Report Summary
This report provides members of the Scottish Police Authority Policing Performance Committee with the final update of the Benchmarking Short Life Working Group, detailing the key achievements of the group and outlining how benchmarking and comparative analysis is now embedded in the Police Scotland performance, underpinning ongoing continuous improvement activity.
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Most Similar Groups
The assignment of most similar groups (MSGs) to be used for comparative analysis of performance is critical to the success of the benchmarking approach because it:
• Ensures efficiency of the benchmarking process.
• Avoids unintended negative behaviours around comparators with other police forces in the UK and beyond.
• Allows for suitable benchmarking between similar forces in terms of demographic, economic and social characteristics.
The SLWG used the variables recommended by HMICFRS as a template to compile MSGs from forces across the UK. These were gauged against the availability of corresponding data in UK and Scottish Censuses 2011:
• Percentage of ACORN 5 households - "Hard Pressed" neighbourhoods.
• Percentage of terraced households.
• Output Area (OA) population density.
• Percentage of single parent households.
• Long-term unemployed per worker.
A number of other variables were also considered:
• Number of police officers/staff.
• Annual budget.
• Force area.
• Population size.
• 999/101 call demand.
Through this approach, the SLWG have agreed the following police forces as the most useful comparators for Police Scotland:
• Dyfed Powys Police
• Greater Manchester Police
• Norfolk Police
• Thames Valley Police
• West Yorkshire Police
• Police Service of Northern Ireland
This grouping will be revisited every 3 years, or before if any restructure of forces or responsibilities/functions takes place.
