The experiences of Garda Siochana trainees and

teacher/trainers pre and post the introduction of a competency based induction programme

Aim

• Pre competency – v - Competency programme

• Development perspective for the ‘trainee

Garda

• Competency Based Approach’ to be

researched from the original implementation

in 2003

Objectives

• a) To investigate the effect of accelerated recruitment

• b) To analyse the current strategies of the competency based trainee programme

• To analyse changes, if any• To analyse the quality of the Programme• To research the differences in developmental

paths of trainee pre- and post- the introduction of a competency based programme

• To research the implementation procedures

Primary Data

• 1964 to 1988 recruit course

• 1989 to 2002 Walsh programme

• Competency Programme with A/C

• Competency Programme 2003/04 Non A/C

• Garda Teacher/Trainers

1964-1988

• No trainee had a 3rd level qualification at the time of entry

• 38% now have 3rd level qualifications ranging from diplomas to masters degrees. All availed of grants from the Garda Síochána to undertake their 3rd level qualifications

Response Themes

1. Institutionalisation

• Major theme to emerge in all answers

• Very existence as a person was taken away when they started

training

• 2. Rote/surface learning

• 3. Physical exercise

• 4. Friendship and bonding by trainees

5. Discipline for trainees

• Teacher/trainer intimidation, fear, casual fear

and verbal abuse by those in supervisory and

command positions also dominated all of the

interviews with respondents.

• The majority of respondents stated it was like

a military boot camp at times.

6. Catholic Church involvement in the trainee course

• The majority of the respondents were quite bitter in their responses to the involvement of the Catholic Church in their training

• Respondents pointed out trainees had to do what they were told and without failure followed the orders of the Garda Training Centre staff to the letter, to do otherwise meant been disciplined

7. Fear of Garda Training staff

• Training and administrative staff. • Respondents stated that the training centre

staff, especially certain senior staff members (sergeants and inspectors) were impossible to deal with

8. Fear of authority and job security

• Positive Effect:

• very little work in Ireland

• To be selected for the Gardai was a major bonus

• Full time work

• a pension after 30 years

• Own Pride / Family Pride

8. Continued : Fear of authority and job security

• Negative Effect:

• Trainees they were afraid to lose their job

• Do anything which might result in discipline

• Did what you were told and in the manner of the training staff

• Dismissal from the Garda Síochána ‘was a life sentence’

Primary data from trainees from 2003 and 2004

• Competency intakes were not subject to

accelerated recruitment

• No surveys - phase three (Pity)

• Surveys/Interviews as part of the process of

monitoring the new competency based trainee

programme.

Trainees in 2003/2004

• PDIU

• Scheduled meetings

• Monitored and interviewed a random selection of trainees aspects of the programme.

• The research method was by surveys and interviews

Phase one primary data

• Experiential learning dairy

• Just over 80% of trainees were happy with the training given

• 59% stated it was difficult to complete

• 78% stating it was not a help in tracking and monitoring their performance.

Continued

•Trainees regarded the induction week as too long and non developmental

•There were too many free classes because college staff members did not turn up.

•Trainees also found they had very few classes in the final week of phase one as their programme for phase one was completed in week 19

Phase Two – ELD and Assessments

Experiential learning diary

• 63% stated it was useful/very useful in helping them track and monitor their performance

• Competency based assessment interviews

• 84% stated they were satisfied with the ratings given by the interview board

Phase Two Specialist Placements

Specialist placements:

• trainees’ suggestions for ideal times on specialist units, 56% - five days

Trainees working with the specialist units: Trainees (81%) stated they were helpful/very helpful (operational specialist units only).

Phase Two Social Placement

• The preferred choice of the trainees: (Operational) i.e. Fire brigade placements were rated as very important.

• 78% stated the two week placement was too long.

• 50% stated it was relevant to police work

• 41% believed their position as trainee did not contribute.

Phase Two Summary

• Over 93% of trainees were satisfied/very satisfied

Interviews with trainees with PDIU -

• The first and last two weeks of phase one were viewed by the trainees as non-developmental, ‘they called it pure time wasting’.

• Teacher/trainers not turning up for their assigned classes on phase one.

Administration & ELD

• Trainees found trainee administration in the Garda College difficult to deal with on phase one, i.e. not receptive to enquires.

• The experiential learning diary was not useful for development on phase one.

