The experiences of Garda
Siochana trainees and
teacher/trainers pre and post the
introduction of a competency
based induction programme
Aim
• Pre competency – v - Competency programme
• Development perspective for the ‘trainee
Garda
• Competency Based Approach’ to be researched
from the original implementation in 2003
Objectives
• a) To investigate the effect of accelerated
recruitment
• b) To analyse the current strategies of the
competency based trainee programme
• To analyse changes, if any
• To analyse the quality of the Programme
• To research the differences in developmental paths
of trainee pre- and post- the introduction of a
competency based programme
• To research the implementation procedures
Primary Data
• 1964 to 1988 recruit course
• 1989 to 2002 Walsh programme
• Competency Programme with A/C
• Competency Programme 2003/04 Non A/C
• Garda Teacher/Trainers
1964-1988
• No trainee had a 3rd level qualification at the
time of entry
• 38% now have 3rd level qualifications ranging
from diplomas to masters degrees. All availed
of grants from the Garda Síochána to
undertake their 3rd level qualifications
Response Themes
1. Institutionalisation
• Major theme to emerge in all answers
• Very existence as a person was taken away when they started
training
• 2. Rote/surface learning
• 3. Physical exercise
• 4. Friendship and bonding by trainees
5. Discipline for trainees
• Teacher/trainer intimidation, fear, casual fear
and verbal abuse by those in supervisory and
command positions also dominated all of the
interviews with respondents.
• The majority of respondents stated it was like a
military boot camp at times.
6. Catholic Church involvement in the trainee
course
• The majority of the respondents were quite
bitter in their responses to the involvement of
the Catholic Church in their training
• Respondents pointed out trainees had to do
what they were told and without failure
followed the orders of the Garda Training
Centre staff to the letter, to do otherwise meant
been disciplined
7. Fear of Garda Training staff
• Training and administrative staff.
• Respondents stated that the training centre
staff, especially certain senior staff members
(sergeants and inspectors) were impossible to
deal with
8. Fear of authority and job security
• Positive Effect:
• very little work in Ireland
• To be selected for the Gardai was a major
bonus
• Full time work
• a pension after 30 years
• Own Pride / Family Pride
8. Continued : Fear of authority and job
security
•
•
•
•
Negative Effect:
Trainees they were afraid to lose their job
Do anything which might result in discipline
Did what you were told and in the manner of
the training staff
• Dismissal from the Garda Síochána ‘was a life
sentence’
Primary data from trainees from 2003
and 2004
• Competency intakes were not subject to
accelerated recruitment
• No surveys - phase three (Pity)
• Surveys/Interviews as part of the process of
monitoring the new competency based trainee
programme.
Trainees in 2003/2004
• PDIU
• Scheduled meetings
• Monitored and interviewed a random selection
of trainees aspects of the programme.
• The research method was by surveys and
interviews
Phase one primary data
• Experiential learning dairy
• Just over 80% of trainees were happy with the
training given
• 59% stated it was difficult to complete
• 78% stating it was not a help in tracking and
monitoring their performance.
Continued
•Trainees regarded the induction week as
too long and non developmental
•There were too many free classes because
college staff members did not turn up.
•Trainees also found they had very few
classes in the final week of phase one as
their programme for phase one was
completed in week 19
Phase Two – ELD and Assessments
Experiential learning diary
• 63% stated it was useful/very useful in helping
them track and monitor their performance
• Competency based assessment interviews
• 84% stated they were satisfied with the ratings
given by the interview board
Phase Two Specialist Placements
Specialist placements:
• trainees’ suggestions for ideal times on
specialist units, 56% - five days
Trainees working with the specialist units:
Trainees (81%) stated they were helpful/very
helpful (operational specialist units only).
Phase Two Social Placement
• The preferred choice of the trainees:
(Operational) i.e. Fire brigade placements were
rated as very important.
• 78% stated the two week placement was too
long.
• 50% stated it was relevant to police work
• 41% believed their position as trainee did not
contribute.
Phase Two Summary
• Over 93% of trainees were satisfied/very
satisfied
Interviews with trainees with PDIU • The first and last two weeks of phase one were
viewed by the trainees as non-developmental,
‘they called it pure time wasting’.
• Teacher/trainers not turning up for their
assigned classes on phase one.
Administration & ELD
• Trainees found trainee administration in the
Garda College difficult to deal with on phase
one, i.e. not receptive to enquires.
• The experiential learning diary was not useful
for development on phase one.
