Guidance for applicants completing their portfolio for cohort two of the police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders)
(This guidance will be updated for cohort three. Entry for cohort three will be announced in May 2024).
Introduction
This guidance is intended to assist you with the completion of your police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders) portfolio part one.
This portfolio will form the first part of your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio. It is designed to be used by any senior leader in considering your professional development and evaluating your readiness to progress to chief officer level.
The first part of your portfolio will also be used by the College of Policing and your chief constable (or equivalent) during the force portfolio assessment board to assess your readiness to progress onto the police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders). In time, having addressed your development needs during the 12-month programme, it will be used to assess your readiness to be an effective chief officer.
After joining the programme
Once admitted to the police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders), you will continue to add to your portfolio. The breadth of your individual capability and experience will be developed and reflected in your portfolio throughout the 12-month development programme.
The next part of the portfolio, which is referred to as portfolio part two, will be made up of diagnostic assessments. These will include:
- the behavioural assessment report from the first module of the police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders)
- a suite of psychometric assessments
- 360-degree development reports
These will be used to formulate your development plan for the programme.
The programme is delivered in blocks of learning time over four modules. The time commitment for module 1 (development centre) is two consecutive days at the College of Policing’s Harperley Hall site.
For modules 2 to 4:
- each module is delivered in a four-week block
- each four-week block is delivered in a variety of ways, including at least two- to three-day residential periods, online learning and self-directed learning
The estimated commitment outside the workplace is in the region of 63 days.
You will also be expected to implement some of your learning in the workplace. It's anticipated that you can mostly integrate this into your day job, but there may be some time commitment during the programme in between modules, as you would expect on any development programme.
Throughout the programme, you will continue to add to your CPD portfolio with evidence built through the subsequent programme modules, assessments and the practical application of your learning in your force or organisation. All delegates will receive executive coaching throughout the programme.
Assessment will be robust and continuous, taking place at regular and appropriate intervals. It will begin before entry and continue through to completion of the programme, providing evidence that delegates can achieve national leadership standards at chief officer/executive level.
After completing the programme
At the end of the development programme, your CPD portfolio will be used by the College of Policing to inform a summary report that will be shared with your chief constable (or equivalent) and chief officer appointment panels.
Application process
To get the maximum benefit from the development programme, you should submit your police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders) portfolio part one for assessment when you are looking to apply for chief officer roles within the next 24 months.
When your portfolio part one is complete, you should send this to both the College of Policing and your chief constable in one email. You should then complete your biographical monitoring form.
Your portfolio part one will be assessed by a local force portfolio assessment board. This board will include three assessors.
- The chief constable (or equivalent).
- The deputy chief constable (or equivalent), or their nominated representative from the chief officer team.
- A College-appointed independent assessor who will ensure consistency of standards across forces.
If your force has an established talent management process in place – for example, through which future senior leaders are identified and supported at an early stage via fair, open and transparent processes – then you should consider this before applying.
Any supplementary information from force talent management processes or other evidence bases may be considered alongside the portfolio part one at the force portfolio assessment board.
Please note that applicants external to policing will be assessed by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) senior national assessment director.
Once your portfolio has been considered by the force portfolio assessment board, your chief constable will send their assessment report to the College of Policing confirming whether or not they support you onto the programme.
A portfolio assessment ratification panel (including the NPCC senior national assessment director, a College of Policing director and an occupational psychologist) will take place to ensure consistency of standards across forces.
Results and feedback
The outcome of the ratification panel will be sent to force single points of contact (SPOC). It is the responsibility of the chief constable (or equivalent), or their delegated individual, to notify applicants and provide feedback to each applicant on the outcome of the assessment process.
Those who were unsuccessful will receive their results and developmental feedback from their chief constable, who will agree an appropriate development plan. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply in the future. We encourage applicants to work on the developmental feedback received following their original submission.
All successful applicants who are supported by their chief constable to join the programme will be sent initial joining instructions for the programme from the College of Policing following the ratification panel. The joining instructions will include information on how to book a date to attend module 1 of the programme.
Eligibility
The executive leadership programme is designed to be as accessible as possible. The programme is open to both police officers and police staff at substantive superintendent or chief superintendent rank or police staff equivalent grades. The programme is also open to those from non-policing partner organisations working in an executive-level role.
Your force can provide more information about their processes. Regardless of whether your force has talent management processes in place, we would always recommend having conversations regarding your career progression aspirations from an early point so that you can access appropriate development support.
