dically unfit for full street duties. Following the Director of Audit's report, a new Organization and Methods study had been agreed. This had been concluded on the basis of current workload that a staffing level of 31 was appropriate. The cost of the surplus staff in 1985 was therefore about $1.2 million (see footnote) and not $2.5 million as suggested by the Director of Audit's report. The Commissioner of Police however accepted the spirit in which the Director of Audit's report had been made. He had agreed to transfer the excess civilian staff out from Section D.
7.81 The Commissioner of Police accepted that there had been a decline in workload although the reduced number of tickets had been partially offset by the increased number of complaints and of computer reports. He had delayed in responding to the reduced workload in order to assess the effect of increases in the annual licence fees and the fixed penalty. Previously there had been no reduction in the number of tickets following an increase in the fixed penalty. He also needed to assess the effect of the new computer system on his staffing requirements. Finally, there had been the possibility of a new Organization and Methods study. In the event, this had not been granted.
7.82 The Commissioner said that the VALID II system had in fact increased the workload in Section D but had reduced that at the regional level and in the Judiciary.
7.83 Some VALID II reports were purely for management purposes whilst others provided information requiring action by his staff. The computer facilities had increased the capability to trace debtors. Although he had been inaccurate in overestimating the number of the man-days required to follow up some reports, the latest Organization and Methods study had now accurately estimated the amount of time needed.
7.84 The Commissioner said that with the benefit of the latest Organisation and Methods study he would be able to adjust staffing levels precisely for the current workload. He would redeploy the surplus staff elsewhere in the Force. The Commissioner said that fixed penalty tickets issued in the current year, 1986, had been slightly lower than in 1985. However, he predicted that the number of parking offences would increase as the total number of licensed vehicles went up and the effect of the penalty was reduced as the community became richer.
7.85 Conclusions and Recommendations. The Committee note that there is a disagreement between the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Audit about the interpretation of the evidence. The Director of Audit believes that the Commissioner's forecast of staff requirements in 1983–84 was unrealistically high. The Commissioner of Police believes that he was quick to respond to the changing circumstances and that in successive years from 1984 onwards he revised his forecasts downwards. As regards the level of staffing, the Commissioner believes that there were other circumstances including the need to find suitable employment for welfare cases as a result of Force welfare policy, uncertainty about the effects of new legislation, the need to follow up the increased number of complaints from the public, reports generated by the new computer and the savings generated at regional level.
7.86 The Committee acknowledge that the 1980 and 1981 Organization and Methods reports were compiled during a transitional period before the new VALID II Computer System became fully operational. Staffing recommendations made were provisional and should have been reviewed in the light of experience. It was unfortunate that no such review was carried out until the autumn of 1986, two years after the VALID II Computer System had become fully operational.
7.87 Nevertheless, the Committee note that a recent Organization and Methods study has concluded that the appropriate level of staffing is 31 posts, somewhat more than calculated by the Director of Audit on the basis of the 1981 Organization and Methods study and considerably less than the number in post in 1985. The Commissioner of Police acknowledges that there has been over-staffing. The effect of the new levels of staffing is estimated to save $1.7 million a year.
7.88 The Committee note that the net result of the audit inquiry is improved value for money in the future.
7.89 The Committee believe that Controlling Officers have an on-going duty to review the staff levels in their departments and to respond promptly to any changes in the demand for services by adjusting the number of staff. The Committee wish to congratulate the Deputy Financial Secretary and the Commissioner of Police for their quick response in following up the Director of Audit's recommendation.
7.90 The Committee wish to be informed of the progress in implementing the recent Organization and Methods study.
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TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING DEPARTMENT
7.91 Paragraphs 125-132. The payment of $8.6 million mainly in architectural fees for abortive design work following a Government requirement that two technical institutes should be redesigned to more modest proportions. The Director of Technical Education and Industrial Training agreed that costs estimated in early 1982 had been used as current costs in 1983. In his recollection this was Government practice. The Vocational Training Council had not been instructed to act otherwise. However, at a time when the building costs index had been falling he accepted that the estimates could reasonably have been scaled down.
7.92 The Director said that no standards of design had been laid down for technical institutes. Falling prices would have enabled the architects to provide a better standard of buildings at the original estimate.
7.93 The Director agreed that in future there should be a standard design for all technical institutes. At present, however, the Vocational Training Council had no plans to build more technical institutes.
Footnote by the PAC Secretary: According to the Standard Government Staff Cost Ready Reckoner, the figure is $1.7 million. The
Commissioner's figure is based on a simple costing which excludes certain on-costs.
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