Principles of Managing Resources - Coursework Example

MANAGING RESOURCES 1. Introduction The Fire and Rescue National Framework 2008-11 clearly state that its objective is to balance the expectations on the FRS so that it can deliver FireControl and other priorities. Specifically, these key priorities include enhance resilience capability, implementation of the Equality and Diversity Strategy, and a tighter fiscal climate within the FRA. This is to ensure that public expectations are met particularly in the area of modernization, efficiency, and effectiveness of public service (Communities and Local Government, 2008, p.5). Following the framework, Fire and Rescue Services must be flexible in addressing future challenges of FireLink and FireControl and therefore should consider joint workings with other agencies, deliver efficient protection, prevention, and response, diversity of workforce, and effective governance and improvement (Communities and Local Government, 2008, p.9). The New Dimension programme was created to enhance the capacity of the Fire and Rescue Services against new threats such as terrorism and large scale catastrophic incidents that requires additional training for fire fighters, new equipments, and planning. However, the National Audit Office expressed its concern over the significant risk to value for money from some poor programme, project and financial management due to lack of financial discipline. For instance, some programme do not have clear objectives, no detailed implementation plan, proper whole life cost budgets, milestones and appropriate monitoring. Recommendation from NAO suggests that some FRS needs to have highly trained project managers and qualified financial staff (National Audit Office, 2008, p.7). The Audit Commission’s 2009 assessment report showed improvement in most FRS particularly in the area of fire prevention and protection of vulnerable people in their community. However, the commission noticed that improvement in the 29 percent or 13 FRS is slow particularly in the county council. FRS use of resources showed little change with 40 services or 89 percent achieving the same level of performance as in 2007. Those performing well include Greater Manchester, Kent, and Merseyside fire services that showed strong financial management as well. In general, Fire and Rescue Services have been actively involved in LSPs or Local Strategic Partnerships and development of LAAs or Local Area Agreements to extend their role and influence in the community they served while the government is seeking value for money improvements as outline in the National Framework for FRS (Audit Commission, 2009, p.4). The following sections critically assessed the principles of resource management and analyzed the human resource management in the fire and rescue service. These include application of the principles of financial and physical resources, analysis of current procurement process in the fire and rescue service, and discussion and application of principles of operation assurance and evaluation. 2. Human Resource Management in the Fire and Rescue Service Human resource management in the Fire and Rescue Service is greatly influenced by government priorities and objectives as stated in the FRS National Framework 2008-2011. In particular, Fire and Rescue Authorities needs to comply with certain requirements of Value for Money that include greater efficiency through joint working, partnership with LAA, and meet taxpayers’ expectations regarding use of resources. One of these resources is human resource, which fire and rescue must manage efficiently through strategic hiring and employment. For instance, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service employ fewer staff compared to others but still managed to maintain high level of performance. According to their Value for Money Strategy for 2009, the Greater Manchester FRS employs more full-time fire fighters because it is serving an urban community where risk and social deprivation is greater (Greater Manchester, 2009, p.11). It is not surprising that a certain Fire and Rescue Service would develop a workforce strategy as the National Framework for FRS clearly encourage to develop a plan and review staff resources and employment practices. This statutory obligation made the FRS carefully consider its human resource strategy such as selecting the best workforce arrangement- part-time, flexible working, and retained duty staff – for delivering efficient and effective service (Communities and Local Government, 2009, p.29). This is the reason why most FRS has IRMPs or Integrated Risk Management Plan covering not only specific operational staff role and requirements but also performance monitoring policies and procedures. The Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service for instance have developed a plan for Day Crewing Plus or DCP for its six stations across Lancashire. DCP is a flexible shift system allowing staff to self-roster. The system requires less staff but able to provide same level of service thus offering significant value for money benefits. In addition, the Lancashire FRS welcomes volunteers to complement and increase the service capacity in its community safety level activities such as promoting community cohesion and awareness rising about fire safety. Aside from these innovative approaches, the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is ensuring resource availability and measuring its progress by establishing key performance indicators or KPI. Its 2011-2013 Integrated Management Plan or IRMP contains several strategies for measuring progress. For instance, along with risk mapping and equipment requirements, it is also concern with resource availability such as operational and support staff, absences and actions necessary to ensure health and safety of staff, identification of areas requiring improvements particularly those contributing to staff accidents, ill health, and other health and safety concerns (Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, 