Training PoliceLeaders in Solomon Islands

Emerging findings from an evaluation

Victoria HerringtonAustralian Institute of Police Management

ANZSOC, Geelong, September 2011

Overview

• Solomon Islands – a potted history• The Leadership Development Program (LDP)• Emerging findings from the evaluation of the

LDP • Challenges to success• Next steps

Who are the AIPM?

• Chief commissioners across Australasian policing form the Board of Control (BOC)

• Administered by the AFP• Primary objective is to help provide superior

leadership for police and emergency services

Solomon Islands• Independence from Great Britain in 1978• The Tensions (1998-2003)– related to land rights and economic opportunities

between residents of Guadalcanal and migrants from Malaita

– Police fractured along ethnic lines– High levels of corruption and violence

• Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI)– Participating Police Force (PPF)– Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF)

The Leadership Development Program (LDP)

• To “deliver a leadership development program to enable Solomon Islanders to effectively lead and manage the RSIPF”

• LDP delivered at 5 levels from recruit through to executive. – Level 1 is delivered by the RSIPF– Levels 2-5 are delivered by the AIPM with RSIPF

facilitators– Community Action Learning Projects (CALPs)

Leadership Capability Framework• Curricula informed by the RSIPF Leadership Capability

Framework, dictating the skills required by officers at each level.

• Rank specific requirements set out across six domains:– Making it happen– Communication– Leadership– Management– Integrity– Cultivating working and professional relationships

• Individuals can progress through the LDP stages dependent on rank (2-5)

Evaluation Methodology

• What is ‘success’?• Individual and organisational change• Mixed methods design involving:– LDP participants– Internal stakeholders– External stakeholders

• Multi-phase (5) data collection• A note on ethics

Data involved in this presentation

• Drawn from interviews and focus groups• Therefore concentrates on perceptions of

individual and organisational change• 24 participants– 16 RSIPF– 7 PPF– 1 AIPM

• A comment about the context of data collection

Impact (self report) on the individual

• High perceived value of the LDP from those attending the course– Use of leadership nomenclature– Instigation of reflective activities– Delegation and use of initiative– Courage to address difficult issues (elephant in the

room)– Self-awareness and understanding of limiting beliefs– Awareness of the inherent leadership role of

policing

I see that a lot of senior police officers are mingling with others and forget that they are police officers. I saw one officer talking to some members of the community and saying they should fight with someone who has [wronged] them. But when that senior officer left I went over and told them that they shouldn’t always do what that police officer says. I told them that it was good to know that some police officers are better than others, and some do not always provide the right advice. (LDP3 participant).

I use my knowledge about myself, and sometimes when playing sport. I take the lead socially, and in the work place will take on jobs and say “give that to me”…at sport for example I will say “I’ll organise the coconuts for the game”. I will also now jump in and take on jobs and use my initiative…I saw that my manager was not organising a task well, and he should have tasked us to do something, but he didn’t do this. He failed in this. But I didn’t wait for this to happen, so asked my boss if I can do some of these jobs for him. (LDP3 participant).

Impact (perceptions) on the organisation

• Perceptions are fragile and vulnerable to bad news stories

• Low visibility of the individual impact, leading to frustration related to continuing (integrity) concerns

• Perceptions can become a reality– Where PPF and RSIPF input is required to turn

capacity into capability

• Need to sell the value of the LDP

Challenges to LDP ‘success’

• RSIPF and SI faces a number of challenges– Absenteeism (sickness and moonlighting)– Retirement – Community confidence – Resources– Geographical hurdles (centralisation)– Population growth– ‘Wantock’– Economic instability (logging)– Reliance on donor funds

• Cannot be solved by leadership training alone, although LDP ‘success’ is intrinsically linked to this

Next Steps

For the research…•6 month follow up•CALP case studies of good practice•Interviews with external stakeholders

For the AIPM…•Continuing to work in partnership •Identify and supporting talent•Continue being reflexive

Victoria Herringtonvherrington@aipm.gov.au

Tel: 02 99344802Australian Institute of Police Management

The Former School of ArtilleryNorth Head Scenic Drive

Manly, NSW, 2095