Introduction to change projects and business change benefits.
Police forces in England and Wales have a duty to continuously seek opportunities to improve their service to the public as efficiently and effectively as possible. This happens through ongoing improvement in service delivery and operational and organisational change projects. Many change projects are aimed at improving the quality of service, while others seek to improve efficiency, increase productivity or strengthen organisational capability.
A benefit is the measurable improvement that results from implementing a change. It contributes to achieving organisational objectives and better outcomes.
Examples of benefits include:
- financial savings
- improved capability
- increased capacity
- improved compliance
- enhanced service quality
- reduced risk
- improved victim experience
- increased public confidence
In some cases, benefits are interrelated, with the realisation of one benefit contributing to or enabling the achievement of wider operational or public outcomes. For example, improvements in capability or compliance may support longer-term outcomes, such as crime reduction or increased confidence in policing.
Teams should remain alert to opportunities for emergent benefits throughout the lifecycle of an initiative. An emergent benefit is a benefit that was not identified during the planning stage, but emerges during delivery or operation and contributes additional value to stakeholders.
Benefits may be financial or non-financial. Financial benefits are those that can be expressed in monetary terms, including:
- cash-releasing savings
- cost avoidance
- productivity gains
Non-financial benefits are typically measured through improvements in:
- quality
- service performance
- customer experience
- compliance
- safety
- staff wellbeing
Some benefits may be expressed in both operational and financial terms, depending on how they are measured and realised. For example, time savings or improved operational effectiveness.
The beneficiary may be the public, victims, partners, the organisation or officers and staff. All benefits should be measurable, with the measurement approach identified at the outset of the project or programme. This applies regardless of the type of benefit or who benefits from it.
Identifying, recording and reporting on intended benefits for change projects or programmes allows police forces to:
- identify what works
- ensure public confidence that public funds are being used effectively
- make the case for transformational investment
Identify what works
Evidence-based policing (using evidence to drive decision making) allows:
- police forces to decide whether to continue the change
- lessons to be learned and shared with partners and across policing
Depending on the cost, risk and complexity of the change, it may be worth planning a formal impact evaluation, using the policing evaluation toolkit.
Demonstrate efficient use of public funds
Reporting on how a change is achieving intended benefits enables police forces to demonstrate their efficiency to:
- the public
- His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)
- National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) committees
- police and crime commissioners (PCCs)
- mayors
- the Home Office
Make the case for transformational investment
Demonstrating how efficiency benefits are realised and then reinvested into improving public services makes the case for further investment to HM Treasury, PCCs and mayors. This is a fundamental purpose of the business case process. Strategic outline cases (SOC), outline business cases (OBC) and full business cases (FBC) provide the framework for articulating, evidencing, and tracking benefits.
This allows police forces to generate further efficiency through, for example, use of technology.