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Leadership Development
in Police Services
Managing the Development of Essential
Leadership Competencies
Built by policing for policing
This guide is for human resource professionals and police leaders responsible for leadership development in police
services. It provides research-based theory and methods to enable police services to implement effective leadership
development programs. The guide presents a model for policing leadership, describes the essential steps in building
an effective leadership development program, and provides tools to support police services in developing their
current and future leaders. This guide is closely aligned with two other guides, Introduction to Competency-Based
Management in Police Services and Succession Management in Police Services. An understanding of the principles
and processes presented in these guides is necessary for effective implementation of leadership development.
The Police Sector Council was incorporated in 2004 to facilitate more integrated and innovative human
resource planning and management. Its mandate is to understand and address the most critical issues
facing all policing organizations, including the sustainability of policing services through improvements in
productivity and performance. The Council brings together leaders from the senior ranks of governments,
police agencies, employee associations, governing bodies and training institutions to find collaborative
and creative solutions to these challenges.
This initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program
This is a living document. Last update: January 2011
© Police Sector Council
Letter from the Steering Committee
Dear Colleagues,
Three sector-wide studies have been undertaken
since 2001, all of which strongly recommended the
adoption of “competency-based management”
(CBM) by Canadian policing services. These
findings led us, in 2008, to develop the practical
tools police services need to improve and align their
HR processes through a competency-based
framework for planning and management.
This guide is a best-practice manual to support police services in implementing or enhancing
leadership development programs that are competency-based.
Good leadership development ensures a strong pool of leadership talent for management
positions. This guide provides theory, processes and tools to support the deliberate
preparation of competent individuals for policing leadership roles.
The material presented in the guide reflects extensive research on best practice in leadership
development and the leadership competencies required in today’s complex environment. Its
purpose is to augment existing programs or provide the processes and tools to execute new
ones.
We especially want to acknowledge the support given to this project by the members of the
Steering Committee and the police services across the country who contributed their
experience and expertise to the development of this guide. We encourage all police leaders
and HR professionals to take advantage of this collective effort and use this reference
material in their organization.
Deputy Chief Norm Lipinski
Edmonton Police Service
Assistant Commissioner Cal Corley
Canadian Police College
Co-chairs
Steering Committee
Policing Leadership Development Project
Police Sector Council
Police Sector Council
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Acknowledgements: Steering Committee
We thank the members of the Steering Committee for their support and guidance.
NAME
POSITION
ORGANIZATION
DEPUTY CHIEF NORM LIPINSKI
(CO-CHAIR)
Deputy Chief of Police
Edmonton Police Service
ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER CAL
CORLEY (CO-CHAIR)
Director General
Canadian Police College
AILEEN ASHMAN
Director of HR
Toronto Police Service
ROSEMARIE AULD
Manager, Human Resources
Hamilton Police Service
JEAN BISHOP
Manager, Planning and
Research
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
TULLIO CAPUTO, PHD
Associate Professor
Carleton University
INSP FRANK CIACCIA
Deputy Director
Justice Institute of British Columbia
CHIEF WARD CLAPHAM
Chief of Police
South Coast British Columbia Transportation
Authority Police Service
DR. CURTIS CLARKE
Director General
Alberta Solicitor General
IVAN COURT
Mayor
City of St. John, NB
ANITA DAGENAIS
Senior Director, RCMP Policy
Division
Public Safety Canada
DR. GARY ELLIS
Professor, Justice & Public
Safety
Georgian College
DENNIS FODOR
Director, Human Resources
Codirecteur du baccalauréat
en sécurité publique
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER PETER
GERMAN
Assistant Commissioner,
Lower Mainland District,
British Columbia
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
SHARRON GOULD
Manager Human Resources
Winnipeg Police Service
INSP DAVE LEE
Deputy Director
OPP Academy
INSP CATHY LIGHT
Inspector
Calgary Police Service
STAN MACLELLAN
Director of HR
Durham Regional Police Service
EDGAR MACLEOD
Executive Director
Atlantic Police Academy
PAUL MCKENNA, PHD
Assistant Professor
Dalhousie University
RUTH MONTGOMERY
Editor
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
GARY MORIN
Director
Saskatchewan Police College
SHELAGH MORRIS
Director of Corporate
Services
Guelph Police Services
ALOK MUKHERJEE
Vice-President
Canadian Association of Police Boards
ANDRÉ FORTIER
Police Sector Council
Page 4 of 123
École Nationale de Police Québec
JANE NAYDIUK
Program Manager
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor
General, Government of British Columbia
LUC PELLERIN
Directeur, Direction du
soutien pédagogique et de la
recherche
École Nationale de Police Québec
INSP TAM POZZOBON
Inspector
Chief Crowfoot Learning Centre
TONY SIMIONI
President
Edmonton Police Association
STAFF SUPERINTENDENT DARREN
SMITH
Human Resource
Development Command
Toronto Police Service
SANDY SWEET
President & CEO
Canadian Police Knowledge Network
SUPERINTENDENT JOHN TOD
Director of OPP Provincial
Police Academy
Ontario Provincial Police
PATRICIA TOLPPANEN
Executive Director
Alberta Association of Police Governance
CHIEF MATT TORIGIAN
Chief of Police
Waterloo Regional Police Service
SHARON TRENHOLM
Instructor, Police Studies
Memorial University of Newfoundland
FRANK TROVATO, PHD
Program Head
University of Guelph-Humber
CHIEF VERN WHITE
Chief of Police
Ottawa Police Service
Police Sector Council
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Acknowledgements: Contributors
Individual subject matter experts and others from police services and organizations contributed to this
guide. They participated in interviews and shared their resources, including the documentation related to
leadership development. We sincerely thank you all.
ABBOTSFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT
REGINA POLICE SERVICE
AMHERST POLICE DEPARTMENT
ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE
BARRIE POLICE SERVICE
ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND CONSTABULARY
BELLEVILLE POLICE SERVICE
SAANICH POLICE DEPARTMENT
BRANDON POLICE SERVICE
SASKATOON POLICE SERVICE
BRANTFORD POLICE SERVICE
SAULT STE. MARIE POLICE SERVICE
BRIDGEWATER POLICE SERVICE
SCHULICH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, YORK UNIVERSITY
BROCKVILLE POLICE SERVICE
SERVICE DE LA SÉCURITÉ PUBLIQUE DE LA VILLE DE
SAGUENAY
CALGARY POLICE SERVICE
SERVICE DE LA SÉCURITÉ PUBLIQUE DE TROIS-RIVIÈRES
CANADIAN POLICE COLLEGE
SERVICE DE POLICE DE CHATEAUGUAY
CAPE BRETON REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
SERVICE DE POLICE DE LA VILLE DE BLAINVILLE
CHARLOTTETOWN POLICE SERVICE
SERVICE DE POLICE DE LA VILLE DE GATINEAU
DALMENY POLICE SERVICE
SERVICE DE POLICE DE LA VILLE DE MONTRÉAL
DELTA POLICE DEPARTMENT
SERVICE DE POLICE DE LA VILLE DE QUÉBEC
DURHAM REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
SERVICE DE POLICE DE LA VILLE DE TERREBONNE
ÉCOLE NATIONALE DE POLICE DU QUÉBEC
SERVICE DE POLICE DE L'AGGLOMÉRATION DE LONGUEUIL
EDMONTON POLICE SERVICE
SERVICE DE POLICE DE L'ASSOMPTION SAINT-SULPICE
EDMUNDSTON POLICE FORCE
SERVICE DE POLICE DE MIRABEL
GUELPH POLICE SERVICES
SERVICE DE POLICE DE SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU
HALIFAX REGIONAL POLICE
SOUTH COAST BRITISH COLUMBIA TRANSPORTATION
AUTHORITY POLICE SERVICE
HALTON REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE SERVICE
HAMILTON POLICE SERVICE
STRATFORD POLICE SERVICE
KENTVILLE POLICE SERVICE
SURETÉ DU QUÉBEC
LETHBRIDGE REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
TABER POLICE FORCE
LONDON POLICE SERVICE
TIMMINS POLICE SERVICE
MEDICINE HAT POLICE SERVICE
TORONTO POLICE SERVICE
MOOSE JAW POLICE SERVICE
VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
OAK BAY POLICE DEPARTMENT
WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
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ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
WEST VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE
WINDSOR POLICE SERVICE
PERTH POLICE SERVICE
WINNIPEG POLICE SERVICE
PRINCE ALBERT POLICE SERVICE
WOODSTOCK POLICE FORCE
RÉGIE INTERMUNICIPALE DE POLICE DE ROUSSILLON
YORK REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
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Table of Contents
LETTER FROM THE STEERING COMMITTEE ..................................................................................................... 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: STEERING COMMITTEE ............................................................................................. 4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: CONTRIBUTORS........................................................................................................ 6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 11
BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................ 14
BUSINESS CASE FOR COMPETENCY-BASED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ..................................................... 16
UNDERSTANDING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................ 20
International Policing Leadership Development Initiatives ......................................................................... 20
Connecting Leadership Development to Succession Management .............................................................. 21
THE POLICING LEADERSHIP MODEL ............................................................................................................ 23
Policing leadership competencies ............................................................................................................ 23
Leadership levels .................................................................................................................................. 26
Competency proficiency levels ................................................................................................................ 26
Leadership competency profiles .............................................................................................................. 27
THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ............................................................................................... 31
A program for each leadership level ........................................................................................................ 31
Program duration .................................................................................................................................. 32
Characteristics of effective leadership development programs ................................................................... 32
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STEP BY STEP ................................................................................................ 33
Step 1: Assess Candidates ..................................................................................................................... 34
Step 2: Develop Participants .................................................................................................................. 47
Step 3: Evaluate Program ...................................................................................................................... 58
IMPLEMENTING YOUR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ...................................................................... 63
IN CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................... 67
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................. 69
APPENDIX A: RECOMMENDED READINGS .................................................................................................... 75
APPENDIX B: POLICING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROJECT .................................................................... 79
APPENDIX C: LEADERSHIP COMPETENCY PROFILES ................................................................................... 91
Front-line Leadership Profile................................................................................................................... 93
Mid-level Leadership Profile.................................................................................................................... 99
Senior Leadership Profile ......................................................................................................................103
Executive Leadership Profile ..................................................................................................................109
APPENDIX D: TRACK RECORD REVIEW ..................................................................................................... 117
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Candidate Track Record Review ............................................................................................................117
Assessor Track Record Review ..............................................................................................................119
APPENDIX E: DEVELOPMENTAL LEARNING PLAN FOR LEADERSHIP ............................................................ 123
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Executive Summary
This guide is for human resource professionals and leaders responsible for leadership development in
police services. It is designed to support policing organizations in a first-time implementation of a
competency-based approach to leadership development and to provide additional ideas and information
to those with existing leadership development programs. Competencies are defined as the observable
and measurable knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviours and other attributes that contribute to successful
performance in jobs.
A series of studies over the last decade strongly supported the adoption of competency-based
management by Canadian policing services. Leadership Development in Police Services is one of a series
of guides developed as part of the Policing Competency Framework Project 1 launched in 2008 to address
the recommendations of these studies.
In particular, this guide is the result of the Policing Leadership Development Project, launched to address
the specific recommendations that the police sector adopt a formal and transparent approach to
succession management and leadership development, and that the skills and competencies required at
each level of policing leadership be defined.
Effective leadership is critical to the successful management of policing organizations. Police leaders face
a host of unique challenges in managing their organizations. In addition to managing public safety, they
are transitioning their organizations to a business management model and are facing unprecedented
attrition in leadership ranks.
Leadership development has become a matter of urgency for Canadian policing. It is predicted that,
within the next five years, half of Canada’s police leaders could retire. This situation is exacerbated by the
absence of formal succession plans in many Canadian police services.
This guide, Leadership Development in Police Services, presents a process that identifies and prepares a
pool of qualified police members for leadership roles. Formal leadership development not only provides
successors for leadership roles, it also helps leaders to achieve business goals, increases organizational
productivity and improves employee job satisfaction.
Reflects best practice
The guide provides research-based best-practice processes to select candidates into a leadership
program, develop their leadership capacity over time, and evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
Discusses the organizational benefits of leadership development
The guide outlines the benefits of a structured leadership development program to policing organizations:
the common language for leadership that the competency-based approach provides, encouragement for
continuous learning, organizational productivity gains, employee engagement, and long-term leadership
effectiveness.
Developed by the Police Sector Council as a result of a series of studies over the last decade that strongly supported the adoption
of CBM by Canadian policing services.
1
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Positions leadership development as part of succession management
This guide is closely linked with the processes and tools in the guide Succession Management in Police
Services, which focuses on all the critical roles in policing organizations, including those requiring
leadership skills. The leadership guide provides the additional information needed to establish a
leadership development program under the umbrella of succession management processes.
Presents the Policing Leadership Model
Analysis of policing leadership tasks resulted in the identification of 14 leadership competencies covering
three key policing areas: performance, partnering and accountability. Four levels of leadership
responsibility were identified:




Executive Management
Senior Management
Mid-level Management
Front-line Management
Provides principles and processes
The recommended candidate selection process is one that is open and transparent, and includes the
evaluation of applicants by trained assessors. Leadership development has many pathways; the guide
recommends a focus on formal education, job assignments, coaching, and mentoring. It presents a
selection of assessment methods to establish leadership potential – the starting point for identifying
competencies for development. The guide also provides steps to evaluate a leadership development
program to ensure it continues to deliver the intended results.
Provides implementation advice
The guide provides advice on developing a plan and implementing a leadership development program.
Provides a library of tools and templates
Tools and templates are provided to support the selection of candidates, their development and the
evaluation of both participants and the leadership program.
Suggests further reading
A selected bibliography of books and articles on leadership development is included in the Appendix.
Conclusion
Leadership Development in Police Services provides research-based theory and methods to enable police
services to implement effective leadership development programs. It presents a model for competencybased police leadership development, describes the essential steps in building an effective leadership
development program, and provides tools to support police services in developing their future leaders.
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Leadership development is a complex undertaking. Having the right leader in the right place at the right
time requires the gradual and purposeful development of high-performing police members to create a
pool of potential successors for leadership roles.
Development of future generations of police leaders will enable police services in Canada to continue to
serve their communities effectively and fulfill their role in securing public safety in the country.
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Background
The Police Sector Council (PSC) is a national centre for HR information, tools and networks that supports
a sector-wide approach to finding innovative, practical solutions to human resource planning and
management challenges.
Leadership Development in Police Services is part of a series of competency-based human resources
guides generated as a result of several studies over the past decade. In 2001, the Police Sector Council
engaged the policing sector in a study called Strategic Human Resources Analysis of Public Policing in
Canada. Two additional studies were conducted: in 2005, Policing Environment and, in 2007, National
Diagnostic on Human Resources in Policing to identify challenges and solutions for the policing sector.
The 2007 study made three key recommendations:



The police sector should adopt competency-based human resource management.
Learning and assessment tools should be anchored to a shared Policing Competency Dictionary.
Police services that have adopted a competency program should be encouraged to leverage their
investment by expanding its application to all HR functions.
Building on those recommendations, the Police Sector Council launched the Policing Competency
Framework Project in 2008 to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the general policing requirements for
all ranks. This analysis identified the most critical competencies for successful performance and formed
the foundation for a set of rank-specific tools to support human resources management.
The 2007 report also produced several recommendations with regard to leadership development and
succession planning in policing in Canada, including to:

Develop a Police Leadership Framework that defines the skills and competencies required at each
level of leadership in policing.

Design a formal transparent approach to succession planning across Canada.
Policing Leadership Development
To address these recommendations, the Police Sector Council launched the Policing Leadership
Development Project to develop a competency-based framework for leadership ranks and to create
support tools and guides specifically focused on succession management and leadership development.
The project was guided by a steering committee of representatives from Canadian policing services with
input and validation from policing organizations, senior leaders and subject matter experts.
The project looked at best practices in Canada and abroad and analyzed the tasks and responsibilities of
senior police leaders in order to develop an appropriate model and process to prepare high-potential
police members for leadership roles.
This guide, Leadership Development in Police Services, is the result of the Policing Leadership
Development Project. It presents a best-practice model for developing policing leadership and a step-by-
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step program to identify high-potential police members, develop their potential and continuously improve
program results. The model identifies 14 specific competencies for leadership that fall into three key
areas for policing today: performance, partnering and accountability. All of the competencies apply – with
differing proficiency levels – across four policing leadership levels.
Policing now has rigorously developed and nationally validated competency-based HR materials, available
FREE to Chiefs, HR managers, Training professionals, and other executives responsible for supporting
local operations. The Policing HR support materials available from the Police Sector Council include:
POLICING HR GUIDES AND TOOLS
CBM Framework
The CBM Framework provides the policing with a common language and understanding of the
work and underlying competency requirements associated with general policing duties for four
ranks: Constable, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, and Inspector and the competencies required of
the four senior ranks, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, Deputy Chief, and Chief of Police.
The framework was developed by leveraging the best practices from police services across
Canada, working with the policing community nationally and internationally to analyze and
document job responsibilities. The Framework included the development of Rank Task Lists,
Rank Competency Profiles, and Rank Job Descriptions. A Policing Leadership Model was added
to the framework that identified 14 competencies required by four levels of leadership. It
includes four Leadership Profiles.
CBM Guides
There are now seven CBM Guides to support the implementation of competency-based
management in police services. All of them provide information, suggested reading, theory,
practical tips, tools and templates, designed to supplement those currently in use by police
organizations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
CBM Toolkit
Introduction to Competency-Based Management in Police Services
Constable Selection: A Best Practice Approach and Research Update
Succession Management in Police Services: Developing a Pool of Potential
Successors for Critical Policing Roles
Leadership Development in Police Services: Managing the Development of Essential
Leadership Competencies
Police Executive Selection: A Best Practice Approach for Police Boards and
Commissions
Mentoring and Coaching in Police Services: Supporting Leadership Development
Police Leadership Education and Training: Aligning Programs and Courses with
Leadership Competencies
The CBM Toolkit includes more than 40 tools and templates that can be customized to suit
the needs of individual police services. Among the many tools in the Toolkit are interview
and reference check guides, and templates to support learning plans, performance
management, leadership development, and succession management.
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Business Case for Competency-based Leadership Development
Current state of leadership development
The development of policing leaders in Canada is a critical need. Although formal leadership development
programs have been implemented in some policing organizations, few are aligned with the organization’s
strategic goals and most focus on training that has a policing or business orientation.
Standardization of leadership training options is also an issue, and policing, like all public sector
organizations, is ever mindful of the demands it places on the public purse.
Leadership development is a strategic human resource concern for policing organizations. Public safety
leaders face a host of unique challenges in managing their organizations including youth violence, gun
crime, drug trafficking, culturally diverse communities, changing political contexts, implementing change,
building alliances, accountability, and managing the public image of policing under close public scrutiny. 2
Effective leadership is a critical factor in the successful management of policing today and leadership
development is known to strengthen organizational performance.
Leadership attrition through mass retirements is also a major challenge. According to the Police Sector
Council’s Policing Environment 2005,3 half of current leaders in policing could retire in the next five years.
The 2007 National Diagnostic on HR in Policing4 noted that fewer than 25 percent of Canadian police
services had a formal succession plan and only 25% actively managed the careers of their future leaders.
This paints a picture of an impending shortage of leadership bench strength in Canadian policing and
highlights the need for leadership development to ensure an ongoing supply of talented individuals to fill
vacant leadership positions.
Competency-based leadership development
Using competencies for learning and development is a differentiator for best-in-class organizations. The
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the United Kingdom’s National Policing
Improvement Agency (NPIA) have sophisticated leadership development programs based on leadership
competencies.
Now, with the clear definition of 14 leadership competencies for Canadian policing and competency
profiles for four levels of policing leadership, there is opportunity to implement strategic, systematic,
standardized and efficient leadership development programs in police services across Canada.
A common language for leadership
Competencies articulate the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviours required for success in leadership
roles. They incorporate standardized criteria to provide an accurate and fair assessment of leadership
program candidates. Competencies also create a transparent leadership path that all police members
understand and can work toward.
Scrivner, 2008
Policing Environment, 2005
4 National Diagnostic on HR in Policing, 2007
2
3
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Linkages between leader behaviours and strategic goals
When leadership competencies reflect an organization’s strategic goals, leaders are enabled and
motivated to work toward achieving these goals. Competencies ensure that policing organizations are
developing leaders who are fully aware of strategic goals and who will work towards their fulfilment.
Effective development of policing leaders
A best-practice leadership development program is also effective and efficient in developing leaders.
Competencies offer a systematic approach to assessment, development and evaluation that produces
effective results with high efficiency. The best-practice approach presented in the guide is tailored,
experiential and supportive of all characteristics shown to develop effective leaders.
Competencies developed at one leadership level are built upon at the next leadership level. Applying the
same set of competencies to the development of all levels of police leadership in an organization provides
continuity to individual leadership development efforts. This consistency helps organizations to manage
policing careers and helps police leaders take charge of their learning and career development.
The model recommended for policing accomplishes this by using the same set of competencies for all
four levels of leadership and connecting them through incremental proficiency levels. The program is also
tailored to the unique needs of individual leadership program participants and provides a variety of
learning opportunities, including the essential on-the-job assignments known to accelerate learning.
Open, fair and transparent
A leadership process that is open, fair and transparent ensures a defensible leadership development
program and one that does not overlook high-potential police members.
Other organizational benefits
Leadership development contributes to higher engagement and to organizational productivity.
Research indicates that leadership development programs improve organizational productivity. 5
Leaders are more effective in achieving goals when supported by leadership programs. 6
Career development opportunity is one of the key attraction and retention factors in
organizations.


