Force management statements
A force management statement (FMS) is a self-assessment that chief constables (and London equivalents) prepare and give to HMICFRS each year.
It is central to forces’ strategic, financial and workforce planning processes. The FMS has 12 sections. In ten of these sections, four steps must be followed:
It is the chief constable’s statement and explanation of:
- current and projected demand: the demand the force is currently facing, as well as demand it expects to face in the next four years;
- workforce assessment: the performance, condition, capacity, capability, well-being, serviceability and security of supply of the force’s workforce and non-workforce assets, and the extent to which current force assets will be able to meet expected future demand;
- prioritisation and planning: how the force will change and improve its workforce, policies, practices and other assets to cope with future demand; and
- risk management: the risks that have been identified because of demand that can’t be met, how these will be mitigated and the effect you expect this to have.
For detailed guidance about force management statements, see:
- the template we ask forces to use when preparing their FMSs and some guidelines to help them;
- previous correspondence from HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary about FMSs.
We review each FMS and use the statements to inform the PEEL Assessment inspections.
Purpose of the FMS
We need the information in the FMS:
- to inform our inspections of forces’ efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy;
- to inform our thematic inspections; and
- to supplement our monitoring of forces’ performance; and
- to inform HM Chief Inspector’s annual State of Policing report.
The FMS will help identify areas of risk to the force. This will, in turn, inform the focus and depth of our inspections.
Many forces are also using the FMS in their strategic planning to inform their:
- strategic priorities
- financial planning and resource allocation;
- strategic workforce planning; and
- change programmes.
The FMS is completed annually and must be with us by the last Friday in May.