Phase Two - Regular Unit and Specialist Units

• All respondents found working with the regular uniform units on phase two as the best aspects of their development followed

• Operational specialist units.

Level of Education before Entry

• Trainee’s 3rd level of education before entry to the Garda Siochana is comparative

• 44% from the pre-competency programme

• 43% from the accelerated competency programme,

• Holding 3rd level qualifications are from certificates up to master’s level.

Family and relatives influence

• 56% in the precompetency programme

• 63% in the accelerated competency programme.

• Combined family influence is 60% for both programmes.

The Gender of Trainees

• 72% male, 28% female trainees from the pre-competency programme

• 69% male and 31% female in the accelerated competency programme.

• Comparative

Marital Status

• 100% single in the pre-competency programme

• 81% single in the accelerated competency programme with

• 19% married and/or in a full time relationship.

Nationality

• 100% Irish in the pre-competency programme

• 98% Irish nationality in the accelerated competency programme.

• 2% is reflected in the accelerated pre-competency programme.

Age Categories

• Based on the programmes recruitment criteria, all of the pre-competency programme trainees were in the age categories of 18/26 when joining the Garda Síochána.

Recruitment Age Categories

70%

30%

18 yrs to 25 Yrs

26 yrs to 35 yrs

Accelerated Competency Programme

Accelerated Recruitment Negative Results

• Poor research facilities

• Poor information technology and its associated infrastructure

• A lack of communications from the teaching staff (legal studies staff are excluded from this)

• No feedback on examinations

• No management engangement

Accelerated Recruitment Negative results

• Trainee administration always too busy to help or provide information (buzz word no place to deal with you)

• The trainees found studying in their private rooms difficult, there was ‘a lot of noise in the dorms regardless what time of the day’

• The dormitories were not heavily supervised except possibly of a Thursday night after the disco or function.

Accelerated Recruitment Negative results

• Large trainee numbers created problems in relation to their professional development,

• Continual time table problems – NB NB NB

• Always in lecture theatres –Mistakes all the time

• No free classrooms

• IT, IT, IT problems –continual answer

• Teacher/trainers not turning up

Learning outcomes for Phase one

• Trainees from both programmes stated that the phase one programme was covered but ‘very rushed at times’

• Trainees believe that too much information is ‘pushed’ on the theoretical aspects of the law and procedures in the lecture theatres which did not allow other skills based training to take place

Learning Outcomes for Phase One

• there was no asp training,

• no hand cuff training and

• not enough self defence training,

• just a lot of law’, law and law’

Discipline

• Trainees in the precompetency programme expected greater discipline practises when they arrived and could not believe how relaxed it was in the Garda College.

• Similar attitudes prevailed in the accelerated competency programme

Discipline

• Trainees also felt that the college failed to be firm on issues relating to their development and ‘concentrated on the wrong things’ – ‘some lecturers not able to command a class/lecture when students acted up ‘

• Bullying between Trainees

Discipline

• Alcohol was regarded as the main culprit for getting trainees into trouble.

• Trainees also stated that discipline was not uniform in its approach, some staff would be very strict and some staff just did not care and the trainees came to identify these staff very quickly.

Examinations

• All trainees stated there were too many examinations and they were stressful ‘especially when there was no feedback and you were not encouraged to ask so you had no idea what you did right or wrong’

• The majority of the trainees stated when the examinations started they were all pushed together one after the other and one did not have time to concentrate.

Experiential Learning Diary

• All trainees stated the Experiential Learning Diary was not developmental on phase one

• Several college teacher/trainers supervised them, and others were not interested and just signed their names without examining the content.

• Trainees stated ‘many of the students just made up entries’

Garda College Infrastructure supports

• 62% of the pre-competency trainees in the survey found the college infrastructure and supports a key strength.

• 12% in the accelerated competency programme survey

IT - Access to equipment and technical support

• Key strengths in the precompetency programme at 71% and 50%

• These became major key weaknesses at -60% and -85% in the accelerated competency programme

IT

• Many of the trainees attended other colleges and universities and were used to a higher format of access to information

IT - Improvements

• The accelerated competency trainees stated that they were informed on numerous occasions through out their phases that the college was implementing a state of the art system

• The majority of trainees stated that it was ‘dreadful’ trying to get some of their assignments done because in their view the library was limited and the ability to research was nearly non existent.