Conclusion
The flood of retirements and other challenges facing policing have raised the development of future
leaders high on the agenda. Business continuity and the ability to serve communities are at stake.
All research points to the value of a systematic, organization-wide program to discover and develop
talented individuals. Competencies provide the framework and are the underlying source of many of the
benefits to be realized through a well-designed leadership development program.
Leadership programs foster a culture of learning where employees are more productive because they are
motivated by a transparent career development process that helps them to set clear goals. Strategic
5
6
Skarlicki & Latham, 1997
Howard, & Wellins, 2009
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programs based on policing leadership competencies produce leaders whose skills and abilities are
purposefully developed and understood – and who are ready when called to assume leadership roles.
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About this Guide
This guide presents a competency-based framework for developing police leaders and describes how to
build a leadership development program. The guide’s intent is not to prescribe procedures for leadership
development, but to offer the benefits of current research and best practice to support program
development. It is the result of the work and guidance of a steering committee representing all key
stakeholders in Canadian policing and extensive research involving multiple job experts.
The guide’s primary intent is to offer information and tools to enable police services to develop a pool of
leadership talent ready to step into more senior roles.
The guide includes a number of tools and templates to support leadership development practices in the
Canadian police services. The tools in Figure 1 have been designed to support the enhancement or new
development of an effective leadership development program . The guide, together with these tools,
provides everything you need to get started.
Figure 1: Leadership Development Toolkit
THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TOOLKIT
Tool
What it contributes
Tools and templates for leadership development:
Leadership competencies (14)
Lists the performance, partnering and accountability competencies
required of all successful police leaders and describe illustrative
behaviours of each competency.
Policing Leadership Model
Outlines the leadership requirements for four levels of management:
Front-line Management, Mid-level Management, Senior Management
and Executive Management.
Leadership Competency Profiles (4)
Itemizes the proficiency level required for each of the 14
competencies at each level of leadership.
Track Record Review
A method for candidates to describe past accomplishments and
situations that demonstrate their proficiency with respect to
competencies at the leadership level above their current level
Developmental Learning Plan
A plan that provides a roadmap and timeline to achieve learning
goals on specific leadership competencies.
The context of this guide is competency-based management
(CBM). It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the
CBM approach by first reading the guide Introduction to
Competency-Based Management in Police Services.
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Understanding Leadership Development
Leadership development is a common topic of conversation and study in the today’s public and private
sectors. That’s because the criticality of leadership to organizational success is widely acknowledged and
because leadership behaviours are something that can be developed.
Leadership is a process in which one person influences
the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviours of others to
accomplish organizational goals. Leaders motivate, focus
thinking and shape decisions for the greater good of the
organization. Developing leaders is an intentional
process that develops the capacity of high-potential
individuals to be effective in leadership roles. It is part
of the broader process of succession management –
identifying and developing pools of successors to fill all
critical policing roles – and of thinking strategically about
human resources.
Defining Policing Leadership
For the first time, leadership roles in Canadian
policing have been thoroughly analyzed. This
has given the policing sector clearly defined
and nationally validated job tasks and
competency requirements for senior police
leaders – and the foundation for consistent
and strategic development of future leaders.
The last two decades have witnessed a proliferation of interest in leadership development in
organizations. This research has encouraged movement away from ad-hoc course-focussed development
of leaders to an approach that is strategic, systematic, tailored and more focussed on experiential
learning.
While formal programs are an effective way to teach leadership and management theory, most
leadership learning occurs through on-the-job activities, special assignments and other experiences that
are directly relevant to leadership requirements. Today, best practice combines classroom training with
experiential learning, an approach that presents a variety of challenges and learning methods to hone
leadership skills, and supports the process with mentoring and coaching, regular feedback and selfreflection.
Underpinning the most successful programs are leadership competencies. This guide presents a
competency-based model designed to develop police leaders and describes how to build a leadership
development program.
International Policing Leadership Development Initiatives
Leadership development in policing varies greatly by country, region and policing organization. Many
organizations, including the United Kingdom’s (UK) National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and the
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have sophisticated leadership development programs
based on leadership competencies.
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
The IACP has a leadership model based on principles of dispersed leadership. Dispersed leadership
replaces the belief that leadership is reserved for senior officers. The idea is that everyone in the
organization is expected and trained to be a leader. Dispersed leadership implies a shared understanding
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of organizational values, competencies, and expectations. Leadership is expected to be demonstrated at
all levels of responsibility. Leadership development is implemented through a combination of formal
education and training, operational assignments, and self-development that consists of reading,
reflection, and peer interaction.
National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)
The NPIA in the UK administers several national leadership development programs based on an
Integrated Competency Framework (ICF), which represents a series of national standards and guidelines
for improving the quality and consistency of performance of individuals in police services. The
competencies are used to assess candidates for acceptance into their national leadership development
program, the High Potential Development Scheme (HPDS), and for the Association of Police Authorities to
recruit and select candidates for Chief Officer positions.
Each competency has three proficiency levels that describe the behavioural standards expected for
different police ranks. Along with National Occupational Standards for the Police Sector, the Integrated
Competency Framework served as the foundation for the development of National Policing Improvement
Agency’s rank-specific leadership courses and leadership development programs.
Policing Leadership Development in Canada
A few Canadian policing organizations have leadership development programs. However, these programs
tend to be ad-hoc rather than systematic, focus on formal coursework rather than experiential learning
and lack transparency. Of existing programs, many are limited to leadership training at colleges and
universities and have a business or policing focus. There is no standardization and no comparative data,
to evaluate these programs. Importantly, learning programs are rarely tied to police service strategic
goals and are not assessed for their value in developing policing leadership competencies.
Canadian policing professionals addressed the need for improved leadership development in policing
organizations with the Policing Leadership Development Project. The project developed a leadership
model with 14 leadership competencies for four levels of leadership and leadership profiles for each level.
Connecting Leadership Development to Succession Management
Succession management is planned preparation for vacancies in positions that are critical to an
organization’s success. It systematically identifies, develops and tracks a pool of talented individuals to
prepare them to assume these critical positions.
A critical position is:
Leadership roles are usually determined to be critical to
the achievement of an organization’s business objectives.
A position that, if left vacant, would
This guide is closely linked with the processes and tools
in the guide Succession Management in Police Services,
which focuses on all critical roles in policing
organizations, including those requiring leadership skills.
The leadership guide provides the additional information
needed to establish a leadership development program
under the umbrella of succession management processes.
jeopardize the service’s ability to meet
its business objectives. It is critical
because it is highly specialized, difficult
to fill, or a leadership role.
A succession management program is a prerequisite for leadership development. Succession
management begins with a strategic business plan and requires a workforce planning exercise to provide
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a picture of current workforce capacity, which is then compared to the workforce requirements needed to
deliver the strategic plan.
Figure 2: The succession management process
1.
Workforce
Planning
5.
Evaluate
Succession
Management
4.
Develop
Participants
2.
Identify
Critical
Positions
3.
Assess
Candidates
Figure 2 illustrates the succession management process.
The first two steps, workforce planning and identifying
critical positions, are covered in the guide, Succession
Management in Police Services. The identification and
development of successors for critical leadership roles
follows a similar process but is founded on a specific set of
leadership competencies. The importance of leadership
roles and the differences in the process of developing these
competencies warrants a separate and detailed
examination of the leadership development process.
There are differences between developing police members
to be leaders and developing them to fill non-leadership
specialist roles. The pool of non-leadership candidates is
being groomed for specific positions, while the pool of leadership candidates is being prepared to fill a
variety of leadership roles. One development pathway is founded on competency profiles for ranks and
positions; the other on leadership competency profiles for four levels of increasing leadership complexity.
There are also a few differences in the processes for identification and development of candidates. These
differences prompted the creation of the present guide for developing police leaders.
Read about workforce planning and how to identify critical positions in
Succession Management in Police Services: Developing a Pool of Potential Successors for
Critical Policing Roles
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The Policing Leadership Model
The Policing Leadership Model is the outcome of extensive research into best practice and job analysis of
senior ranks that included country-wide consultation with and validation by policing organizations, job
incumbents and subject matter experts. In this section we introduce the Policing Leadership Model with
its 14 policing leadership competencies, four leadership levels, and four leadership Competency Profiles.
Policing leadership competencies
Fourteen leadership competencies fall into three areas: performance, partnering and accountability.
Figure 3 lists the competencies included in each area.
Figure 3: Policing leadership competencies
Performance
Achieve public safety goals through
effective and efficient police service
delivery
o
o
o
o
o
o
Change Management
Decision-making
Financial Management
Human Resource
Management
Information Technology
Management
Strategic Management
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Partnering
Accountability
Establish strong partnerships and
draw resources beyond the police
service, including citizens and local
government and community
organizations
Hold responsibility for one’s actions
to sustain trust of government and
the public
o
Community Relations and
Media Management
o
o
Fostering Relationships
Interactive Communication
o
Organizational Awareness
Page 23 of 123
o
Ethical Accountability
o
Public Accountability
o
Public Safety
o
Valuing Diversity
Performance
Performance competencies require basic knowledge of business management, including strategic,
financial, and human resource management and the ability to apply them. They enable police leaders to
achieve public safety goals through effective and efficient service delivery. These competencies include:
PERFORMANCE
Change Management
Facilitates the transition to new organizational processes in response to internal
and external needs.
Decision Making
Makes decisions involving varied levels of risk and ambiguity.
Financial Management
Applies financial management principles and tools to effectively manage
organizational resources (operating, capital, and people).
Human Resource
Management
Applies, implements and directs the development of human resource management
strategies, processes, policies, and practices.
Information Technology
Management
Maximizes the use of state-of-the-art technology to support operational and
administrative work of a police organization.
Strategic Management
Creates a strategic plan organization, translates strategic objectives into
operational goals and works toward their implementation. Creates opportunities for
continuous improvement through an ongoing evaluation of external environment
and internal issues that hinder organizational sustainability.
Partnering
Partnering competencies represent the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that enable leaders to foster
relationships with others in and outside their organizations and engage them in working together toward
a common goal. The partnering competencies include:
PARTNERING
Community Relations
and Media Management
Uses media and community events/resources effectively to create a positive public
image of the police service, build strong relationships with the community, and
assist in the detection and investigation of crime.
Fostering Relationships
Seeks and builds alliances with internal and external stakeholders to meet their
needs and further the organization's objectives. Uses an understanding of
stakeholder needs, desires and critical success factors to influence priorities,
initiatives and objectives and teaches others to do the same.
Interactive
Communication
Utilizes communication strategies in an effort to achieve common goals, influence
and gain others’ support.
Organizational
Awareness
Understands and uses organizational awareness to deliver optimal services. Seeks
to understand the critical concerns and most important issues of stakeholders to
find optimal solutions.
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Accountability
It is of paramount importance for a police leader to make ethical decisions and be accountable for
activities in the area of responsibility in order to sustain the trust of employees and the public at large.
The accountability competencies include:
ACCOUNTABILITY
Ethical Accountability
Takes responsibility for actions and makes decisions that are consistent with police
service ethics standards.
Public Accountability
Works effectively within parameters of jurisdictional governance structure (local,
municipal, regional, provincial, and national) and associated policing frameworks.
Adheres to values of public service. Understands and uses internal and external
structures of authority and the roles and responsibilities of external stakeholders in
police operations.
Public Safety
Promotes an intelligence-led and problem-oriented policing philosophy that
emphasizes partnerships with community, intelligence gathering, and proactive
problem-solving that addresses conditions that can raise issues for public safety.
Valuing Diversity
Understands one’s own personal attitudes and values related to diversity. Enhances
own and other’s skills, knowledge, behaviours and actions related to diversity.
The 14 performance, partnering, and accountability competencies apply to all police leaders. However,
increasing levels of proficiency in these competencies is required at ascending levels of leadership from
Front-line Management through to Executive Management.
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Leadership levels
Leadership levels for policing were derived from analysis of the leadership tasks of ranks from Sergeant
to Chief. An examination of the relationship between the leadership levels and policing ranks found that
some ranks required similar levels of proficiency in the leadership competencies, making it possible to
associate particular ranks with leadership levels. This is illustrated in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Leadership levels and Ranks typically associated with them
Leadership
Level
Executive
Management
Leadership Responsibilities
Executive leaders oversee all operational and administrative
Commissioner
functions in a police service or a division of a police service. They
Deputy
Commissioner
set strategic direction, establish and maintain relationships with
constituents, and represent the police service at various levels of
government.
Senior
Management
Ranks
Chief
Deputy Chief
Senior leaders plan and direct operational and/or administrative
Chief
functions of a division in a police service. They oversee the
Superintendent
development and implementation of operational plans, manage
Superintendent
allocation of financial and human resources, and coordinate work
activities with other divisions in a police service.
Mid-level
Management
Mid-level leaders manage programs and projects in a division or
unit of a police service. They deploy staff and coordinate
Inspector
Staff Sergeant
assignments and conduct internal investigations as required.
Front-line
Front Line leaders supervise police operations at the unit level.
Management
They ensure the adherence of staff to policies and procedures.
Sergeant
Competency proficiency levels
The proficiency level for each competency represents the typical behaviours needed for successful
performance. The five-level proficiency scale illustrates that behaviours increase in complexity and scope
as proficiency levels rise. Taken together, the competencies and their associated behaviours represent
the expectations of performance at each leadership level. The scale is cumulative, meaning that, each
level assumes that the behaviours associated with the preceding lower levels can be demonstrated.
Figure 5 is an example of a leadership competency taken from the Policing Competency Dictionary.
Notice that at Proficiency Level 1 police officers are expected to be able describe the purpose of the
strategic objectives. At Level 5, they are expected to determine the vision and strategic objectives of the
police service.
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Figure 5: Example of a leadership competency*
Strategic Objectives
Creates a strategic plan for the police organization, translates strategic objectives into operational goals, and works toward their
implementation. Creates opportunities for continuous improvement through an ongoing evaluation of external environment and
internal issues that hinder organizational sustainability
(Scale progression: increased scope and complexity)
Level 1
Level 2
Describes the purpose of
the strategic objectives
Contributes to the
implementation of
strategic objectives
 Ensures the
utilization of
resources that is
consistent with
operational plans
and ultimately,
organizational
strategic objectives
 Demonstrates basic
knowledge of issues
affecting the police
service
 States the
organizational
vision, mission, and
values
Level 3
Monitors the
implementation of
strategic objectives
 Determines how
relevant resources
need to be allocated
to achieve goals in
operational/business
plans
Level 4
Level 5
Develops operational
plans to implement
strategic objectives
 Translates strategic
objectives into
specific goals for
units and divisions
Determines a vision and
strategic objectives
 Identifies capacity
required, timelines
and responsibilities
for the attainment of
goals within units
and divisions
 Identifies the short
and long-term impact
of current trends
arising from
environmental scan
(e.g., demographic
changes, government
policies, etc) on the
police service
* This example does not include all of the behavioural indicators. See the
Policing Competency Dictionary for the full description of the competency.
Leadership competency profiles
Each of the four leadership levels is described in a Leadership Competency Profile. Every leadership level
includes all 14 competencies but they differ in the level of proficiency required. As shown in Figure 6,
leadership levels increase in scope and complexity from Front-line Management to Executive
Management, the “Proficiency Level” that is needed increases. The five-level proficiency scale is applied
to all policing competencies, not only to leadership competencies. The minimum expectation for leaders
in a Front-line Management role is a proficiency level 2; Executive Managers are expected to exhibit
behaviours corresponding with leadership competencies at a level 5.
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Executive
Management
Senior
Management
Mid-level
Management
Proficiency Levels by
Leadership Level
Front line
Management
Figure 6: Leadership Competency Profiles
Change Management
2
3
4
5
Community Relations and Media Management
2
3
4
5
Decision Making
3
4
4
5
Ethical Accountability
3
4
5
5
Financial Management
2
3
4
5
Fostering Relationships
3
4
5
5
Human Resource Management
2
3
4
5
Information Technology Management
2
3
4
5
Interactive Communication
3
4
5
5
Organizational Awareness
3
4
5
5
Public Accountability
2
3
4
5
Public Safety
2
3
4
5
Strategic Management
2
3
4
5
Valuing Diversity
2
3
4
5
Summarizing the model
The Policing Leadership Model provides a roadmap for leadership development in a policing organization.
It is a set of 14 competencies accompanied by proficiency levels for four levels of leadership. The model
identifies the specific leadership knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviours and other attributes that
contribute to successful performance at each leadership level.
Figure 7 on the next page charts all of the elements of the Policing Leadership Model discussed in this
section: the four leadership levels and their associated ranks, the three key competency areas –
performance, partnering and accountability – and the 14 competencies grouped under these together
with the proficiency levels required of each leadership level.
Competencies are at the core of the leadership model. They are the criteria upon which leader
development at every leadership level is focused. Leadership candidates are assessed against the
competencies to discover their proficiency levels, developmental activities are selected for their ability to
instil the competencies, candidates measure their progress against them, and the success of the program
rests on its effectiveness in developing leadership competencies in program participants.
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Figure 7: Policing Leadership Model
Policing Leadership Competencies
Partnering
Ethical Accountability
Public Accountability
Public Safety
Valuing Diversity
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
Senior
Management
Chief Superintendent
Superintendent
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
Mid-level
Management
Inspector
Staff Sergeant
3
4
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
Front-line
Management
Sergeant
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
Strategic Management
Ranks typically
Associated with
level
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Fostering Relationships
5
Community Relations and
Media Management
5
Information Technology
Management
5
Financial Management
Commissioner, Deputy
Commissioner, Chief,
Deputy Chief
Level of
Leadership
Decision making
Executive
Management
Policing
Leadership
Model
Change Management
Organizational Awareness
Accountability
Interactive Communication
Human Resource Management
Performance
Proficiency Levels
Page 29 of 123
Conclusion
The Policing Leadership Model and its standardization of competencies and proficiency levels provides the
building blocks for a leadership development program. The model includes 14 competencies that are
incorporated into Leadership Competency Profiles for four levels of leadership responsibility. Although the
14 competencies apply across the leadership levels, the proficiency level required increases with the level
of leadership.
In the next section, the guide discusses how the leadership model can be used to implement or enhance
leadership development processes in a policing organization.
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The Leadership Development Program
The program for leadership development presented in this section is based on research into best
practices and was adapted for policing environments. It is centred on the Policing Leadership Model
which provides a clear understanding of the competency requirements for each leadership level. The
steps recommended in the process are supported with tips, tools and templates. A strong element of the
program is mentoring and/or coaching support to leadership program participants.
Whether you use the guide to reflect on your current practices or to develop a new program – and
regardless of the size of your police service – you will find adaptable suggestions to prepare highpotential police members for today and tomorrow’s leadership roles. You will learn how to implement
best practice police leadership development programs for targeted leadership levels.
As illustrated in Figure 8, the leadership development program is part of the succession management
program. This guide picks up the process outlined in the guide Succession Management in Police Services
at the point where workforce analysis was completed and assumes the outcome of identifying critical
positions, is a priority requirement to prepare successors for certain levels of leadership.
Figure 8: Leadership Development Program
Succession Management Program
Workforce Planning
Identify Critical Positions
See the guide
Succession Management in Police Services
Leadership Development Program
Step 1: ASSESS CANDIDATES
Step 2: DEVELOP PARTICIPANTS
Step 3: EVALUATE PROGRAM
•
A program for each leadership level
The competency requirements are different for each leadership level. This means that the program for
each leadership level is unique, although the underlying principles and process remain the same for all
programs. In order to have a pool of candidates ready for each leadership level, police services need four
programs, one targeted at each level of leadership: Front-line Management, Mid-level Management,
Senior Management, and Executive Management. However, since resources may be limited, a decision
about which or how many leadership levels to focus on is a strategic one that is made as a result of
workforce planning and critical position identification during the succession management process.
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Program duration
The program must allow sufficient time for a pool of participants to undergo experiential learning that
readies them for the target leadership level in all 14 competencies. Program duration varies from three to
five years depending on the level of leadership and learning requirements, but normally has a specified
end date after which the participants return to their original positions. Assignments increase in
responsibility and are typically 12 months in duration, but the duration can vary based on operational and
/or developmental considerations. During the program, participants gain insight into their leadership
styles, develop their leadership competencies, examine their belief systems and establish networks of
contacts.
Characteristics of effective leadership development programs
Best practice leadership development processes tend to be systematic, tailored, and experiential. These
features apply to the police leadership development program described in this guide.
Systematic
Competencies developed at one leadership level are built upon at the next leadership level. The model
recommended for policing accomplishes this by using the same set of competencies for all four levels of
leadership and connecting them through incremental proficiency levels.
Tailored
An effective leadership development program is tailored to the unique needs of individuals. People vary in
their development needs and the types of developmental experiences that will benefit them most. In this
model, assessment, mentoring and coaching, and job assignments are tailored to individual needs,
including current and targeted leadership levels.
Experiential
Executives report that they found learning through on-the-job experiences a more powerful form of
development than classroom-based programs.7 Research also indicates that best practice combines
experiential learning with classroom training.
Supportive
Mentoring and coaching have become key ingredients in effective leadership development programs and
significantly increase learning.
7
Developing Leadership Talent: SHRM Foundations Effective Practice Guidelines Series, 2009
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Leadership Development Step by Step
Participation in a leadership program is a serious undertaking for both the participant and the
organization. For participants, it is a three to five year commitment that requires them to leave jobs,
perhaps even change locations, in order to face a series of challenging learning situations. For the police
service, it is an investment of time, budget and resources in future leadership strength. So it is no
surprise that the assessment process is designed to maximize results by selecting candidates with the
highest potential and commitment for participation in the program.
The leadership development procedure for acceptance and development is the same for all four
leadership levels. It includes eligibility confirmation, candidate assessment, development of the selected
candidates and program evaluation.
Determine eligibility
A transparent, merit-based and consistent selection process is one of the most important success factors
for leadership programs. For this reason, the recommended approach is an open application policy so
that all who are interested in leadership development can apply and be assessed for their suitability for
the program.
In the policing leadership development program, the following initial requirements must be met to
determine whether the candidate will proceed to a formal assessment of their leadership potential:

