Scanning to identify and prioritise potential performance problems.
Performance scanning involves identifying persistent problems that:
- impact the service provided (and as a result, performance)
- have been prioritised for attention
The purpose of scanning is to identify a specific problem that the police can address.
The Home Office and His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) will undertake performance scanning as part of the policing performance system, where the policing performance monitoring group (PPMG) will allocate a force to one of four levels.
Forces can proactively identify problems internally through the methods listed on this page.
Performance monitoring
Examining the quantitative and qualitative outputs of performance measurement to understand:
- what is being delivered
- why is it being delivered
- what conclusions can be drawn
- what more might be done to improve
Once the problem has been identified:
- conduct a root cause analysis to fully understand it
- use a logic model approach to identify appropriate response(s)
Assessments
Examining the outputs of assessments, including (but not limited to):
- force management statements
- strategic risk assessments
- force risk registers
Audit and inspection
Examining the internal and external audit and inspection activity, including (but not limited to):
- auditing crime reporting standards
- internal review and inspection activity
- HMICFRS inspection findings (force and thematic)
- inquiries and reports by policing stakeholders, such as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
For more information on how HMICFRS inspect and assess forces for police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) assessments, go to:
College of Policing logic model
Our policing logic model can be used to:
- evaluate a project, policy or tactic
- create a framework to plan a new intervention
The logic model shows how to think critically about the links between a problem, intervention and measures of success. This can show how and why the intervention might work. It can also help you show the potential value of your project to others.
By mapping the logical relationship between your problem, your response (the intervention), and the outcome you hope to achieve, you can show how and why your intervention might work.
Further information on how to use the logic model is available in our practical evaluation toolkit.