Garda College Accommodation

• Some of the trainees enjoyed living outside the Garda College because they felt they had more freedom.

• Other trainees found they had no privacy while living out and they preferred being on the college campus. Most of the trainees believed this type of arrangement was designed to place money into the pockets of the town’s people.

Trainee finances – loans and loans and further loans !!!!

• All regarded their salaries from the state in their trainee period as very poor and difficult to live on and required them to borrow for normal living expenses.

Trainee Finances -continued

• There was 30% more positive experience with regard to financial support in the accelerated competency programme survey, however;

• This was connected to the availability of loans from the Garda Credit Unions. Many of the accelerated competency programme trainees stated they wish they had not borrowed as much when they were trainees ‘it was so easy to get a loan’ and borrowed from both Garda Credit Unions.

Trainee administration in the Garda College

• The majority of the trainees stated that a number of the trainee administration staff were very difficult to deal with in all matters

Trainee Administration -continued

• In general, trainees left everything to their senior class representative when they needed anything

• The majority of trainees were a little apprehensive when dealing with this section, ‘you were always in the wrong regardless’

Trainee Administration -continued

• The overall response on trainee administration was one of negativity

• based on poor communications from the staff, no feedback

• lack of interest shown to trainees,

Lack of communications/feedback from Garda College staff to trainees

• All trainees in both programmes stated feedback was never given on anything connected to their examinations and/or their development

• The only time a trainee might have received some information if that person failed an examination.

Feedback – Accelerated Competency

• All trainees in the accelerated competency programme stated that apart from members of the Legal section:

• Feedback was not on offer from other subject areas,

Feedback – Accelerated Competency

• Some trainees stated they did request information on their examinations and case studies from various sections, but they did not receive it and no explanation was offered by the staff outside of being informed ‘they were too busy’

Feedback – Accelerated Competency continued

• All trainees ‘felt cheated’ because they knew they were coming back for phase three and they would undergo more examinations.

Trainee induction week

• In the surveys 28% of the precompetency programme stated too long

• 15% of the accelerated competency programme suggested that the induction week should be shortened or improved,

Location and delivery of subjects

• All precompetency trainees stated the use of classroom with smaller numbers was the preferred option

• In general they did not receive too many lectures in the lecture theatres as there were plenty of available classrooms.

Location and delivery of subjects

• All the trainees from the accelerated competency programme stated the use of classroom was the preferred option, ‘because you could ask questions’, trainees further stated, ‘the classroom environment was more interesting and at times there could be one to one interaction’ ‘in the large lecture theatre everything was impersonal’

Legal Section Phase one staff

• Trainees regarded legal staff as the greatest strength of the college with a 64% positive experience from both programmes.

• Trainees also regarded legal staff as the best aspect of the phase one programme with a 32% positive experience from the precompetency programme and

• 56% from the accelerated competency programme,

• an increase of 24%.

Legal Section – Phase one Staff

• Trainees regarded staff from the legal section as the only section contributing to their development, with a 73% positive experience from the precompetency programme

• 75% positive experience from the accelerated competency programme.

PE&HS studies staff

• 24% of the trainees in both programmes found PE&HS staff as the greatest strength of the college.

• 16% in the precompetency programme and

• 27% in the accelerated competency programme also found PE&HS the best aspects of the phase one programme.

• Two teacher/trainers with senior service are mentioned regularly by the trainees as the two most supportative in the college.

Social & Psychological studies staff

• 50% of the trainees in the precompetency programme and

• 48% from the accelerated competency programme found teacher/trainers from the social & psychological studies as the college greatest weakness.

Social & Psychological studies staff

• The majority of the trainees found there was no communication with the staff,

• The programme was delivered continually in the lecture theatres,

• No questions and answers sessions and very little handouts.

• The majority of trainees could not find purpose, aims or objectives to the content delivered and their role as future Gardai.

Trainee Administration staff

• The overall response for college trainee administration was one of negativity because of

• poor communications from staff

• lack of feedback

• lack of interest to assist trainees.

Contextual Studies and PULSE

• Trainees in the accelerated competency programme stated the subject area of contextual studies was literally non-existent

• All trainee stated PULSE studies was interesting and taught well, T/T did not always turn up

European languages

• All stated European Languages studies very much depended on the level of French and/or German you had before joining the Garda Siochana.