Current position suitable: Applicants must be police members in the rank one level below
their target leadership level. For example, to apply for the Senior Management Leadership
Program, the member must hold the rank of Staff Sergeant or Inspector (Mid-level
Management).

Meet requirements in their current position. Applicants must submit performance
evaluations that indicate they have met requirements in their current position for the past two
consecutive years.

Acceptance: Applicants must accept the conditions of the program. They must be willing, for
example, to accept job assignments that require relocation, be willing to apply for leadership
positions, and commit to the program for its duration, which is usually between three to five
years.

Manager sign-off: Managers, as part of their role in the career management of their
employees, sign off that they have had a discussion with the candidate about applying to the
program.
Once eligibility has been confirmed, the three-step leadership development process gets underway.
Step 1: Assess Candidates
Step 2: Develop Participants
Step 3: Evaluate the program
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Step 1: Assess Candidates
Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria are assessed to determine
their leadership potential.
Step 1: ASSESS CANDIDATES
 Track Record Review
 Competency-based interview
A best practice selection process uses a variety of appropriate
 Work sample of assessment
assessment methods to evaluate candidates. The choice is guided by
centre
many considerations including the selection requirements, the size of
the applicant pool, available budget, and technical features of the
assessment tool. The best assessment tools have the following characteristics:



They are linked to the leadership competencies being assessed.

They result in effective decisions (validity).
They measure what they claim to measure (validity).
They measure what they claim to measure consistently (reliability). (This means that if a person
were to take the test again, the person would get a similar test score.)
This guide proposes a number of options to assess leadership potential. The process described here is
best practice, but you must decide what is most cost-effective for your organization.
In selecting assessment tools to include in your program, consider their validity and reliability. We
propose a Track Record Review, Competency-based Interview and Assessment Centre be used to
evaluate leadership potential. These methods provide specific and actionable developmental feedback to
candidates. They are also valid and reliable – important considerations in the legal defensibility of testing
methods.
Assessment process
Most assessment programs use a variety of assessment methods. There are several approaches you can
take: “multiple hurdles” or “total assessment” approach, or a combination of the two.
In the ™Multiple hurdles approach, candidates must pass each method (usually by scoring above a cutoff score) to remain in the assessment process. Each assessment method represents an opportunity to
screen candidates in or out. The multiple hurdles approach is used when the candidate pool is large or
when assessment methods are expensive to administer. It can reduce the total cost of assessment by
having only those who do well proceed to other, often more costly, assessment tools.
In the ™Total assessment approach, all candidates are assessed by all methods in the program. The
information gathered is used in a counterbalanced manner. This allows a high score on one method to be
counterbalanced with a low score on another. A key decision in using the total assessment approach is
determining the relative weights to assign to each assessment instrument in the program.
The decision to use a particular method is an important one. As in every business decision, you will want
to determine whether the potential benefits outweigh the expenditure of time and effort. Be sure to
factor in all the costs, such as the purchase of tests and staff time, and balance these against all the
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benefits.8 For example, additional tests may be warranted due to the criticality of an executive position
and to increase the likelihood that the best candidate is chosen.
Many assessment tools and procedures require specialized training,
education, or experience to develop, administer and interpret results
correctly. If needed, assessment professionals can provide support in
these areas.
The same assessment rating scale can be used for all proposed assessment methods. The rating scale is
illustrated in Figure 9.
Figure 9: Example of a standardized rating scale
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT-Creates a strategic plan for the police organization, translates strategic objectives into
operational goals, and works toward their implementation. Creates opportunities for continuous improvement
through an ongoing evaluation of external environment and internal issues that hinder organizational
sustainability.
What to look for
Level 5- Determines a vision and strategic objectives. Identifies the short and long-term impact of current trends
arising from an environmental scan (e.g., demographic changes, government policies, etc) on the police service.
 Formulates a clear and compelling vision for the police service
 Considers local, regional, provincial, federal and/or transnational policing issues in determining organizational
priorities
 Advocates with key jurisdictional partners and authorities to support the achievement of organizational
strategic objectives
RATING SCALE
Well Below
Expectations
Somewhat Below
Expectations
Meets
Expectations
Somewhat
Exceeds
Expectations
Clearly
Exceeds
Expectations
1
2
3
4
5
The expected indicators
were not demonstrated.
Important gaps were
identified that would have
a negative impact on the
candidate’s ability to
successfully complete the
leadership program.
The expected
indicators were not
addressed adequately.
This response was
expected of someone
not yet at the
threshold of the target
leadership level.
The expected
indicators were
covered adequately.
This response was the
minimal expected level
of performance for
candidates to the
leadership program.
The expected
indicators were
covered thoroughly.
This response was
expected of someone
at the target leadership
level.
The expected
indicators were
thoroughly
demonstrated (all
points were
covered well).
Assessors who believe their personal knowledge of a candidate will bias their assessment favourably or
unfavourably, must declare this. When this occurs, alternative assessors will be identified to assess the
candidate’s track record.
8
Testing and Assessment: An Employer’s Guide to Good Practices, 2000
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In the next section we discuss in detail how the Track Record Review, Competency-based Interview and
Work Sample or Assessment Centre are used to assess leadership candidates. The section concludes with
descriptions of additional assessment methods that can be used if further assessment is needed.
Track Record Review
The Track Record Review is a means of obtaining information about candidates’ leadership potential on
the basis of behaviours demonstrated in the past. Its value lies in the fact that the best predictor of
future performance is past performance.
Candidates describe, in writing, past accomplishments and situations that demonstrate their proficiency
with respect to four key competencies at the leadership level targeted. Candidates are asked to describe
the situation or context, what exactly they did, and the outcome that best illustrates how they
demonstrated specific behaviours. Figure 10 illustrates the format of the Track Record Review and the
information required.
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Figure 10: Example from the Track Record Review for Senior Management
Competency: Decision making
Definition: Makes decisions involving varied levels of risk and ambiguity
Proficiency Level: Makes complex decisions in the face of ambiguity (4)
Behavioral Indicators:
 Makes complex decisions in the face of ambiguity
 Makes complex decisions for which there is no set procedure
 Considers a multiplicity of interrelated factors for which there is incomplete and contradictory
information
 Balances competing priorities in reaching decisions
What was the Context or Situation?
The circumstances or the situation are described, including the challenges presented, pertinent events leading to the
situation, the candidate’s role and responsibilities, and the responsibilities of others involved in the situation.
What exactly did you do?
The action taken by the candidate to address the challenges. The response needs enough detail that the assessor
clearly understands what the candidate did and why.
What was the outcome of your actions?
What happened as a result of the candidate’s action. This allows assessors to determine the extent to which the
impact of the actions was positive, negative, or neutral. This section is often challenging for candidates because they
aren’t immediately aware of the impact.
Completing a Track Record Review is a thoughtful process that is not done overnight. Gaining the
appropriate experience to meet the proficiency requirements of the competency takes time. The process
also requires significant reflection, discussion, writing and validation. The Track Record Review process is
valuable because it builds understanding and experience with respect to the competencies needed.
Track Record Reviews are valued because they:


Target specific competencies; in this case, the leadership competencies.

Give candidates time to reflect on the expected behaviours and how they compare to their past
performance. Candidates can build their Track Record Review over a period of time and submit
their application when they feel they have had the opportunity to demonstrate the key
behaviours related to success in a leadership role.


Help candidates assess whether they are ready for the next leadership level.
Demonstrate the competency at the appropriate level of proficiency – because candidates’
responses are guided by the example behaviours expected at the next leadership level.
Are validated by someone who can attest that the examples are accurate and characteristic of
the candidate’s performance.
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Validation
The validation process is the most critical element in the process. The Track Record Review relies on
honest and objective feedback from validators. Each example in the Track Record Review must be
substantiated by someone who supervised or worked with the candidate when the situation occurred. It
is candidates’ responsibility to find validators to sign-off on each example.
The role of validators is to:



Confirm that the example occurred and accurately describes the actions taken and the end result
Indicate whether the example is typical of the candidate’s overall performance
Provide insight into why the example is not typical of ongoing performance
Validators do NOT assess proficiency.
Training
Candidates need training on what is involved in the Track Record Review process and about the
competencies and proficiency levels to be assessed. Validators require the same knowledge and also
need to understand their role in the process.
Assessment
An independent team assesses the behavioural examples in the Track Record Review. Assessors are
selected for their subject matter expertise and experience supervising police members at the targeted
leadership level. Assessors work in teams of two or more to determine the degree to which the situations
described demonstrate the required behaviours.
The process includes:


Familiarizing themselves with the assessment criteria

Sharing ratings for each competency, discussing the reasons behind ratings that differ, and
reaching consensus
Independently studying the examples and assigning ratings. This minimizes undue influence by
one assessor and provides a wider range of viewpoints for discussion.
If candidates meet the requirements, they proceed to the next step: a Competency-based Interview.
Ask assessors to alternate when they announce their initial rating.
This is an additional safeguard against subtle influence.
TIP:
An Assessor Track Record Review form is included in Appendix D.
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Competency-based Interview
A Competency-based Interview is an effective method of assessing candidates’ leadership potential. Its
purpose is to reliably gather enough competency-related information to make a valid assessment of a
candidate’s leadership potential. These Competency-based Interviews measure competencies such as
Oral Communication that can not be easily measured by other tools. Candidates respond very positively
to interviews because they have an opportunity to ask questions and get more information.
Best practice interview methodology uses a “structured” approach to ensure all leadership assessment
interviews are consistent and unbiased. Structured interviews increase the chances of making the best
decisions and improve the legal defensibility of the process.
A structured interview:





Proceeds in a planned, systematic manner
Asks questions related to the behavioural requirements of the leadership competencies
Asks the same set of questions to all candidates
Evaluates interview responses using the same rating scale
Ideally, includes the same interviewers for all leadership candidates. Where this is not feasible,
interviewers are trained to use a consistent method
Behavioural questions
Behavioural questions based on leadership competencies are among the most effective interviewing
strategies, particularly for candidates for managerial positions. 9 Behavioural questions are based on the
premise that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. In contrast to the situational
interview that asks candidates what they would do or should do, behavioural questions focus on what the
candidate has actually done and ask about past experiences and accomplishments. The interview
questions are designed to elicit examples of candidates’ past experiences and accomplishments related to
the selection requirements.
To accomplish this, interviewers look for three aspects of all examples candidates share with them:



The Situation or Task in which the candidate was involved.
The Action the candidate took to complete the task or address the situation.
The Result or Outcome of the candidate’s action.
All of these components are necessary to make an informed judgement about whether the candidate has
displayed the level and quality of behaviour required.
The sample behavioural question in Figure 11 targets the competency “Strategic Management” for a
Chief rank.
9
Krajewski, Goffin, McCarthy, Rothstein, & Johnston, 2006
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Figure 11: Sample Competency-based behavioural question
Strategic Management – Creates a strategic plan for the police organization,
translates strategic objectives into operational goals, and works toward their
implementation. Creates opportunities for continuous improvement through an
ongoing evaluation of external environment and internal issues that hinder
organizational sustainability
What to look for:
Determines a vision and strategic objectives (Level 5)

Identifies the short and long-term impact of current trends arising from an
environmental scan (e.g., demographic changes, government policies, etc) on the
police service

Formulates a clear and compelling vision for the police service

Considers local, regional, provincial, federal and/or transnational policing issues
in determining organizational priorities

Advocates with key jurisdictional partners and authorities to support the
achievement of organizational strategic objectives
Example Interview Question
1. Describe a situation when you had to change the strategic objectives of your unit or an
organization in light of changes to the economic or political landscape?
Supplementary questions:







What was the situation?
What economic or political issues had a bearing on your strategic objectives?
What changes to the strategic objectives did you suggest?
How did you communicate the changes in your reports?
Did you encounter any resistance to change internally? Externally?
To what extent were you successful in changing the strategic objectives?
What makes you say that?
What happened as a result of changes to the unit’s or organizations strategic
objectives?
Guidelines for a successful interview process
Follow these research-based guidelines to get the best results from interviews:

Train interviewers
Interviewers must be trained to develop the skills needed for competency-based interviewing.
Interviewer training improves their judgment by giving them a common frame of reference for
interpreting interviewee responses. It also increases the reliability, validity and fairness of the
recruitment and selection process.

Have multiple interviewers
Panel interviews tend to be more reliable than a single interviewer for two reasons:

The combined recall of several people ensures relevant information is not missed

The impact of personal bias is reduced
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
Explain the interview process in advance
Candidates arrive better prepared and the quality of their responses is improved when they have
advance information about the interview process.

Formulate appropriate questions
All questions should be grounded in requirements related to leadership competencies.

Ask candidates the same questions
To ensure consistent evaluation of candidates, it is important that they all are asked the same set
of questions.

Be aware of how personal biases and stereotypes affect judgement
Stereotypes are generalized beliefs and attitudes about a group of individuals that can be
distinguished by some characteristic such as race, colour, sex, religion or physical disability.
Stereotypes are usually developed over a lifetime, and can have a significant impact in the
evaluation of candidates. To make matters worse, most interviewers are not aware of the impact
their beliefs and values can have in the selection process.

Focus attention only on the individual currently being assessed
Contrasting candidates occurs when the interviewer renders a more favourable assessment for a
candidate who has just followed a particularly poor candidate, and a less favourable assessment
for a candidate who has followed a particularly strong candidate. To combat this common
problem, the interviewer must focus attention only on the individual currently being assessed.

Use a standard rating scale
A standard scale evaluates all candidates against the criteria fairly and provides the
documentation necessary to support an unbiased process.

Rate independently, discuss and come to consensus
The candidates’ who meet the requirements on the Competency-based Interview, proceed to the next
assessment method: Work Samples or Assessment Centre.
Work samples or Assessment Centre
The purpose of the work sample and Assessment Centre methods in a leadership development context is
to evaluate a candidate’s potential to perform well at the targeted leadership level. The ratings of several
assessors are combined to arrive at the overall rating of the candidate’s performance on the Assessment
Centre activities.
Work Samples
A work sample is a hands-on performance method in which a job candidate is required to perform a jobrelated task under the same or similar conditions as those required on the job. Work samples are built
around a typical work task or several work tasks performed by policing executives. They give selection
committees a better understanding of the extent to which candidates possess the required competencies.
The tasks of Chief and Deputy Chief ranks and the competencies required are outlined in the Rank Task
Lists and Rank Competency Profiles.
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The process is to identify a key task or tasks then set up a situation to simulate them, observe and rate
the candidates using the same rating scale used in the Competency-based Interview. For example, the
selection committee can pose as the police board while a candidate presents and defends a proposed
strategic plan or budget for the police service. Such a work sample exercise would test knowledge,
communication skills and perhaps provide other insights.
Work samples are among the best predictors of candidates’ future job performance. 10 They provide
candidates with an opportunity to demonstrate their competencies rather than talk about them. They are
important because candidates may interview well, but fail to exhibit effective behaviours on the job.
Work Samples are well suited for selection into executive level positions. 11 Work samples tend to be
positively perceived by job candidates because they make a clear connection between the assessment
method and the job they applied for. Work samples also provide candidates with a realistic preview of the
executive job.
Assessment Centre
Assessment Centre is an optional alternative to work samples. An “Assessment Centre” is not a place, but
a method. Assessment Centre provides a standardized assessment of behaviour based on multiple
evaluations carried out by trained assessors who observe and rate participants while they complete a
range of related and integrated exercises that simulate activities of the target job. The Assessment
Centre method is used by larger organizations for key positions and when the stakes are high.
Assessment Centre is a highly sophisticated approach that follows a rigorous procedure, uses many
dimensions to assess candidates and produces a report on assessor observations. It is also more
expensive than using work samples, especially if set up in-house due to the space, time and resources
required. Using external assessment specialists on an as-needed basis is usually preferred.
When properly designed and administered, the Assessment Centre approach is a valid predictor of future
performance.12 It has high diagnostic value because assessors look for examples of behaviours that
illustrate candidates’ proficiency in the competencies.
Typically, Assessment Centres are set up as needed and often use external specialists to set up and
administer them. Simulations conducted often include:

In-basket: An administrative skills exercise that requires candidates to deal with the many memos
and documents an executive must process.

Role-play: Candidates interact with people trained to enact typical job situations, such as leading
a staff meeting or meeting with one or more staff members to address critical issues.

