5.1 DCA is developing its capability and capacity in key areas to ensure it is fit for purpose, and able to deliver first class services. In July 2002, the former Lord Chancellor's Department initiated a review to assess its capacity to deliver a challenging forward programme of work. The review identified four key areas for improvement, which remain valid for DCA:
5.2 Work on DCA's Consumer Strategy Review began in September 2003 to drive forward the realisation of Lord Falconer's vision of a DCA which puts the public at the heart of everything it does. The review team has been working closely with key policy and operational players within DCA as well as external stakeholders.
5.3 The first phase of the review during 2003/04 concentrated on four key areas of DCA policies and services: debt; relationship breakdown; domestic violence; and community justice. The objectives of the first phase were to give us:
5.4 This first phase came to a close in April 2004, feeding into DCA's SR2004 preparations. It found that:
5.5 The review also undertook a wider piece of research on consumer experience of DCA's services. This addressed a broad cross-section of these services, not just the four areas set out above. The results of this research are still being analysed, but the preliminary findings suggest:
5.6 The review is now taking forward follow-on work in relation to the four initial areas of study, as well as exploring some further areas of DCA's policies and services.
5.7 DCA is committed fully to the principles of better regulation. We look to regulate only when this is identified as the best option. We also seek to reduce burdens or remove regulation when appropriate, such as the independent review of the legal services market being undertaken by Sir David Clementi (see Chapter 3). We take the view that regulatory action should be proportionate and appropriate to the circumstances which it is seeking to resolve.
5.8 Priority areas for action during 2003/04 and over the next two years are:
Putting the needs of the public first |
5.9 The headline indicators for DCA's performance at improved regulation are given below.
| Indicator | Performance for 2003/04 |
| RIA compliance | 100%. Action is being taken to overcome concern that some RIAs completed late in the policy development process and therefore not influential. |
| Progress with measures in Regulatory Reform Action Plan (see www.cabinet-office.gov.uk) | 9 proposed, of which 1 completed, 7 on track, 1 slipped, and 0 dropped. |
| Progress with Regulatory Reform Orders | 4 proposed, of which 0 completed, 3 slipped. 1 dropped. Slippage due to legal problems - two of the Orders that slipped are currently being redrafted. |
| Compliance with the Government's consultation code (see www.cabinet-office.gov.uk) | 100%. |
| Evidence of related agencies, inspectorates and other NDPBs following principles of better regulation | The Law Commission is playing a more proactive role on the Better Regulation agenda. |
| Dedicated resources on better regulation agenda in the Department | A board level champion and two staff in the Departmental RIU. Board level champion also plays an important role linking to the Law Commission. |
5.10 The Government's decision to develop a single integrated system for the management of the courts in England and Wales arose from Lord Justice Auld's review of the criminal courts. He concluded that the current structures undermined the efforts of those working within the system to improve it. He recommended that a single, centrally-funded agency should replace both the Court Service and Magistrates' Courts Committees. Lord Justice Auld's recommendation was accepted.
5.11 The Courts Act 2003 enabled these changes to be made with the creation of a new agency to support the delivery of justice in all courts in England and Wales, whether criminal, civil or family. The agency will operate in shadow form during 2004/05 and will take over full control of all the courts in 2005/06.
5.12 There are two key drivers for change:
5.13 The new agency will build upon the best of both the Court Service and Magistrates' Courts Committees, removing the barriers between them and sharing resources strategically. It will provide:
5.14 The current administrative structure of the courts, divided between Magistrates' Courts Committees and the Court Service, has hampered co-operation between the two cultures. This has applied not just to the criminal courts but also the family courts. Much has been done to improve joined-up working but only so much can be achieved within the current fragmented administrative framework.
5.15 A major benefit of unification will be a more efficient use of the courts' estate. Shared accommodation will lead to the provision of better facilities and services to customers. It will also be easier for the public to communicate with and understand the new agency, thereby improving customer service.
5.16 The changes to the administration of courts set out in the Courts Act 2003 will be crucial in delivering modern, efficient courts that are free from unnecessary and avoidable delay, in touch with the communities they serve and responsive to the needs of their users. The establishment of local courts boards will provide for the first time, an opportunity for community and court users to have real influence in the administration of local justice.
