Policing and Change Management

Budget challenges are making efficiency and effectiveness vital in force and bringing out the need for project and programme management.

In terms of change management in policing, forces will either employ someone specifically to manage a particular problem or project through to delivery or select someone within the organisation with the appropriate skills to do so – part of being in the police is constantly managing projects that are thrown at you. Although instead of directly referring to the work as project management, it can be referred too more as events and policing, but I’m sure a lot of the principles worked too when planning an operation will remain the same and are fully transferable skills.

Managing the stakeholders and appreciation of the delivery environment across the policing family becomes as important as the overall output or outcome.

When dealing with so many different personalities, and with different teams all with differing strengths, I would say the key thing is to surround yourself with the right team. It’s important to get the balance right between the strategic and objective side of things.

In a lot of areas of policing, there are a substantial amount of potentially serious risks, so you’ve got to have rigid controls and supports in place. For example, if planning an operation that involves deploying armed officers, then there’s the possibility that someone could get seriously injured. It becomes about having that balance right between empowering people to make their own decisions in a controlled manner and in pulling their responsibility up to the right level. I feel strongly that you get that balance right through good relationships and knowing the people who work with you, for you, and around you. Drawing direct similarity with successful change management.

Policing in general is going through a significant amount of change but the need for clear articulation and joining up the dots between overall strategy, structure and vision with how it translates to those on the ground is critical. Ensuring the buy in and engagement at all levels will maximise the eventual ROI and overall business benefit.

A programme or project is a vehicle to deliver change and an opportunity to engage people from end to end. One thing to be said of working within a policing environment is that sponsorship with clear decision and direction is forthcoming…..ensuring the people elements of change are aligned with those decisions is paramount to success.  

If this is a particular problem then People Change Projects have the knowledge, skills and experience to support you. Please get in touch.