2011, p.14). Similarly, the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service IRMP for 2012 continue to allocate resources in line with priorities and budget realities to ensure compliance with Value for Money Principles. These include reducing back office and management cost through volunteers, flexible staffing arrangements, reduction in the number of fire fighters by natural retirement, training programmes increasing staff safety at real incidents, and selection of right people and skills for the job to ensue efficient and effective delivery of services (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, 2012, p.38). In order to improve delivery of fire protection and prevention services, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service made some changes to the roles of their Fire Safety Enforcement Officers to reduce the number of Watch Managers, developed a robust fire safety training and development strategy and performance management framework. At present, the service continues to expand their flexible system of work and considering the introduction of risk-based evenings and weekend working arrangements. Since 2007, the service is reducing the number of fire safety enforcement teams in order to have efficient service through economy of scale and more flexible resource utilization. Introduced mobile working for inspecting officers and added a Fire Prevention Liaison Officer who will work closely with the local authority and community partners (Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, 2007, p.15). 3. Financial and Physical Resources Management The National Framework for the Fire and Rescue Service seek tighter fiscal climate in terms of public sector spending and for this reason, the fire and rescue service is expected to achieve efficiency without placing excessive burden on the local taxpayer – Value for Money. However, this does not necessarily mean making cuts on using resources but using them in the most effective manner. The fire and rescue service then needs to balance its budget and service delivery through effective planning and performance management. This is the reason why most FRS is encouraged to get involved in local partnership and joint service delivery (Communities and Local Government, 2008, p.43). For instance, the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service use critical fire risk mapping in order to deliver affordable and sustainable services. Maintaining the balance between financial resources and services demands help the service attain efficiency, cost savings at the same time and this is done by hiring skilled workforce that can function safely and effectively, and providing appropriate equipment for the work they will undertake (Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, 2011, p.10). In other fire and rescue service such as the Greater Manchester FRS, value for money in this area is services that fit for the purpose and delivered efficiently. These include costs the reflect policy decisions and commensurate with service delivery performance and outcomes achieved. Consequently, this FRS rank 2nd in the 2008 Audit Commission assessment as it managed to lower family group costing at £43.8 per head. Its total saving in 2007-2008 (32%) made it number one in the Audit Commission’s assessment. 4. Procurement With the government’s New Dimension programme, fire and rescue services are directed to use the New Dimension resources in almost all circumstances. This includes using the National Procurement Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service and Firebuy to ensure efficiency in procurement, interoperability, and standards of equipment (Communities & Local Goverment, 2008, p.24). For instance, some FRS takes into account full long-term costs when procuring and making spending decisions. Some are entering service agreements with partners that include formal contract, service level agreement, joint commissioning, contract with NGOs, volunteers, and working with delivery partners (Greater Manchester, 2009, p.12). This is because the National Procurement Strategy (2009) is encouraging FRS to use national contracts and engage in collaborative procurement. This means using Firebuy, a national procurement body facilitating fire-sector procurement (Communities and Local Government, 2009, p.15). The key procurement drivers in the Fire and Rescue Service which is important in understanding the national procurement strategy include economic situation, the FRS market, FRS expenditure, strategic category management, working with industry, technical innovation, equality, diversity, and fairness, sustainability, e-procurement, and promoting skills through public procurement. Economic situation have important implications for businesses supplying the Fire Service particularly at times when there is increasing pressure on budgets and resources. Similarly, having an FRS market can help the Fires and Rescue Service achieve greater efficiency since purchasing at a national level (Firebuy) can bring maximum benefits by eliminating duplication and aggregating demand. Spending in the FRS drives procurement as the reported annual expenditure in the FRS is estimated at around £300 to £400 million and this amount necessitate a clearer assessment of the fire market and identification of opportunities that can improve spending at national, regional, and local levels. Category management on the other hand can help improve procurement through optimum sourcing while working with the industry through Firebuy can greatly rationalize specifications, technical development, and reduce tendering support cost. Evidence from the OEP collaborative procurement review suggest that small and medium-sized enterprises or SME play an important role in the delivery of greater efficiency thus close working relationship and collaborative procurement is more beneficial to FRS (Communities and Local Government, 2009, p.17). More and more FRS is adopting the National Equality Standard for Local Government as means to developed policy and implementation of equality and diversity in