Phase Two - Regular Unit and Specialist
Units
• All respondents found working with the
regular uniform units on phase two as the best
aspects of their development followed
• Operational specialist units.
Level of Education before Entry
• Trainee’s 3rd level of education before entry to the
Garda Siochana is comparative
• 44% from the pre-competency programme
• 43% from the accelerated competency programme,
• Holding 3rd level qualifications are from certificates
up to master’s level.
Family and relatives influence
• 56% in the precompetency programme
• 63% in the accelerated competency
programme.
• Combined family influence is 60% for both
programmes.
The Gender of Trainees
• 72% male, 28% female trainees from the precompetency programme
• 69% male and 31% female in the accelerated
competency programme.
• Comparative
Marital Status
• 100% single in the pre-competency
programme
• 81% single in the accelerated competency
programme with
• 19% married and/or in a full time relationship.
Nationality
• 100% Irish in the pre-competency programme
• 98% Irish nationality in the accelerated
competency programme.
• 2% is reflected in the accelerated precompetency programme.
Age Categories
• Based on the programmes recruitment criteria,
all of the pre-competency programme trainees
were in the age categories of 18/26 when
joining the Garda Síochána.
Recruitment Age Categories
30%
18 yrs to 25 Yrs
26 yrs to 35 yrs
70%
Accelerated Competency Programme
Accelerated Recruitment Negative
Results
• Poor research facilities
• Poor information technology and its associated
infrastructure
• A lack of communications from the teaching
staff (legal studies staff are excluded from this)
• No feedback on examinations
• No management engangement
Accelerated Recruitment Negative
results
• Trainee administration always too busy to help or
provide information (buzz word no place to deal with
you)
• The trainees found studying in their private rooms
difficult, there was ‘a lot of noise in the dorms
regardless what time of the day’
• The dormitories were not heavily supervised except
possibly of a Thursday night after the disco or
function.
Accelerated Recruitment Negative
results
• Large trainee numbers created problems in
relation to their professional development,
• Continual time table problems – NB NB NB
• Always in lecture theatres –Mistakes all the
time
• No free classrooms
• IT, IT, IT problems –continual answer
• Teacher/trainers not turning up
Learning outcomes for Phase one
• Trainees from both programmes stated that the
phase one programme was covered but ‘very
rushed at times’
• Trainees believe that too much information is
‘pushed’ on the theoretical aspects of the law
and procedures in the lecture theatres which
did not allow other skills based training to take
place
Learning Outcomes for Phase One
• there was no asp training,
• no hand cuff training and
• not enough self defence training,
• just a lot of law’, law and law’
Discipline
• Trainees in the precompetency programme
expected greater discipline practises when they
arrived and could not believe how relaxed it
was in the Garda College.
• Similar attitudes prevailed in the accelerated
competency programme
Discipline
• Trainees also felt that the college failed to be
firm on issues relating to their development
and ‘concentrated on the wrong things’ –
‘some lecturers not able to command a
class/lecture when students acted up ‘
• Bullying between Trainees
Discipline
• Alcohol was regarded as the main culprit for
getting trainees into trouble.
• Trainees also stated that discipline was not
uniform in its approach, some staff would be
very strict and some staff just did not care and
the trainees came to identify these staff very
quickly.
Examinations
• All trainees stated there were too many
examinations and they were stressful
‘especially when there was no feedback and
you were not encouraged to ask so you had
no idea what you did right or wrong’
• The majority of the trainees stated when the
examinations started they were all pushed
together one after the other and one did not
have time to concentrate.
Experiential Learning Diary
• All trainees stated the Experiential Learning
Diary was not developmental on phase one
• Several college teacher/trainers supervised
them, and others were not interested and just
signed their names without examining the
content.
• Trainees stated ‘many of the students just made
up entries’
Garda College Infrastructure supports
• 62% of the pre-competency trainees in the
survey found the college infrastructure and
supports a key strength.
• 12% in the accelerated competency
programme survey
IT - Access to equipment and technical
support
• Key strengths in the precompetency
programme at 71% and 50%
• These became major key weaknesses at -60%
and -85% in the accelerated competency
programme
IT
• Many of the trainees attended other colleges
and universities and were used to a higher
format of access to information
IT - Improvements
• The accelerated competency trainees stated that they
were informed on numerous occasions through out
their phases that the college was implementing a state
of the art system
• The majority of trainees stated that it was ‘dreadful’
trying to get some of their assignments done because
in their view the library was limited and the ability to
research was nearly non existent.
Garda College Accommodation
• Some of the trainees enjoyed living outside the
Garda College because they felt they had more
freedom.