5.17 The creation of an executive agency means that the Magistrates' Courts Committees and the existing Court Service will cease to exist and their responsibilities pass to the new agency. The agency will be headed by a chief executive, Professor Sir Ronald De Witt, who will be accountable for the agency's performance through Ministers to Parliament. The Chief Executive will be supported by a strong centre, which will set and monitor a challenging strategy and performance framework. Local areas will be managed by Area Directors, responsible for the delivery of services in their area. They will work in partnership with the local courts boards to ensure that the agency is focused on its customers and is meeting local needs.
5.18 Accountability to the local community is a very important element. This will be provided through the setting up of the local courts boards, which will be established to fulfil the Governments' aim of ensuring that administration of the courts is focused on the needs of court users and the wider local community. Membership of the boards will include judges, magistrates and other people who understand the administration of the courts, together with others who represent the area for which the board is responsible.
5.19 Boards will make a non-executive contribution to local management of the courts and work in partnership with Area Directors who will manage delegated budgets that will afford them the flexibility to meet local needs. They will have the freedom they need to be able to contribute fully to the Local Criminal Justice Boards, and to support the courts' civil and family business in their local area.
5.20 The new agency will put users of the service, specially victims and witnesses, at the forefront of everything that we do. Its establishment is currently one of the biggest and most challenging reform programmes of this nature going on in the public sector. It is also a reform that is full of opportunity - unification will allow DCA to provide a modern service delivering fair, efficient and effective justice.
5.21 In March 2003 the Government announced that the administration of the major tribunal systems in central Government were to be unified. This will be the biggest change to the tribunal system in over 40 years. The unified administration will:
5.22 The new service will be established as a distinct part of the justice system, accountable for efficiency and effectiveness to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs. The new service will, over four years, bring together the 10 largest tribunals from across central Government, with smaller tribunals joining as appropriate. The new organisation will have a distinct ethos and mission, separate from the courts but sharing facilities and services with the whole of DCA.
5.23 These proposals come following Sir Andrew Leggatt's review of tribunals. Sir Andrew's report Tribunals for Users, One System, One Service, was published in 2001, the first review of the tribunal system since Sir Oliver Franks' review in 1957.
5.24 This programme was launched in November 2003 as the Tribunals Service Programme. In February 2004 the administration of DCA's tribunals was separated from that of the Court Service to form the nucleus of the new system.
5.25 The Department took on responsibility, in July 2003, for sponsorship of Lord Hutton's Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly. The Inquiry's public hearings were held at the Royal Courts of Justice.
5.26 As sponsors, the Department provided the secretariat support for the Inquiry. DCA staff, acting for Lord Hutton, were also responsible for organising the accommodation, hearings and support services for the Inquiry. The latter included IT and other technological support which was provided by the staff at the Royal Courts of Justice: this included the provision of an innovative system for scanning evidence into a database and retrieving it on screen in the hearing room.
5.27 DCA's web team devised and maintained the Inquiry's website, which was highly popular with the public and the media. During the hearings the website provided regular updates on all aspects of the Inquiry hearings, including the publication of documentary evidence referred to on the day and full transcripts of the hearings. There are well in excess of 1,000 documents on the Inquiry's website. During the hearings in August and September daily 'unique' visits to the site averaged about 13,500, with average daily page views in the vicinity of 204,000.
5.28 DCA's press office was responsible for the Inquiry's relations with the media in what was the leading news item throughout August and September and a generally high-profile news story through to the publication of Lord Hutton's report in February 2004. Accommodation was provided for the public and the media in the hearing room: audio and visual links of the proceedings were broadcast to annexes to ensure that those who wanted to follow the proceedings were able to do so. Publication staff from DCA provided advice to Lord Hutton on the printing and distribution of his report.
5.29 In addition to the IT achievements associated wit the Hutton Inquiry, DCA has delivered a number of innovative and challenging IT projects in 2003/04. Launched in February 2002, Money Claim Online (MCOL) is one of the Government's most significant achievements in offering online services to citizens and businesses (www.moneyclaim.gov.uk). The service allows both electronic issue of claims and electronic responses to those claims, with uninterrupted 24-hour access to check on progress and status. Such is the take up, MCOL is now the single largest claims' issuing civil 'court', with over 3,500 claims per month being made online. MCOL is at the vanguard of world-wide online court services, and is attracting considerable interest from governments throughout the world.
