Best Value Police evaluation

23 August 2010

Accounts Commission and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary respond to independent review of joint pilot Best Value audit and inspections in Tayside and Northern.

Background
The Accounts Commission and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary for Scotland (HMICS) trialled their new joint approach to audit and inspection in the police implemented in two areas: Tayside and Northern during May 2009 and September 2009 respectively. Ipsos-MORI Scotland were commissioned to research the effectiveness of the joint audit and inspection approach adopted to help inform the Accounts Commission’s and HMICS’s considerations of how the Best Value audit and inspection framework for police might be refined.

The report which can be found below sets out the findings from this work and contains a set of recommendations for refining and improving the police BV audit and inspection process.

The Accounts Commission considered the Ipsos-MORI report at its meeting on the 15th July 2010. The report has also been considered by HMIC, Bill Skelly.

What next?
The Commission has asked Audit Scotland to work with HMICS to take forward the actions that are necessary to address the eight recommendations contained within the Ipsos-MORI report.

The key changes that Audit Scotland and HMICS have made, or are in the process of making, to the process in response to the feedback can be found below.