Winning Ways: Setting Winning Ways: Setting Budget Priorities and Budget Priorities and Getting SupportGetting SupportAndrew GrahamAndrew GrahamSchool of Policy StudiesSchool of Policy StudiesQueens UniversityQueens University

So, you need more So, you need more money, staff and money, staff and

equipmentequipment You understand how the budget is set in the You understand how the budget is set in the

ServiceService

You have some ideas that would really You have some ideas that would really improve things (so do your colleagues, but improve things (so do your colleagues, but the way)the way)

Your Deputy and Chief have to sort out these Your Deputy and Chief have to sort out these ideas and weight them against what they ideas and weight them against what they have and what they can sellhave and what they can sell

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How Priorities are SetHow Priorities are Set

Bottom up and top down: what are the Bottom up and top down: what are the elements of this process?elements of this process?

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Tools Police Services Tools Police Services Use to Set Budget Use to Set Budget

PrioritiesPriorities Knowing and working within scope of Knowing and working within scope of

flexibilityflexibility

Effective business planningEffective business planning

Effective ways to set prioritiesEffective ways to set priorities

Defining a process, involving all key players Defining a process, involving all key players with a clear understanding that senior with a clear understanding that senior management will have to make decisions in management will have to make decisions in the end, sticking to itthe end, sticking to it

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Who are the players?Who are the players?

Does it end there?5

Key Drivers for Budget Key Drivers for Budget IncreasesIncreases

External forces: External forces: Legal requirementsLegal requirements Political imperatives: more cops on the streetPolitical imperatives: more cops on the street Collective bargaining – salary costsCollective bargaining – salary costs New standardsNew standards Population growth – do you have an established Population growth – do you have an established

formula?formula? Technology and equipment turnoverTechnology and equipment turnover Crime rates?Crime rates? New crime patternsNew crime patterns

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Key Drivers for Budget Key Drivers for Budget IncreasesIncreases

Internal forces: Internal forces: Standardized growth formulae – good or bad?Standardized growth formulae – good or bad? CommitmentsCommitments Previous historyPrevious history Politics and powerPolitics and power

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Defining Budget Defining Budget SuccessSuccess

Is it just getting more money?Is it just getting more money?

Other factors come into play as competition Other factors come into play as competition for scarce resources never endsfor scarce resources never ends

One time win can create downstream costs. One time win can create downstream costs. How?How?

There is always a tomorrow.There is always a tomorrow.

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Elements of Success: Elements of Success: InternalInternal

Good planningGood planning

Building strategic linkageBuilding strategic linkage

Knowing how the systems works – formal and Knowing how the systems works – formal and informalinformal

Building a constituency and coalitions – Building a constituency and coalitions – getting the corporate/ financial and Chief’s getting the corporate/ financial and Chief’s Office people on sideOffice people on side

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Elements of Success: Elements of Success: InternalInternal

Doing your homeworkDoing your homework

Good understanding of cost and cost driversGood understanding of cost and cost drivers

Building a good business case as a tool not an Building a good business case as a tool not an end in itselfend in itself

Creating a distinctive productCreating a distinctive product

Take a mature time perspectiveTake a mature time perspective

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A Good Business Plan is A Good Business Plan is a Useful Starta Useful Start

Questions a good business plan Questions a good business plan has to answer: has to answer:

What exactly do you want to do?What exactly do you want to do?

How does it link to what we want to do?How does it link to what we want to do?

How much will it cost? Are these costs fully How much will it cost? Are these costs fully inclusive and for how long?inclusive and for how long?

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A Good Business Plan is A Good Business Plan is a Useful Starta Useful Start

What are risks you are addressing?What are risks you are addressing?

What are the measures of success?What are the measures of success?

What is the implementation plan? When and What is the implementation plan? When and how?how?

What can you stop doing that will fund this? What can you stop doing that will fund this?

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Fault Lines and Dangers Fault Lines and Dangers for the Budget for the Budget

AdvocateAdvocate Avoid one-time money that creates long-term Avoid one-time money that creates long-term

commitmentscommitments

Check the conditions of approvalsCheck the conditions of approvals

What makes sense to you may be nonsense to What makes sense to you may be nonsense to others.others.

Assume that the business case sells itselfAssume that the business case sells itself

Overpromising – you may be fooling yourselfOverpromising – you may be fooling yourself

Track record Track record

Threats and wolf cryingThreats and wolf crying13

Selling the Police Selling the Police BudgetBudget

Understand the contextUnderstand the context

Never surprise the decision-makersNever surprise the decision-makers

Engage supporters – what does HR say about your Engage supporters – what does HR say about your plans for more training in your unit? What does your plans for more training in your unit? What does your corporate financial analyst think about those IT corporate financial analyst think about those IT upgrades you need?upgrades you need?

Compare and contrastCompare and contrast

Link to known measures – where do you fit.Link to known measures – where do you fit.

NeverNever forget history – don’t look like you are asking for forget history – don’t look like you are asking for money your bosses, Council or Treasury Board thought money your bosses, Council or Treasury Board thought they gave you last year they gave you last year

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Winning Techniques: what you need Winning Techniques: what you need to do to win supportto do to win support

Using a couple of examples: Peel and Using a couple of examples: Peel and BrockvilleBrockville

Quite different but each uses important Quite different but each uses important techniquestechniques

These apply equally well within an RCMP These apply equally well within an RCMP context and I have seen them used context and I have seen them used effectively (in fact, I have used most of them)effectively (in fact, I have used most of them)

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Quick Checklist: Winning Quick Checklist: Winning Techniques: what you need to do to Techniques: what you need to do to

win supportwin support

Start with what you have done with what you got Start with what you have done with what you got in past years: focus on accomplishmentsin past years: focus on accomplishments

Clearly show what substantive factors are driving Clearly show what substantive factors are driving your current presentation your current presentation

Address your weaknesses and risks frontally, e.g. Address your weaknesses and risks frontally, e.g. Delayed recruitment, overtime, major incidentsDelayed recruitment, overtime, major incidents

Avoid dramatic, crisis-oriented language – save Avoid dramatic, crisis-oriented language – save that you may need it.that you may need it.

Show what has changed year to year – most Show what has changed year to year – most budgets only have incremental changes.budgets only have incremental changes.

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Quick Checklist: Winning Quick Checklist: Winning Techniques: what you need to do to Techniques: what you need to do to

win supportwin support

Focus on the good management of resources Focus on the good management of resources and what efficiencies you have achieved – and what efficiencies you have achieved – everybody but you think you can do more with everybody but you think you can do more with what you havewhat you have

Avoid detail – use graphicsAvoid detail – use graphics

Make it concrete – numbers scare people, but Make it concrete – numbers scare people, but the number of new officers or cost per the number of new officers or cost per household of the increase are a nice focushousehold of the increase are a nice focus

Show the impact of what you are proposingShow the impact of what you are proposing

Signal future issues – you will be back.Signal future issues – you will be back.17

Sorting Out Business Sorting Out Business CasesCases

Your are the Chief’s budget groupYour are the Chief’s budget group

Review and discuss these business casesReview and discuss these business cases

You need to do two things, You need to do two things, neither of which neither of which is directly related to the merits of each is directly related to the merits of each casecase: : Indicate what other information you would need Indicate what other information you would need

about the Service’s financial situation to about the Service’s financial situation to recommend approval of the cases, andrecommend approval of the cases, and

Suggest a set of criteria that you would put in Suggest a set of criteria that you would put in place to assess these business cases. place to assess these business cases.

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Sorting Business Cases Sorting Business Cases with an Eye to Success with an Eye to Success

and Sustainabilityand Sustainability

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