Oral presentation: Candidates are required to prepare for and deliver a formal presentation to
key stakeholders.

Written case analysis: Candidates are given a description of an organizational problem and
asked to prepare recommendations to address it.
Schmidt & Hunter, 1998
Bank, Crandell, Goff, Ramesh, & Sokol, 2009
12 Gowing, Morris, Adler, & Gold, 2008
10
11
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The purpose of simulations in a leadership development program is to evaluate candidates’ potential to
perform well on the job. The ratings of several assessors are combined to arrive at the overall rating of
the candidate’s performance on the Assessment Centre activities.
Guidelines for Assessment Centres
The International Task Force on the Use of Assessment Centers prepared the following guidelines on the
development and use of Assessment Centres that were endorsed by the 28th International Congress on
Assessment Center Methods.13

Base requirements on job analysis
Ensure that selection requirements used in the Assessment Centre are based on job
analysis.

Focus assessment methods on the requirements
Exercises and job simulations in the Assessment Centre should clearly target the
selection requirements identified through job analysis.

Use multiple methods
Use a variety of assessment techniques such as tests, interviews, questionnaires, and
simulations.

Use more than one simulation
Include a sufficient number of job simulations to give candidates multiple opportunities
to demonstrate behaviours related to the selection requirements.

Use multiple assessors
Use several assessors to observe and evaluate each candidate.

Diversify assessors
When selecting a group of assessors, strive for diversity. Consider race, ethnicity, age,
sex, organizational level, and functional work area.

Train assessors
Assessors need training so that they understand the job context, characteristics being
measured by the Assessment Centre and assessment techniques. They should also
understand the behaviours being assessed, their relationships to job performance and
should recognize examples of typical, effective, and ineffective job behaviours.
They need a demonstrated ability to observe, record, and classify behaviour, play the
roles needed for an interactive exercise, and provide feedback on exercise performance.

Classify behaviours displayed by participants
Classify candidates’ behaviours into meaningful categories such as competencies,
knowledge and other attributes.
13
Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for Assessment Center Operations, 2000
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
Record candidate’s behaviour using standardized procedures
Use systematic and standardized procedures for recording assessors’ observations,
classifying them and rating performance.

Prepare a report of observations
Each assessor should prepare a report of observations made during each exercise.

Determine candidate’s performance
Candidates’ performance must be determined through pooling assessors’ observations,
discussion and joint decision making.
 Assessment Centres produce valid inferences for predicting job performance of police
officers.14
 They provide an opportunity to assess complex job-related skills which are difficult to
assess by other means.
 Assessment Centres are positively viewed by applicants because they see a close
relationship between assessment exercises and the job.
Results of the Track Record Review, Competency-based Interview and Assessment Centre are the
fundamental documents used by a Leadership Development Committee to select participants for the
leadership development program.
Other Assessment Tools
Additional methods suitable for predicting leadership performance may be used to supplement the three
primary methods discussed in this section.
Written Communication Test
A written communication test assesses a candidate’s ability to clearly express information and thoughts in
writing. Tests should ask candidates to perform a writing task that is relevant to the leadership level.
Personality Tests
Personality tests measure characteristics related to behaviours at work, interpersonal interactions and
satisfaction with different aspects of work.
 Personality tests have a consistent but modest relationship with job performance.
 Personality tests are easy to administer.
 Employment-oriented personality tests supply additional information about candidates that isn’t
uncovered by other assessment methods.
14
Aamodt, 2004
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Personality predicts the likelihood that a person will emerge as a leader and be perceived as effective in a
leadership role.15 Most research on leadership and personality has used a Five-Factor Model of
Personality that incorporates the following personality traits:





Neuroticism (anxious, angry, irritable, hostile)
Openness to experience (curious, flexible, broad-minded)
Agreeableness (courteous, trusting, cooperative, empathetic)
Extraversion (sociable, assertive, talkative, active, ambitious)
Conscientiousness (dependable, organized, persistent, achievement-oriented)
Of these factors, extraversion had the strongest relationship with leader emergence, perceived leader
effectiveness, and transformational leadership.16 Employees who are talkative, energetic, and sociable
tend to emerge as leaders in groups and are also perceived as effective leaders. As well, individuals who
are efficient and goal-oriented (high on conscientiousness), calm and relaxed even in stressful situations
(low neuroticism), and intellectually curious and creative (high on openness to experience) tend to be
perceived as more effective leaders.
Some of these personality tests, such as The Leadership Development Report and the Campbell
Leadership Development Index, were specifically developed to assess personality traits that are
predictive of effective performance in a leadership role.
Mapping competencies to assessment tools
We suggest that the Track Record Review and Competency-based Interview focus on four key underlying
leadership competencies: Decision Making, Fostering Relationships, Interactive Communication and
Organizational Awareness. These are the most critical competencies and integral to all other
competencies. By limiting the number of competencies used for assessment, the process is streamlined.
Work Samples and Assessment Centre can be used to assess the leadership potential of individuals on
other leadership competencies as required. Figure 12 suggests which of the recommended tools are
suitable in assessing these leadership competencies.
15
16
Judge, Bono, Ilies, & Gerhardt, 2002
Bono & Judge, 2004
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Figure 12: Mapping leadership competencies to assessment tools
ASSESSMENT METHOD
COMPETENCY
Track Record
Review
Competencybased
Interview
Work Sample/
Assessment
Centre
x
X
X
X
x
X
Performance
Change Management
Decision Making
X
Financial Management
Human Resource Management
X
Information Technology
Management
X
Strategic Management
x
X
Community Relations and Media
Management
x
X
Partnering
Fostering Relationships
X
X
X
Interactive Communication
X
X
X
Organizational Awareness
X
X
Accountability
Ethical Accountability
x
Public Accountability
X
X
Public Safety
x
X
Valuing Diversity
x
X
The key competencies proposed for assessment are represented by bold text.
Making the decision
To make a final selection of those who will participate in the leadership program, the information from all
sources for each candidate is combined using a structured approach. This information is then used to
arrive at final assessment ratings to determine the candidates most likely to benefit from the program.
Selection decisions are typically made by a panel of people who review assessment results and make a
decision with the regard to the most suitable candidates. There are advantages to using a panel to make
selection decisions. A group of decision makers allows for greater accuracy and a wider range of
information in assessing candidates.17
17
Sessa & Taylor, 2000; Sessa, Kaiser, Taylor, & Campbell, 1998
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Conclusion
Assessment is a cumulative information gathering process in which all assessment tools contribute to an
increasingly precise picture of a candidate’s current standing with respect to leadership potential. Three
fundamental tools are recommended: Track Record Review, Competency-based Interview and Work
Sample or Assessment Centre. The first step in the assessment process, the Track Record Review,
initiates the process of leadership development through candidates’ reflection, awareness of requirements
and acquisition of relevant leadership examples. If the assessment of the Track Record Review meets the
requirements, a structured Competency-based Interview confirms and deepens the understanding of
leadership potential. Work Samples or Assessment Centre refine the findings of the previous assessment
methods and delineate candidates’ leadership strengths and gaps with greater precision.
This transparent, structured approach to assessing and selecting leadership program participants gives
you a pool of candidates who are the most likely to be successful in the program.
Step 2: Develop Participants
The candidates who meet the requirements for acceptance are
invited into the leadership program which challenges them with a
series of developmental activities that include formal coursework
and job assignments.
Step 2: DEVELOP PARTICIPANTS
• Formal Coursework
• Job Assignments
• Coaching
• Mentoring
Their development is structured by a Developmental Learning
Plan targeted at the requirements of the leadership level, tailored
to candidates’ individual learning needs and guided by a mentor
and/or coach. The developmental period is a specified period
lasting between three and five years depending on the participants’ and the organization’s needs and
constraints. It takes this time to gain authentic experience in multiple key areas of policing and
leadership. Participants should remain in a developmental activity or assignment long enough to
experience the results of their actions.
Although there is a wide variety of ways to develop leaders, this guide describes the most effective:
formal coursework, job assignments, coaching, and mentoring.
Adult learning theory tells us that individuals learn in different ways. Some learn best from experiential
activities while others learn more effectively from traditional classroom methods or reflective exercises.
For this reason, a leadership development program should incorporate several types of developmental
activities. Figure 13 indicates which of the four developmental activities recommended in the guide are
most appropriate to develop specific leadership competencies.
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Figure 13: Sample of developmental activities by competencies
DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES
COMPETENCY
Formal
Coursework
Job
Assignments
Coaching
Mentoring
X
X
X
X
X
X
Performance
Change Management
Decision Making
Financial Management
X
X
X
Human Resource Management
X
X
X
Information Technology Management
X
X
X
Strategic Management
X
X
X
Community Relations and Media Management
X
X
X
PARTNERING
Fostering Relationships
X
X
Interactive Communication
X
X
X
Organizational Awareness
X
ACCOUNTABILITY
Ethical Accountability
X
X
Public Accountability
X
X
Public Safety
X
X
Valuing Diversity
X
X
X
Developmental Learning Plan
A Developmental Learning Plan for leadership provides a roadmap and timeline. It consists of learning
goals for the leadership competencies, activities and assignments to reach these goals, and the expected
outcomes of the developmental activities.
The plan focuses on activities that develop the leadership competencies identified during the assessment
step as mutually agreed needing further development. The recommended approach is to work on one or
two of competencies at a time until they reach the required proficiency level.
To be effective, goals outlined in the leadership Developmental Learning Plan should be specific and
moderately difficult. Easy goals are not motivating and vague goals are not effective in producing
behaviour change because participants do not know what they need to achieve.
It is recommended that participants take on no more than three learning goals at a time paired with a
series of developmental activities with timelines.
An example of a completed Developmental Learning Plan is presented in Figure 14 and a template is
available in Appendix E.
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Figure 14: Developmental Learning Plan for Leadership
Developmental Learning Plan – Leadership
Name: John Doe
Target Level: Executive Management
Date: Nov. 1, 2011
Competency: Strategic Management
Determines a vision and strategic objectives
 Identifies the short and long-term impact of current trends arising from environmental scan (e.g. demographic
changes, government policies, etc) on the police service
 Formulates a clear and compelling vision for the police service
 Considers local, regional, provincial, federal and/or transnational policing issues in determining organizational
priorities
 Advocates with key jurisdictional partners and authorities to support the achievement of organizational strategic
objectives
Learning Goal: Learn how to set a vision and strategic objectives for the police service
Developmental Activity: Formal Coursework, personal reflection and working with a
mentor/coach
Description
Participate in and/or observe a visioning exercise
Develop a personal vision of who I want to be as a
leader and align this vision to the strategic
objectives of my unit, my organization and/or the
police sector in general
Expected outcomes
Gain understanding of the general principles of
strategic management
Timeframe
& Cost
Jan – May,
2012
Incorporate principles, techniques, and solutions
from this course into my work in the area of
strategic management
$500
Take a university course on Strategic Management
[insert name and provider ]
Resources required:
 Access to senior management and/or committee and mentor/coach to integrate observations and allow knowledge
transfer
 Commitment to using personal reflection time to devise personal vision …
 A mentor or leadership coach relationship
 Enrolment in a strategic management course or program
Potential obstacles:
 Time-management issues/work load
 Access to senior official
 Budget for course work
Plans for support, feedback and tracking progress:
 Work with a mentor or leadership coach to overcome obstacles and meet learning objectives
 Enrol in and participate in a strategic management program/get approval for funding this program
 Reinforce learning by participating in a visioning exercise and reviewing learnings with a mentor or coach
 Review my personal vision as a leader with my mentor/coach and align to strategic focus of my unit/ organization/
police sector overall
Review & follow-up plan:
 Meet regularly with mentor/coach to review progress
 Complete strategic management program
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Formal Coursework
Formal coursework includes seminars, workshops, and academic programs on leadership topics. They can
be delivered by the police service or by external providers such as colleges, universities, and
management consulting firms. Earlier research indicated that formal leadership education had only a
modest role in leadership development compared to on-the-job experiences. However, the inherent
ambiguity and complexity of on-the-job activities make it more difficult to provide experiences that focus
on specific competencies, while formal leadership training can be designed to address them. There is now
evidence that, when used effectively, formal leadership training can have a major impact on the
development of leadership in organizations.18
As illustrated earlier in Figure 14, the competencies that are well suited for development through formal
courses include:










Change Management
Community Relations and Media Management
Ethical Accountability
Financial Management
Human Resource Management
Information Technology Management
Public Accountability
Public Safety
Strategic Management
Valuing Diversity
Guidelines for Selecting Training Programs and Courses
With the Policing Leadership Model now available to policing organizations, you can evaluate all
leadership programs and courses to confirm they are aligned with the requirements for the four levels of
leadership. In doing so, these guidelines may be helpful:
18
Conger & Fulmer, 2003
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1.
How relevant
The leadership competencies and proficiency levels provide the benchmark for
is the
evaluating the relevance of programs and courses. Rank Task Lists relate competencies
curriculum?
to the reasons they are needed – to do specific tasks.

Review the learning outcomes and objectives of the course or program to
see how well they map to the required Leadership Profiles. What are
learners expected to know and be able to do after taking the course?

Review training providers’ courses to ensure that they are based on the
competencies, proficiency levels and, as specified in the Rank Task Lists,
the context in which they are needed.
2.
Are multiple
People have different learning styles. Multiple training methods increase the probability
training
that at least one training method will be compatible with an individual’s learning style.
methods
used?

Examine the methods of training delivery to ensure they include
experiential learning, such as case studies, independent projects, and
“action learning”19 groups.
3.
Is learning
Information obtained over extended periods of time is better retained than that
distributed
learned in a single session.20

Look for programs and courses that distribute learning over a period of
several weeks or months. For instance, a distributed leadership
development course might have participants attending a three-day training
session, working on an independent project and participating in an on-line
peer networking forum for two months, and then attending a one-day
follow-up session.
Action learning uses team-based projects that explore meaningful opportunities and challenges facing the organization. A group of
colleagues learns by working on these, with access to managers involved in the issue. The project concludes with presentations to
senior leaders and a real possibility of implementation.
20 Ericsson & Charness, 1994
19
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Job Assignments
Job assignments give leadership program participants the opportunity to learn by doing. Research
supports the notion that the most effective leadership development occurs on the job through short-term
assignments, job rotations, other people, and hardships.21
Job assignments are one of the most effective forms of
leader development. They provide challenging work
experiences that stretch participants beyond their comfort
zone and encourage new behaviours. Such challenges are
generally provided through job rotations, lateral transfers and
special projects that fully occupy the participant for a period
of time. Job assignments allow leadership program
participants to practice leadership competencies and provide
the experience essential to leadership development. Job
assignments might involve taking on additional
responsibilities in your current position or moving to a
different unit or police service to assume a temporary
position. Finding appropriate job assignments is a challenge
that requires creative solutions and generally involves
collaboration with other police services. The Activities to
Build Leadership Competencies is an “idea book” that
includes suggestions for job assignments. Learning can take
the form of reading about leadership, discussing leadership
with colleagues, or keeping a diary of thoughts about
leadership. However, none of these passive activities will
develop leadership skills unless there are opportunities to
apply them and reflect on what learning occurred along the
way.
Senior leaders are a good source of
ideas for developmental assignments.
Their responses to the following
questions can be the starting point to
identify on-the-job development
activities.
Ask them the following questions:

What have been three key
events in your development
as a leader?

What have you learned as a
result of these events?

Given our strategic direction,
what challenges will future
leaders in our organization
face?

What kind of work
experiences will best prepare
the new leaders to meet
these challenges?
In summary, a Developmental Learning Plan might include:

Rotation through various positions to provide developmental learning in all administrative areas
of the organization





Transfer to another division, unit or police service
Involvement in daily and quarterly senior management meetings
Participation in the development of division budgets
Adding new responsibilities to the current job (e.g., participation in a project or task force)
Seeking challenging roles in your communities
Any work experience can be made developmental by adding elements that will provide opportunities for
growth. Figure 15 provides examples of the essential elements needed to provide challenge.
21
McCall, 2010; Howard & Wellins, 2009
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Figure 15: Adding challenge to a current job22
CHALLENGES
Unfamiliar responsibilities:
handling responsibilities that are very
different from what one is used to
High stakes:
managing work with tight deadlines
and high visibility, having
responsibility for critical decisions
New directions:
innovating and starting a new piece
of work
Inherited problems:
fixing unresolved problems
Influence without authority:
influencing teammates, higher
management, or other people over
whom one has no authority
EXAMPLE ACTIVITIES

Join the project team working in the area in which you have limited
experience.














Take a temporary assignment in another function.
Manage a group you know little about.
Take an organizational assignment with tight deadlines.
Take on a colleague’s responsibilities during his or her absence.
Represent the police service to the media.
Reorganize a system to respond to public complaints.
Join a project team that is ploughing new ground.
Design a workshop to help colleagues learn more about a hot topic.
Resolve subordinate’s performance problem.
Serve on a task force to solve a major organizational problem.
Present a proposal to senior management.
Serve on a cross-functional team.
Work with a difficult boss.
Work on a project with a community organization.
Activities to Build Leadership Competencies
A catalogue of appropriate assignments and activities for each proficiency level of the 14 leadership
competencies has been developed to assist in selecting job activities and assignments. An example from
Activities to Build Leadership Competencies is shown in Figure 16.
22
McCauley, 2006
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Figure 16: Job assignments for competency "Fostering Relationships” at the Mid-level Leadership level
Fostering relationships
Proficiency Level 3 – Seeks partnership opportunities
At proficiency level 3, one is expected to work effectively with stakeholders:



Actively identifies and creates opportunities to partner
Assesses the value of entering into partnerships in furthering the objectives of policing work
Initiates partnerships and alliances that further the objectives of policing work
To develop behaviours consistent with level 3 indicators, the following activities and/or work
assignments may be undertaken:
Activity
1.
Secondment
Action


Secondment to a public safety partner organization
Focus on opportunities to build and sustain alliances to further shared objectives
between your police service and the public safety organization
Lateral Transfer/Temporary
Assignment
2.

To Community Policing/Crime Prevention function
Success factors for job assignments
Not all work experiences stimulate leadership development. In order to be developmental, a job
assignment or activity needs to have several characteristics.

23
24
Challenge, assessment and support. Research shows that to accelerate learning, a job
assignment should provide challenge, assessment, and support in the form of feedback and
coaching to participants.23

Linkage to competencies. Unless the activity is related to developing an intended leadership
competency, it has little value. Use the catalogue Activities to Build Leadership Competencies to
find activities that are strongly related to a competency.

Linkage to outcomes. Participants do not learn new behaviours unless they understand the
link between their behaviours and the outcomes of those behaviours.

Intention. Participants must be intentional about their learning in order to stretch themselves
beyond the skills they already have in their repertoire. This means setting learning goals for each
job experience, understanding what the behaviours “look like”, practicing them and reflecting on
them.

Feedback and reflection. Research suggests that, after feedback, reflection stimulates deeper
learning and results in greater performance improvements than feedback alone. 24 Participants
need to reflect on their successes and failures to enable them to draw lessons from their
experiences, to understand what enabled them or stood in the way of their success, how their
DeRue & Wellman, 2009
Anseel, Lievens, & Schollaert, 2009
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behaviour contributed to the outcome and how others reacted to their behaviour.25 Reflection
should be undertaken following both failures and successes and it is more effective in conjunction
with feedback from others, including direct reports, co-workers, supervisors, coaches and
mentors. Feedback is critically important in the learning process.

Personal factors. Learning from job assignments depends on how individuals approach them 26.
Motivation to learn, ability to make sense of situations, and seeking feedback all facilitate
learning. Learning occurs when work experiences are framed as opportunities to learn rather
than to prove skills, because participants are more likely to experiment with new ways of doing
things, take risks, and persist in the face of difficulty.

Situational factors. Opportunities for experimentation and reflection, and high-quality
feedback foster learning from experience. Learning is enriched when the environment does not
cause undue worry over making mistakes or failing to deliver business results.

