New technology advances HR performance

Sussex Police has chosen Actuate Performancesoft Views to deliver performance-reporting information to its 5,000 strong workforce as part of its Sussex Police Information Reporting Environment (SPIRE) programme.

SPIRE is the key management information programme for delivering performance information to the Sussex Police force. In order to improve visibility and access to this performance information across the organisation, Sussex Police needed an intuitive, easy-to-use tool that could be accessed on every user desktop. Actuate Performancesoft Views offers all the capabilities they need including drill down functionality, highly visual and dynamic user features such as strategy maps and reports and compatibility with multiple data sources, making it an ideal partner for Sussex Police.

“Sussex is a high performing force, and we pride ourselves on delivering a quality service to the public. Having rapid access to up-to-date, accurate information is an important part of achieving that. Actuate Performancesoft Views consolidates our existing, wide range of performance data together in one place, so all our staff can make good and efficient use of it,” said Geoff Williams, deputy chief constable, Sussex Police.

With Actuate, the police force has the ability to publish user and station specific Briefing Books on both the internal Intranet and the Internet, which enables them to deliver performance information to every user in the organisation.

Sussex uses standard national performance indicators and other local indicators to assess how well it’s delivering on its priorities: sustaining its good record on tackling crime and disorder, strengthening neighbourhood policing, keeping the public safe and making best use of force resources. Overall, the force scores highly by HMIC (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary) and by the Audit Commission through the Use of Resources Evaluation.

Steve Fluin, senior vice president of Worldwide Operations, Performance Management Division, Actuate, said: “There is a compelling need within UK police forces for a comprehensive performance management system that delivers visual and actionable information in a management friendly interface. Actuate has the technology and expertise to best fulfill those needs and we look forward to working with Sussex Police and many other police forces that wish to leverage improved performance, in the future.”

Career tracking has also been given a makeover with the introduction of Skill Manager version 7.0 from US-based Crown Pointe Technologies. The Microsoft Windows based system provides forces with an easy and efficient means of tracking the development of their officers, including firearms training qualifications. As the software has been developed for emergency service and law enforcement professionals, individuals, trainers and even entire organisation can be monitored for their level of compliance with local or national levels of attainment.

The software also offers several integrated add-on modules designed to catalogue firearms and equipment, manage images, documents and computer files linked to employee and course records, and to test and score forms via automated scanning.

Steve Wesner, vice president of Crown Pointe Technologies, said: “The software easily pays for itself in less than a year after being purchased by relieving many administrative burdens and providing instant access to personnel records and easy-to-use reporting and mail merge features.”

In 2003 a Home Office circular was issued, detailing the implementation of a new performance management system, the Performance and Development Review (PDR). The PDR was to follow a National Competency Framework (NCF) to include ‘activities’ and ‘behaviours’ within a ‘role profile’.

The aim of the PDR system was to drive up performance, with employees evidencing competencies within their role profile that reflect their particular job function within the organisation.

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