1 Centre for Security,
Development and Rule of Law (DCAF)
10
thYoung Faces Conference
Police Reform and Cooperation in the Western Balkans on the Path to
EU Integration
Policy Paper
To: The Ministry of Interior
From: Jelena Miletic, Political Adviser1 Date: November 2009 (revised 2010)
Subject: Introduction of Human Resource Management in Serbia’s Police Reform
1 Jelena Miletic was in 2009 project assistant in the Law Enforcement Department of the OSCE Mission to
Serbia. The title “political adviser” is linked to the role-play function in DCAF’s exercise on how to write policy papers. All opinions and evaluations contained in the paper are those of the author and cannot be attributed to DCAF or any institution to which she is affiliated. The factual background for the paper might have been overtaken by events since the end of 2009.
2
Summary
The concept of Human Resource Management (HRM) has recently entered public administration discussions in Serbia. The Ministry of Interior (MoI) of Serbia is no exception. However, its current focus is only on a narrow range of activities falling under the term Personnel Management. This policy paper looks at the consequences of the absence of a modern HRM system in the MoI for the police reform process.
Introduction
The MoI has inherited outdated practices mainly related to personnel management which includes a rather narrow scope of activities – administrative aspects such as recruitment and selection, record keeping, and legislative aspects such as termination of employment and disciplinary measures. HRM involves a much broader range of issues, such as strategically planned human resourcing, employee motivation systems, performance appraisal, learning and development, employment relations and pay/reward policy.2
The purpose of this paper is to assess the need for revision of the MoI’s current personnel policy and to present the specific advantages the introduction of HRM throughout the MoI would have for police reform.
Current State of Affairs
Personnel issues in the MoI are handled within the Sector for Finance, Human Resources and Common Affairs, more precisely in its Directorate for Human Resources. The absence of the following HRM principles and procedures directly has negative effects on police reform in Serbia:
Strategic approach to reform: The MoI has not adopted a human resource management strategy and relevant action plan, and thus its long-term objectives and actions in this area have not been defined. In addition, there is no national police reform strategy defining long-term police priorities and needs.3
2
Lucas, R., Lupton, B., & Mathieson, H. (2006). Human Resource Management in an International Context. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. p.39-40.
3
Commission of the European Communities. Commission Staff Working Document. Serbia 2009 Progress Report. SEC(2009)1339. Brussels, October 2009.
3
Recruitment strategy and guidelines on selection:4 The MoI recruitment procedures without a long-term recruitment strategy and standardized selection guidelines make recruitment and selection of police officers insufficiently transparent5. This causes irregularities in police employment procedures and obstructs overall police reform.
Career development: Although the MoI has recognized the importance of life-time learning and education6, career development in the MoI, including the Police Directorate, is still underdeveloped. Police training consists mainly of capacity-building and specialization7 and is focused on police officers’ current skills, without any strategic approach to training8 (e.g. training-need assessment and a long-term development curriculum).
Motivation system and performance appraisal: The MoI’s way of employee motivation is insufficiently developed, and mainly limited to ad hoc financial compensation without an adopted benefit system.9 The MoI spends little time on performance appraisal of its staff, including police officers, thus assessment of individual performance remains highly subjective.
Internal communication and employee relations:10 Although the MoI adopted a new communication strategy in 2010, the lack of a detailed employee relations programme hinders the MoI’s ability to efficiently in keep its staff, including police officers, informed of internal policies and actions.
Policy Options
Option 1: Preservation of the status quo is not viable for many reasons. It would seriously obstruct the MoI’s commitment and efforts made to meet European and international policing standards, and negatively affect police motivation and performance.
4
Berman, M. E., Bowman, S.J., West. P.J., Wart, V.M. (2006). Human Resources Management in Public Service: Paradoxes, Processes, and Problems. 2nd Edition. SAGE Publications. London.
5 Ibid. 6
Needs of the Republic of Serbia for International Assistance for the Period 2008-2010. 7
Ibid. 8
Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia. Overview of Realization of the Strategy of Public Administration Reform in the Republic of Serbia and the Action Plan for Implementation of the Public Administration Reform for the Period 2004-2008. Belgrade. October 2008.
9 Ibid. 10
Decenzo, A. D., and Robbins, P. S. (2007). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. 9th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. USA.
4 Option 2: The “middle” option assumes that the MoI has assessed its human resources and understands fully the role of HRM in transforming the overall MoI, including the police. However, it settles on incremental change as the only realistic option at the moment, due to the many hindering factors listed below.
Option 3: Though the full implementation of modern HRM in the MoI and the police would be the best option, it is, at this point in time, not feasible due to the lack of necessary financial, institutional and human capacities, including commitment at the government level of which the MoI is a part.
The Way Forward
The MoI, as a part of the current government, has committed itself to the fulfilment of EU and international policing standards, and therefore should work towards the introduction of HRM as a crucial part in order to achieve that goal11.
The adoption of HRM would precondition that the MoI has moved forward in transformation and modernization of the police in line with its current capacities. It would lead to a more focused, motivated, and better trained police. In short, HRM would bring a qualitative increase in the provision of police services to the public.
Specific Recommendations
To assess the current human resource system’s impact on police reform: Assessment of the MoI human resource system and its impact on police reform would provide an insight into the specific HRM-related needs of the police and lead to the development of constructive policy proposals.
To define and adopt relevant strategies and action plans: The MoI should define and adopt two mutually harmonized strategies and relevant action plans – a HRM strategy and a police reform strategy, in order to adjust police reform to gradually include modern management of human resources.
To standardize police officer recruitment and selection guidelines: Adoption of MoI recruitment procedures and selection guidelines would standardize criteria for the
11
5 posting of police officers, thus preventing them from being subject to manipulation and subjectivity, and consequently improving the quality of the police.
To establish a functional career development system: Across the police service, a standardized and institutionalized career development system should be applied so that every police officer has a clear view of his/her career prospects: This would maximizes the benefits for the entire organisation by making full use of the potentials of its human resources.
To raise motivation and thus retain the best people in the police service: By introducing regular performance appraisal of police officers as a motivating factor, the overall performance of the police service would grow as the best officers would stay in the police force.
To adopt a detailed employee relations programme: Adoption of such a program programme would raise the efficiency of the MoI and improve its relations with all employees, including those in the Police Directorate.