Accommodations and adjustments
The new programme has been designed to be more accessible for those with caring and other responsibilities outside of work. This is being achieved through a more blended approach and less time away from home.
We will continue to build on this. Any accommodations and adjustments needed will be attended to, such as changing fonts and colours on reading materials, providing hard copies of documents and allowing additional time for tasks where needed.
We want delegates to be reassured before, during and after the programme that any information they wish to share about themselves with the College will be kept confidential. If required, the College will be in touch with the individual to discuss any specific needs they may have to ensure they can fully participate in any of the stages from application through to attending the programme.
The College will use guidance such as the workplace adjustments/discovery report and the senior selection policy on accommodations and assessments.
Application window
It is important that you complete all actions before the application deadline. Late submissions will not be considered.
The application window for all applicants opens on Wednesday 26 July 2023. It closes at midday on Friday 25 August 2023.
You will receive confirmation of the receipt of your portfolio and biographical monitoring form from the College of Policing within three working days of submission. If confirmation has not been received, then you should email [email protected]
Applicants on secondment
If you are currently on secondment from your home organisation, the application form should be sent to the chief constable (or equivalent) of your home organisation. It will then be assessed at the home organisation force portfolio assessment panel. The panel will consider feedback from the host force chief constable where appropriate as part of the portfolio assessment verification.
Deferrals
If the required standard is met, a deferral to a later cohort of the programme will not be considered unless there are significant extenuating circumstances. Should an applicant wish to be considered for a later cohort of the programme, they will need to resubmit their portfolio of evidence during the relevant application window.
This will allow the force and applicant to ensure there have been no other changes that need to be taken into account, such as updated core criterion in the portfolio.
Appeals process
Unfortunately, applicants cannot appeal based on their results. We appreciate some applicants may be disappointed by the results they receive. However, this is not grounds for appeal.
Any appeals regarding being released onto the programme need to be dealt with in your force appeals/complaints process as the decision of releasing delegates onto the programme is made by the force with no involvement from the College assessor.
Applicant checklist
- Check that you are available for all core modules of the development programme over its 12-month duration. If the module dates for a particular run of the programme are unsuitable for you, please do not submit your application for that programme. Check the dates of the programme cohorts starting in 2023.
- Fully complete the portfolio, including the electronic declaration.
- Submit your portfolio part one to [email protected] and your chief constable in the same email using the subject ‘OFFICIAL (SECURE): PLP executive portfolio part one [Applicant Name]’ by the application deadline. You are responsible for ensuring that you identify the correct email address for your chief constable.
- Complete the biographical data monitoring form.
Section 1 – Personal details
Please complete all elements of this section to provide all the necessary personal and contact details. This information will be used to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for the programme. It may be used by course directors, coaches and assessors to provide context, but will not form part of the assessment.
1.1 – Applicant details
Vetting
It is a requirement of participation in the police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders) to have current vetting at the CT/NPPV3 level. You must provide highest current level and expiry date. If you are not already vetted to this level or it is due to expire during the programme, you should start that process now.
1.2 – Applicant background
State your current professional background – for example, police officer, police staff or applicant from external agency.
Police officer
For substantive chief superintendents or superintendents who wish to undertake the police leadership programme – stage 5 (executive leaders) and aspire to apply for chief officer level roles within the next 24 months.
Police staff
For:
- police staff at the equivalent substantive grade of chief superintendent or superintendent, leading large and complex areas of their organisation, who wish to undertake the programme and aspire to apply for chief officer level roles within the next 24 months
- police staff currently working at executive or chief officer level who hold a substantive post on their chief officer or executive team, who wish to undertake the programme
- senior staff from organisations within the UK policing family who wish to attend the programme and go on to apply for chief officer level roles – for example, from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC)
Applicant from external agency
For those from international police forces aspiring to the most senior roles in their organisations.
Also, for those from non-policing partner organisations working in executive-level roles.
Section 2 – Career history and professional development
2.1 – Career history
In this section you should include details of your career history. This information will be used to ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for the programme. It may be used by course directors, executive coaches and assessors to provide context but will not form part of the assessment.
2.1.1 – Provide details of your current role and your previous two roles. This should include a brief description of your role.
2.1.2 – Provide details of your relevant career history. You do not need to provide details of every role you have held. Choose those you consider relevant to your career progression.
2.2 – Qualifications and training
2.2.1 – Provide details of your academic qualifications and training that you think are relevant to your development as a senior leader and therefore add strength to your CPD portfolio. It is not necessary to provide details of all qualifications and training undertaken.
