The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
Succession Planning within the States of Jersey Police
Whilst the three points under consideration in (1) refer directly to the States of Jersey Police, they could, with some lateral thinking and application, be applied to all States Departments.
- In essence, it is (or should be) incumbent on the Chief of Police in post to identify from within the senior position holders, an officer (or officers) thought to be of suitable calibre to succeed him: this to be done within say, at least eighteen months, preferably two years, prior to his proposed retirement.
- The person (or persons) should then be formally interviewed by the States Employment Board and if their views support those of the Chief of Police, the candidate should be offered the opportunity of a secondment to a UK force for say a 9 month (minimum) or 12 month (maximum) period.
- The reason for the secondment would be to gain all important experience of working away from Jersey and within another Police environment, thus gaining the candidate valuable experience for his role on return to Jersey. Time would also need to be allowed for the candidate to take the command course as is used to provide a statutory stepping stone' for UK officers aspiring to become Deputy Chief or Chief of Police.
- On return to Jersey, backed by a favourable report from the Chief of Police of the UK force, the candidate would be formally appointed as Chief of Police (Designate) for preferably a 12 month period, before taking over the position of Chief of Police on the retirement of the post holder.
- To achieve this, it is necessary for the decisions within this strategy to be commenced in ample time to allow the process to be undertaken.
- This succession planning strategy (which has integral planning and development policies) could be expanded to embrace the Deputy Chief of Police and thus in time, the person on secondment would on return, become Deputy Chief of Police (Designate), then Deputy Chief of Police and on retirement of the Chief of Police, be promoted to that position.
Dealing now with (2), the further issues relating to the topic'', my view would be to roll out a suitable and relevant succession planning programmes for all Chief Officers of States Departments. Further, designate Chief Officers of all States departments should enjoy a nine to twelve month period of secondment in the private sector, preferably in the UK, particularly if their recent career has been entirely within the Jersey or UK Civil Service.
The whole ethos of working within the private sector is so different to the sheltered life within the Civil Service. The experience would definitely sharpen up' the candidate, particularly the need to survive by, for instance, contract negotiation, management of costs, preparation of budgets, salary levels and several other disciplines. In this manner we would have, for instance, a Treasurer of the States either from the private sector or having served a secondment in the private sector, with a commercially obtained qualification and suitable in post' experience.
I do hope this experienced based submission is of some interest. Captain Brian Nibbs RD* FICS FRIN FCMI
31st August 2010