Promotion board assessments do not fully reflect the challenges faced by senior officers

73% of police assessment professionals cited Counter Terrorism as a major issue, but only 20% said their senior officer promotion assessments included an element designed to identify candidates best suited to meet this challenge

67% said Violent Crime was a major challenge, but only 20% addressed this in their promotion board assessments

A significant disparity between the major challenges faced by senior officers and the degree to which promotion assessments identify candidates best suited to meet them, was one of the major findings from a recent survey conducted among UK Police Services by Reed Consulting.

In addition to the counter terrorism and violent crime assessment gaps, the increased need for senior officers to engage with a wide range of media is not assessed by the vast majority of UK police services. Only 12% of respondents include a Media Exercise within their Superintendentís assessment, even though promotion to this level will necessitate frequent contact with the media and have a significant impact on community relations.

Reed Consulting Head of Assessments Julie Lowe, a former Head of Assessment at the Metropolitan Police, concludes: ìPolice Services need to address concerns that exist around the relevance, effectiveness and fairness of assessments. A range of exercises, covering all aspects of policing roles and reflecting topical issues, is the most objective and fair way to select the right officer for the job.

ìTo identify the officers most suitable for promotion, senior police officers and HR professionals must work closely together to ensure that the complexity of these roles is fully reflected within the assessment process. This engagement brings together the operational, technical and managerial elements of policing and ensures that Force level strategic aims filter down into the assessment process.

Following foundation of a Knowledge Network to enable UK Police Services to exchange best practice and engagement with ACPO to highlight the issues, Reed Consulting is working with a number of forces to develop promotion assessments that genuinely support the development of a modern police force.