Step 1: Deciding what targets should cover

Partners primary consideration is how they can contribute to reducing the level of crime in their area. A good starting point for setting targets is to ask what the partnership is trying to achieve, and how.

Targets need to reflect the actions planned and their intended outcome i.e. the end results expected from the activities undertaken.

Outcomes may well be subject to many different influences, some beyond the partnership’s control. The links between actions and outcomes can also be difficult to prove. Even so, having outcome targets is important since these get to the heart of why the work is being done.

When it comes to particular projects or initiatives, it is also useful to specify what must actually happen for the desired outcome to be achieved, detailing not only the target outcome but:

• target inputs (e.g. resources in terms of staff or cash)
• processes (e.g. the activities which staff will have responsibility for)
• target outputs (e.g. the immediate consequences of these activities)
• milestones (stages to be reached by given dates)

These may not need to be included in the strategy, but having them helps partners be clear about the level of investment and activity needed to achieve the desired result. It also helps managers check that projects are on course. Setting targets for, and monitoring, inputs as well as outputs is vital for assessing the cost effectiveness of particular initiatives and understanding why a project may not have achieved its intended results.

Step two: Baseline information

Meaningful targets (and indeed well-designed projects) depend on having good information on the scale and nature of the problem.

Where there is a shortage of baseline information, you should consider setting an interim target to obtain this and set up systems for on-going data collection. A specific date should be set by which the data will be collected to enable the setting of specific targets leading to crime reduction.

A lack of baseline data should not prevent steps being taken in identified other areas in the interim to tackle robbery in your area.

Step 3: Deciding where to pitch the target

Even when the baseline is clear, knowing where to pitch a target can be problematic. Some experts argue that partners should decide where they want to get to (i.e. what target they are aiming for) then work out how they are going to get there. Others contend that targets need to flow from the actions planned, since you cannot know whether a target is realistic unless you have in mind how you are going to achieve it.

In practice partnerships may well do a bit of both, eg. planning actions then checking that these are capable of producing the impact they want. Whatever the approach, the targets set should reflect the actions being taken.

Estimating the impact that measures will produce is easier for some crimes than for others. Examples of good practice can help to give a feel for the expected impact from taking a similar course of action in similar conditions. For example, car parks in the Secured Car Parks Scheme report a drop in recorded crime averaging around 70%

Running through this checklist of questions can help in judging where to pitch a target:

• What is the starting position?

• What is the scale of the problem?

• What is the trend?

• How do these compare with other areas

• What has similar activity achieved elsewhere?

• Are we planning to tackle the problem in the same way

• Are the conditions the same?

• Are we putting in the same resources?

• What else is going on that may affect performance?
• How might the target(s) be affected by other local or national initiatives?
• If there is a national target and how does the local target relate to this?
• What sort of change is the Government looking to achieve?

• How much of this needs to come from locally driven initiatives?

• Have staff providing services been consulted on the target?

• Does the target set take account of their input?

• How will staff commitment be secured?

• Is the target worthwhile?

• Will the public regard it as acceptable?

• Will achieving it be satisfying?

• Based on what has been achieved elsewhere, does it represent value for money?

Step 4: Deciding how the target is best expressed

Targets can be framed in many different ways. Some options include:

Absolute reduce the number of robberies by 200

Proportional reduce the number of robberies by 10%

Relative to a reduce the rate of robbery in Ward A to
benchmark the borough-wide average

Relative to reduce robbery by 15% relative to expected
expected background trends
level

Tied to a reduce risk of robbery to less than 5%
tolerance threshold

In the case of robbery, it is essential that targets set can be shown how they contribute to achieving the target of reducing robbery over the next five years.

It is widely accepted that targets should be SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely & Timescaled

This means that targets should be clear and unambiguous. Where possible a named person should be responsible for delivering and reporting on each target.

Targets need to be more than aspirations:

• people need to know about them
• targets need building into work plans
• performance needs to be monitored and reviewed
• the findings need to inform management decisions and future plans