• All trainees stated that the college should provide a facility to learn languages more suitable to operational policing i.e. Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian and Chinese.

Irish Studies

• Irish studies received a mixed reaction from the trainees.

• All the trainees stated they know Irish is the native language and very proud of its heritage but its use in operational policing outside the Gaeltacht areas is non existent.

PE&HS Studies

• PE&HS studies were also regarded as very good to excellent with over 70% positive experiences from both programmes, with senior teaching members of staff receiving a very positive rating from trainees

MAOS

• Management and Organisational Studies (MAOS) was also regarded as very good to excellent with over 70% positive experiences from trainees in both programmes

• However, the issue of the role plays in the accelerated competency programme which were subject to pass/fail examination was difficult for a large proportion of the trainees.

Social & Pys Studies

• All trainees stated social and psychological studies had two negative aspects to it;

• Poor course content and

• Poor instruction from the teacher/trainers.

• Trainees gave this subject area and the staff a high negative rating at 12% in the precompetency programme and 2% in the accelerated competency programme.

Legal/GPPS

• 88% overall

Pre-competency trainees

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Subjects 64% 72% 56% 80% 72% 88% 12%

Total positiveexperiences

63%

PULSE

Eurpean Lang

IrishPE&H

SMAOS

Legal/GPPS

SocialToal

positive

Competency trainees accelerated

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Intake A 78% 68% 76% 80% 90% 93% 12% 0.62 61%

Intake B 63% 71% 55% 73% 63% 81% 34% 2% 55%

Intakes A&B Total 70% 69% 66% 77% 77% 88% 23% 2% 58% 58%

PULSE

European

IrishPE&H

S

MAOS

Legal/GPPS

Contextual

Social

Sub tota

ls

Intake

A&

Phase two primary data

• Tutor Garda average service was 6 ½ years in each programme.

• 54% of tutors Garda service was between 12 weeks and 5 years

continued

• 34% between 6 years and 10 years

• 12 % with a 11 years+

• In the precompetency programme 35% of tutor Gardai had less than 2 years service

• This changed dramatically in the accelerated competency programme where 80% of tutors had less than 2 years service, with 45% still in their probationary period.

Pre-competency and competency programme primary data

• Special placements learning outcomes

• All trainees agreed the specialist placements concerning ‘operational policing’ were excellent.

• Trainees stated that many of the specialist units that concerned administration/office work were boring and the work they completed was monotonous

Special administrative placements learning outcomes

• All trainees felt like they were cheap labour in these offices

• All indicated that the office staff in question just did not want trainees there, Trainees felt they were in the way and the work they were given was ‘made up work’ or work that no else wanted to do or work that was put on the long finger.

Social placements learning outcomes

• The social placement received a high negative rating from trainees,All stated it was a waste of two valuable weeks,

• Trainees believed they would have learned more on the regular unit,

• Trainees found their respective social placements non developmental and not geared towards a policing role

• All stated that they had heard horror stories from other trainees on what was expected of them at times ‘washing windows, peeling spuds’

• All agreed this placement needs to be reviewed or terminated from the programme, ‘2 weeks was too much, fairly boring’

Specialist and social placements - negative

learning experiences • Social placement went from 54% to 65% -9%

-higher in accelerated period of competency programme

• Specialist placements from 65% to 70% - 5% higher in accelerated period of competency programme

• The overall negative rating for the social and specialist (administrative) placements was 63% for both programmes.

Training staff/phase two classes theme

• Trainees stated that their respective training sergeants did a fine job with them.

• The classes were very practical in design.

• There was a mixed reaction to this topic with accelerated competency trainees indicating that it was the personality of the training sergeant and/or staff which dictated the pace of development,

Training staff/classes positive experiences

• Phase two classes by training staff 70% Similar • 12% higher positive experiences in meetings with the

local superintendent, • 7% higher positive experiences for the divisional

training staff administering their phase two programme and

• 8% higher positive experiences for the correction of their experiential learning diary by the divisional training staff.

• The overall positive rating training staff was 70% for both programmes.

Operational staff/unit staff and attachment

• The over all positive experiences from the trainees was one of belonging, real life learning on the job and seeing a cross section of Irish life that most had not encountered before.