A Department that reflects the society it serves |
5.30 DCA's new website (www.dca.gov.uk) was launched in late November 2003. Our aim for the site is to provide all our users with improved access to a greater amount of relevant information, and feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive. We recognise that, if we are to increase the participation of the citizen in the democratic process, we must provide them with relevant, up to date, information in a format which they can easily use. Effective communication requires a multi-faceted approach, and e-delivery is now clearly a crucial facet.
5.31 LINK is a £200 million pound three-year project to install new technology into all of the Crown and Combined Courts in England and Wales. This technology will allow us to link the courts to all other partners in the criminal justice system. By the end of December 2003, 31 courts had been 'linked', including major centres such as the Central Criminal Court (The Old Bailey) which received £4.4 million of investment to deliver new computers on all judges' and clerks' desks, new cabling to all courtrooms, offices and public areas, video conferencing and display equipment in all 18 courtrooms (the largest video conferencing network in the world), and 10 suites for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses to give evidence by video link in a safe and secure environment.
5.32 The Old Bailey technology came into its own during the high profile Soham trial in 2003, when it was used to support the presentation of detailed forensic and other evidence to the court, and to support the operation of a separate media room. We have started introducing this new technology into the county courts - Edmonton was the first county court to go live following a major refurbishment in 2003. In September 2003 the LINK project team was named as 'Team of the Year' at the Office of Government Commerce Delivery Awards.
5.33 The Criminal Justice Secure e-Mail programme is one of the first steps in enabling a joined-up criminal justice system in England and Wales. The Secure e-Mail service enables independent criminal justice professionals, such as barristers, solicitors and victim and witness organisations to share sensitive information swiftly and securely among themselves and with criminal justice organisations.
5.34 Exchanging Hearing Information By Internet Technology (XHIBIT) uses the internet to speed up Crown Court trials, reduce witness waiting times, and improve the sharing of trial results across the criminal justice system. XHIBIT was originally piloted in the Essex group of Crown Courts. In 2003 a more advanced version of XHIBIT was launched at Snaresbrook Crown Court. XHIBIT at Snaresbrook links with the Criminal Justice Exchange. The pilot at Snaresbrook began in October 2003 and will run until July 2004, ending with an evaluation which will determine whether it will be rolled out nationally. If the outcome is positive, roll-out will be later in 2004.
5.35 Prison Video Links allow defendants in custody to 'attend' court by video-conference from prison. By January 2004 Prison Video Link had been installed in two courtrooms at 29 Crown Court Centres and in all 18 courtrooms at the Central Criminal Court. Video Links reduce the number of occasions prisoners have to be moved from prison to courts. This in turn can reduce the policing costs of high security cases, and reduce the number of cases delayed by late prisoner arrival.
5.36 During 2003/04 DCA managed the media aspects of several high-profile trials, including the jury visit to Soham during the trial of Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr and technical support to Lord Hutton for his review of the events leading up to the death of Dr David Kelly. DCA also launched its new website in November (see above).
5.37 A high-level communications strategy for DCA is being drawn up for implementation during 2004/05. The strategy will draw on the recommendations of previous reviews of DCA's communications capacity, with particular reference to the development of a core briefing system, better stakeholder management, building capacity across all of DCA (including infrastructure), improving correspondence and better use of marketing techniques. The strategy will also take account of the findings of the Phillis Review of Government Communications to ensure that DCA's strategy fits with the Government's overarching vision for communications in Whitehall.
5.38 Successful delivery of DCA's extensive agenda will be dependent on high-quality leadership at all levels. We have developed a strategy for improving our leadership capability at senior levels that complements cross-Government activity to improve the quality of Senior Civil Service (SCS) leadership, and which incorporates active career management, focused recruitment, investment in development and robust performance management.
5.39 We have run assessment centres for members of our SCS to test business-critical leadership behaviours and undertaken a skills survey to measure the extent to which the skill sets held by our senior managers match those that DCA needs both now and in the future. In 2004/05 SCS development will focus on areas of weakness and skills gaps that were identified through assessment centres and skills survey. All members of the SCS will have individual development plans, and performance management skills training will be available as part of an SCS Development Toolkit.
5.40 This year around 550 managers have participated in our 'Leading Through Change' event for senior leaders and 'Unlocking Potential' events for middle managers. Both programmes aim to develop skills that are in line with DCA's leadership profile.
