Strategy and Policy Directorate
Strategy and Policy Directorate (SPD) provides an integrated focus to strategy, policy and business change. The Directorate also plays its part in delivering a streamlined and better integrated CPS HQ.
SPD's responsibilities are to:
- coordinate CPS and wider Criminal Justice System (CJS) governance;
- develop and maintain the vision and corporate strategy for the CPS;
- engage with CJS partners in developing criminal justice strategy and policy and the criminal law;
- provide legal and policy advice to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP);
- offer policy advice and information to support frontline staff;
- manage strategic planning and the change portfolio;
- coordinate strategic stakeholder management; and
- manage priority change projects and facilitate local implementation by Groups.
SPD Structure
The Directorate is comprised of a number of units and teams, which support the Director of Strategy and Policy, Nick Hunt.
Law and Procedure Unit
The purpose of the Law and Procedure Unit (LPU), headed by Arwel Jones, is to:
- influence and implement criminal law changes that prosecutors need to apply when reviewing and prosecuting cases;
- help ensure that the CPS complies with the law in its decision-making, and that prosecutors operate within the principles set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors;
- develop, maintain and widely communicate CPS policies and the CPS legal guidance, ensuring that prosecution decisions are robust, sound and consistent; and
- understand and communicate the impact of legal changes on the CPS, ensuring prosecutors have relevant information available to them.
Criminal Justice Unit
The purpose of the Criminal Justice Unit (CJU), headed by Neelam Sarkaria, is to:
- influence and develop the role and service the CPS provides to the public as part of the CJS, in particular to victims and witnesses;
- understand and communicate the impact of CJS changes on the CPS;
- influence and implement CJS changes that improve CPS service delivery; and
- influence and implement criminal law changes that CPS prosecutors apply.
Corporate Planning, Stakeholder and Governance Unit
The purpose of the Corporate Planning, Stakeholder and Governance Unit (CPSGU), headed by Simon Jeal, is to:
- coordinate and influence the development of CPS corporate planning and ensure delivery against plans;
- coordinate the business planning lifecycle;
- develop the Service's strategic stakeholder management strategy and processes to support this within HQ and Groups/Areas;
- lead on support to the Service's governance bodies, development of governance arrangements and corporate reporting; and
- complete research in support of CPS business and assist key partners with cross-CJS research.
National Prosecution Team
The National Prosecution Team (NPT) is a joint team of CPS and Association of Chief Police Officers/National Policing Improvement Agency staff. The purpose of the NPT, led by Jo Crossley, is to:
- develop guidance, plans and ensure the delivery across all CJ Areas of key cross-CJS change initiatives such as Early Guilty Plea (EGP), Conditional Cautioning, Streamlined Process and Statutory Charging (now Modernising Charging - daytime access; realignment of DPP's Guidance for Charging and joint standards and delivery measures);
- provide specific guidance and support to CPS Groups, Areas and police forces in the delivery and implementation of this work; and
- provide ongoing guidance and advice to CPS Groups, Areas, police forces and Operations Directorate on on-going maintenance and performance issues in relation to these areas of work.
Central Business Team
The Central Business Team (CBT) provides the strategic and operational business management support to both the Strategy & Policy and Operations Directorates. The purpose of the CBT, lead by Tom Robinson, is to:
- advise and assist the relevant directors and members of their senior management teams to ensure full compliance with departmental corporate governance rules and procedures;
- prepare, manage and monitor the Directorate business plan, risk registers and certificates of assurance;
- be responsible for budget management across the Directorates ensuring that expenditure is contained within the limits set by the CPS and that all expenditure conforms to the financial rules laid by the CPS and Government Accounting and that the expenditure represents value for money;
- be responsible for maintaining and monitoring staff resources ensuring that the Directorates have both the capability and capacity to deliver their business whilst balancing this against the limits set externally by others;
- ensure that suitable mechanisms are in place for the recording and reporting of unit/team performance in terms of delivery of their business plans and coordinating these plans into a single Directorate performance report;
- establish efficiency plans and identify and realise efficiency savings across the Directorates through the introduction of new initiatives and processes; and
- be responsible for the delivery of high quality professional support services to all units and staff within the Directorates.
If you would like more information on the work of the Strategy and Policy Directorate please email Strategy.Policy@cps.gsi.gov.uk or for legal guidance matters Policy.LegalGuidance@cps.gsi.gov.uk