Section 3 – Police leadership programme – stage 5 core criteria
In this section, you should demonstrate your competence against eight core criteria. The criteria define the standard of competence required to progress onto the programme.
These are organised into the following three strands of leadership:
- personal
- operational
- organisational
These criteria have been informed by the competency and values framework (CVF), the policing professional profiles and the national leadership standards at executive level in policing. These set out what good leadership looks like when chief officers are carrying out the accountabilities of their role.
The CVF, professional profiles and leadership standards will not be directly used in the assessment of your evidence. Assessment will be made using assessor guidance defining the national portfolio assessment standards against the portfolio assessment rating scale. These standards relate to the core criteria that define the skills and experience required to begin the development programme.
This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you have the competence and potential to be a chief officer in the future. You do not need any specific skills to complete the form – just describe how you meet the criteria. Assessors need to see evidence of how you meet the criteria, so provide examples of things you’ve done and actions you’ve taken that illustrate what you’ve said.
The assessment will be made to ensure you have sufficient experience and potential to gain access to, and benefit from, the development programme. If you are considered not ready yet, you will be provided with feedback and a development plan.
Providing examples
To demonstrate your competence, you should use specific contemporary examples from your experience that provide evidence of your potential to become a chief officer. Your examples can be drawn from regional, national and international experience, including secondments and previous roles both within and outside policing. If responses lack specific examples that demonstrate competence at the appropriate level, they will likely be scored lower when assessed.
You may wish to limit the examples that you use to one or two, to enable you to provide evidence of your competence within the word limit. Providing a list of multiple examples without explanation of how you applied your leadership skills and experience within the examples is unlikely to enable you to evidence competence against the criteria.
Some examples, considerations and questions are included in the guidance under each of the criterion. These are included to prompt your thinking. You do not need to answer these questions specifically in your response.
The assessment of your readiness to progress onto the programme will be based on an assessment of your submissions against these core criteria by your force portfolio assessment board, so take time to reflect on your professional practice in your current and previous roles to help inform your responses.
Responses to each question against the core criteria should be no more than 500 words each.
Referees
For each response, you are required to provide the contact details of somebody who can verify the example provided. This should be the direct manager for the area of work who can verify the actions you took. Where multiple examples are included, you can use multiple contacts as appropriate but please make it clear which example they relate to.
The force portfolio assessment board may discuss your portfolio submission with these referees to verify your examples.
Personal leadership
3.1 – Core criterion 1 – values-based leadership
In this criterion, you need to demonstrate that you understand the importance of the values underpinning the policing profession, as defined in the CVF.
For applicants from organisations external to policing, your responses should demonstrate that the values and professional standards of your profession have been upheld.
Evidence for this is likely to show that you understand situations in which you are required to demonstrate the values and how this should be done. This could include, for example, how you have role-modelled the values to encourage others to consider their own values and how they apply them.
In your example, include:
- what led you to actively demonstrate the values
- how you actively demonstrated the values
- why you took that course of action
- what the impact of your demonstration of the value was (consider the impact on you, your staff and your police force, organisation, collaboration and/or the public as applicable)
3.2 – Core criterion 2 – accountability
Under this criterion, you need to evidence your understanding of the principles of accountability.
Evidence for this criterion is likely to show how you promote and embed a culture within your teams that promotes ethical practice and high standards of professional conduct to enable the delivery of a high-quality public service.
This could include, for example, how you have led your team to deliver services or develop policies and practices that enable officers and staff to act in the best interests of the different communities served by your organisation. You should consider your role in building trust and confidence in policing.
When considering examples to evidence your competence, you should consider the following.
- What was your role?
- What decisions did you make?
- What was your rationale for those decisions?
- What was the response of the key stakeholders?
- What were the challenges you faced?
- How did you handle those challenges?
- What was the outcome?
- How did you evaluate the outcome?
- Did your actions have an impact at an organisational level?
- What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?
3.3 – Core criterion 3 – influencing, motivating and inspiring the workforce
Under this criterion, you need to demonstrate how you influence, motivate and inspire your workforce. This evidence can be derived from work in your own business unit, department or directorate, or through work you have done at an organisational level.
Evidence for this criterion is likely to show how you have fostered a workforce culture that promotes impactful professional development and empowered teams with a focus on innovation that has led to improvements in service delivery.
When considering examples to evidence your competence you should consider the following.
- What was your role?
- What decisions did you make?
- What was your rationale for those decisions?
- What was the response of the key stakeholders?