5.41 We offered over 70 skills, knowledge and technology courses ranging across our core operational business areas and we carried out a training needs analysis within HQ. As a result six pilot training events will be delivered by the end of the financial year including: speechwriting, Parliamentary Bill work skills, creative thinking, strategic thinking, and answering Parliamentary questions.
5.42 We offered over 20 development events ranging from leadership and management to communications and diversity including positive action training. A national mentoring scheme was promoted to staff at all levels.
5.43 We supported the launch of the Government's Skills Strategy (see www.dfes.gov.uk/skillsstrategy/) in a number of ways. We continued to support people to work towards a National Vocational Qualification at Level 3; launched a pilot for people to undertake Modern Apprenticeships; encouraged our under 25s to participate in Prince's Trust Teams; offered partial funding towards higher and further education; launched our adult basic skills strategy. Our professional staff were funded to continue their professional development.
5.44 In early 2004 we worked in partnership with our colleagues across the justice system on an introduction to the criminal justice system event and became members of the aspirant Justice Sector Skills Council.
5.45 We have revised our performance management systems and guidance to help managers to manage performance more actively and fairly. We have conducted an Equality Audit of Pay and are proceeding with an action plan to address its recommendations.
5.46 We are developing comprehensive practical guidance on widening our appeal as an employer, supported by new outreach promotional material. We have commenced a comprehensive review of recruitment and selection to ensure that the goals in our Equality and Diversity Action Plan are fully addressed and have also commenced a project specifically aimed at improving diversity in the Senior Civil Service. Performance against our diversity targets is shown below.
| Women | Ethnic minority | Disability | ||||
| 2005 Target | Performance at Nov 03 | 2005 Target | Performance at Nov 03 | 2005 Target | Performance at Nov 03 | |
| All staff | 64.5% | 64.6% | 10.5% | 12.4% | 5.6% | 3.5% |
| Senior Civil Service | 34.8% | 28.9% | 4.7% | 1.2% | 4.5% | 2.5% |
5.47 We have delivered Diversity Awareness Training to all staff and trained all senior managers in DCA's duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act. We won the Opportunity Now National Public Sector Award 2003 in recognition of the Department's pioneering work-life balance policies and have appointed a Champion to ensure that work-life balance remains on the agenda at top management level. DCA also supports four networks for staff with caring responsibilities, for staff with disabilities, for black and ethnic minority staff and for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender staff. The networks have undertaken a range of activities to support and develop individual members, to promote the diversity agenda throughout DCA and beyond and to provide a source of expertise to DCA in the development of policy and practice.
5.48 In addition to the internal diversity activities mentioned above, we have undertaken a wide range of initiatives with our associated organisations and in court circuits and groups across the country.
5.49 We have undertaken a review of our diversity strategy with the aim of reinvigorating and giving a new sense of purpose and direction to our diversity work. The recommendations of the review centre on creating a more strategic approach to delivering DCA's diversity agenda, how the strategy should be turned into measurable plans and objectives and the new structures that would be needed to deliver progress. The review's findings and recommendations have been broadly accepted and are now being developed into a more detailed plan for implementation. Some work has already started in strengthening existing structures to support the new approach.
5.50 The Lord Chancellor had appointed 925 magistrates for the nine months to 31 December 2003. The percentage of magistrates from ethnic minority backgrounds in post (excluding the Duchy of Lancaster) has risen from 5.3% in 2000/01, to 5.6% in 2001/02 and to 6.1% in 2002/03. This compares favourably to to the overall percentage (7%) of the ethnic minority population of the UK.
5.51 As can be seen from the following graph, although the percentage of people from ethnic minority backgrounds appointed as magistrates had been increasing steadily since 1994, in 2002/03 the percentage slightly decreased to 8.2% from 8.5% in 2001/02.
Ethnic minority magistrates' appointments as a percentage of total appointments since 1994
5.52 As part of DCA's aim to ensure that the magistracy is representative of all sections of society we launched a National Strategy for the Recruitment of Lay Magistrates on 7 October 2003 (aiming to recruit up to 3,000 more JPs by 2006). A regional bus advertising campaign is rolling out across the country.
5.53 A second pilot of the Magistrates' Shadowing scheme was launched in May 2003, in partnership with Operation Black Vote. This allows over 50 members of ethnic minority communities to shadow over 100 magistrates, for a period of six months.