the workplace. For this reason, most FRS is reviewing their procurement function and considers contracted services and partnership arrangement. These include ensuring that contractors under the contract are practicing diversity targets of the FRS and understand the need of diverse communities they served. For instance, the ongoing vehicle replacement programme of the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service include reviewing the provision of Aerial Appliances and Mobile Fire Stations to determine if they still meet the needs of the service. This review is undertaken prior to procurement in order to determine the true requirements of the service and maximize value for money. The service also has its Private Finance Initiative arrangements to support the re-building of stations located at Blackburn, Burnley, Chorley and Fleetwood, as they no longer fit for the needs of the service (Lancashire Fire and Rescue, 2011, p.20). 5. Operational Assurance and Evaluation The effectiveness and efficiency of delivery of functions in the Fire and Rescue Service depends on the balance between prevention, protection, and response (Communities and Local Government, 2008, p.12). For this reason, FRS operation should have up to date risk data, effective information exchange with partners, and comprehensive evaluation of outcomes delivered by programmes. The Integrated Risk Management Plan of every FRS commonly includes service planning, development, and evaluation of outcomes. It is regularly reviewed and revised to ensure relevance of the service’s strategy. For instance, the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service created a “Scrutiny Panel” to assist them in reviewing and evaluating initiatives, risk and availability of funding. They are also in the process of adopting an evaluation toolkit to improve their decision-making capability, determine the effectiveness of new initiatives, and measure the outcomes of existing community safety and other activities (Greater Manchester, 2007, p.6). In Lancashire, the Combined Fire Authority is undertaking a 3 years Emergency Cover Review in order to cope with changes in risk and needs of the service. This review includes evaluation of 39 fires stations, 60 fire engines, staffing arrangements, and response provision in Lancashire. Operation Assurance in this service include ensuring availability of operational and support staff, vehicles, and equipments thus sufficient arrangements for health and safety, maintenance of vehicles and equipments are in placed (Lancashire Fire and Rescue, 2011, p.19). In Greater Manchester, operational assurance and quality outcomes is attained by maintaining the balance between resources and risks. For instance, the number of fire safety enforcement officers is based on the risk profile of a particular county. They have established business continuity plans to ensure appropriate response to critical incidents such as terrorism and major disasters. They also revised the work routing of operational crews so they can have time for community risk reduction work and fire safety audits. In partnership with LSPs and being involved in the delivery of LAA, operational staff is encouraged to do more community fire safety and enforcement activities (Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, 2007, p.10). 6. Conclusion Assessment of different fire and rescue service in the United Kingdom suggest that most of FRS are complying with the government’s Value for Money initiative particularly in the area of human resource management, finance and physical resources management, procurement, operational assurance, and evaluation. In terms of effective response, quality of service and meeting public needs, the service performance is improving with the use of performance-based information that eventually drive improvements in the service. As evidenced by the improvements in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and others, other services have the potential to improve further. FireControl, Firebuy, and other value for money initiatives help the FRS ensure improved engagement with people and reduce the impact of fires when they occur. Fire services are becoming more effective at working with their national, regional, and local partners as well as delivering shared priorities in the community. Fire and rescue services reviewed in this report seem striving to become a representative of the diverse communities that they served. The reason probably is that they want to fully understand and identify needs and risks in their respective community. All services are expressing and demonstrating their strong support to equality, diversity, and commitment to other government’s initiatives for the fire and rescue service. However, the fire service will benefit more if they continuously develop efficient working practices particularly in the area that represents value for money for the public. 7. Bibliography Audit Commission, (2009), Comprehensive Area Assessment: Framework Document, Audit Commission, United Kingdom Communities and Local Government, (2008), Fire and Rescue Service National Framework 2008-11, Department of Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom Communities and Local Government, (2009), National Procurement Strategy for the Fire and Rescue Service in England 2009-12, Department for Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, (2007), Integrated Risk Management Plan 2007-2010, GMFRS, United Kingdom Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, (2009), Managing Our Resources: Value for Money Strategy 2009, Greater Manchester FRS, United Kingdom Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service, (2011), Risk Management Plan 2011-2013, Lancashire FRS, United Kingdom Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, (2012), Integrated Risk Management Plan, MFRS, United Kingdom National Audit Office, (2008), New Dimension- Enhancing the Fire and Rescue Services’ capacity to respond to terrorist and other large-scale incidents, The Stationery Office, United Kingdom Read More