LAW ENFORCEMENT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT (SME) Position Description
Are you a highly motivated and experienced law enforcement professional committed to working
collaboratively with organizations to create sustainable change in policing and build communities of trust? We are looking for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to collaborate with a team of professionals committed to assisting law enforcement organizations develop lasting reform. If you have helped build lasting relationships between police agencies and the communities they serve, then keep reading … this may be the position for you!
SME PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
A SME must have demonstrated expertise that will contribute to and work collaboratively with a larger
assessment and/or monitoring team to successfully provide technical assistance to law enforcement organizations grappling with issues such as: use of force, officer-involved shootings, bias-based policing, implicit bias, transparency, accountability, officer misconduct, procedural justice, constitutional policing, community/police relations, etc. as identified by the organization and city in the initial phases of the collaborative reform process. Unique goals and objectives will be developed for each site collaboratively, and the SMEs on a project will be assigned to support those specific agencies’ goals.
SMEs are expected to have a range of experience, including: conducting assessments, research, analysis and training to address those identified issues impacting specific law enforcement organizations participating in the CRI-TA program. A SME must have the demonstrated ability to objectively analyze and assess specific law enforcement agencies' policies, practices, procedures, and tactics; develop findings and recommendations that are consistent with promising practices in the field of policing; work collaboratively with and assist agencies implement reforms; and conduct follow up assessments and provide monitoring mechanisms to ensure that agencies are implementing recommended reforms.
Collaborative Reform Initiative - Program Overview
In 2011, the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office created the
Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance (CRI-TA) to assist law enforcement agencies with constitutional policing issues, including use-of-force practices, officer-involved shootings, racial profiling, officer misconduct, leadership, interacting with persons with mental illness, agency transparency and external communication mechanisms. The purpose of CRI-TA is to improve trust between agencies and the communities they serve by providing a means to organizational
transformation through an analysis of policies, practices, training, tactics and accountability methods around a specific issue. It is not a short-term solution for a serious deficiency, but a long-term strategy that first identifies issues within an agency which may affect public trust, and then offers recommendations on how to resolve those issues and enhance the relationship between the police and the community. Agency participation in this collaborative process is voluntary; however, to be eligible for assistance, agencies must demonstrate a willingness to consider
recommended reforms and be accountable through public release of a series of monitoring reports.
SMEs are vital to the success of collaborative reform and must have the ability to digest, summarize and write comprehensive assessments and reports of findings and recommendations that will become part of interim and final public reports that will serve as roadmaps for the particular law enforcement organization and the broader law enforcement community.
A SME on a CRI-TA project may be assigned to work on the initial assessment phase for one site and on a monitoring team for another site. Therefore, a SME must have the ability to provide technical expertise during both or either phases of collaborative reform. A SME will need to have experience in conducting assessments and monitoring including, but not limited to: data and policy review and analysis; interviewing; digesting information; providing written reports; training; and communicating with police, community and team members in a professional and collaborative manner.
Examples of requisite skills to accomplish these tasks may take the form of: Data Review, Collection and Analysis
Dependent upon the subject matter area, data collection and analysis will take on a variety of methodologies. Some data will need to be developed and collected during site visits while other data will be retrievable in electronic report format or via policies. General data review, collection and analysis practices will include, but not be limited, to:
• Reviewing policies, practices, tactics and training
• Conducting direct observations of department operations • Conducting direct observations of police/community interactions • Interviewing key police command and staff
• Interviewing community stakeholders • Conducting listening sessions
• Reviewing and analyzing department data and systems • Researching and identifying promising practices
• Analyzing data to identify trends and developing recommendations
• Adhering to established data collection, interview and ride-along protocols Report Writing
The ability to draft reports, assessments and recommendations is critical to the SME position, requiring timely submission of written deliverables throughout the project. At a minimum, the following is expected:
• Drafting comprehensive reports that include analysis of issues identified, findings, recommendations and appropriate national best or promising practices
• Providing timely written input to requisite status reports • Providing written post visit notes, summaries and action items • Reviewing and editing reports
Training and Monitoring
As a SME, you will provide expertise and knowledge regarding cutting-edge, proven training methodologies and other means for transforming organizations and creating mechanisms for long-term sustainability of reform. To demonstrate this, a SME should have experience including, but not limited to:
• Providing training expertise and knowledge in identified subject matter areas • Utilizing and creating organizational change frameworks, mechanisms and tools to
accomplish reforms and implementation
• Being knowledgeable of and assisting to identify resources, training and promising practices • Contributing to or developing tools and mechanisms for monitoring reforms and
implementation
• Measuring success and identifying accomplished milestones within an organization • Working within established deadlines
• Providing constructive feedback and handling difficult conversations and topics tactfully Other Skills
A SME must have the ability to communicate and collaborate within the team, at all levels of a police department and with diverse communities. To demonstrate this, a SME should have experience including, but not limited to:
• Effectively communicating and liaising with various levels of a police department
• Effectively communicating and liaising with diverse community organizations and members • Contributing to and building consensus in a team environment
• Serving as a thought leader and supporting a team of experts and professionals
• Possess a willingness to support a team’s group decision once a decision has been made to move forward
Travel and Time Commitments
The CRI-TA process is not a short-term initiative, and an individual SME’s involvement in the process will vary, however, this role will require a commitment to blocks of time to accomplish the
organizational reforms and transformation needed. Travel to identified sites will be required, on a regular and ad hoc basis.
The CRI-TA process has distinct phases and a SME could be assigned to work on the assessment phase and a monitoring phase, recognizing that each has defined timelines and would require active participation from assigned SMEs. The assessment phase is approximately 12 months and the monitoring phase is approximately 18 months. The specific tasks and travel requirements would be spread out over the length of the project.
Based upon the approximate time to complete the phases of the CRI-TA process, the following could be expected:
• Travel for five to seven site visits should be expected per site, with each visit requiring up to three or four night stays
• Variable working hours on site to accomplish identified goals, collect data and attend meetings
• Ability to allocate time for post-site visit reporting requirements • Ability to allocate time for completing interim and final reports
• Participating in bi-weekly conference calls up to an hour in length during the project’s time period
• Other intermittent availability as required Required Qualifications
Senior law enforcement/criminal justice practitioners (sworn or civilian, retired or current) recognized for their knowledge, understanding and expertise on related policing issues. Must have experience with assessing, monitoring and providing technical assistance for police agencies.
Preferred Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree minimum; graduate degree preferred
• Significant experience working on internal issues or projects involving or related to:
monitoring, assessments, organizational reform, police accountability, training and technical assistance
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite – Word, PowerPoint and Excel • Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to effectively multi-task in an intensive, multiple-deliverable work environment • Strong personal and professional values
Salary
Commensurate with experience Background Check
All positions require an applicant who has accepted an offer to undergo a background check. Additionally, before being assigned to a CRI-TA project, a SME will have to go through additional vetting by the COPS Office.
Description of Company
Hillard Heintze is one of the leading investigation and security risk management firms in the United States. We help organizations and senior leaders protect their people, performance, interests and reputations. We do this by delivering investigative, security and law enforcement advisory services worldwide that provide insight, deliver assurance and instill confidence. Headquartered in Chicago, Hillard Heintze also has operations in Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Virginia Beach, Dallas, and San Jose, as well as operating capabilities across North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Asia. For more information, visit www.hillardheintze.com.
To Apply
Please complete the online application. In addition, SME candidates must submit the following for full consideration:
• Resume • References
• Writing sample (completed in the last five years) • Conflict of interest and non-disclosure forms