5.54 Working with the Magistrates' Courts Service, targets for staff ethnicity in individual magistrates' courts have been set, based on the percentage of the ethnic working population. The National Diversity Strategy Group is also working with the Magistrates' Courts Service on diversity training.
5.55 In April 2003, Magistrates' Courts Service Inspectorate published a report on the extent to which Magistrates' Courts Committees were meeting their duty to promote Race Equality under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.
5.56 In the Chief Inspector's forward to the report, he concluded that the structures and processes of magistrates' courts are not intrinsically a source of racial discrimination. Magistrates and those that serve in them are well aware of the principles they are required to observe, which are enshrined in the judicial oath, and Magistrates' Courts Committees have taken considerable care over recent years to strengthen their non-discrimination polices.
5.57 In concluding on the way forward, the review reported a service grappling with its new duties, some with better results than others and to the future it reported a need for genuine commitment to race equality throughout the service, underpinned by visible and sustained leadership.
5.58 The National Diversity Strategy Group, which brings together all stakeholders, is currently working with the Magistrates' Courts Service Inspectorate in implementing the recommendations.
5.59 These initiatives represent a key element in responding to the delivery of our target to increase the level of public confidence, (including increasing that of ethnic minority communities) in the criminal justice system (PSA target 2 - see Chapter 2).
5.60 The DCA is committed to reforming the method of appointing judges, making it more open, accountable and transparent, while retaining the over-riding principle of appointment on merit. This programme is about changing over time the make-up of the people who hold judicial office, so that the diversity of the nation is reflected in the diversity of the judges.
5.61 Key appointments made during the year were as follows:
5.62 Principal activities for Circuit Judge and District Judge appointments in 2003/04 included:
5.63 Full details and statistics of all appointments will be available in the Judicial Appointments Annual Report, to be published later this year and will be available at www.dca.gov.uk.
5.64 A major component of our work to improve the diversity of the judiciary is the creation of a Judicial Appointments Commission, and this is addressed in Chapter 4. In 2003/04 we undertook a number of other activities related to judicial appointment and diversity which included:
5.65 These activities are contributing to a successful change in the diversity of the judiciary. The latest figures, provided in the Judicial Appointments Annual Report 2002/03 (see http://www.dca.gov.uk/judicial/jaarepfr.htm) show that the proportion of people from ethnic minority groups appointed as judges and tribunal members in England and Wales during 2002/03 was greater than in any previous year.
5.66 The appointment of individuals from ethnic minority groups to judicial office increased to 8.9% from 7.8% last year. This is more than double the figure in 1999/2000 when ethnic minority appointments accounted for just 4.2 % of total appointments.
5.67 The proportion of women who are successful in seeking judicial appointments has also increased in the last few years. Between 1998/99 and 2001/02 the total number of female appointments has increased from 23.5% to 34.4%. The figure for 2002/03 has dropped slightly to 30.7%. There could be many reasons for this reduction, but it is likely that the suspension of the main circuit bench and recorder competitions, where women performed well in 20001/02, has had an impact.
A diverse judiciary appointed on merit |
5.68 The tables below give the full picture of progress on the appointment of female and ethnic minority judicial officers for 2002/03. The graph illustrates the steady increase in appointments of female and ethnic minority judicial officers since 1998/99, when the Lord Chancellor published his first Annual Report on Judicial Appointments.
Percentage of female appointments
| Deputy District | Recorder | District Judge | Circuit Judge | |
| Performance in 02/03 | 38% | 13% | 7% | – |
| Projections for 2005 | 38% | 20% | 38% | 20% |
| Projections for 2010 | 42% | 24% | 45% | 25% |
| Deputy District Judge | Recorder | |
| Performance in 02/03 | 9.5% | 6.45% |
| Projections for 2005 | 6% | 5% |
| Projections for 2010 | 10% | 8% |
Proportion of female and ethnic minority judicial officer appointments since 1998
5.69 In looking to the future, an immediate priority for 2004/05 is to develop a co-ordinated strategy for making significant improvements in the diversity of the judiciary. This is likely to include developing policies to overcome potential barriers to judicial appointment for women, ethnic minority or the disabled, the continuation of a focused outreach programme, and structured liaison with stakeholders.
5.70 Legally qualified tribunal members have been recruited to a range of tribunals including social security, immigration, employment and mental health review tribunals, as well other smaller but equally important jurisdictions.
