Manpower Department

KEY HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN FY 2006

Review of Police Officer (PO) Progression Guidelines – Lifting of Station Inspector (SI) Ceiling for Acting Inspector Selection

The Manpower Department (MPD) conducted a review of the PO progression framework to ensure adequate career advancement opportunities, particularly for high potential officers. The outcome is that Senior Station Inspector (1) and Senior Station Inspector (2) can now be nominated and appointed as Acting Inspector and Probationary Inspector respectively. This change would allow all officers of Staff Sergeant rank and above to have the opportunity to advance to the Senior Officer (SO) ranks.

Supporting Officers and their Families through S2006

To enhance organisational resilience during the IMF-WB Board of Governors Annual Meetings 2006 or S2006, MPD rolled out a series of initiatives to prepare and support the officers and their families. As officers were expected to be heavily deployed, the Commanders and Directors sent personal letters to their officers’ families to let them know what the officers would be going through and how they could prepare themselves. Families were given ‘preparation brochures’ and a magnet where they could write down useful contact numbers of the officers’ units for ease of reference. In this way, officers could focus better at work.

MPD also took great efforts to ensure sufficient and timely welfare provisions for officers. Feedback was actively gathered from frontline officers through morale sensing and morale management operations in order to respond quickly to the varied needs of the officers. Post-S2006, appreciation dinners were held across all units and officers were also given a S2006 commemorative token of appreciation. More welfare facilities were also made available, encouraging officers and their families to come together again.

Driving Leadership Development

MPD has been investing constantly in leadership development to meet the demands of the changing environment. Several new programmes were rolled out for high-potential officers such as:

For Senior Officers (SOs):

• 360-degree feedback exercises to highlight areas of strengths and personal blind spots; and
• Formal mentoring programmes where Leadership Group (LG) members share their experiences and    personal learning with their mentees.

For Police Officers (POs):

• A Leadership Command and Development Centre was developed, which uses job-relevant simulation    exercises to assess officers on their leadership competencies and to highlight areas for development;    and
• Unit leadership development programmes that provide continuous and targeted development in the    officers’ natural work setting.

PLANS FOR FY 2007

Organisational Health Survey (OHS) 2007 Feedback will be gathered from all officers to drive changes both at the unit and organisational levels, as MPD strives to create an ideal workplace for officers. The next OHS will be conducted sometime in October 2007.

Civilianisation Programme

The programme aims to fill non-operational policing posts with civilian officers. The desired end result is increased professionalism in areas such as technology and human resources, and more optimal deployment of uniformed officers in operational policing functions.

Salary Adjustment

SO, PO and civilian schemes of service had fallen behind market benchmarks and were facing increased attrition and decreased recruitment rates. To maintain competitive remuneration, eligible SOs and POs received 4% and 5% salary increases respectively with effect from April 2007, and performance-based payments were announced for all three schemes. MPD is also working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to look at advancement and developmental opportunities for officers.