Practice. Becoming an expert in any area takes time and a good deal of deliberate, focused, and
repeated practice.27
Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring and coaching are effective tools to accelerate any performance development initiative.
Coaching is embraced by existing leaders and employees who wish to advance their careers. In this
guide, however, the focus is squarely on developing participants in policing leadership development
programs.
The common goals of mentoring and coaching are to:


Stimulate personal growth of participants
Help participants acquire new skills and change their behaviours in a direction aligned with
business results.28
Both mentoring and coaching are processes that focus on:





The future
The participant
Change and action
Solutions and learning
Clarity of purpose


Results

Support and encouragement to challenge, stretch, and
explore new perspectives without blame or judgment

Mutual respect, trust and confidentiality
Relationship building and partnership in learning and
discovery
Coaches and mentors support participants by helping:



To integrate all Assessment Centre results
To create a sound developmental learning plans
To achieve learning goals
DeRue & Ashford, 2010
Ibid
27 Day, 2010; Ericsson & Charness, 1994
28 Bono, Purvanova, Towler, & Peterson, 2009
25
26
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Coaches and mentors discuss the results of assessments with participants to help them draw appropriate
conclusions from a set of results and understand what they need to do to improve. Participants work with
coaches, mentors and/or HR professionals to develop a learning plan that is challenging and feasible.
Coaches also play an instrumental role in helping participants achieve their learning goals.
What is the difference between mentoring and coaching?
Coaching
The coaching relationship is one of partnership and collaboration based on mutual respect and trust that
raises leadership program participants’ self-awareness, facilitates self-learning and participants’ ownership
of career and developmental goals, aspirations, decisions and plans. A coach is a collaborative facilitator
with specific training and expertise in the coaching process. Coaches are typically recruited from outside
the organization to train employees in various skills. Skills common to all effective coaches include
relationship-building, knowledge of business and organizations, courage to deliver negative feedback,
knowledge of how to effect behaviour change, and personal integrity.29
The coach is not involved in organizational dynamics and decision making. This allows employees
freedom to experiment, risk making mistakes, and learn without fear of being judged negatively by their
coach.
In the past, coaching was used as a corrective measure for managers who had failed to achieve goals.
Today, it is a popular method used to strengthen interpersonal and leadership skills in high-potential
employees.
Mentoring
Mentoring is a formal process in which a more senior person participates in the professional development
of a leadership participant. Both are members of the same profession. A mentor can be a retired member
of your own service or a current or retired member of another police service. Mentors are equipped with
senior leadership experience, wisdom, credibility, and perhaps a special skill or knowledge that is relevant
to the issues and competencies the leadership program participant needs. In essence, a mentor is an
experienced police leader who is trained to coach leadership program participants.
Formal mentoring programs are assigned, maintained, and monitored by the organization.
In a mentoring relationship, the mentor provides wide-ranging advice to learners about work-related and
other problems, offers emotional support, helps them get more visibility and exposure in the
organization, and explains how the organization works.
Mentoring is associated with many positive outcomes for learners and mentors. Mentored employees are
more likely to be satisfied with their careers and jobs and more committed to their organizations.30
It is important that mentors take their role seriously and see benefits in being a mentor. Research
indicates that being a mentor is related to high job satisfaction and strong organizational commitment.31
The benefits of mentorship include the personal satisfaction of having contributed to the success of
another person, honing skills and abilities, and higher visibility in the organization.
Davis & Barnett, 2010
Allen, Poteet, Eby, Lentz, & Lima, 2004
31 Eby, Durley, Evans, & Ragins, 2006
29
30
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The Research
There is considerable agreement that individuals who participate in coaching find it useful. In a
study of the effects of coaching for 100 executives, it was found that 86% of participants were
very satisfied with the outcomes of coaching. 32 Another study found that senior managers who
received executive coaching along with multi-source feedback were more likely to set specific
goals for improvement and also receive improved ratings from direct reports and supervisors a
year later.33
Another study compared the productivity gains due to training and those due to training paired
with the two-month coaching. They found that training alone increased productivity by 22.4%,
while training combined with coaching resulted in the 88% improvement in productivity. 34
Individual characteristics of participants determine how much they will benefit from coaching.
Personality differences make some participants more likely to change their behaviour as a result
of coaching than others. Differences that make participants good candidates for coaching
include motivation to change, intelligence, conscientiousness, and openness to change. 35
Criteria for successful mentoring and coaching programs
Mentoring and coaching are most effective in supporting leadership development when they incorporate
the following characteristics:





A safe environment
Appropriate matching
Effective relationship
Driven by the participant
Assurance of confidentiality





Strong coaching skills
Formal goal setting
Practice and reflection
Observation
Tracking progress
For more information on mentoring see the guide,
Mentoring and Coaching in Police Services.
McGovern, Lindemann, Vergara, Murphy, Barker, & Warrenfeltz, 2001
Smither, London, Flautt, Vargas, & Kucine, 2003
34 Oliver, Bane, & Kopelman, 1997
35 Davis & Barnett, 2010; Smither, London, & Reilley, 2005
32
33
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Step 3: Evaluate Program
Effective evaluation not only generates ongoing program
improvement, it also provides validation that participants and the
police service are getting the expected program benefits. The main
objectives of the evaluation are to identify whether participants have
developed their leadership competencies to the required proficiency
level and whether changes in their performance have had a positive
impact on organizational morale, operations, and police service
delivery.
Step 3: EVALUATE PROGRAM
 Knowledge and performance
tests
 Reaction Survey
 HR Metrics
Evaluation identifies issues with program content, structure, or delivery through stakeholder input and
program results measurement.
Program Quality
Leadership development programs rated as high in quality were 20 times more likely to
measure the impact of their leadership development efforts than those low in quality.
Developmental Dimensions International 2007-2008 Global Leadership Forecast
Program Evaluation Methods
The best practice in leadership program evaluation is to look at both individual and organizational
outcomes to assess whether program participants:




Perceive value and are satisfied with the development they have received (individual level)
Have improved their proficiency levels on leadership competencies (individual level)
Apply the new leadership competencies on the job (individual level)
Have positive impact on larger organizational outcomes such as succession management and
bottom line business results (organizational level)
Program evaluation can target either the entire leadership development program or its individual
developmental activities. The program evaluation methods described in this guide include:



Knowledge and performance tests
Reaction survey
HR metrics
Individual outcomes, such as participants’ satisfaction with the program, participants’ learning, and
changes in participants’ competencies, are typically assessed with knowledge and performance tests
administered at the end of formal courses, reaction surveys, and by supervisor feedback surveys.
Organizational outcomes, such as employee job satisfaction and commitment to the organization and
employee attendance, are best assessed with organizational data analysis. A brief description of each of
the program evaluation methods is provided below.
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Knowledge and Performance Tests
Learning is typically measured with knowledge and performance tests administered at the end of a
developmental activity. Knowledge and performance tests may be administered to participants at the end
of the formal course to see how well they learned the material presented. For instance, after completing
a course on financial planning for non-finance managers, participants may be asked to develop a budget
for their unit.
Reaction Survey
Surveys can be used to find out whether participants enjoyed leadership development activities and
found them relevant and useful. These often take the form of end-of-activity surveys. They capture
participants’ immediate reactions to the activity or assignment just completed. You can design these
surveys so that they capture how well a specific component of the activity met its objectives, how the
participants intend to use lessons learned, and how well courses, trainers, coaches and mentors met a
specified standard.
Reaction surveys provide feedback on the quality of developmental activities so that the activities can be
improved for future participants. Figure 17 provides an example of a reaction survey for an internal
training course, but similar surveys can be done for all learning activities.
Figure 17: Sample Reaction Survey
<Name of Developmental Activity>
Please provide us with feedback on your
experience
To a little
extent
Not at all
To some
extent
To a great
extent
To a very
great extent
In general
O
2
O
3
O
2
O
3
O
2
O
3
O
2
O
3
O
2
O
3
O
2
O
3
O
2
O
3
1. How satisfied are you in general with the
training course?
1
2. Did the training course meet stated
objectives?
1
O
4
O
5
O
O
4
O
5
O
O
4
O
5
O
O
4
O
5
O
O
4
O
5
O
O
4
O
5
O
O
4
O
5
O
Content
3. To what extent was the course relevant
to your job needs?
1
4. To what extent did practical exercises
support learning?
1
Facilitation
5. To what extent did the facilitator
effectively explain information?
1
6. To what extent did the facilitator
encourage participation?
1
7. To what extent did the facilitator establish
credibility?
1
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The fact that participants liked the activity or assignment does
not mean they will apply new learning to the job. Reaction
surveys are not evidence that participants learned new
competencies.
HR Metrics
Analysis of workplace statistics is an essential method of evaluating organizational outcomes of training
programs. For example, it makes sense that participants in a supervisory training program would be
expected to manage employee absence better. This suggests that a measure of the effectiveness of the
program might be the frequency of unexplained staff absences.
There are many HR metrics you can use to judge program effectiveness, including:




The length of time it takes to fill critical positions
Program retention/attrition rates
Percentage of employees who met their goals in the Developmental Learning Plan
Bench strength
How to Measure Bench Strength
Bench strength is a measurement of an organization’s ability to fill critical positions from
within. A simple measure of bench strength is the percentage of critical positions with at
least two potential successors identified. The higher the percentage, the better prepared
the organization is to fill critical vacancies. A result of 100% indicates that there are no
gaps in your succession plan.
Measuring Bench Strength
No. of Critical Positions with 2 Potential Successors
Total Critical Positions
X 100
Evaluation Process Guidelines
The essentials: goals, responsibilities, communication and action
The key elements in evaluating program effectiveness include:


Clearly defined goals for the implementation and criteria for measuring success
Clear responsibilities for measuring, reporting, and tracking results and measures of success
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
A mechanism to communicate the results of evaluation to all constituents (participants, trainers,
coaches, mentors, other employees in the organization, management, and governance and
oversight bodies)

Ability to act upon the results of the evaluation by making adjustments to policies, procedures
and tools which will continuously improve the effectiveness of your leadership development
processes.

Appropriate metrics. Before you implement a leadership development program, decide what you
will measure and how you will measure it. Establish what metrics will give you a meaningful
picture of the value of the program and whether the data you will need are available. When
choosing metrics, think about the reasons why the program was put in place and what its
intended outcomes were expected to be. Look for outcomes of interest to stakeholders.
A Plan
Develop an evaluation plan that includes:

Questions: Evaluation questions and their relationships to the specific components of the
leadership development program; for example a question on coaching such as “To what extent
did coaching meet its stated objectives?”

Timing: A timeline for data collection; for example, three months after the program or its
activities.

Data sources: What data is needed, how it will be collected and from whom. Collect data from
different perspectives and stakeholders.

Evaluation method: How data will be gathered. Evaluate effectiveness using multiple methods
to ensure that several evaluation criteria are addressed, namely reactions and results.
An example of an evaluation plan is presented in Figure 18.
Figure 18: Evaluation Plan
QUESTION
To what extent did the program meet stated
objectives?
TIMING OF DATA
DATA
EVALUATION
COLLECTION
SOURCE
METHOD
Immediately after the
program
Participants
Reaction survey
How well did the participants learn what has been
presented to them?
Immediately after the
program
Participants
Knowledge and
performance tests
Did the participants make progress on the
leadership competencies?
3 months after the
program
Supervisors
Supervisor
feedback survey
What was the impact on the participants’
organization?
12 months after the
program
Participants,
peers, reports,
and supervisors
HR metrics
How satisfied were the participants’ with the
program?
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Whether you are implementing a new leadership development program or making changes to an existing
one, measure the status quo first to give you a baseline for comparison when a new or changed program
is up and running. After that, regularly assess your program – once or twice a year – to support
continuous improvement.
Time for Change
Change at the individual and organizational levels takes place over different spans of time. It takes
several months after the completion of an activity or assignment for learning to take effect and be
measurable on the job. It takes even longer for the implementation of a succession or leadership
program to produce effects on attitudes in the organization.
Follow-through
Evaluations often fail to live up to their promise because what is learned is not broadly communicated
and applied. To ensure that the results of the evaluation will support improvement and help in making
decisions, four activities are required:36




Effectively communicate the results
Identify recommended actions
Develop a detailed action plan
Monitor the action plan’s implementation
Use the results of your analysis of program effectiveness and employee feedback to decide which aspects
of your leadership development program can be improved.
The Guide Succession Management in Police Services provides additional information
and tools to evaluate leadership activities and programs.
36
Hannum & Martineau, 2008
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Implementing your Leadership Development Program
Now that you have a conceptual framework for leadership development, you can design a leadership
development program or programs for your service. The design and implementation of a competencybased leadership development program is a significant undertaking and should be founded on strong
project management discipline. This section contains a series of recommendations that will help you to
design and implement a leadership development program.
Select a leadership level
The design of the leadership development program starts with workforce planning and analysis. This
determines the leadership level where the shortage of talent is anticipated and where the pool of
qualified successors is urgently needed. Few organizations can afford establishing several leadership
programs, each targeting its own level of leadership development. Thus, it is recommended that you start
with developing leaders for the level at which you need them the most. If you anticipate that most of
your senior leaders will retire in the next few years, it makes sense to focus your efforts on developing
mid-level leaders.
Determine the resources you need


Determine the financial capabilities of your organization.

Determine the infrastructure required to support the competency-based leadership development
program such as classroom and meeting space.

Determine the training that supervisors and mentors need in order to effectively contribute to the
leadership development program.
Determine the ability of your human resource training department to support participants in their
development.
Consult broadly



Decide which tools, items and issues need consultation with stakeholders.


If your organization is dispersed, decide how to engage police professionals in other locations.
Decide who will be consulted, and to what extent.
Decide how they will be consulted; for example, through focus groups, a survey, interviews, or
meetings.
Decide how to involve all stakeholders such as unions and police service boards and at what
stages of the project. Engage bargaining units from the beginning and consult them at key
stages of the program development process.
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Set up governance and management structures

Implementation of leadership development programs is a large undertaking. You need a
committed implementation team with specific responsibilities and authority for the duration of the
project.

Decide whether a steering committee will guide the design and implementation and who will be
on this committee. The committee should be led by a respected executive and include mid- and
high-level managers from organizational units where there are succession management issues.
The ideal committee would have representation from all major areas of the police service. The
chair of the Succession or Leadership Development Committee should be a police manager; not a
human resources manager.

Appoint a leadership development program coordinator who will manage the day-to-day
development, delivery, and evaluation of the program. The coordinator is responsible for such
activities as coordinating job assignments, consulting participants regarding the choice of formal
courses and pairing up participants with mentors.

Sponsors



Champion the project
Obtain budgets
Are responsible for problems
escalated from the project manager

Sign off documents such as the
business case and project initiation
document

Support the project manager in
managing the project
Find a project sponsor to champion the project
and push it forward in the organization. The
sponsor is accountable to the police service for
the success or failure of the project. Sponsors
build buy-in for the project, advocating widely
its importance and benefits. They make project
decisions that are outside the approved
boundaries for the project manager. When
finding solutions to project issues, the sponsor
may need to exert pressure within the
organization to overcome resistance to the
project. For this reason the ideal sponsor is a
person with executive, political and natural
authority. Decide how the sponsor will relate to
the steering committee and the project office.
Plan change management and communications
Change is hard. Successful implementation requires sensitivity to the effects that the leadership
development program will have on people and the way they do things.

Ensure that project team members and key constituents can clearly articulate the need for
change and the vision of the end state.

Secure the full commitment of senior management and their understanding of what competencybased leadership development means.


Anticipate sources of resistance and the reasons behind them. Make plans to address them.
Identify key stakeholders and the information they need, how it will be delivered and when.
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
Communicate the purpose, importance, and benefits of leadership development to all levels of
your police service. Clear communication of the business case for leadership development and
explanation of roles and responsibilities of those involved will help build commitment to the
leadership development program.

Ensure employees understand the Policing Leadership Model.
Develop policies

Develop policies and procedure for selection of participants into the leadership development
program, development of participants, and program evaluation.

START HERE. It is good practice to pilot a new leadership development program, revise and
finalize it prior to formal launch. You can choose to introduce the leadership development
program gradually, beginning with one developmental activity at a time so you can learn from it
and build on that success.
Train

To implement competency-based leadership development, everyone who participates in the
process must understand the competency-based approach and how to effectively participate in
the program. Plan to train HR personnel, employees, and supervisors in the methods and the
tools. If you plan on involving employees in the assessment of leaders, explain to them what
competencies are and what observed behaviours are associated with them so that they can
accurately rate leader’s behaviours.
Educate supervisors about their role in the development of leaders in the organization.
Supervisors who will serve as mentors and provide developmental assignments to participants
should be educated in these roles. They should receive special training to ensure that they have
the required planning, support, and feedback skills to be comfortable in their roles. Supervisors
should be fully informed about leadership competencies and their specific responsibilities for
leadership development. For instance, if supervisors are to become mentors, they should know
what the mentoring program includes, and what is expected of them.
Evaluate Program Effectiveness




Clearly define goals for the implementation.

At minimum, evaluate participant reactions to various components of the program. Ideally, you
want to assess changes in participant’s behaviours after completion of the program.