5.71 The Lord Chancellor has also appointed doctors and other professional people as members of the tribunal judiciary, as well as many lay members, according to the needs of the particular tribunals concerned.
5.72 A key objective for the Community Legal Service is to promote improvements to the range and quality of civil legal services that it provides and to make them more accessible to those who need them. This includes working to meet the needs of diverse groups such as older people, disabled people and black and ethnic minority groups.
5.73 Within the Community Legal Service Fund, money was set aside as seedcorn funding to encourage new and creative projects that address local legal needs. This is known as the Partnership Initiative Budget. To date the two rounds of the Partnership Initiative Budget have seen the allocation of £18.5 million to support some 140 local projects.
5.74 A number of the successful Partnership Initiative Budget projects aim to improve access to legal help and advice for the elderly. For example, the Welfare Rights Community Partnership project, led by Age Concern Brent, which brings together organisations such as the Brent Indian Association and the Greater London Somali Community, and the Health Advice Benefits Initiative Team (HABIT), a multi-agency initiative in Liverpool.
5.75 Other measures are already starting to make a positive improvement to advice service delivery for the disabled. Examples of successful Partnership Initiative Budget projects include the Brighton Housing Trust Housing Aid and Legal Centre which, as part of the Community Legal Service Partnership, is working with MIND and Brighton and Hove CAB to improve access to advice for Mental Health Service Users, and in Dorset the local CABx and Social Services Directorate are working together to raise awareness of welfare benefits entitlements among older people and people with disabilities in the county.
5.76 A number of Community Legal Service Partnerships and Regional Legal Services Committees have identified race equality issues as a priority and are engaged in activities aimed at reaching local ethnic minority communities and increasing their awareness of the availability of legal advice. Examples of Partnership Initiative Budget projects that have been set up to do this include the IT for Community Advocates Network in Tower Hamlets, the Leo Schultz Project (Hull Citizens Advice Bureau and Partners) providing advice and information service targeted at asylum seekers and refugees, and the Community Legal Education and Advice Project (Tamil Relief Centre) in Enfield and Haringey.
5.77 In addition to the Partnership Initiative Budget projects, as part of the development of the Community Legal Service, since early 2000, the Legal Services Commission has run a Methods of Delivery pilot. This aims to explore whether delivering publicly-funded legal services through alternative means achieves greater public access and improves quality.
5.78 Telephone advice, outreach services, housing possessions, court duty schemes and the provision of specialist support to frontline service providers have been explored under the pilot. Outreach services (for example the provision of legal advice at outlets such as community centres) and telephone advice are particularly aimed at those who may not be able to access advice through the traditional service delivery outlets, such as people in rural communities, the elderly or disabled people. The recently completed evaluation of the pilots will inform any decisions on delivering services through these innovative methods on a substantive basis.
5.79 As part of the wider work of the Legal Services Commission on equality issues, the Legal Services Research Centre conducts equal opportunities research every year, and the 2003 Equal Opportunities report is now available on the Legal Services Research Centre's website (www.lsrc.org.uk). The Legal Services Commission also reports annually on the results of equality monitoring undertaken to comply with its statutory duties: the Equalities Annual Report 2002/03 is available on the Legal Services Commission's website at http://www.legalservices.gov.uk/about_us/plans.htm.
5.80 DCA has adopted the principle that in the conduct of public administration and justice in Wales, it will treat the English and Welsh languages on a basis of equality. DCA's Welsh Language Scheme, when it is published, will set out how DCA will give effect to that principle in the services to the public in Wales for which it is responsible. Currently, DCA is in discussion with the Welsh Language Board with a view to finalising its draft Welsh Language Scheme prior to a public consultation exercise.
5.81 DCA has already introduced some measures in advance of the implementation of a formal Welsh Language Scheme. For example, DCA aims to respond in Welsh to letters received in Welsh within the same Departmental timescale as other correspondence (20 working days).
5.82 We are concerned to ensure that the services which we provide to the public are delivered as efficiently as possible. To that end, during the early part of 2003/04, we undertook an exercise to scrutinise our costs and how well they were directed to the delivery of key services. This identified a number of areas from which further efficiency may be drawn. These include:
Delivering best value for public money |
5.83 We have also reviewed all projects currently under way in order to ensure that all current and future projects deliver Ministers' overall priorities, that best practice standards are being applied and that project management skills are directed towards priority areas. The review has identified the potential for up to £60m savings across departmental projects in the period to April 2006. The exercise has also assisted the Department in the establishment of a centre of excellence for programme and project management in accordance with Office of Government Commerce requirement. The Department has received a special award from the Office of Government Commerce for establishing the centre of excellence in an innovative, efficient and effective way, thereby ensuring effective control of its entire portfolio of programmes and projects.
