ii.1.b importance of new assessment procedure

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICE LASTING IMPACT

Towards a New UN Police: Revised Procedures for Assessment of Individual Police Officers

In order to assist United Nations Member States to meet the challenge of seconding individual police officers who have the required skills to implement the increasingly complex mandates of UN missions effectively, the Police Division has developed a new Standard Operating Procedure: Assessment of Individual Police Officers for Service in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions.

It was developed following a review of the UN Selection Assistance Team (SAT) Pre-Deployment Assessment Procedures: Guidelines for Police Contributing Countries from 2005.

This document does not apply to the selection of formed police units (FPUs), or police officers on UN contracts (Staff Members), for which separate assessment and selection procedures exist

Why did we change it?

As stated in the Introduction to this Kit: The deployment of UN Police has increased dramatically over the last 15 years. In 1994 the total number of UN Police was 1,677, by the end of 2011 there were 14,333 UN Police deployed, an eightfold increase.

Not only has the scale of UN police expanded but the mandated tasks have become more com-plex. In the early missions UN police deployed primarily as observers, but after 1989 peacekeep-ing operations gained increased importance as a tool for international peace and security and UN Police mandates grew.

Not only were more police deployed, but the Security Council assigned more complex tasks to UN police.

These included:

Support the reform, restructuring and rebuilding of national police and other law enforce-ment institutions.

United Nations Police were first tasked with institutional development in the 1990s, including in the missions in Cambodia, Haiti, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 2003, almost all new man-dates have included reform, restructuring and rebuilding tasks. Typically, these missions start with an assessment, which may include a census of police personnel, security sector mapping, and other efforts to evaluate the capacity of the national police service. Using this information, deficiencies can be identified and plans to address them formulated. Reform efforts may include support for the vetting, training andcertification of police and other law enforcement officials as well as changes to the policy and legal framework, administrative procedures, and personnel management systems. These tasks require strong political support and commitment from the host-state Government. In brief, such tasks require UN Police to support complex change man-agement processes that necessitate a high level of technical expertise in this area.

Provide operational support to the host-state police.

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICE PROFESSIONAL SERVICELASTING IMPACT

UN Police are mandated to provide operational support to host-state police, in the areas of inves-tigations, election security and security for camps for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). All missions with a mandate to provide operational support also have a mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence. These measures include preventative patrols in IDP camps, joint operations with United Nations military components, and capacity building of host-state police in these respective areas. The UN has long recognized that the nature of se-curity challenges confronting the international community is evolving. Today intra-state conflicts are compounded by emerging threats form organized crimes, including trafficking, terrorism and financial fraud. UN Police need to support global security by providing the appropriate expertise to host-states in dealing with these new threats.

Carry out executive policing functions as an interim measure until the local police are able to perform such functions effectively.

United Nations Police have been asked to assume full responsibility for policing and other law enforcement activities in missions where national police services were initially absent, most re-cently in Kosovo and Timor-Leste. The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining civil law and order including estab-lishing local police forces and meanwhilethrough the deployment of international police personnel to serve in Kosovo. After gradually transferring responsibility to the Kosovo Police Service, UNMIKs police component was drasti-cally reduced and ceased to exercise the majority of its remaining executive responsibilities when the European Union Rule of Law Mission, EULEX Kosovo, was established in 2008. Similarly, the police component of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) and its successor missions were mandated to provide interim law enforcement and public security functions.

The New Assessment ApproachToday a majority of individual UN police officers carry out tasks falling under the first category of reform, restructuring and rebuilding mandates. Amongst its efforts enabling UN police in the field to carry out these complex policing mandates effectively, DPKO has developed a Standard Oper-ating Procedure called the Assessment of Individual Police Officers for Service in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions (AMS). It was developed after a review of the Selection Assistance Team (SAT) guidelines from 2005. In this process extensive consulta-tions were held with experts from UN field missions and Member States. The AMS is used to assess police officers by UN teams in Member States and in the mission area. The harmonization of the processes makes the assessment more consistent and fair, increases mobility and re-duces the number of assessments. The name of the UN teams that conduct the assessments in Member States has been changed from Selection Assistance Team (SAT) to Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) to better reflect the assessment nature of the work of the team.

