Pilot Organisational Assessment of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

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Pilot Organisational Assessment of Essex County
Fire and Rescue Service
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Why we did it

• To check that our progress was where we thought
  it was
• To get a feeling for the new process
• To engage more of our managers and make them
  aware of their responsibilities

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What it felt like

• The pilot did not consider all Key Lines of
  Enquiry
• Less intrusive but quite challenging
• Self Assessment process made us more
  introspective and self-critical
• Round table discussions helpful felt like more
  of a partnership aproach

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What we got from it

• Better working relationships with our auditors
  allowed them to see how we think about issues
• Self-awareness helped to identify gaps between
  where we thought we were and how well the
  evidence we present supported that view
• A more relaxed interaction considered auditors
  more as critical friends

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The formal outcomes (scores)

• Pilot Organisational Assessment
• 2 (out of 4)
• Managing performance 2 (out of 4)
• Value for money 3 (out of 4)

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The formal outcomes (report)

• Steady progress
• Trends noted e.g. no. of fires and injuries,
  Community safety activity levels
• Blunt but accurate comments e.g. a mixed
  approach to securing VFM
• Noted current activity that is contributing
  improvement e.g. revision of corporate strategy

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The formal outcomes (report)

• Comments on leadership
• Comments on working with staff groups

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Lessons learned by ECFRS

• The need to show benefits from our work
• The need to ensure that our partners do the same
• Selection of themes Golden Threads,
  especially when seeking evidential exemplars
• Accurate understanding of the scoring that will
  be applied

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Lessons learned by ECFRS

• However good you are (or you think you are)
  improvements can be made and must be maintained
• If you have said that something is important be
  ready to show that you prioritise its delivery
• Being better than you were may not mean that you
  are good in comparison to others

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Preparing for the new assessment regime

• What we'll be doing
• Preparing stakeholders different regime,
  different outcomes possible
• Highlighting the new focus on outcomes rather
  than arrangements
• Explaining the scoring system
• Ensuring that the whole house is in order