• Other trainees found they had no privacy while
living out and they preferred being on the
college campus. Most of the trainees believed
this type of arrangement was designed to place
money into the pockets of the town’s people.
Trainee finances – loans and loans and
further loans !!!!
• All regarded their salaries from the state in
their trainee period as very poor and difficult
to live on and required them to borrow for
normal living expenses.
Trainee Finances -continued
• There was 30% more positive experience with
regard to financial support in the accelerated
competency programme survey, however;
• This was connected to the availability of loans
from the Garda Credit Unions. Many of the
accelerated competency programme trainees
stated they wish they had not borrowed as
much when they were trainees ‘it was so easy
to get a loan’ and borrowed from both Garda
Credit Unions.
Trainee administration in the Garda
College
• The majority of the trainees stated that a
number of the trainee administration staff were
very difficult to deal with in all matters
Trainee Administration -continued
• In general, trainees left everything to their
senior class representative when they needed
anything
• The majority of trainees were a little
apprehensive when dealing with this section,
‘you were always in the wrong regardless’
Trainee Administration -continued
• The overall response on trainee administration
was one of negativity
• based on poor communications from the staff,
no feedback
• lack of interest shown to trainees,
Lack of communications/feedback from
Garda College staff to trainees
• All trainees in both programmes stated
feedback was never given on anything
connected to their examinations and/or their
development
• The only time a trainee might have received
some information if that person failed an
examination.
Feedback – Accelerated Competency
• All trainees in the accelerated competency
programme stated that apart from members of
the Legal section:
• Feedback was not on offer from other subject
areas,
Feedback – Accelerated Competency
• Some trainees stated they did request
information on their examinations and case
studies from various sections, but they did not
receive it and no explanation was offered by
the staff outside of being informed ‘they were
too busy’
Feedback – Accelerated Competency
continued
• All trainees ‘felt cheated’ because they knew
they were coming back for phase three and
they would undergo more examinations.
Trainee induction week
• In the surveys 28% of the precompetency
programme stated too long
• 15% of the accelerated competency
programme suggested that the induction week
should be shortened or improved,
Location and delivery of subjects
• All precompetency trainees stated the use of
classroom with smaller numbers was the
preferred option
• In general they did not receive too many
lectures in the lecture theatres as there were
plenty of available classrooms.
Location and delivery of subjects
• All the trainees from the accelerated
competency programme stated the use of
classroom was the preferred option, ‘because
you could ask questions’, trainees further
stated, ‘the classroom environment was more
interesting and at times there could be one to
one interaction’ ‘in the large lecture theatre
everything was impersonal’
Legal Section Phase one staff
• Trainees regarded legal staff as the greatest strength of the
college with a 64% positive experience from both
programmes.
• Trainees also regarded legal staff as the best aspect of the
phase one programme with a 32% positive experience
from the precompetency programme and
• 56% from the accelerated competency programme,
•
an increase of 24%.
Legal Section – Phase one Staff
• Trainees regarded staff from the legal section
as the only section contributing to their
development, with a 73% positive experience
from the precompetency programme
• 75% positive experience from the accelerated
competency programme.
PE&HS studies staff
• 24% of the trainees in both programmes found
PE&HS staff as the greatest strength of the college.
• 16% in the precompetency programme and
• 27% in the accelerated competency programme also
found PE&HS the best aspects of the phase one
programme.
• Two teacher/trainers with senior service are
mentioned regularly by the trainees as the two most
supportative in the college.
Social & Psychological studies staff
• 50% of the trainees in the precompetency
programme and
• 48% from the accelerated competency
programme found teacher/trainers from the
social & psychological studies as the college
greatest weakness.
Social & Psychological studies staff
• The majority of the trainees found there was
no communication with the staff,
• The programme was delivered continually in
the lecture theatres,
• No questions and answers sessions and very
little handouts.
• The majority of trainees could not find purpose,
aims or objectives to the content delivered and
their role as future Gardai.
Trainee Administration staff
• The overall response for college trainee
administration was one of negativity because
of
• poor communications from staff
• lack of feedback
• lack of interest to assist trainees.
Contextual Studies and PULSE
• Trainees in the accelerated competency
programme stated the subject area of
contextual studies was literally non-existent
• All trainee stated PULSE studies was
interesting and taught well, T/T did not always
turn up
European languages
• All stated European Languages studies very
much depended on the level of French and/or
German you had before joining the Garda
Siochana.