Simplifying, systematizing and bolstering the assessment process:

1. The AMS harmonizes the process for assessment by UN teams in Police Contributing Countries by the Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) and the tests con-ducted upon arrival in the missions. Candidates that have been AMS cleared by a SAAT will only have to take a driving test upon arrival in the mission to obtain a UN drivers license.

2. The validity of the clearance is extended from 18 month to two years. A UN police of-

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ficer that has served for more than six month in a UN PKO or SPM can be re-deployed to any mission with the same mission language within two years of leaving the first mission. This reduces the need for a candidate to be reassessed before re-deployed to another mission within this timeframe, and increases the ability of UN police to retain skilled experts and utilize them in successive missions.

3. The new language tests and scoring matrix have been developed by the Police Division with the support of language experts. This makes the testing more consistent and re-duces the risks for unfair competition.

4. A longer interview will capture not only oral communication skills, but also professional skills, knowledge of the UN core values and other integrity issues (including gender sen-sitivity). This will allow for direct face-to-face interviews with the candidates instead of phone interviews at a later stage in the process. It will increase the accuracy and reduce the time required for selection.

5. The new driving test has been strengthened and harmonized with the UN Surface Man-ual used for assessments in the field to increase their quality.

6. The new weapons-handling and shooting test requiring higher accuracy is designed to lead to increased safety in the field.

7. Another novelty is that the assessment will include a computer test. During the inter-view the candidate will be asked to do a practical basic test on a computer. Failure to perform this test will not disqualify for service, however, candidates that pass the test will be prioritized.

8. There should be no retesting during a SAAT or in the field except two re-tests within one month in the mission for driving.

9. An encouragement to Member States to nominate a minimum of twenty (20) per cent female candidates for each SAAT visit.

10. The new assessment process will be supported by a computerized date collection sys-tem. All the test results will be kept in a database in the Police Division. The same database will monitor pre-deployment medical clearance. This database will allow for cross-checking of UN records on conduct and discipline, including sexual exploitation and abuse, with the Police Contributing Country and individual police officers own certi-fication that the candidate has no history of conduct and discipline issues.

Responsibilities of Member States Early planning of the SAAT visits is crucial to their success. The Police Division will provide a list of required skills twice a year to the Police Contributing Countries to allow them to better pre-select candidates. PCCs should make sure to undertake pre-SAT preparations and exercises to increase the number of candidates that pass the SAAT. Currently the pass level is on average 30 per cent. The Police Contributing Countries are also encouraged to facilitate womens participation through specially tailored pre-selection training and other measures.

According to the 2012 AMS SOP police contributing countries are expected to undertake five ac-tions before a SAAT to facilitate its implementation:

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1. Request a visit by the UN Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) in writing to the UN Police Advisor at least three months in advance.

2. Carry out pre-selection of candidates based on the requirements in the 2007 Guidelines.

3. One month prior to the SAATvisit, submit information on pre-selected candidates, in-cluding name, gender, date of birth, valid ID numbers and date of entry into the police services for each candidate. Once the Police Contributing Country has submitted the list, no additions or substitutions can be made to it.

4. One month before the start of the SAAT visit, nominate a Liaison Officer for the visit and inform the UN Police Division of the name and contact details of this person.

5. Before the start of the SAAT-visit, certify in writing that pre-selected candidates have not been convicted of, are not under investigation or being prosecuted for any criminal, human rights or disciplinary offence.

The following table was designed to help those well acquainted with the 2005 UN SAT proce-dures to quickly note the differences with the new procedure.