Act upon the results of the evaluation by making adjustments to policies, procedures and tools
that will continuously improve the effectiveness of your leadership development processes.
Define the criteria for measuring success.
Decide who is responsible for measuring and reporting.
Determine the mechanisms and responsibility for tracking lessons learned and implementing
project improvements as the project unfolds.
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
Communicate the results of evaluation to all constituents (participants, trainers, coaches,
mentors, other employees in the organization, management, and governance and oversight
bodies)
The application of good project management methods to the implementation of the competency-based
leadership development program will avoid problems that tend to beleaguer projects. Remember that
change is difficult for everyone so incorporate change management into your planning and communicate
appropriately and regularly with all stakeholders throughout the project cycle. Policies and procedures
regarding the leadership development program must be in place early in the project. Implement in small
stages and test your implementation with pilot projects.
Lastly, note that your project is not over until you have evaluated the process and the outcomes so that
you can extract lessons and best practices to continuously improve your leadership development
program.
Develop a Plan for Program Departures (Off-ramping)
When designing a leadership development program, consideration should be given not only to selecting
people to the program, and evaluating their success during and after the program, but also to dealing
with departures that may occur before program completion. This is especially true for highly structured
development programs comprised of sequential job assignments designed to develop people to the next
leadership level(s). Individuals who discontinue such a program for personal or other reasons need the
assurance that they will be reintegrated into a position normally at the same level they achieved in the
program. Similar provision should be made for participants who demonstrate less than satisfactory
performance in consecutive assignments in the program. Creating a formal “off-ramp” or exit procedure
that can be activated by participants or those managing them can help to ensure the participant’s
respectful transition out of the program and into other productive work.
Support leadership program graduates
After completing the leadership development program, graduates need support to sustain motivation and
commitment to ongoing leadership development.
Recommended approaches include:

Alumni meetings of graduates to share ideas, celebrate leadership milestones, network and
provide social support. The longer the program is in place, the larger the resource group of
alumni

Ad hoc support for graduate clients who request it. This might be for information or additional
coaching



Alumni attendance at graduation celebrations

Recruitment of alumni as mentors
Recognition events that include leadership program graduates, mentors and coaches
Presentations by program graduates about their leadership development experiences at executive
meetings and conferences, in internal newsletters and professional journals and on intranet sites
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In Conclusion
Development of future generations of police leaders is essential in ensuring that police services in Canada
continue to effectively serve their communities and fulfill their role in securing public safety in the
country. Leadership development has significant benefits for organizations.
Competency-based leadership development provides a common language for defining leadership in a
police organization. It gives employees a roadmap for developing their knowledge, skills, and abilities and
prepares them for assuming leadership positions in the future.
This guide presents the competency-based model for a policing leadership development program. It
includes 14 leadership competencies and leadership competency profiles for four levels of leadership in
policing organizations. The guide provides best practice processes to select and develop future leaders. It
also provides tips on how to successfully implement a leadership development program and evaluate its
success. It is our hope that this guide and its accompanying tools will help you to enhance leadership
development processes in your police organization.
Leadership Development in Police Services is one of a series of guides developed by the Policing
Leadership Development Project to support the preparation of high-potential police members for
leadership roles. They form part a larger human resource management library grounded in competencybased theory and practice. The tools specifically designed to support leadership development are:


Policing Competency Dictionary

Leadership Development in Police Services: Managing the Development of Essential Leadership
Competencies

Activities to Build Leadership Competencies: A Supplement to Leadership Development in Police
Services



Police Executive Selection: A Best Practice Approach for Police Boards and Commissions
Succession Management in Police Services: Developing a Pool of Potential Successors for Critical
Policing Roles
Mentoring and Coaching in Police Services: Supporting Leadership Development
Police Leadership Education and Training: Aligning Programs and Courses with Leadership
Competencies
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POLICE SECTOR COUNCIL
If you need additional information or support on best practice,
the Police Sector Council will be glad to direct you to further resources or
HR professionals with appropriate expertise.
Contact Geoff Gruson, Executive Director: 613-729-2789
or ggruson@policecouncil.ca
Police Sector Council
Page 68 of 123
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Judge, T. A., Bono, J.E., & Ilies, R., & Gerhardt, M. W. (2002). Personality and leadership: A qualitative
and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 765-780.
Gowing, N. R., Morris, D. M., Adler, S., & Gold, M. (2008). The next generation of leadership
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Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for Assessment Centre Operations (2000). International Task Force
on Assessment Centre Guidelines. Paper presented at the 28th Congress on Assessment Centre Methods,
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Hannum, K. M., & Martineau, J. W. (2008). Evaluating the impact of leadership development. Centre for
Creative Leadership, San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
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Perspectives on Science and Practice, 3, 3-20.
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the impact of executive coaching: Behavioural change, organizational outcomes and return on
investment. The Manchester Review, 6, 1-30.
National Diagnostic on HR in Policing (2007). Police Sector Council. Retrieved on October 6, 2010 from
http://www.policecouncil.ca/reports/PSCHRDiagnostic.pdf
Olivero, G., Bane, V. & Kopelman, R. E. (1997). Executive coaching as a transfer of training tool: Effects
on productivity in a public agency. Public Personnel Management, 26, 461-469.
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http://www.policecouncil.ca/reports/PSCScan2005.pdf
Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel
psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings. Psychological Bulletin,
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Scrivner, E. (2008). Public Safety Leadership Development: A 21st century imperative. New York, NY:
John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Sessa, V.I. & Taylor, J.K. (2000). Choosing leaders: More cooks make a better broth. Consulting
Psychology Journal, 52, 218-225.
Sessa, V.I., Kaiser, R., Taylor, J., & Campbell, R.J. (1998). Executive selection: A research report on what
works and what doesn't. Technical Report, Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.
Skarlicki, D. P., & Latham, G. P. (1997). Increasing citizenship behaviour within a labour union: A test of
organizational justice theory. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 161-169.
Smither, J. W., London, M., Flautt, R., Vargas, Y., & Kucine, I. (2003). Can working with an executive
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Smither, J. W., London, M., & Reilley, R. R. (2005). Does performance improve following multisource
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Employment and Training Administration, Washington, DC.
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Leadership Development in Police Services
APPENDIX A
Recommended Readings
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Appendix A: Recommended Readings
Dalton, M. A., & Hollenbeck, G. P. (1996). How to design an effective system for developing managers
and executives. Centre for Creative Leadership: Greensboro, NC.
Day, D. V. (2010). The difficulties of learning from experience and the need for deliberate practice.
Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice, 3, 41-44.
Hannum, K. M., & Martineau, J. W. (2008). Evaluating the impact of leadership development. Centre for
Creative Leadership, San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
McCauley, C. D. (2006). Developmental assignments. Creating learning experiences without changing
jobs. Centre for Creative Leadership, San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Silzer, B., & Dowell, B. E (Eds). Strategy-driven talent management: A leadership imperative (pp. 281313). Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco, CA.
Van Velsor, E., McCauley, C. D., & Ruderman, M. N. (2010). The Centre for Creative Leadership
Handbook of Leadership Development (3rd ed.), San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass/A Wiley Imprint.
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Leadership Development in Police Services
APPENDIX B
Policing Leadership Development Project
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Appendix B: Policing Leadership Development Project
Introduction
This is a description of the work completed for the Police Sector Council’s Policing Leadership
Development Project launched in 2010.
Effective leadership is critical to the successful management of police organizations. Police leaders face a
host of unique challenges in managing their organizations. In addition to managing public safety, they
are transitioning their organizations to a business management model and facing unprecedented attrition
in leadership ranks. It was recognized that a national perspective is required to enable police services to
improve their leadership development processes.
In early 2000, the Police Sector Council conducted several studies to determine strategic human resource
priorities for police services in Canada. The National Diagnostic on Human Resources in Policing study
(2007) identified challenges of the policing sector and made the following recommendations.

Develop a Police Leadership Framework that defines the skills and competencies required at each
level of leadership in policing.

Design a formal transparent approach to succession planning across Canada.
To address these recommendations, the Police Sector Council launched the Policing Leadership
Development Project.
Project Objectives

The Police Leadership Development Project had the following objectives:

To complete the police competency infrastructure by developing national occupational standards
for four senior ranks, including Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, Deputy Chief, and Chief of
Police.


To develop a Police Leadership Framework for all ranks in policing.
To prepare competency-based guides and support tools to support leadership development and
succession planning in police services.
Project Methodology
The project involved a literature review on best practices in policing leadership development and
succession management, analysis of written materials provided by police services, in-person and phone
interviews, focus groups with former and current police leaders, surveys of subject matter experts, and
validation meetings with the Steering Committee members. In the course of this project, the research
group used materials provided by national, provincial, municipal, and international police services and
organizations.
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Project Outcomes
The Policing Leadership Development Project built on the previous Policing Competency Framework
Project which provided the foundation for competency-based human resource management in policing. In
the course of the initial project, national occupational standards for the four ranks in policing - Constable,
Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, and Inspector – were developed. Two competency-based guides, Introduction
to Competency-Based Management in Police Services and Constable Selection, and associated tools were
also created to support policing recruitment, selection and promotion, performance management,
learning and development and succession management.
The Policing Leadership Development Project completed the police competency infrastructure by
developing national occupational standards for the four senior ranks, including Superintendent, Chief
Superintendent, Deputy Chief, and Chief of Police. It looked at best practices in Canada and abroad and
analyzed the tasks and responsibilities of senior police leaders in order to develop an appropriate model
and process to prepare high-potential police members for leadership roles.
The project also proposed a competency-based leadership model for all levels of police leadership. The
model identifies 14 leadership competencies that cover three key areas for policing: performance,
partnering and accountability. All of the competencies apply – with differing proficiency levels – to four
policing leadership levels. A Leadership Competency Profile was developed for each of these leadership
levels.
Finally, the Policing Leadership Development Project provided a series of guides and other tools to
enhance leadership development, succession management, and executive selection.
Project Phases and Activities
Phase A: Project Initiation (September 2009- December 2009)
The Council reviewed existing research and conducted some of its own on the use of competency-based
management in Canadian police services. This confirmed the need to develop a competency-based
Policing Leadership Model for the sector.
A detailed work plan was then prepared to identify the steps to be taken, the required resources, and the
nature and level of stakeholder involvement.
A steering committee made up of 29 representatives from Canadian police services and affiliated
organizations was assembled to oversee the project (see Table 1). They reviewed and approved the
project’s Terms of Reference, objectives and methodology, advised and approved, participated in bimonthly status meetings, and assisted with project work.
Table 1: Steering Committee Members
DEPUTY CHIEF NORM LIPINSKI
(CO-CHAIR)
Deputy Chief of Police
Edmonton Police Service
ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER CAL
CORLEY (CO-CHAIR)
Director General
Canadian Police College
AILEEN ASHMAN
Director of HR
Toronto Police Service
ROSEMARIE AULD
Manager, Human Resources
Hamilton Police Service
JEAN BISHOP
Manager, Planning and
Research
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
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TULLIO CAPUTO, PHD
Associate Professor
Carleton University
INSP FRANK CIACCIA
Deputy Director
Justice Institute of British Columbia
CHIEF WARD CLAPHAM
Chief of Police
South Coast British Columbia Transportation
Authority Police Service
DR. CURTIS CLARKE
Director General
Alberta Solicitor General
IVAN COURT
Mayor
City of St. John, NB
ANITA DAGENAIS
Senior Director, RCMP Policy
Division
Public Safety Canada
DR. GARY ELLIS
Professor, Justice & Public
Safety
Georgian College
DENNIS FODOR
Director, Human Resources
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
ANDRÉ FORTIER
Codirecteur du baccalauréat
en sécurité publique
École Nationale de Police Québec
ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER PETER
GERMAN
Assistant Commissioner,
Lower Mainland District,
British Columbia
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
SHARRON GOULD
Manager Human Resources
Winnipeg Police Service
INSP DAVE LEE
Deputy Director
OPP Academy
INSP CATHY LIGHT
Inspector
Calgary Police Service
STAN MACLELLAN
Director of HR
Durham Regional Police Service
EDGAR MACLEOD
Executive Director
Atlantic Police Academy
PAUL MCKENNA, PHD
Assistant Professor
Dalhousie University
RUTH MONTGOMERY
Editor
Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
GARY MORIN
Director
Saskatchewan Police College
SHELAGH MORRIS
Director of Corporate
Services
Guelph Police Services
ALOK MUKHERJEE
Vice-President
Canadian Association of Police Boards
JANE NAYDIUK
Program Manager
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor
General, Government of British Columbia
LUC PELLERIN
Directeur, Direction du
soutien pédagogique et de la
recherche
École Nationale de Police Québec
INSP TAM POZZOBON
Inspector
Chief Crowfoot Learning Centre
TONY SIMIONI
President
Edmonton Police Association
STAFF SUPERINTENDENT DARREN
SMITH
Human Resource
Development Command
Toronto Police Service
SANDY SWEET
President & CEO
Canadian Police Knowledge Network
SUPERINTENDENT JOHN TOD
Director of OPP Provincial
Police Academy
Ontario Provincial Police
PATRICIA TOLPPANEN
Executive Director
Alberta Association of Police Governance
CHIEF MATT TORIGIAN
Chief of Police
Waterloo Regional Police Service
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SHARON TRENHOLM
Instructor, Police Studies
Memorial University of Newfoundland
FRANK TROVATO, PHD
Program Head
University of Guelph-Humber
CHIEF VERN WHITE
Chief of Police
Ottawa Police Service
A summary of project activities and accomplishments by phase is provided below.
Phase 1: Analysis (January 2010- April 2010)
Phase 1 consisted of background research on leadership development, succession management, and
executive selection and collection of information from police services in Canada to inform the
development of rank task lists and competencies. Thirty police services provided their materials, such as
job descriptions, training materials, performance evaluation forms, and competency profiles.
The research team consulted academic articles, conference presentations, briefs and white papers
prepared by consulting organizations, and documents available on the websites of police services to
identify commonly used methods of leadership development. Research looked at common leadership
development practices in policing and other industries. Best practices of both domestic and international
policing organizations were leveraged to develop a Police Leadership Framework. Among large Canadian
police organizations which provided material for this research are Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du
Québec, Edmonton Police Service, Winnipeg Police Service, Toronto Police Service and others. The
research team used materials of international police organizations, including National Policing
Improvement Agency (UK), Scottish Police College (UK), Federal Bureau of Investigation (USA), and
Interpol (international). Additionally, information on formal leadership education was collected from the
providers of police leadership training.
Phase 2: Development (May 2010- July 2010)
Phase 2 consisted of interviewing subject matter experts and developing rank task lists, leadership
competencies for the Policing Competency Dictionary, rank and leadership competency profiles. The
development activities are described under separate headings below.
Development of Rank Task Lists
The development of Rank Task Lists began with review of police service documents and consultation with
subject matter experts. The close involvement of subject matter experts ensured the Rank Task Lists,
were relevant to senior police ranks. The following activities took place in the development of the Rank
Lists:
 Review of existing job descriptions and other relevant resources from 30 police services across
Canada
 Drafting four Rank Task Lists based on the documentation collected during Phase 1
 Fifteen interviews with subject matter experts from volunteer police organizations to determine
relevance of tasks to senior police officers
 Translation of rank task lists into French
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Development of Leadership Competencies
The leadership competencies were developed based on the documents collected from police services and
consultation with subject matter experts. The following activities took place:
 Review of existing competency profiles and other relevant resources from 30 police services
across Canada
 Drafting leadership competencies based on the documentation collected during Phase 1
 Ten interviews with subject matter experts from volunteer police organizations to clarify the
content of competencies and establish their relevance to senior police ranks
Development of Rank Competency Profiles
Rank Competency Profiles were created based on the interviews with subject matter experts and further
refined through discussions in focus groups. The following activities took place in the development of
rank competency profiles:
 Ten interviews with subject matter experts from volunteer police organizations to determine 8
critical competencies for police leaders in each of the four ranks
 Two focus groups with 14 former and current police leaders to review leadership competencies
and identify the ones most critical for future police leaders
 Drafting Rank Competency Profiles.
 Translation of Rank Competency Profiles into French
Development of Leadership Competency Profiles
Leadership competency profiles for four levels of leadership were developed from the Rank Task Lists.
The following activities took place in the development of the rank profiles:
 Creating Leadership Competency Profiles by combining rank competencies for adjacent ranks.
Adjacent ranks had sufficiently similar rank competencies to warrant their aggregation.
Development of the Policing Leadership Model
Four leadership levels, Front-line Management, Mid-level Management, Senior Management, and
Executive Management, were identified. Fourteen leadership competencies developed using input from
interviews and focus groups were mapped to four leadership levels. Leadership levels were differentiated
by increasingly responsible and complex proficiency levels required in the competencies.
Development of Guides, Concept Papers and Support Tools
The Policing Leadership Development Project developed a series of guides, concept papers, and support
tools. The following activities took place in the development of these materials:
 Research on leadership development, succession management, executive selection, and
education.
 Consultation with a number of subject matter experts, including police board members and HR
directors in police services
 Drafting guides, concept papers, and support tools
 Review by the Steering Committee members
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 Revisions based on feedback provided by Steering Committee members
Phase 3: Validation (August 2010- October 2010)
Phase 3 consisted of a number of validation activities that involved input from 292 subject matter
experts. The following validation activities were part of the project:

Validation of Rank Task Lists: 165 subject matter experts
o
Validation through paper-based survey: 56 subject matter experts
 Drafted a validation survey to determine relevance of task statements to each of the
four ranks and identify their importance for successful performance in the rank.
 The survey was composed of four parts, each representing a task list for a particular
rank. Each part was completed by job incumbents in the appropriate rank.
 The participants came from all provinces and regions in Canada, except Northwest
Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut. The participants represented police services of
different sizes.
 HRSG edited Rank Task Lists based on survey results.
o

Validation by Steering Committee: 32 subject matter experts.
Validation of Rank Competency Profiles and Leadership Competency Profiles: 56 subject matter
experts
 Drafted a paper-based survey with 14 leadership competencies. A separate version
with appropriate proficiency levels was created for each of the four leadership levels.
 The survey was completed by job incumbents in the appropriate rank. The members
of the Canadian Association of Police Boards also completed the survey for Chief and
Deputy Chief.
 Participants were asked to indicate whether each of the 14 leadership competencies
applied to the rank. They were also asked to select top 8 competencies critical for
successful performance in the rank.
 All competencies were rated as applicable to each of the four ranks by a large
majority of respondents. All 14 competencies were used to create Leadership
Competency Profiles.
 The Rank Competency Profiles were created using the nine or ten competencies,
selected as most important for the rank by more than 50% of participants.
o

Validation by Steering Committee: 32 subject matter experts
Validation of the Policing Leadership Model, leadership competencies, guides, concept papers, and
support tools
o
Validation by the Steering Committee: 32 subject matter experts
o
In-depth review by the Steering Committee members
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Phase 4: Communication (January 2010-January 2011)
Ongoing communication activities were undertaken throughout the project, including scheduled monthly
teleconferences with the Steering Committee and regular meetings with the PSC project manager.
A number of activities were also conducted to inform all stakeholders of the initiative undertaken by the
Police Sector Council. These activities included conference addresses, publications, and emails to a broad
audience of stakeholders nationally and internationally.
Two workshops were delivered March 2010 and February 2011) to introduce the concepts of CBM in
leadership development and familiarize stakeholders with the many products resulting from the project.
Finally, a brochure, website dissemination point and communications were prepared to support the
launching of the final products resulting from this initiative.
Phase 5: Evaluation (March 2010 and February 2011)
The evaluation of the project involves a pilot study to support implementation of competency-based
leadership development and succession management in several police services and an in-depth
assessment of the usability of the materials.
All requests for access to materials are tracked with the intention of follow-up assessments to determine
how the materials are being used.
Final assessments of the workshops were conducted to determine the success of the session and the
extent to which participants intend to use the materials.
An evaluation report of the project will be created to document project management success in terms of
objectives being met on time, on budget, on plan and with a listing of additional items produced that
added value to the sector within the parameters of the project. Lessons learned will be included.
The project outcomes:
CBM Leadership Framework
 Leadership Competencies define the behaviours required to perform effectively in leadership
roles in a police organization.
 Policing Leadership Model that specifies 14 leadership competencies across four levels of
leadership: Executive Management, Senior Management, Mid-level Management and Front-line
Management. The model includes Leadership Profiles indicating the proficiency levels required
as leadership levels increase in responsibility and complexity.
 Rank Task Lists itemize major tasks and sub-tasks for leadership ranks.
 Rank Job Descriptions summarize major tasks and critical competencies for leadership ranks.
 Rank Competency Profiles document critical competencies for leadership ranks.
 Leadership Competency Profiles document critical competencies for each level of leadership
in a police organization.
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CBM Guides
Guides that support leadership development and succession management processes in police services.
Separate guides were also developed for police boards to support selection for police executive
positions and for training providers to support the development of police leadership curriculum.
 Succession Management in Police Services: Developing a Pool of Potential
Successors for Critical Policing Roles that offers practical guidance, tools and templates to
support succession management in an organization.
 Leadership Development in Police Services: Managing the Development of Essential
Leadership Competencies provides a competency framework for leadership development in
policing as well as a set of recommendations on how to design and implement leadership
development programs in police organizations. Developmental activities outlined in the
Leadership Development guide are further described in supporting guides, including:
Activities to Build Leadership Competencies: Supplement to the Leadership Development
in Police Services suggests specific developmental activities for each level of the 14 police

leadership competencies.
Mentoring and Coaching in Police Services: Supporting Leadership Development provides