5.84 In addition, we have initiated discussions with other Government Departments to examine what scope there may be for the sharing of services (such as archiving) or of learning in areas such as programme/project management and electronic records management. We have also contributed towards Sir Peter Gershon's review of efficiency in public services which will underpin the 2004 Spending Review.
5.85 DCA also has a specific PSA target to increase value for money from the criminal justice system by 3% per year, increasing efficiency by at least 2% a year, including legal aid (PSA target 7).The target contributes to the criminal justice system PSA.
5.86 Key priorities to achieve this target are to ensure the efficient delivery of legal aid, which accounts for two-thirds of DCA's expenditure, and in co-ordination with others in the criminal justice system, to make an effective contribution in the fight against crime by bringing to justice those who commit offences (see Chapter 2). The main initiatives for delivery of the target are therefore focused on legal aid.
5.87 Activities during 2003/04 which helped to achieve the target included:
5.88 Future programme of work in 2004/05 to 2005/06 include:
5.89 During 2003/04 we developed our risk management capabilities to address the recommendations in the November 2002 Strategy Unit report on improving Government's capability to handle risk and uncertainty (see www.number-10.gov.uk/su/risk/risk/home.html).
5.90 Our approach to risk management enables DCA staff to perform a self-assessment of the risks impacting the achievement of their objectives. This technique enables staff to jointly identify the key risks they face and to develop a strategy to ensure that those risks are effectively managed. It is a process of clearly defined steps, which supports better decision making, giving a greater insight into the impact that those decisions will have.
5.91 Risk management also forms a core part of our approach to managing programmes and initiatives. Evidence of active risk management is required to support business cases for new activities and is a standing agenda item for reviewing progress on existing programmes.
5.92 Corporate level risks were identified and analysed during the year and combined with the 'bottom-up' analysis of risk from across the Department, this provides a comprehensive picture of the issues that impact the delivery of DCA's priorities.
5.93 Our risk management activity is co-ordinated centrally and reviewed across the Department. Risk information is collated each quarter, based on local risk registers from across the Department. This information is used to produce a quarterly Corporate Risk Register and this is reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Corporate Board who also monitor the risks impacting the Department's pledges and PSA delivery priorities (updated and reviewed each month).
5.94 We will continue to further develop the effectiveness of our risk management capabilities. Improvement plans are in place to respond to the remaining areas of the Strategy Unit Report. These plans cover further embedding risk management principles in core processes and activities and ensure that policy decisions are underpinned by a good understanding of associated risks. We will also be working with our partners across the criminal justice system to improve risk management in joint initiatives.
5.95 DCA is committed to sustainable development in all its operations, and to this end follows the principles set out in the Defra publication Framework Document for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate, based on the UK Sustainable Development Strategy published in 1999 (see www.defra.gov.uk).
5.96 We have a Departmental 'Green Minister' and 'Green Champion' on the Corporate Board. Since late 2003 we have had a dedicated sustainable development team responsible for co-ordination of the sustainable development strategy and providing information and advice to colleagues throughout DCA.
5.97 Sustainable development is a key element within specific activities including:
5.98 During 2003/04 DCA committed over £178k towards energy and water surveys, and a further £105k in various specific energy saving works on a 'spend to save' initiative; we commenced pilot 'Environmental Management Systems' at the Royal Courts of Justice and in HQ buildings, both of which have now been accredited with green energy certification by Bizzenergy, in demonstrating the use of electricity supplied entirely by renewable sources. The active local monitoring by DCA staff of heating and cooling conditions is promoted to encourage a healthy environment and reduce the wasted use of resources. The larger buildings on the estate have electricity use monitored via half hourly automated consumption readings to enable: an overview of the use of equipment both in and out of operational hours; and close management and potential savings when used with benchmarking information.
5.99 Next year will see the benefits of the energy savings works, and through training a greater awareness by staff of the wider issues of sustainable development. A proactive approach will be made to the enlarged estate with the Unified Courts Agency, including the need for utility contracts.