• All agreed and stressed more time should be given with the unit for phase two,

• All agreed that if they were allowed to spend the full twenty weeks with their unit they would have ‘accepted it hands down’ Trainees stated this was the best part of their trainee phases

Summary of operational/ unit staff positive experiences from acc trainees

• Working with uniform operational unit 9% higher

• Beat patrol duties with uniform operational unit 6% higher

• Station duties with uniform operational unit 15% higher

Continued

• Patrol car duties with uniform operational unit 8% higher

• Correction of diary by supervisory sergeant 10% higher

• The overall positive experience rating for working with the operational uniform unit in various policing capacities was 71% for both programmes regardless of the service of the tutor Garda.

Theme - Tutor Gardai

• There were no real complaints or negativity.

Phase two learning outcomes

• Trainees agreed they achieved good and substantial learning outcomes on phase two, except for the social placements and certain specialist placements concerning administration.

• All agreed the experiential learning diary made sense on phase two, ‘being given enough opportunity to access investigation files with a view to learn how to prepare files properly’

• Real life examples could be used and the diary became important for reflection purposes.

continued

• However, trainees stated that the entries to the learning diary were not always uniform in their approach, Some training sergeants expected a ‘book to be written on each entry’ other training sergeants ‘ wanted completed legislation for every entry in red biro, even if you had put it in before, it just didn’t make sense’ (cr5 interview), ‘my training sergeant wanted quality over quantity – short and snappy entries’ (cr2 interview).

continued

• In general terms trainees believed the learning diary should be re-designed for developmental purposes. The following table presents the positive experiences of trainees in percentages. The majority of these answers are reflected only in the accelerated competency programme as competency development and assessment interviews did not exist in the precompetency programme.

Most useful development

• 76% of the precompetency trainees working with the regular uniform unit

• 24% with certain specialist operational placements. • 70% Accelerated competency trainees with the

regular uniform unit • 30% stating the most useful development was certain

specialist units • The overall positive rating for the regular unit is 73%

from both programmes with • 27% for operational specialist units.

Least useful development

• 56% precompetency trainees stated the social placement

• 30%certain administrative specialist placement • 62% accelerated competency trainees stated the social

placement was the least useful • 38% stating certain administrative specialist

placements

• The overall negative experience rating was 59% for the social placements for both programmes and 34% for the above administrative specialist placements.

Overall experience on the quality and content of phase two

• Trainee stated the overall positive experience concerning all development matters in the pre-competency programme for the quality and content of the phase was 68%,

• trainees positive experiences in the accelerated competency programme was 4% higher at 72%

• giving an overall 70% positive experience rating from both programmes.

Phase Two

• The completion of the diary went up by from 65% to 80% in positive experiences (15%) with the introduction of competency development which produced an overall positive experience rating of 72% for the experiential learning diary for both programmes.

Phase Three Pre-competency trainees

• Most useful development

• Learning legislation at 58%

• Case studies 24%

Accelerated competency trainees Most Useful

• Court practicals combined with the production of file preparation at 66%

• Smaller themes at 34% (practical procedures)

Precompetency trainees Least useful development

• Duration of phase three including the non-developmental aspects of certain weeks (week one and final two weeks) received a total of 64%

• European languages at 22%

• Social and Psychological studies at 12%

Accelerated competency trainees Least Useful

• Smaller themes 42%

• European languages studies at 25%

• Contextual studies at 13%

• Dissertation studies at 5%

• Social & Psychological studies at 3%

• General classes at 2%

Learning outcomes on phase three

• The precompetency programme positive experiences are 5% higher than the competency programme.

• The overall positive percentage rating from both programmes is 56.5% for the phase three learning areas.

The positive experiences on the quality of content in the phase three modules

• Integrated Modulesof learning and development• Victim Module 36%• Offence Module 42%• Social & Psychological Module 36%• Station administration Module 33%• Traffic management Module 37%• Court practicals Module 48%• The over all positive experience is

39%.

Trainees Views on staff phase 1 ,2 and 3

• 60% overall positive experiences on staff involvement from trainees in the precompetency programme

• 67% overall positive experiences on staff involvement from trainees in the accelerated competency programme

Accelerated competency trainees view on the necessary requirements for quality

operational policing:

• Good knowledge on community policing

• High standard of interpersonal skills

• The role of the Garda Siochana

• Policing in a multi cultural society

• Garda Siochana procedures and policy