- What were the challenges you faced?
- How did you handle those challenges?
- What was the outcome?
- How did you evaluate the outcome?
- Did your actions have an impact at an organisational level?
- What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?
Operational leadership
3.4 – Core criterion 4 – effective leadership in a substantial and challenging role
For this criterion, you need to demonstrate your ability to lead and manage a team effectively, in order to achieve and deliver results that benefit the public you serve and the police service in a substantial and challenging role.
You need to demonstrate how you take personal responsibility for delivery or operations when things go wrong. You also need to demonstrate your ability to cope and deal with the ambiguity and tensions of the role, as well as how you demonstrate effective decision making and judgement in difficult and challenging situations.
You need to demonstrate substantial leadership experience in a complex environment. This could be achieved in a number of ways, including, but not exclusively:
- solo or independent command of a territorial unit
- head of a directorate, department or business unit
- senior investigative work (crime, professional standards)
- through performing certain unique and nationally significant roles
In addition, it would also be possible for you to meet the criterion if you were able to demonstrate evidence of leading, managing and implementing a major change project or programme. This can include significant secondments at regional, national or international level.
If you are not currently in a position that readily allows you to demonstrate the necessary evidence, previous experience from another role in which you have been able to demonstrate effective leadership in a substantial and challenging environment can apply.
When considering examples to evidence your competence, you should consider the following.
- What was your role?
- What decisions did you make?
- What was your rationale for those decisions?
- What was the response of the key stakeholders?
- What were the challenges you faced?
- How did you handle those challenges?
- What was the outcome?
- How did you evaluate the outcome?
- Did your actions have an impact at an organisational level?
- What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?
3.5 – Core criterion 5 – policing operations (police officer applicants only)
For this criterion, you will need to demonstrate a breadth of operational policing knowledge and leadership experience including successful delivery of significant and complex policing operations.
This could include:
- knowledge and effective application of statutory duties
- effective judgement
- fast-time planning and operations
- management of resources taking account of best value
It is important that you have a broad base and solid core of operational policing knowledge and experience in a number of areas, such as crime management, community relations and ‘live’ real-time command (for example, managing serious crime investigations, firearm incidents, major sporting events or public order).
Although you may have had opportunities to operate at Gold or Strategic Command level, subject to local force policy, it is anticipated that evidence will predominantly be at Silver or Tactical Command level. You do not have to demonstrate experience in every area to be accepted onto the programme.
3.5.1 – In response to this question, indicate whether or not you have experience in these areas by replacing the tick box with a tick in the appropriate column.
Where the answer is yes, indicate the highest level of command that you have held for that area (for example, Gold or Strategic Command, Silver or Tactical Command, Bronze or Operational Command).
3.5.2 – In response to this question, you should outline the full operational cycle, including planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the outputs and outcomes.
In your example, include the following.
- What was your role and command level?
- What was the extent to which you were involved?
- What operational challenges did you face?
- How did you overcome those operational challenges?
- How did you identify and manage the risks associated with the operation?
- What was the response of the key stakeholders?
- What was the outcome?
- How did you evaluate the outcome?
- What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?
Organisational leadership
3.6 – Core criterion 6 – workforce strategy, business and financial management
This criterion relates to work in your own business unit, directorate, department or work you have undertaken at force or organisation level. This can also include significant secondments at regional, national or international level.
3.6.1 – You may have demonstrated this through experience of, and ability in:
- programme management activity
- performance management activity
- corporate or organisational development
- enabling continuous improvement and innovation
- change management
It may be useful to consider your own vision for policing and how you have contributed to the development and implementation of workforce strategies to improve the service that you and your staff provide.
3.6.2 – You may have demonstrated your financial management skills through a range of activities, including, but not restricted to:
- managing significant budgets
- securing financial resources
- audit activities
- making financial savings and efficiencies, including managing partnership and collaboration activities
When considering examples to evidence your competence, you should consider the following.
- What was your role?
- What decisions did you make?
- What was your rationale for those decisions?
- What was the response of the key stakeholders?
- What were the challenges you faced?
- How did you handle those challenges?
- What was the outcome?
- How did you evaluate the outcome?
- Did your actions have an impact at an organisational level?
- What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?
3.7 – Core criterion 7 – equality, diversity, inclusion and valuing difference
This criterion relates to demonstrating effective leadership through a personal contribution to promoting and managing equality, diversity, inclusion and valuing difference inside your organisation as part of your work.
