quality of their performance indicators and standards for 2005-06 period; that the Best Value philosophy should be further embedded in the both the Board and PSNI, so that key issues for improvement maybe more effectively identified; that internal PSNI reviews should embody a stronger "Competition" criteria, when carrying out assessments; the PSNI should ensure that when they implement their new information systems strategy, that a consistent business process analysis is set in place, along with a frequent updating of any programme plans, and that any business changes and benefits are clearly identified.