best practices in mentoring and coaching for police services.
 Police Leadership Education and Training: Aligning Programs and Courses with
Leadership Competencies. presents a competency-based framework for developing curricula
to support the development of police leaders. It provides information and tools to evaluate
existing courses and programs to discover whether they align with policing leadership
competencies.
 Police Executive Selection: A Best Practice Approach for Police Boards and
Commissions provides a best practice selection model for police executive positions.
CBM Toolkit
Assessment tools and templates built around the competencies:
 Succession Management:
o
Getting Started with Workforce Planning
o
Succession Worksheets
o
Succession Program Evaluation
o
Candidate Progress Report
o
Change Management and Communications
 Leadership Development
o
Track Record Review
o
Developmental Learning Plan
 Executive Selection
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o
Interview Guides and Questions for Chief and Deputy Chief
o
Reference Check Guides and Questions for Chief and Deputy Chief
 Recommended reading in all areas covered by the guides
 A spreadsheet with basic information on police leadership training providers in Canada and
abroad. This document provides a list of selected police leadership training programs and
courses organized by a training provider.
 A spreadsheet with the information on the number of uniform members in various ranks by
police service in Canada.
Concept papers
Concept papers explore the Policing Learning and Qualifications Framework and a nationally
coordinated police leadership program. The concept papers developed as part of this project include the
following:
 Building a National Leadership Program for Policing: A Collaborative Initiative to
Strengthen Police Leadership that proposes a nationally coordinated police leadership
program.
 Police Professionalization: Building a Policing Learning and Qualifications
Framework that proposes a Policing Learning and Qualifications Framework to provide a
national system to coordinate and compare formal qualifications or recognized programs of
learning in Canada and internationally.
Communication and Implementation Plan
Addresses how the tools and a full competency-based management plan can be implemented in
policing.
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Leadership Development in Police Services
APPENDIX C
Leadership Competency Profiles
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Appendix C: Leadership Competency Profiles
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Front-line Leadership Profile
What is a Competency Profile?
A competency profile is a set of competencies selected as the most
important for successful job performance. It lists them and specifies the
required proficiency level of each competency expected for a position.
Front-line Leadership Level
Front-line leaders supervise police operations at the unit level. They
ensure the adherence of staff to policies and procedures.
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This competency profile was developed as part of the Policing Competency Framework Project, an initiative led by
the Police Sector Council. This work was supported by HRSG, an international strategic human resources consulting
firm and was guided by a dedicated Project Steering Committee. The initiative involved extensive input and
consultation with representatives of police services from across Canada.
POLICE SECTOR
COUNCIL
HUMAN RESOURCE
SYSTEMS GROUP
1545 Carling Avenue
Suite 303
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 8P9
CANADA
6 Antares Drive
Phase II Suite 100
Ottawa, Ontario K2E 8A9
CANADA
613-729-5959
www.policecouncil.ca
613-745-6605
www.hrsg.ca
This initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program
This is a living document. Last updated January 2011
© POLICE SECTOR COUNCIL
PSC hereby grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Guide and its
appendices solely for your own internal business purposes. You shall not license,
sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, distribute or otherwise commercially exploit or
make available to any third party the content in any way. All rights not expressly
granted to you are reserved by HRSG and its licensors.
Police Sector Council
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Leadership Competency Profile for Front-line Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Facilitates the transition to new
organizational processes in
response to internal and
external needs
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND
MEDIA MANAGEMENT
Uses media and community
events/resources effectively to
create a positive public image
of the police service, build
strong relationships with the
community, and to assist in the
detection and investigation of
crime
DECISION MAKING
Makes decisions involving
varied levels of risk and
ambiguity
ETHICAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Takes responsibility for actions
and makes decisions that are
consistent with high ethical
policing standards
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Applies financial management
principles and tools to
effectively manage
organizational resources
(operating, capital, and people)
FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS
Seeks and builds alliances with
internal and external
stakeholders to meet their
needs and further the
organization's objectives. Uses
an understanding of
stakeholder needs, desires and
critical success factors to
influence priorities, initiatives
and objectives and teaches
other to do the same
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Applies, implements, and
directs the development of
human resource management
strategies, processes, policies,
and practices
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
MANAGEMENT
Maximizes the use of state-of-
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
Monitors change implementation (Level 2)
 Adjusts priorities and reallocates resources to support successful implementation of change
 Explains what change means for all stakeholders, i.e. employees, police services board,
and community
 Collects and analyzes responses to change and responds accordingly, e.g. recommends
training
 Communicates progress to direct reports on a regular basis
 Takes action to address resistance to change
 Acknowledges employees who are demonstrating behaviours consistent with the new
direction
Supports the organization’s public affairs and media relations strategy (Level 2)
 Assists others to prepare for media contact or public events
 Explains benefits and risks of working with the media
 Explains the consequences of disclosing inappropriate information to the media and/or the
public directly
 Coaches individuals on how to present a positive image of themselves and police service
 Provides feedback on how effectively an individual has handled a contact with the media
Makes decisions in vague situations (Level 3)
 Applies guidelines and procedures that leave considerable room for discretion and
interpretation
 Makes decisions by weighing several factors, some of which are partially defined and entail
missing pieces of critical information
 As needed, involves the right people in the decision making process
Proactively identifies ethical implications in policing (Level 3)
 Takes necessary disciplinary actions and measures to address violations of ethical conduct
 Promotes the discussion of practical and relevant ethical dilemmas to help members gain
understanding of ethical decision making
 Deals directly and constructively with lapses of integrity
Monitors the budget (Level 2)
 Analyzes financial information to determine future financial requirements of organizational
programs and processes including board variance reports, individual business unit reports,
etc
 Applies knowledge of the broad context in which financial planning and resource
management takes place in an organization
 Effectively prepares budget submissions and funding proposals in the area of responsibility
 Administers a budget for the unit
 Monitors expenditures against budget, e.g. monthly variance reporting
 Ensures that all variations against budgets are consistent with guidelines
Seek partnership opportunities (Level 3)
 Actively identifies and creates opportunities to partner
 Assesses the value of entering into partnerships in furthering the objectives of policing work
 Initiates partnerships and alliances that further the objectives of policing work
Supports others in applying human resource practices (Level 2)
 Provides information to others on human resource issues
 Provides staff with opportunities for training in human resource management
 Identifies and removes barriers to effective implementation of human resource
management in area of responsibility
Supports others in accessing and using technology (Level 2)
 Coaches staff on the effective use of technology
 Provides staff with opportunities for training on existing and new technology
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Leadership Competency Profile for Front-line Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
the-art technology to support
operational and administrative
work of a police organization
INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION
Utilizes communication
strategies in an effort to
achieve common goals,
influence and gain others’
support
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARENESS
Understands and uses
organizational awareness to
deliver optimal services. Seeks
to understand the critical
concerns and most important
issues of stakeholders to find
optimal solutions
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
Works effectively within
parameters of jurisdictional
governance structure (local,
municipal, regional, provincial,
and national) and associated
policing frameworks. Adheres to
values of public service.
Understands and uses internal
and external structures of
authority and understanding
the roles and responsibilities of
external stakeholders in police
operations
PUBLIC SAFETY
Promotes an intelligence-led
and problem-oriented policing
philosophy that emphasizes
partnerships with community,
intelligence gathering, and
proactive problem-solving that
addresses conditions that can
raise issues for public safety
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Creates a strategic plan for the
police organization, translates
strategic objectives into
operational goals, and works
toward their implementation.
Creates opportunities for
continuous improvement
through an ongoing evaluation
of external environment and
internal issues that hinder
organizational sustainability
VALUING DIVERSITY
Understands one’s personal
attitudes and values related to
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
 Identifies and removes barriers to the effective use of technology in the area of
responsibility
Adapts communication to appeal to other’s interests (Level 3)
 Adapts content, style, tone and medium of communication to suit the target audience’s
language and level of understanding
 Takes others’ perspectives into account when communicating, negotiating or presenting
arguments
 Facilitates open communication and information exchange
 Reads cues from diverse listeners to assess when and how to change a planned
communication approach to effectively deliver a message
 Asks questions that will help individuals or groups reframe the situation
Effectively operates in external environments (Level 3)
 Achieves solutions acceptable to varied stakeholders based on understanding of issues,
climates and cultures in policing and stakeholder context
 Understands issues and cultures external to the organization
Applies knowledge of all authority structures and municipal and local stakeholders
in one’s work (Level 2)
 Effectively uses knowledge of police governance to make decisions at work (e.g., decisions
are approved through chain of command and are transparent; police officers are
accountable to community members)
 Abides by provincial legislation pertinent to police governance
 Follows the appropriate policies and procedures at work
 Delegates authority as appropriate to one’s role
Supports proactive crime prevention initiatives that build on intelligence-led and
problem-oriented policing philosophy (Level 2)
 Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of problem-oriented and intelligence-led policing
service delivery in the communities served
 Advises others on how to collaborate with and engage community members for purposes
of crime detection and prevention
 Advises others on how to identify and address issues that may pose risk to the public
 Verifies that community members are satisfied with the level of police service delivered
 Verifies that public safety issues were addressed effectively
 Identifies ways to improve the implementation of intelligence-led and problem- solving
policing strategies
 Handles intelligence information properly
 Adheres to established file management and information evaluation standards
 Develops and implements plans for the collection and sharing of information
Contributes to the implementation of strategic objectives (Level 2)
 Ensures the utilization of resources that is consistent with operational plans and ultimately,
organizational strategic objectives
 Demonstrates support for organizational policies, procedures, and goals
 Adjusts own work to ensure that it contributes to the achievement of organizational
strategic objectives
 Ensures contributions are documented in performance plans
Works effectively with diverse stakeholders (Level 2)
 Adapts approach and methods to suit to the diversity of stakeholders
 Seeks to understand the beliefs, values, feelings and attitudes of stakeholders
Page 96 of 123
Leadership Competency Profile for Front-line Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
diversity and enhancing one’s
own and other’s skills,
knowledge, behaviours and
actions related to diversity
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
 Treats stakeholders in a equitable and fair manner regardless of cultural norms and special
interests
Page 97 of 123
Mid-level Leadership Profile
What is a Competency Profile?
A competency profile is a set of competencies selected as the most
important for successful job performance. It lists them and specifies the
required proficiency level of each competency expected for a position.
Mid-level Leadership Level
Mid-level leaders manage programs and projects in a division or unit of a
police service. They deploy staff and coordinate assignments and
conduct internal investigations as required.
Police Sector Council
Page 99 of 123
This competency profile was developed as part of the Policing Competency Framework Project, an initiative led by
the Police Sector Council. This work was supported by HRSG, an international strategic human resources consulting
firm and was guided by a dedicated Project Steering Committee. The initiative involved extensive input and
consultation with representatives of police services from across Canada.
POLICE SECTOR
COUNCIL
HUMAN RESOURCE
SYSTEMS GROUP
1545 Carling Avenue
Suite 303
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 8P9
CANADA
6 Antares Drive
Phase II Suite 100
Ottawa, Ontario K2E 8A9
CANADA
613-729-5959
www.policecouncil.ca
613-745-6605
www.hrsg.ca
This initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program
This is a living document. Last updated January 2011
© POLICE SECTOR COUNCIL
PSC hereby grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Guide and its
appendices solely for your own internal business purposes. You shall not license,
sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, distribute or otherwise commercially exploit or
make available to any third party the content in any way. All rights not expressly
granted to you are reserved by HRSG and its licensors.
Police Sector Council
Page 100 of 123
Leadership Competency Profile for Mid-level Leadership
Competency Name and Definition
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Facilitates the transition to new
organizational processes in response to
internal and external needs
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND MEDIA
MANAGEMENT
Uses media and community
events/resources effectively to create a
positive public image of the police service,
build strong relationships with the
community, and to assist in the detection
and investigation of crime
DECISION MAKING
Makes decisions involving varied levels of
risk and ambiguity
ETHICAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Takes responsibility for actions and makes
decisions that are consistent with high
ethical policing standards
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Applies financial management principles
and tools to effectively manage
organizational resources (operating,
capital, and people)
FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS
Seeks and builds alliances with internal
and external stakeholders to meet their
needs and further the organization's
objectives. Uses an understanding of
stakeholder needs, desires and critical
success factors to influence priorities,
initiatives and objectives and teaches
other to do the same
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Applies, implements, and directs the
development of human resource
management strategies, processes,
policies, and practices
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
Maximizes the use of state-of-the-art
technology to support operational and
administrative work of a police
organization
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
Oversee change implementation (Level 3)
 Secures necessary resources to ensure successful implementation of change
 Makes adjustments to the change implementation plan as needed
 Removes barriers to change implementation
 Coaches direct reports with regard to change implementation
 Assesses the effectiveness of change
 Establishes a effective communication system for change
Implements the organization’s public affairs and media relations strategy
(Level 3)
 Operationalizes the organization’s public affairs and relations strategy with tools
and tactics to align with established direction
 Monitors the adherence to organizational guidelines on the dissemination and
disclosure of information
 Keeps complete and accurate records of the information provided to the media
and all media-related activities
 Ensures the effective use of media and public events in implementing
community-oriented policing strategies
 Ensures the effective use of media in detecting and investigating crime
Makes complex decisions in the face of ambiguity (Level 4)
 Makes complex decisions for which there is no set procedure
 Considers a multiplicity of interrelated factors for which there is incomplete and
contradictory information
 Balances competing priorities in reaching decisions
Promotes policing values and standards of ethical behaviours (Level 4)
 Advises others in maintaining fair and consistent dealings with others and in
dealing with ethical dilemmas
 Facilitates values and ethical training
 Keep current with issues relevant to ethical behaviours in policing services
 Participate in an environmental scan of ethical issues relevant to the policing
environment
Develops a budget for the business unit (Level 3)
 Assesses financial performance of programs and initiatives against
organizational strategy and objectives
 Identifies opportunities and risks
 Creates performance indicators
 Evaluates submitted budgets and proposals for funding
 Uses financial information to identify opportunities for efficiencies, improvements
in resource allocation, fiscal management, and budgeting
 Identifies the preliminary budget impact on collective agreement(s), police
service levels, capital envelopes, etc
Facilitates partnerships with stakeholders (Level 4)
 Provides advice and direction on the types of partnerships to pursue, and the
ground rules for effective stakeholder relationships
 Intervenes, as necessary, to assist others to address or resolve issues
surrounding partner relationships
 Supports staff in taking calculated risks in partner relationships
Monitors the implementation of human resources practices (Level 3)
 Analyzes human resource metrics
 Effectively allocates resources to ensure successful implementation of human
resource management processes
 Effectively handles challenging human resource management issues (e.g.,
complex staff relations issues)
 Ensures staff meets mandatory training requirements
 Participates in promotion and selection committees
Establishes the business case for new technology (Level 3)
 Understands the impact of technology on operational and administrative
processes in the organization
 Monitors current trends in technology to identify new types of equipment,
software, or systems that could enhance public safety and/or optimize
organizational processes
Page 101 of 123
Leadership Competency Profile for Mid-level Leadership
Competency Name and Definition
INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION
Utilizes communication strategies in an
effort to achieve common goals, influence
and gain others’ support
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARENESS
Understands and uses organizational
awareness to deliver optimal services.
Seeks to understand the critical concerns
and most important issues of stakeholders
to find optimal solutions
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
Works effectively within parameters of
jurisdictional governance structure (local,
municipal, regional, provincial, and
national) and associated policing
frameworks. Adheres to values of public
service. Understands and uses internal and
external structures of authority and
understanding the roles and
responsibilities of external stakeholders in
police operations
PUBLIC SAFETY
Promotes an intelligence-led and problemoriented policing philosophy that
emphasizes partnerships with community,
intelligence gathering, and proactive
problem-solving that addresses conditions
that can raise issues for public safety
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Creates a strategic plan for the police
organization, translates strategic
objectives into operational goals, and
works toward their implementation.
Creates opportunities for continuous
improvement through an ongoing
evaluation of external environment and
internal issues that hinder organizational
sustainability
VALUING DIVERSITY
Understands one’s personal attitudes and
values related to diversity and enhancing
one’s own and other’s skills, knowledge,
behaviours and actions related to diversity
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
 Identifies pros and cons of introducing new technology in the organization
Communicates complex messages (Level 4)
 Handles complex on-the-spot questions
 Communicates complex issues clearly and credibly with widely varied audiences
 Facilitates the understanding of complex messages
 Expresses concerns effectively in a confrontational setting
Understands organizational politics, issues and external influences
(Level 4)
 Anticipates issues, challenges and outcomes and effectively operates to best
position the organization
 Supports the changing culture and methods of operating
 Understands, and addresses, the reasons for on-going organizational behaviour
or the underlying problems, opportunities or political forces affecting the
organization
Ensures the sustainability of organizational structure (Level 3)
 Reviews structure, policies, procedures, roles, and reporting mechanisms to
assess an organizational ability to manage a range of policing services
 Makes suggestions for improvement of internal discipline and grievance systems
 Evaluates internal and external complaints to identify and address systemic
issues, trends or deficiencies in policies and procedures
 Communicates internal structures of authority to others in the organization
 Monitors accountability in relationships with external stakeholders
 Understands the complex public service environment at all levels as required
 Demonstrates an awareness of the relationships between key players within the
governance structure of the jurisdiction
 Ensures clear boundaries between policing activities and political direction
Implements strategies, programs, and tactic-led and problem-oriented
policing (Level 3)
 Ensures the police service has basic intelligence capacity
 Reviews current information sharing networks and databases to identify gaps
 Establishes effective partnerships with key community members, private
businesses, not-for-profit groups, and government agencies
 Develops strategies and programs for intelligence-led and problem-oriented
policing, in collaboration with the community
 Develops tactics for building community engagement and proactive problem
identification and problem-solving
 Formalizes information sharing
 Implements a system for disseminating information appropriately
 Implements and monitors policies and procedures regarding all aspects of the
intelligence process
Monitors the implementation of strategic objectives (Level 3)
 Determines how relevant resources need to be allocated to achieve goals in
operational/business plans
 Monitors individual or team performance to ensure that it contributes to the
fulfillment of relevant operational plans
 Makes recommendations for adjustment of operational plans based on the
realities of operational demands in the police service
 Advises others on how to align their performance goals with strategic
objectives
 Assigns responsibilities for the implementation of operational plans to
organizational members
Advocates for fair and equitable treatment of all stakeholders (Level 3)
 Identifies practical solutions to ongoing issues based on an understanding of
underlying issues with stakeholders
 Shares information about diversity issues related to various stakeholders with all
members of the policing organization
 Advocates for the creation of services to accommodate targeted stakeholders
 Confronts others whose behaviours or actions are contrary to appreciating and
accepting diversity
Page 102 of 123
Senior Leadership Profile
What is a Competency Profile?
A competency profile is a set of competencies selected as the most
important for successful job performance. It lists them and specifies the
required proficiency level of each competency expected for a position.
Senior Leadership Level
Senior leaders plans and directs operational and/or administrative
functions of a division in a police service. They oversee the development
and implementation of operational plans, manage allocation of financial,
human, and information resources, and coordinate work activities with
other divisions in a police service.
Police Sector Council
Page 103 of 123
This competency profile was developed as part of the Policing Competency Framework Project, an initiative led by
the Police Sector Council. This work was supported by HRSG, an international strategic human resources consulting
firm and was guided by a dedicated Project Steering Committee. The initiative involved extensive input and
consultation with representatives of police services from across Canada.
POLICE SECTOR
COUNCIL
HUMAN RESOURCE
SYSTEMS GROUP
1545 Carling Avenue
Suite 303
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 8P9
CANADA
6 Antares Drive
Phase II Suite 100
Ottawa, Ontario K2E 8A9
CANADA
613-729-5959
www.policecouncil.ca
613-745-6605
www.hrsg.ca
This initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program
This is a living document. Last updated January 2011
© POLICE SECTOR COUNCIL
PSC hereby grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Guide and its
appendices solely for your own internal business purposes. You shall not license,
sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, distribute or otherwise commercially exploit or
make available to any third party the content in any way. All rights not expressly
granted to you are reserved by HRSG and its licensors.
Police Sector Council
Page 104 of 123
Leadership Competency Profile for Senior Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Facilitates the transition to new
organizational processes in
response to internal and
external needs
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND
MEDIA MANAGEMENT
Uses media and community
events/resources effectively to
create a positive public image
of the police service, build
strong relationships with the
community, and to assist in the
detection and investigation of
crime
DECISION MAKING
Makes decisions involving
varied levels of risk and
ambiguity
ETHICAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Takes responsibility for actions
and makes decisions that are
consistent with high ethical
policing standards
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Applies financial management
principles and tools to
effectively manage
organizational resources
(operating, capital, and people)
FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS
Seeks and builds alliances with
internal and external
stakeholders to meet their
needs and further the
organization's objectives. Uses
an understanding of
stakeholder needs, desires and
critical success factors to
influence priorities, initiatives
and objectives and teaches
other to do the same
HUMAN RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
Applies, implements, and
directs the development of
human resource management
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
Plans change process (Level 4)
 Establishes a transition team for change implementation
 Directs the translation of organizational vision and strategies for change into specific goals
 Communicates the need to include strategies to address the people issues as well as the
business change
 Approves communication and stakeholder engagement plans to support change initiatives
 Provides direction and support to the management team
 Formally acknowledges team contributions and celebrates key milestones with the transition
team
 Establishes strategies to measure impact of change
 Develops change strategies based on change management theories and best practices
Manages the organization’s public affairs and media relations strategy (Level 4)
 Establishes guidelines regarding the type and amount of organizational information that
can be disclosed to the public
 Manages organizational relationships with the media
 Ensures centralized coordination of public affairs and media relations activities
 Communicates regularly with the media, e.g., holds press conferences
 Effectively manages media during major incidents
 Directs the public affairs and media relations strategy to be operationalized and
communicated internally
 Evaluates impact of police public affairs and media relations campaigns
 Ensures police service is utilizing all available tools/technology to enable effective
communication with all demographic groups
Makes complex decisions in the face of ambiguity (Level 4)
 Makes complex decisions for which there is no set procedure
 Considers a multiplicity of interrelated factors for which there is incomplete and
contradictory information
 Balances competing priorities in reaching decisions
Sets the standard for policing ethics and values (Level 5)
 Communicates the organization’s values and ethics
 Ensures that standards and safeguards are in place to protect the organization’s integrity
 Develops policies and measures to integrate ethics within the organization (applies)
 Facilitates research on best practices
 Participates in defining ethical policing practice
Develops a financial strategy in the area of responsibility (Level 4)
 Works with management team to create a capital plan
 Identifies potential sources of funding for the organization
 Educates jurisdictional authorities about the nature of police business and its implications
for financial planning and management
 Ensures the alignment of financial goals to business plan
 Consolidates data from each unit in area of responsibility
 Educates management team on goals of budget process, including the identification of
performance indicators, development of planning tool for business unit managers;
management of risks and opportunities as they arise, depiction of financial needs, and
support of the business plan
Sets strategic direction for partnering (Level 5)
 Establishes an infrastructure that supports effective stakeholder relationships
 Identifies and supports creative ways to partner with harder to reach stakeholders
 Profiles excellent examples of partnering within policing organizations and promotes them
to other policing groups
Directs the development of human resources processes (Level 4)
 Advises staff on the development of human resource processes and policies in the areas of
recruitment, selection, training, promotion, and performance management
 Verifies that human resource management processes meet organizational objectives
 Initiates the development of a succession management plan
Page 105 of 123
Leadership Competency Profile for Senior Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
strategies, processes, policies,
and practices
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
MANAGEMENT
Maximizes the use of state-ofthe-art technology to support
operational and administrative
work of a police organization
INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION
Utilizes communication
strategies in an effort to
achieve common goals,
influence and gain others’
support
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARENESS
Understands and uses
organizational awareness to
deliver optimal services. Seeks
to understand the critical
concerns and most important
issues of stakeholders to find
optimal solutions
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
Works effectively within
parameters of jurisdictional
governance structure (local,
municipal, regional, provincial,
and national) and associated
policing frameworks. Adheres to
values of public service.
Understands and uses internal
and external structures of
authority and understanding
the roles and responsibilities of
external stakeholders in police
operations
PUBLIC SAFETY
Promotes an intelligence-led
and problem-oriented policing
philosophy that emphasizes
partnerships with community,
intelligence gathering, and
proactive problem-solving that
addresses conditions that can
raise issues for public safety
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Creates a strategic plan for the
police organization, translates
strategic objectives into
operational goals, and works
toward their implementation.
Creates opportunities for
continuous improvement
through an ongoing evaluation
of external environment and
internal issues that hinder
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
 Makes final decisions about appointments and terminations
Identifies technology requirements (Level 4)
 Reviews the performance of technology in the police organization to determine if it meets
public safety and organizational needs as well as legal guidelines
 Identifies areas of work where technology could improve efficiency
 Consults with stakeholders (e.g., employees, police services board members) to define
technology requirements for the organization
Communicates strategically (Level 5)
 Communicates strategically to achieve specific objectives
 Uses varied communication vehicles and opportunities to promote dialogue, shared
understanding and consensus
 Understands the underlying needs, interests, issues and motivations of others. Interprets
complex and possibly contradictory or competing signals/messages
 Gains support by capitalizing on the understanding of political forces affecting the
organization
Operates effectively in a broad spectrum of political, cultural and social milieu
(Level 5)
 Demonstrates broad understanding of social and economic context that can impact policing
work
 Understands and anticipates the potential trends of the political environment and the
impact these might have on policing work
 Operates successfully in a variety of social, political and cultural environments
Sets up internal structures of authority and facilitates relationships with external
stakeholder (Level 4)
 Develops systems, policies and processes to ensure internal accountability in the
organization as well as accountability to external stakeholders e.g. a centralized disciplinary
authority to ensure consistency and accountability
 Ensures transparency of decision making in relations with other police services and
organizations
 Assesses the internal structure of authority against relevant legislation
Builds structures, systems and processes to support an intelligence-led and
problem-oriented policing (Level 4)
 Reviews current organizational structures and business processes to assess their efficiency
and effectiveness in carrying out vision
 Establishes policies for gathering and sharing information and intelligence within the
policing organization
 Conducts regular evaluation of intelligence operations
 Ensures that standards are developed for background investigations of staff and system
users
 Ensures appropriate training for all personnel assigned to or affected by intelligence process
 Establishes security systems, policies and procedures to protect the public and the policing
operations at all levels, e.g., physical, programmatic, personnel-related and procedural
 Identifies success factors and develops evaluation criteria
 Evaluates the success of intelligence and problem oriented policing initiatives
Develops operational plans to implement strategic objectives (Level 4)
 Translates strategic objectives into specific goals for units and divisions
 Identifies capacity required, timelines and responsibilities for the attainment of goals within
units and divisions
 Identifies new programs and activities that will support organizational strategic objectives
in consultation with division/unit leads
 Identifies ways of overcoming potential or actual barriers for attaining goals within area of
responsibility
 Directs the creation of a strategic plan for the police service
 Communicates the strategic objectives and operational goals to others
 Establishes an effective system for measuring progress toward the achievement of
Page 106 of 123
Leadership Competency Profile for Senior Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
organizational sustainability
VALUING DIVERSITY
Understands one’s personal
attitudes and values related to
diversity and enhancing one’s
own and other’s skills,
knowledge, behaviours and
actions related to diversity
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
organizational strategic objectives
Develops policing practices that support diversity (Level 4)
 Develops policies on operational responses and standards to policing diverse stakeholders
 Contributes to the development of a policing organization that values diversity through the
implementation of effective change management practices
 Implements practices that value diversity in all aspects of policing
Page 107 of 123
Executive Leadership Profile
What is a Competency Profile?
A competency profile is a set of competencies selected as the most
important for successful job performance. It lists them and specifies the
required proficiency level of each competency expected for a position.
Executive Leadership Level
Executive leaders oversee all operational and administrative functions in
a police service or a division of a police service. They set strategic
direction, establish and maintain relationships with constituents, and
represent the police service at various levels of government.
Police Sector Council
Page 109 of 123
This competency profile was developed as part of the Policing Competency Framework Project, an initiative led by
the Police Sector Council. This work was supported by HRSG, an international strategic human resources consulting
firm and was guided by a dedicated Project Steering Committee. The initiative involved extensive input and
consultation with representatives of police services from across Canada.
POLICE SECTOR
COUNCIL
HUMAN RESOURCE
SYSTEMS GROUP
1545 Carling Avenue
Suite 303
Ottawa, Ontario, K1Z 8P9
CANADA
6 Antares Drive
Phase II Suite 100
Ottawa, Ontario K2E 8A9
CANADA
613-729-5959
www.policecouncil.ca
613-745-6605
www.hrsg.ca
This initiative was funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program
This is a living document. Last updated January 2011
© POLICE SECTOR COUNCIL
PSC hereby grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Guide and its
appendices solely for your own internal business purposes. You shall not license,
sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, distribute or otherwise commercially exploit or
make available to any third party the content in any way. All rights not expressly
granted to you are reserved by HRSG and its licensors.
Police Sector Council
Page 110 of 123
Leadership Competency Profile for Executive Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Facilitates the transition to new
organizational processes in
response to internal and
external needs
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND
MEDIA MANAGEMENT
Uses media and community
events/resources effectively to
create a positive public image of
the police service, build strong
relationships with the
community, and to assist in the
detection and investigation of
crime
DECISION MAKING
Makes decisions involving varied
levels of risk and ambiguity
ETHICAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Takes responsibility for actions
and makes decisions that are
consistent with high ethical
policing standards
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Applies financial management
principles and tools to effectively
manage organizational
resources (operating, capital,
and people)
FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS
Seeks and builds alliances with
internal and external
stakeholders to meet their
needs and further the
organization's objectives. Uses
an understanding of stakeholder
needs, desires and critical
success factors to influence
priorities, initiatives and
objectives and teaches other to
do the same
HUMAN RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
Applies, implements, and directs
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
Champions change (Level 5)
 Formulates a clear and compelling vision for change and its implications for the
organization
 Communicates change initiative and impact to police service employees, police services
board, community members, and government agencies
 Advocates for the necessary resources for the change initiative with authorities
 Launches the initiative and celebrates its success
 Reinforces the change message with one’s own actions, behaviours and attitudes
 Creates an environment within the executive team that encourages innovation and
continuous improvement
 Implements monthly meetings to review performance measures within each business area
for the purpose of celebrating success and problem-solving for improvements
Establishes the philosophy and direction of the organization’s relationship with
the public and media (Level 5)
 Aligns the corporate public affairs and media relations strategy with organizational and
public safety priorities
 Represents the organization and the jurisdiction at local, provincial, federal, and
international events
 Balances the organization’s needs for media exposure with jurisdictional public affairs and
media relations philosophy and priorities.
 Makes decisions on how to best leverage public affairs and media relations functions in the
best interests of public safety.
 Communicates the expected image that the police service wants to project to the public
 Determines an effective organizational strategy for using media resources proactively and
dealing with the media reactively, e.g., major issues or incidents
 Defines the organizational strategy for promoting a positive image of the police service to
the public
 Represents the police service during major incidents/operations
Makes high-risk decisions in the face of ambiguity (Level 5)
 Makes high-risk strategic decisions that have significant consequences
 Uses principles, values and sound business sense to make decisions
 Makes decisions in a volatile environment in which the weight given to any factor can
change rapidly
 Reaches decisions assuredly in an environment of public scrutiny
Sets the standard for policing ethics and values (Level 5)
 Communicates the organization’s values and ethics
 Ensures that standards and safeguards are in place to protect the organization’s integrity
 Develops policies and measures to integrate ethics within the organization (applies)
 Facilitates research on best practices
 Participates in defining ethical policing practice
Leads the organizational financial management strategy (Level 5)
 Identifies and communicates the broader context which impacts policing as a public service
– on local, provincial, federal and/or global level as relevant
 Negotiates and advocates with jurisdictional authorities regarding fiscal needs of police
service in light of context
 Approves the prioritization of fiscal strategies
 Presents budget to police services board
Sets strategic direction for partnering (Level 5)
 Establishes an infrastructure that supports effective stakeholder relationships
 Identifies and supports creative ways to partner with harder to reach stakeholders
 Profiles excellent examples of partnering within policing organizations and promotes them
to other policing groups
Directs the development of human resources management strategy for an
organization (Level 5)
 Anticipates and plans for future human resource requirements based on the long-term
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Leadership Competency Profile for Executive Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
the development of human
resource management
strategies, processes, policies,
and practices
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
MANAGEMENT
Maximizes the use of state-ofthe-art technology to support
operational and administrative
work of a police organization
INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION
Utilizes communication
strategies in an effort to achieve
common goals, influence and
gain others’ support
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARENESS
Understands and uses
organizational awareness to
deliver optimal services. Seeks
to understand the critical
concerns and most important
issues of stakeholders to find
optimal solutions
PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY
Works effectively within
parameters of jurisdictional
governance structure (local,
municipal, regional, provincial,
and national) and associated
policing frameworks. Adheres to
values of public service.
Understands and uses internal
and external structures of
authority and understanding
the roles and responsibilities of
external stakeholders in police
operations
PUBLIC SAFETY
Promotes an intelligence-led and
problem-oriented policing
philosophy that emphasizes
partnerships with community,
intelligence gathering, and
proactive problem-solving that
addresses conditions that can
raise issues for public safety
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Creates a strategic plan for the
police organization, translates
strategic objectives into
operational goals, and works
toward their implementation.
Creates opportunities for
continuous improvement
through an ongoing evaluation
of external environment and
internal issues that hinder
organizational sustainability
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
vision and strategic direction
 Identifies new ways in which human resource management can support the achievement
of long-term organizational objectives
 Identifies objectives for human resource management in an organization
Ensures organizational technical capacity to achieve public safety objectives
(Level 5)
 Encourages staff to continuously look for ways to optimize current technology and
introduce new one
 Establishes benchmarks for effective use of technology
 Secures funding from authorities to introduce new technology in the organization
Communicates strategically (Level 5)
 Communicates strategically to achieve specific objectives
 Uses varied communication vehicles and opportunities to promote dialogue, shared
understanding and consensus
 Understands the underlying needs, interests, issues and motivations of others. Interprets
complex and possibly contradictory or competing signals/messages
 Gains support by capitalizing on the understanding of political forces affecting the
organization
Operates effectively in a broad spectrum of political, cultural and social milieu
(Level 5)
 Demonstrates broad understanding of social and economic context that can impact policing
work
 Understands and anticipates the potential trends of the political environment and the
impact these might have on policing work
 Operates successfully in a variety of social, political and cultural environments
Leads by example to safeguard and sustain public trust (Level 5)
 Develops effective working relationships with the external stakeholders to which a police
service is accountable
 Models behaviour that reinforces openness and transparency in decision making
 Consults with necessary authorities and vets high profile actions and/or communications
before going public
 Obtains approval of the organization’s strategic plan from the police board, commission,
minister
 Advocates with authorities for sufficient funds to support the responsibilities the service
takes on
 Effectively maintains independence of the police service from political roles and
relationships to ensure transparency and alleviate concerns of political interference
Promotes vision for intelligence-led and problem-oriented policing (Level 5)
 Articulates clear messages, internally and externally, to support an approach that blends
intelligence –led and problem-oriented policing.
 Directs the development of policy and procedures to implement an integrated approach to
intelligence-led and problem- oriented policing
 Works across multiple jurisdictions in support of the intelligence-led and problem oriented
policing
 Participates in national and transnational policing initiatives to develop strategic alliances
 Educates key stakeholders about the approach and outcomes to gain their support
 Presents business case for adequate resources from the police services board,
municipality, provincial and federal to ensure sustainability of intelligence capabilities
Determines a vision and strategic objectives (Level 5)
 Identifies the short and long-term impact of current trends arising from environmental
scan (e.g., demographic changes, government policies, etc) on the police service
 Formulates a clear and compelling vision for the police service
 Considers local, regional, provincial, federal and/or transnational policing issues in
determining organizational priorities
 Advocates with key jurisdictional partners and authorities to support the achievement of
organizational strategic objectives
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Leadership Competency Profile for Executive Leadership
Competency Name and
Definition
VALUING DIVERSITY
Understands one’s personal
attitudes and values related to
diversity and enhancing one’s
own and other’s skills,
knowledge, behaviours and
actions related to diversity
Police Sector Council
Proficiency Level and Associated Behaviours
Promotes a policing culture that embraces diversity (Level 5)
 Actively promotes and supports programs that are designed to increase diversity practices
in policing
 Reviews current and emergent demographic trends to determine policing service
improvements
 Establishes professional standards and service delivery guidelines that respect diversity
 Develops workplace strategies to encourage the retention of police officers from culturally
and linguistically diverse backgrounds
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Leadership Development in Police Services
APPENDIX D
Track Record Review
 Candidate Track Record Review
 Assessor Track Record Review
Police Sector Council
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Appendix D: Track Record Review
Candidate Track Record Review
The template illustrates one competency; the complete Track Record Review Form includes all
competencies for the leadership level.
Candidate Track Record Review for [insert leadership level]
This employee Track Record Review is for candidates who are currently in the rank of [insert rank]. It
consists of leadership competencies critical for successful job performance at [insert leadership level].
For every competency, you will be asked to provide a relevant example of how you demonstrated it in
the workplace. Each example should be confirmed by an individual who was working closely with you at
the time (e.g., a supervisor, direct report, or peer). Different individuals may validate different examples.
After providing all competency examples and having them validated by others, sign and date the form at
the bottom.
Candidate’s Name:
Phone Number:
Candidate’s Job Title:
Email Address:
Candidate’s Mailing Address:
Years of service:
Current Unit:
Years in the Unit:
For Candidates
[Insert a brief description of the terms and conditions of the leadership development program]
Are you willing to accept the terms and conditions of the leadership development program?
□Yes
□No
Instructions: For every competency on the list below, please provide a relevant example of how you have
demonstrated it in the workplace. For each example given, you must describe the situation or context,
what you did in the situation, and the outcome of your actions.
Competency: [insert competency name]
Definition: [insert competency definition]
Proficiency Level: [insert proficiency level]
Behavioral Indicators:




What was the Context or Situation?
Police Sector Council
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What exactly did you do?
What was the outcome of your actions?
For Validators
Validator’s Name:
Phone Number:
Validator’s Job Title:
Email Address:
Validator’s Mailing Address:
Instructions: Please read the example provided above and respond to the two questions below
1. Is the example above accurately described?
□ Yes □
No
2. Does the candidate demonstrate similar performance on a regular basis?
□ Yes □ No
Validator’s Signature:
Police Sector Council
Date:
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Assessor Track Record Review
The template illustrates one competency; the complete Track Record Review Form includes all
competencies for the leadership level.
Instructions: Carefully read the behavioural examples provided by candidates and evaluate them against
relevant leadership competencies using a 5-point scale provided. As previously noted, the scale assesses
the extent to which the candidate has provided evidence that he/she has demonstrated the competency
at, below, or above the target proficiency level.
The assessors consider and balance three types of evidence in rating each competency:
1.
Behaviour:
 What level of behaviour has primarily been demonstrated in the example? (primarily
behaviours at, below or above the target proficiency level)
2.
Context:
 To what extent is the complexity of the context similar to that of the target job(s), more
complex, or less complex? (e.g., many, complex inter-related aspects of the situation; many
players involved, with complex relationships among them vs. a simple situation with few
players)
 To what extent was the candidate’s role/responsibilities similar to that of the target job(s)?
 To what extent was the candidate acting independently vs. “taking orders”?
 To what extent was this situation new vs. typical/many precedent; high risk vs. low risk?
3.
Outcome:
 To what extent was the outcome successful/had a positive impact on the organization/the
people involved?
o Successful beyond reasonable expectations, fully successful, partially successful,
minimally successful, negative aspect(s) to outcome
o Massive positive impact, moderate positive impact, minimal positive impact.

To what extent were the candidate’s actions responsible for producing the outcome?
o Solely responsible for the outcome; major role in producing the outcome; supporting
role in producing the outcome; very minor role in producing the outcome
By balancing these three sources of evidence, assessors determine the rating based on the
preponderance of the evidence, giving the greatest weight to the level of the behaviours
demonstrated.
Candidate’s Name:
Assessor’s Name:
Phone Number:
Assessor’s Job Title:
Email Address:
Competency: [insert competency name]
Definition: [insert competency definition]
Proficiency Level: [insert proficiency level]
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Behavioral Indicators: [insert behavioural indicators)
1
2
3
4
5
Well Below
Expectations
Somewhat Below
Expectations
Meets Expectations
Somewhat
Exceeds
Expectations
Clearly Exceeds
Expectations
Comments:
Police Sector Council
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Leadership Development in Police Services
APPENDIX E
Developmental Learning Plan for Leadership
Police Sector Council
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Appendix E: Developmental Learning Plan for Leadership
Instructions: Add a new section of the form for each additional learning goal. It is recommended
that there be no more than three concurrent developmental activities.
Name:
Target Level:
Date:
Competency:
Learning Goal:
Developmental Activity:
Description
Expected outcomes
Timeframe
& Cost
$
Resources required:
Potential obstacles:
Plans for support, feedback and tracking progress
Review & follow-up plan:
Police Sector Council
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