This could incorporate a personal active commitment at a strategic level to make progress against key national programmes of work such as the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) and violence against women and girls programmes within your organisation or project.
3.7.1 – In considering your response you could include, for example:
- how you have developed and led a strategy and plan for the promotion and equality of opportunity and diversity in your force or organisation
- how you led an initiative to address disparity within your organisation or the organisations that work with your community
- how you led an initiative that brought about improvements in workforce training
- work around hate crime and vulnerable groups
You should consider how you, as a leader, have:
- fostered and promoted equality and diversity
- demonstrated an active commitment to tackling discrimination
- actively created a culture within your business area that values difference and inclusion
Through your example, you need to demonstrate the breadth of your understanding of the strategic impact of your work in this area on trust and confidence in policing.
When considering examples to evidence your competence, you should consider the following.
- What was your role?
- What decisions did you make?
- What was your rationale for those decisions?
- What was the response of the key stakeholders?
- What were the challenges you faced?
- How did you handle those challenges?
- What was the outcome?
- How did you evaluate the outcome?
- Did your actions have an impact at an organisational level?
- What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?
3.8 – Core criterion 8 – building effective relationships
For this criterion, you need to evidence how you build and maintain effective relationships with strategic partners and key stakeholders to influence and collaborate effectively for the benefit of the public you serve, your organisation and your partners.
Evidence for this criterion is likely to show how you create an environment in which partnership working flourishes. Such evidence could be demonstrated, for example, through your experience of working with:
- multi-agency partnerships
- regional collaborations
- shared service arrangements
The evidence can be taken from your work at a local, regional, national or international level.
When considering examples to evidence your competence, you should consider the following.
- What was your role?
- What decisions did you make?
- What was your rationale for those decisions?
- What was the response of the key stakeholders?
- What were the challenges you faced?
- How did you handle those challenges?
- What was the outcome?
- How did you evaluate the outcome?
- Did your actions have an impact at an organisational level?
- What did you learn and what would you do differently next time?
Section 4 – Self-assessment
In this section, you will undertake a self-assessment of your readiness to progress onto the development programme and in time, having addressed your development needs, to be an effective chief officer.
4.1 and 4.2 – In identifying your key strengths and development areas, you may wish to refer to your professional development review (PDR) and feedback received through 360-degree feedback processes or directly from colleagues and stakeholders. You may also wish to refer to the national leadership standards at executive level in policing, which set out what good leadership looks like at this level in policing, as well as the chief officer policing professional profiles (which set out the role expectations and accountabilities) and the CVF.
4.3 – In making an assessment of your readiness to progress, you should consider how you have demonstrated the core eligibility criteria in section 3 of this guidance.
You should outline how you have approached your personal and professional development in the last two years to prepare yourself to progress.
As a chief officer in the future, there will be a legitimate public interest in your personal actions. You should demonstrate that you have considered your readiness for the change in personal accountability that is required for an executive leader.
Your response to this question should be no more than 1,000 words.
Section 5 – Applicant declaration
Read the declaration carefully before placing a cross in the box.
Remember to complete this section of the form before you send it to the College of Policing and your chief constable (or equivalent).
Appendix 1 – Portfolio assessment rating scale
The portfolio assessment rating scale is outlined below. Assessors use this scale to determine the rating awarded for each core criterion.
| Rating | Definition |
|---|---|
| 3. Significant level of evidence |
The applicant has fully covered the core criterion area and demonstrates evidence that exceeds the level of experience required to progress onto the executive leadership programme. The applicant has demonstrated the full breadth of the area being tested and examples provided are in a sufficiently complex context. Examples demonstrate a strategic and sustained impact that goes beyond the boundaries of the applicant’s area of leadership responsibility. |
| 2. Sufficient evidence provided |
Examples must evidence demonstrable personal actions/impact. The applicant has covered the core criterion area and demonstrated evidence of the level of experience required to progress onto the executive leadership programme and in future become a chief officer. Overall, the applicant has demonstrated more positive evidence of the area being tested. The example(s) must be from an appropriately complex context involving multiple stakeholders and dimensions (for example, financial/people/political) with decisions/actions that consider competing strategic drivers. |
| 1. Insufficient evidence provided |
The applicant has partially covered the core criterion area and demonstrated limited/no experience of the level of experience required to progress onto the executive leadership programme. The applicant’s response lacked clarity, relevance and/or depth in relation to explaining their actions and the impact of what they personally did in relation to the area being tested. Examples which are very singular in their approach and on a one-to-one level or with no evidenced strategic/longer-term consideration/impact. |