Question
To ask the Chief Constable how PSNI will cascade learning from those initiatives identified through the Problem Solving Awards to ensure best service delivery to all communities.
Answer
The Police Service of Northern Ireland in partnership with the Northern Ireland Policing Board developed the problem solving awards not only to recognise problem solving but also as a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the growing evidence and knowledge base that will help other police and stakeholders address issues in their community. The awards are one element of a comprehensive plan to embed effective problem solving leading to more informed, professional and positive outcomes.
The following steps have been taken to ensure the cascade of learning from those initiatives identified through the Problem Solving Awards.
• A bespoke communications strategy has been developed for the awards and the Police Service plan to have a special promotional article produced after the awards ceremony. This will showcase the entries submitted and shall be circulated across the organisation virtually and included in ‘Callsigni’, to share the learning.
• The Police Service have recently trained and appointed 77 Problem Solving Champions across all districts. The Champions are vitally important representatives to inform how we continually evolve our Problem Solving processes to improve and strive for consistency. The Champions will also be working together across districts and departments to share and cascade ideas and good practice. This will be an important process for everyone and we are delighted to have the Champions’ enthusiasm and input.
• The Police Service also plan to run a yearly CPD conference for our Problem Solving Champions
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• The Police Service have developed dedicated online resources to support and guide effective Problem Solving within the organisation. This includes the creation of a bespoke Problem Solving Guide & Toolkit for all officers and staff. The Police Service have also recently created a working group on the Knowledge Hub. The Knowledge Hub provides us with a central location to allow us to easily share learning with Police Services Nationally and will also provide a central Portal for Police Service officers and staff to interact with one another. Our group within the Hub is in its infancy but we see it as being integral to the sharing of knowledge throughout the organisation and wider afield.
• We certainly recognise Police and Community Safety Partnerships as being significant partners in successful problem solving. Communicating the learning and examples from the problem solving awards to the Regional PCSP’s managers meeting shall be an excellent means of cascading learning from those initiatives to ensure best service delivery to all communities.
• We are currently exploring opportunities of how a repository can be created that would be available to the organisation to share learning arising out of the applications from the Problem Solving Awards. One option under consideration is a ‘What works toolkit’. All interventions are displayed along with quality of evidence, impact on crime and effect.
• To support learning we have been supported by academia to design evaluations for Significant Problem Solving Initiatives. We are also being supported by academia to better understand and track the work of wider Problem Solving Initiatives within our organisation.