OTTAWA POLICE SERVICES BOARD

COMMISSION DE SERVICES POLICIERS D’OTTAWA

 

Working together for a safer community

La sécurité de notre communauté, un travail d’équipe

REPORT

RAPPORT

 

DATE                              20 June 2011

 

TO/DEST.                        Chair and Members, Ottawa Police Services Board

 

FROM/EXP.                    Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board

 

SUBJECT/OBJET           CITY OF OTTAWA CORPORATE PLANNING FRAMEWORK

 

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board:

1.             Approve City Council’s request to develop strategic priorities for the Ottawa Police Service for the 2010-2014 term of Council. 

2.             Work with the Chief of Police to undertake this exercise, with the intention of reporting back to the Police Services Board and City Council within the timelines requested by Council.

 

BACKGROUND

 

At a meeting on May 25, 2011 Ottawa City Council considered recommendations from the City’s Finance and Economic Development Committee pertaining to a Corporate Planning Framework.  The Committee’s recommendations impact the Ottawa Police Services Board and Police Service, and are as follows:

 

That Council approve the Corporate Planning Framework, as outlined in this report and as amended by the motions below, including directing the City Manager to work with the Mayor, and the Standing Committee and Transit Commission Chairs and Vice Chairs to develop draft strategic priorities for the 2011-2014 term of Council for Committee and Council consideration in June 2011;

 

a.      That City Council inform the Ottawa Police Services Board, the Ottawa Public Library Board, the Ottawa Community Housing Board of Directors and the Ottawa Board of Health about City Council’s Corporate Planning Framework and its strategic priorities for the 2011-2014 term of Council; and

b.      That City Council request the Ottawa Police Services Board, the Ottawa Public Library Board, the Ottawa Community Housing Board of Directors and the Ottawa Board of Health undertake a similar exercise to develop their strategic priorities for the 2011-2014 term of Council and report back to City Council on any actions taken as a result of this request.

 

A copy of the letter received from the City Clerk and Solicitor dated May 26, 2011 and Report 7 from the Finance and Economic Development Committee are attached as Annex A.

 

The plan to develop a Corporate Planning Framework (CPF) has been initiated in response to recommendations from the City Auditor General aimed at aligning planning and budgeting processes, previous Council directions on establishing accountability at all levels of the City, and Mid-Term Governance Review recommendations pertaining to strategic planning.  The objectives of the CPF are to:

 

  1. Enhance the oversight and direction required for the effective execution of Council’s priorities;
  2. Provide a clear sight-line between long-term sustainability goals, term of Council planning, departmental operational planning, budgeting, and resource allocation;
  3. Offer a more rigorous approach and process to describing short and long-term quantifiable priorities and driving them into the organization;
  4. Increase openness, transparency and accountability in the planning, budgeting and public reporting of financial, strategic and operational service results; and
  5. Integrate all components of the planning process including long-term planning, term of Council strategic planning, accountability, risk management, operational execution, performance reporting, Long Range Financial Plan and budget.

 

Further rationale for the request to the Police Services Board to conduct a similar strategic priority-setting exercise is provided in the full motion approved by the Finance and Economic Development Committee on May 12, 2011, contained in Report 7.  The motion recognizes that the City’s strategic priorities will inform future budget development for the remainder of this term of Council and help ensure there is a clear link among long-term sustainability goals, term of Council planning, departmental operational planning, and budget and resource allocation.  As the City of Ottawa budget also funds the Police Service, City Council believes it would be beneficial to know and understand the strategic priorities for the Police Service over the planning period. 

 

Council is aiming to have its strategic objectives and initiatives identified by September 2011 to ensure that they can be taken into consideration in the 2012 budget; the budget is scheduled to be tabled with Council at the beginning of November.  The Police Services Board has been asked to align its priority setting exercise with this process.  To meet the requested timeframe, the Board will have to report back to Council in late September/early October.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Ottawa Police Service Business Plan

 

The Ottawa Police Services Board is required by the Province’s Adequacy and Effectiveness Standards Regulation, O. Reg. 3/99 to prepare a business plan for the Police Service at least once every three years that must address:

 

1.             The objectives, core business and functions of the police force, including how it will provide adequate and effective police services; and

2.             Quantitative and qualitative performance objectives and indicators relating to the eight functions set out in the Regulation. 

 

In accordance with a Provincial Ministry Standard and Ottawa Board Policy AI-001, the business plan must also include or reference the estimated cost projections for implementing the business plan for each year that the plan covers.  Under the Ministry Standard and Board policy there is also a requirement that the Board, in partnership with the Chief of Police, “… prepare a strategy for the development of the business plan, consistent with the requirements of the Adequacy Standards Regulation (including the protocol with municipal council), that will include consultation with school boards, community organizations and groups, businesses and members of the public on:

 

a)      An environmental scan of the community that highlights crime, calls for service and public disorder trends within the community;

b)      The results achieved by the police service in relation to the business plan currently in effect;

c)      A summary of the workload assessments and service delivery evaluations undertaken during the existing business plan cycle;

d)     The board’s proposals with respect to the police service’s objectives, core business and functions, and performance objectives and indicators for the eight functions set out in the Adequacy Standards Regulation; and

e)      The estimated cost of delivering adequate and effective police services to meet the needs identified in the draft business plan.”

 

The current OPS Business Plan covers the years 2010 to 2012 and was approved prior to Council setting a goal of 2.5% budgetary increases for each year between 2010 and 2014.  Given the implications that budget target has on OPS resources and the growth-related plans identified in the Business Plan, it will be necessary to revisit the current Business Plan, as some of the objectives are no longer achievable within today’s fiscal realities.  Council’s Corporate Planning Framework initiative provides an opportunity to conduct a ‘refresh’ exercise as part of the OPS’ priority-setting for 2010 - 2014.

 

Timelines

 

The development of the three-year OPS Business Plan that incorporates all of the components required by legislation, including environmental scanning and public consultation, is lengthy and normally takes approximately one year to complete.  Plans are underway for development of the 2013 – 2015 Business Plan, with environmental scanning and consultation scheduled to be conducted this fall.  This would normally be followed by a strategic planning session with members of the Police Services Board and Executive Team in the spring of 2012.  Work would progress through the summer, with a draft document distributed in the fall for further consultation.  Final approval would occur at the end of 2012, with the new Plan ready to be in place for January 2013. 

 

In order to meet Council’s request to determine strategic priorities for the current term of Council by September 2011, a significantly accelerated and abbreviated business plan development process will have to be implemented to align with Council’s Corporate Planning Framework exercise. 

 

CONSULTATION

 

Consultation is not applicable.

 

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

 

Accelerating the business planning process will require some facilitated consultation to take place this fall instead of in 2012, with a small budget implication for the retention of a facilitator.

 

CONCLUSION

 

City Council has asked the Police Services Board to embark on an exercise to develop strategic priorities for the 2011-2014 term of Council, so that those priorities can be considered in the context of the City’s new Corporate Planning Framework initiative.  Meeting Council’s request and timelines will require adopting an accelerated and abbreviated business plan development process. 

 

The Police Services Board is respectfully asked to consider Council’s request. 

 

 

(Original signed by)

 

Wendy Fedec

 

Attach. (1)