Annex 1: Key Differences between 2005 UN SAT and 2012 AMS

No Item/Topic 2012 AMS 2005 UN SAT1 Guidance document

title & dateStandard Operating Procedure: Assessment of Individual Police Officers for Service in United Na-tions Peacekeeping Operations and Special Political Missions, effective 1 February 2012 (supersedes Janu-ary 2005 guidelines)

UN Selection Assistance Team Pre-Deployment Assessment Procedures: Guidelines for Police-Con-tributing Countries, (January 2005)

2 Main purpose To assess if individual police of-ficers from UN Member States fulfill the requirements for service in UN peacekeeping operations (PKO) and special political missions (SPM)

To assist PCCs in ensur-ing that their police officers meet the minimum require-ments for UN civilian police officers by administering assessments prior to de-ployment.

3 Rationale To further contribute to increased efficiency and effectiveness of se-lection and deployment of UNPOL. For example through harmonizing UN assessments conducted in PCC and upon arrival in missions and reducing the need for phone interviews after the assessment in PCCs.

To increase the overall effi-ciency and operational effec-tiveness of the missions by reducing the period required for induction and re-tests as well as reducing the number of repatriations.

4 Assessment teams UN Selection Assistance and As-sessment Team (SAAT)

UN Selection Assistance Team (SAT)

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No Item/Topic 2012 AMS 2005 UN SAT5 Minimum require-

ments regarding age, medical fitness and years of active ser-vice for service as a UNPOL in the field (as specified in the 2007 Guidelines for United Nations Police Of-ficers on Assignment with Peacekeeping Operations). i. Previous mission appraisals ii.Professional integ-rity

Clearly reiterated in the SOP. Clearly states that satisfactory performance rating during previous UN assignment/s is a requirement for new deployment. Both the PCC and each candidate must certify before deployment that the candidate has not been convicted of, and is not under in-vestigation or is being prosecuted for, any criminal, human rights or disciplinary offence.

Not reiterated in the Guide-lines. However, the same rules were applied before deployment. Not mentioned in the Guide-lines. However, same rules were applied. Only the PCC certified be-fore deployment that their candidates did not had not been convicted of, and was not under investigation or was being prosecuted for, any criminal, human rights or disciplinary offence.

6 Language proficiency assessment i.Reading/listening comprehension ii. Report-writing Re-assessment

Test and scoring boards developed in the Police Division with profes-sional language expert support 20 min; Pass mark: 70% 30 min: Pass mark xx% (new scor-ing matrix developed by language experts) Language assessment re-test is no longer allowed.

Tests developed in missions by UNPOL. Reading: 15 min; Pass mark: 60%Listening: 15 mins; Pass mark: 60% 30 min; Pass mark 60% Candidates scoring 50-60% in listening comprehension and report-writing are given the chance to be re-tested during the same SAT

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No Item/Topic 2012 AMS 2005 UN SAT7 Interview Minimum 20 min Assesses:

i) oral communication skills in mis-sion language;ii) professional experience, mis-sion-specific skills, and general understanding of UN core values (incl. gender-related issues);iii) basic level of computer profi-ciency

10 min; Assesses candi-dates understanding and verbal communication in mission language

8 Driving skills assess-ment i. Handling

Harmonized with the DFS Surface Transport Manual. The candidate must carry a valid national driving license and an of-ficial translation of it if it is not in the Latin alphabet, at the time of the assessment. Before the handling exercise the candidate has to show that s/he can read a license plate from a 20.5 meters distance. With a manual gear four-wheel drive vehicle, drive forward and reverse into parallel parking into a 4x2 meters parking space, then drive forward and reverse park into a 4x2 meters parking space and drive back to start on a standard 36.5x9 meters driving range within 5 min. The engine can only stall twice times. No limit to times of adjustment of the position of the car. A candidate who fails the handling exercise will immediately be given a second chance.

The candidate must have a valid national driving license. With a manual gear four-wheel drive vehicle, drive forward and reverse while avoiding an obstacle, and re-verse into parking a parking space and drive back to start within 3 min on a standard-ized 94x5.5 meters driving range. The engine can only stall twice. The candidates are only allowed to adjust the position of the vehicle three times from the time s/he starts reversing.

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No Item/Topic 2012 AMS 2005 UN SAT8 ii. Road exercise

Re-assessment

10 min in low traffic. Five points will be given for each capability failure, ten points for each kind of aggressive driving. Twenty points amounts to failure to pass. If the driver is a hazard to himself and others he will be immediately disqualified. Maximum three chances to pass in mission. No re-assessment of road exercise during SAAT.

