DATE:

23 September 2013

TO/DEST:

Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board

FROM/EXP:

Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service

SUBJECT/OBJET:

2013 - 2015 BUSINESS PLAN: SEMI-ANNUAL STATUS REPORT (JANUARY TO JUNE 2013)

RECOMMENDATION

That the Ottawa Police Services Board receive this report for information.

BACKGROUND

The 2013-2015 Business Plan, adopted by the Board 25 March 2013, is the Ottawa Police Services Board’s (Board) sixth Plan since 1995. It sets the course for the organization over the next three years. It is a collective response to identified community concerns and policing pressures and strengthens the day-to-day delivery of quality policing services to the community - responding to calls for assistance, investigating crime, maintaining public order, assisting victims, enforcing the law and preventing crime.

The 2013-2015 Business Plan focuses the organization on four strategic priorities, along with the goals and outcomes that will drive the organization to be the trusted leader in policing. The actions and initiatives in the plan will ensure that we will successfully achieve our mandated responsibilities and address community needs. As a plan of action, it will be flexible so that it keeps the needs of Ottawa in focus as the city continues to evolve.

The Board receives progress reports on the business plan semi-annually that include Board reports and actions/accomplishments during the reporting period that support the implementation of the goals and outcomes as outlined in the OPS Plan.

This is not the only mechanism that the Ottawa Police Service uses to report on progress - the annual Activity Report, annual Crime, Police and Traffic statistics and quarterly operational performance reporting (e.g. Call Response, Workforce Management, etc.) are other means provided to the Board that reference the strategic priorities and outcomes of the Business Plan.

DISCUSSION

The Plan was adopted by the Board in March of this year. It outlines measurable goals and objectives for each of the four strategic priorities of Value | Community | Members | Service, as well as action and success indicators. It is built upon a recognized need to:

· engage and build strong, productive working relationships with the community and community partners;

· create a culture that engages members in a shared vision of policing innovation and excellence. Investing and supporting current and future members’ well-being and tools to respond to the community’s call for assistance;

· foster positive engagement, ethics and professionalism through everyday interactions with citizens; and,

· protect the safety, security and quality of life for residents in Ottawa by delivering policing services that demonstrate positive impact and value to the community through the provision of quality services and enhanced performance accountability.

The OPS regularly monitors and tracks the progress of actions and activities that support the implementation of the 2013-2015 Business Plan goals, objectives and outcomes. A self-assessment is completed every six months and the results reported to the Police Services Board, the community and members of the Ottawa Police. The outcomes, targets and indicators in the Business Plan, whether existing or yet to be defined, are aligned with the Ottawa Police Service’s Performance Monitoring Framework. The OPS firmly believes that one of the most powerful accountability mechanisms is the establishment of performance indicators and metrics that demonstrate how we are doing in achieving our objectives.

Following the adoption of the Business Plan in March, the OPS embarked on a renewed planning framework and the development of Directorate Operational Plans to define the inputs / actions at the strategic and operational levels over the next 3 years to support the implementation of the Business Plan and better deliver policing services to the community. Operational Plans developed for each Directorate put the strategic priorities into action. They identify the specific activities, initiatives and outcomes at the operational level, as well as identify interdependencies and horizontal linkages across the Ottawa Police Service to ensure implementation success. Through this process there has been improved member engagement at the NCO levels and the articulation of performance indicators / metrics. A minor adjustment in the planning cycle will align the annual budget cycle and assist in the three to five year budget planning.

The approach integrates and aligns the many initiatives that connect where we are going, how we are going to get there, and to help us know when we have arrived and whether or not we have successfully achieved our anticipated outcomes. Through this exercise annual organizational areas of focus will be identified, which will be reviewed annually. Over the next three years, progress on initiatives identified in our Business Plan, and those that are critical strategic and operational priorities, will be monitored.

This progress report highlights the key actions and outcomes undertaken by front line officers and civilians over the first two quarters of 2013 – the first six months of a three year plan of implementation. The self-assessment identifies moderate progress to date. A number of early projects are moving forward that will improve service to citizens while bringing potential cost and capacity savings. These initiatives include developing multiple formats for access to police services through a variety of self-reporting options, implementation of new collision reporting software, Collision Reporting Centres, Gang Strategy, Service Initiative, and the development of the Directorate Operational Plans.

Key accomplishments achieved during the reporting period have been grouped within each of the four strategic priorities (Annex A). The organizational investment in Directorate Operational Plans will be valuable as these plans align all organizational initiatives in an integrated way that is efficient, consistent, engages our members and provides effective measurement against objectives and organizational performance.

During the reporting period the Board received a total of 27 reports that support the implementation of the 2013-2015 Business Plan (Annex B).

Ongoing monitoring and reporting will ensure accountability, while allowing the opportunity to work through challenges and adjust strategies, as required, to stay on track, and achieve the expected outcomes, targets and objectives. In addition, it ensures that the Board, the community and members are kept informed of the outcomes and progress.

EXISTING POLICY

The semi-annual progress report forms part of the Ottawa Police Service’s compliance with Provincial Adequacy Standards and Ottawa Police Services Board Policy AI-001, Framework for Business Planning.

CONSULTATION

A Plan Where Everyone Matters: 2013–2015 Business Plan was the product of many months of collaborative work undertaken by the members of the Police Service, engaged citizens, and the Police Services Board. Informed by the tremendous amount of input received from a broad audience that included residents, community partners, elected officials, youth, businesses, school boards, community organizations and service agencies, it responds to the needs of our community and members of the Police Service.

Engagement, input and ongoing feedback was an essential element throughout the development of the Plan, and continues with the implementation of the Plan over the next three years. Ongoing community, member, and stakeholder consultation and feedback will allow the OPS to stay at the forefront of community and policing issues, improve service to the community, no matter what new challenges and opportunities arise.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

There are no immediate financial impacts or implications from the results of this report.

CONCLUSION

The Plan Where Everyone Matters is about improving service and creating a sustainable police service for the community and members. It is about delivering our policing responsibilities in a manner that will balance community expectations with available financial and resource capacity. It is recognizing that we cannot do it alone. We will engage the considerable influence and expertise of our community, municipal partners and our other police agency partners.

The OPS is translating the Plan into action. During the first two quarters of 2013, the OPS has identified and has taken action on initiatives to reduce and prevent crime, enhance our community relationships and partnerships, improve supports to our members, strengthen the day-to-day delivery of quality policing services to the community, and look for ways to adapt, improve and innovate how we work in order to better serve the people of Ottawa.

This is just the beginning of the process. There is much to do. The OPS will continue to advance actions and activities to respond to community concerns and improve the Police Service’s ability to effectively and efficiently deliver policing services to residents. While the implementation of the Plan will present challenges, I am confident that the members of the Police Service, along with the continued engagement of our community and community partners, will achieve success. We will strengthen our tradition of delivering quality policing excellence, to be a trusted leader in policing that this Police Service has established. Together we will create a safer community “Where Everyone Matters”.

(Original signed by)

Charles Bordeleau

Chief of Police

Annex A - Progress: 2013-2015 Business Plan (January to June 2013)

Annex B - Reports/Presentations/Correspondence that support the implementation of 2013 – 2015 Business Plan (January to June 2013)

Responsible for report: Supt. Terrence Cheslock

This document contains information that reports on activities related to the 2013-21015 Business Plan