• All trainees stated that the college should
provide a facility to learn languages more
suitable to operational policing i.e. Polish,
Latvian, Lithuanian and Chinese.
Irish Studies
• Irish studies received a mixed reaction from
the trainees.
• All the trainees stated they know Irish is the
native language and very proud of its heritage
but its use in operational policing outside the
Gaeltacht areas is non existent.
PE&HS Studies
• PE&HS studies were also regarded as very
good to excellent with over 70% positive
experiences from both programmes, with
senior teaching members of staff receiving a
very positive rating from trainees
MAOS
• Management and Organisational Studies
(MAOS) was also regarded as very good to
excellent with over 70% positive experiences
from trainees in both programmes
• However, the issue of the role plays in the
accelerated competency programme which
were subject to pass/fail examination was
difficult for a large proportion of the trainees.
Social & Pys Studies
• All trainees stated social and psychological
studies had two negative aspects to it;
• Poor course content and
• Poor instruction from the teacher/trainers.
• Trainees gave this subject area and the staff a
high negative rating at 12% in the
precompetency programme and 2% in the
accelerated competency programme.
Legal/GPPS
• 88% overall
Pre-competency trainees
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
PULS Eurpea
Irish
n Lang
E
Subject s
T ot al posit ive
experiences
64%
72%
56%
T oal
Legal/
PE&H
Social posit iv
MAOS
GPPS
S
e
12%
88%
72%
80%
63%
Competency trainees accelerated
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Int ake A
Eur
PE
Leg Con
Sub Int a
PU
MA
Soci
ope Irish &H
al/G t ext
t ot a ke
LSE
OS
al
an
S
PPS ual
ls A&
78% 68% 76% 80% 90% 93% 12% 0.62 61%
Int ake B
63% 71% 55% 73% 63% 81% 34% 2% 55%
Int akes A&B T ot al 70% 69% 66% 77% 77% 88% 23% 2% 58% 58%
Phase two primary data
• Tutor Garda average service was 6 ½ years in
each programme.
• 54% of tutors Garda service was between 12
weeks and 5 years
continued
• 34% between 6 years and 10 years
• 12 % with a 11 years+
• In the precompetency programme 35% of tutor
Gardai had less than 2 years service
• This changed dramatically in the accelerated
competency programme where 80% of tutors had less
than 2 years service, with 45% still in their
probationary period.
Pre-competency and competency
programme primary data
• Special placements learning outcomes
• All trainees agreed the specialist placements
concerning ‘operational policing’ were
excellent.
• Trainees stated that many of the specialist units
that concerned administration/office work
were boring and the work they completed was
monotonous
Special administrative placements
learning outcomes
• All trainees felt like they were cheap labour in
these offices
• All indicated that the office staff in question
just did not want trainees there, Trainees felt
they were in the way and the work they were
given was ‘made up work’ or work that no else
wanted to do or work that was put on the long
finger.
Social placements learning outcomes
• The social placement received a high negative rating from
trainees,All stated it was a waste of two valuable weeks,
• Trainees believed they would have learned more on the
regular unit,
• Trainees found their respective social placements non
developmental and not geared towards a policing role
• All stated that they had heard horror stories from other
trainees on what was expected of them at times ‘washing
windows, peeling spuds’
• All agreed this placement needs to be reviewed or
terminated from the programme, ‘2 weeks was too much,
fairly boring’
Specialist and social placements - negative
learning experiences
• Social placement went from 54% to 65% -9%
-higher in accelerated period of competency
programme
• Specialist placements from 65% to 70% - 5%
higher in accelerated period of competency
programme
• The overall negative rating for the social and
specialist (administrative) placements was
63% for both programmes.
Training staff/phase two classes theme
• Trainees stated that their respective training sergeants
did a fine job with them.
• The classes were very practical in design.
• There was a mixed reaction to this topic with
accelerated competency trainees indicating that it was
the personality of the training sergeant and/or staff
which dictated the pace of development,
Training staff/classes positive
experiences
• Phase two classes by training staff 70% Similar
• 12% higher positive experiences in meetings with the
local superintendent,
• 7% higher positive experiences for the divisional
training staff administering their phase two
programme and
• 8% higher positive experiences for the correction of
their experiential learning diary by the divisional
training staff.
• The overall positive rating training staff was 70% for
both programmes.
Operational staff/unit staff and
attachment
• The over all positive experiences from the trainees
was one of belonging, real life learning on the job and
seeing a cross section of Irish life that most had not
encountered before.
