Northern Ireland Prison Service Corporate Governance ... - cjini

CHAPTER 3:
Performance management
3.1 Performance management is the means
through which resources are managed
efficiently and effectively to achieve
corporate aims and objectives. A
performance driven culture will work
most effectively in a structure which
inculcates local responsibility, authority
and decision-making, and where the staff
associations and managers are driven
to unite on a local agenda and talk to
each other to find ways of working to
meet targets and improve performance.
It also works effectively when there is
an alignment between strategic intent
and operational delivery underpinned
by timely, accurate and meaningful
performance information.
3.2 This chapter considers the management
of performance within the Prison
Service at three levels:
• corporate performance;
• establishment performance; and
• managing individual performance.
We also consider explicitly the
management of performance within
the context of internal and external
scrutiny reports.
Managing corporate performance
3.3 There were formal processes in place
for the management of corporate
performance within the Prison Service.
These included regular performance
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management reports to the Prison
Service Management Board and regular
meetings between the Director of
Operations and Governing Governors.
There was regular assessment of
performance against the Business Plan
and specific operational issues were
brought to the attention of the Governor
as appropriate. The concentration was
on high-level measures.
3.4 The Northern Ireland Prison Service
long-term strategy for change,
commonly referred to as Blueprint, is a
programme of projects which have
distinct deliverables within timeframes
that are subject to scrutiny and
performance measurement. At an
operational level the Director of
Operations and Governing Governors
held regular meetings to assess
performance against the Business
Plan and specific operational issues
were brought to the attention of the
Governor as appropriate.
3.5 Our assessment of corporate
governance identified a number of
weaknesses. At a macro level there
was insufficient detail of performance
information that would allow
competition or comparison of the
performance across the three
establishments in a wide number of
areas, for example Cost Per Prisoner
Place, although Inspectors were advised