Quarter of performance targets not being met by PSNI
POLICE failed to meet almost a quarter of performance targets set last year by the Policing Board, a Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report has found.
It said too many targets had been set and suggested fewer would improve performance.
The report criticised the PSNI and Policing Board for failing to show a “positive attitude” to- wards delivering improvement.
Publishing his latest report on performance targets, auditor general Kieran Donnelly said: “Long-standing issues remain around the need for shared leadership between the Policing Board and the PSNI, and the need for effective programme and project management arrangements to drive continuous improvement.”
The Policing Board’s business plan for 2015/16 included 48 tar- gets for the PSNI. Overall, 77% had been fully achieved, but 23% had been partially achieved or not achieved at all.
The report said: “The continuing failure to address previous years’ recommendations is not indicative of a positive attitude towards delivering improvement.
“It is essential that the board and the PSNI now address long-standing issues around their shared leadership and management of continuous improvement.” A recommendation was made in 2016 by the auditor general to reduce the number of performance indicators to focus on the most important aspects of policing performance.
Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris said they and the Policing Board were progressing each of the five recommendations. He said: “We will continue to work with the Policing Board to fully implement the recommendations made within the report.”
The Policing Board welcomed the report’s publication.
“The Board and the PSNI have devoted significant time and energy to addressing recommendations from the NIAO, and as such it is disappointing that some of these efforts have not fully achieved the required NIAO outcome,” a spokeswoman said.
“The Board remains committed to ensuring that the Audit recommendations are implemented in full.”