• All agreed and stressed more time should be given
with the unit for phase two,
• All agreed that if they were allowed to spend the full
twenty weeks with their unit they would have
‘accepted it hands down’ Trainees stated this was the
best part of their trainee phases
Summary of operational/ unit staff
positive experiences from acc trainees
• Working with uniform operational unit 9%
higher
• Beat patrol duties with uniform operational
unit 6% higher
• Station duties with uniform operational unit
15% higher
Continued
• Patrol car duties with uniform operational unit 8%
higher
• Correction of diary by supervisory sergeant 10%
higher
• The overall positive experience rating for working
with the operational uniform unit in various policing
capacities was 71% for both programmes regardless
of the service of the tutor Garda.
Theme - Tutor Gardai
• There were no real complaints or negativity.
Phase two learning outcomes
• Trainees agreed they achieved good and substantial
learning outcomes on phase two, except for the social
placements and certain specialist placements
concerning administration.
• All agreed the experiential learning diary made sense
on phase two, ‘being given enough opportunity to
access investigation files with a view to learn how to
prepare files properly’
• Real life examples could be used and the diary
became important for reflection purposes.
continued
• However, trainees stated that the entries to the
learning diary were not always uniform in their
approach, Some training sergeants expected a
‘book to be written on each entry’ other
training sergeants ‘ wanted completed
legislation for every entry in red biro, even if
you had put it in before, it just didn’t make
sense’ (cr5 interview), ‘my training sergeant
wanted quality over quantity – short and
snappy entries’ (cr2 interview).
continued
• In general terms trainees believed the learning
diary should be re-designed for developmental
purposes. The following table presents the
positive experiences of trainees in percentages.
The majority of these answers are reflected
only in the accelerated competency
programme as competency development and
assessment interviews did not exist in the
precompetency programme.
Most useful development
• 76% of the precompetency trainees working with the
regular uniform unit
• 24% with certain specialist operational placements.
• 70% Accelerated competency trainees with the
regular uniform unit
• 30% stating the most useful development was certain
specialist units
• The overall positive rating for the regular unit is 73%
from both programmes with
• 27% for operational specialist units.
Least useful development
• 56% precompetency trainees stated the social
placement
• 30%certain administrative specialist placement
• 62% accelerated competency trainees stated the social
placement was the least useful
• 38% stating certain administrative specialist
placements
• The overall negative experience rating was 59% for
the social placements for both programmes and 34%
for the above administrative specialist placements.
Overall experience on the quality and
content of phase two
• Trainee stated the overall positive experience
concerning all development matters in the precompetency programme for the quality and
content of the phase was 68%,
• trainees positive experiences in the accelerated
competency programme was 4% higher at 72%
• giving an overall 70% positive experience
rating from both programmes.
Phase Two
• The completion of the diary went up by from
65% to 80% in positive experiences (15%)
with the introduction of competency
development which produced an overall
positive experience rating of 72% for the
experiential learning diary for both
programmes.
Phase Three Pre-competency trainees
• Most useful development
• Learning legislation at 58%
• Case studies 24%
Accelerated competency trainees
Most Useful
• Court practicals combined with the production
of file preparation at 66%
• Smaller themes at 34% (practical procedures)
Precompetency trainees Least useful
development
• Duration of phase three including the nondevelopmental aspects of certain weeks (week
one and final two weeks) received a total of
64%
• European languages at 22%
• Social and Psychological studies at 12%
Accelerated competency trainees Least
Useful
•
•
•
•
•
•
Smaller themes
European languages studies at
Contextual studies at
Dissertation studies at
Social & Psychological studies at
General classes at
42%
25%
13%
5%
3%
2%
Learning outcomes on phase three
• The precompetency programme positive
experiences are 5% higher than the
competency programme.
• The overall positive percentage rating from
both programmes is 56.5% for the phase
three learning areas.
The positive experiences on the quality
of content in the phase three modules
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Integrated Modulesof learning and development
Victim Module
36%
Offence Module
42%
Social & Psychological Module
36%
Station administration Module
33%
Traffic management Module
37%
Court practicals Module
48%
The over all positive experience is
39%.
Trainees Views on staff phase 1 ,2 and 3
• 60% overall positive experiences on staff
involvement from trainees in the
precompetency programme
• 67% overall positive experiences on staff
involvement from trainees in the accelerated
competency programme
Accelerated competency trainees view on
the necessary requirements for quality
operational policing:
•
•
•
•
•
Good knowledge on community policing
High standard of interpersonal skills
The role of the Garda Siochana
Policing in a multi cultural society
Garda Siochana procedures and policy