In non-public road or low intensity traffic road. One point will be given for each capability failure. Twenty points amounts to failure to pass. Maximum three chances to pass in mission. No re-assessment of road exercise during SAT.

9 Firearms handling and shooting assess-menti. Safe cleaning of revolver ii. Pistol diss- and reassembly iii. Shooting

Within 1 minute Within 3 minutes Hit a 45x45 cm target with 4 out of five rounds from five meters and, depending on the first score, with 4 or five out of five rounds from seven meter. The total score must be at least 9 out of 10,

Within 5 minutesWithin 5 minutesHit 45x45 cm target with 4 out of 5 in each round from five meter and four out of five from seven meters. The total score must be min. 8 out of 10.

10 Computer proficiency See 7 iii. above11 Specific policing skills See 8.ii. above Candidates fill out brief one-

page form12 UN core values See 8.ii. above Not specified13 Validity of assess-

ment clearanceValidity of AMS clearance is 24 months from completion of as-sessment both in PCCs and in missions.

Validity of SAT results is 18 months from completion of assessment.

14 Re-deployment as-sessment

If candidate has served in a mis-sion for more than 6 months no further assessment is needed to be re-deployed if the time from departure from previous mission to induction in new mission does not exceed 24 months. New mis-sion has to have the same official language as that of the original assessment

If candidate has served in a mission for more than 6 months no further as-sessment needed to be re-deployed if the time from departure from previous mission to induction in new mission does not exceed 18 months

15 Post-assessment briefings to success-ful candidates and meetings with PCC authorities.

AMS instructors brief SAAT cleared candidates on the way forward to possible deployment. Relevant material about selection and recruitment is shared with PCC authorities.

The SAT conducts generic and mission specific brief-ings. Relevant material will be shared with PCC authorities.

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No Item/Topic 2012 AMS 2005 UN SAT16 Gender SRS should especially encourage

MSs to facilitate the participa-tion of female candidates through training and other appropriate measures and strongly encour-age Member States to nominate a minimum of twenty (20) percent female candidates for each SAAT visit. Preference for deployment will be given to equally qualified female candidates Interview asses understanding of gender-related issues (see 8.ii above) At least one female instructor on the SAAT.

Encourages PCCs to select and train qualified female police officers

17 Member States Pre-selection and prepa-ration for an assess-ment visit

Each PCC PCC are responsible to pre-screen candidates ensuring they meet the minimum requirement as set forth in the SOP. PCCs are encouraged to conduct pre-SAAT exercises to prepare candidates. One month prior to the SAAT visit a list with the number of candi-dates should be submitted to the DPKO Police Adviser. The list should specify each candidates:Full nameGenderDate of BirthNumber of a valid photo ID (same ID shall be used for identification at the SAAT)Date of entry into service

PCC responsible to pre-select candidates in ac-cordance with each field missions requirements, including ensure no record of misconduct. A list with the number of candidates should be sent to DPKO in advance of the SAT. List specifies candidates: Name Date of Birth Rank and National Police ID number Which mission the candi-date will possibly be de-ployed to

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No Item/Topic 2012 AMS 2005 UN SAT17 Only candidates on the list sent

one moth in advance will be as-sesses at the SAAT. Max. candidates in one SAAT: 800. Min. 50.

Not specified. Not specified.

18 Member States re-quest for assessment team visit

Request for a UN Selection Assist-ance and Assessment Team (SAAT) visit must be in writing and sent to the DPKO Police Advisor at least three months in advance. Member States may be granted up to two SAATs per year.

Request for a Selection Assistance Team (SAT) visit must be in writing (no time specified).Not specified.

19 The assessment team Only certified AMS instructors will assess candidates.

No specific training or certifi-cation for SAT members.

20 Capture of data All results from the SAAT will be kept in a database specially devel-oped for this purpose.

Manual records kept on the SAT results.

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ii.1.b importance of new assessment procedure

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