Planning

141 One way of bringing an LSP's steering and standards roles together is through the alignment of partners' plans with each other and with the LAA. This is happening in most LSPs (Figure 20).

'The whole process aligns itself with the council's budget setting process and ideally the health budget setting process and other significant partner budget setting processes, including police, fire and Connexions. We are in a very strong position to really start driving the partnership forward under the new LAA arrangements.'

Council director

'Our annual operating plan for the first time this year has been aligned with the LAA which is a great step forward.'

PCT chief executive

142  Two-thirds of LSP coordinators think partners have a good understanding of one another's business and financial planning process, but two-thirds of partners disagree. And there is a 50:50 split between partners who think there are good relationships across the LSP and those who don't. Stronger alignment of plans should help to overcome these disparities in perceptions between partners, and between partners and LSP coordinators.

143  Some LSPs have responded to the challenge by making financial planning more open. The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has opened its medium-term financial strategy process to peer challenge by the police and PCT