As part of a strategic move to improve its international and domestic image, the government of a South East Asian country instructed its Ministry of Interior to change the way its ‘paramilitary’ police force operated. First, a wholesale change of police culture was required.
TOR was contracted to manage this change. Our team assessed the national police standards and developed a long term strategic plan with progressive operational objectives and timelines. A programmed shift towards ‘community-based policing’ was identified as an essential foundation for change. To achieve this, we needed gradually and sensitively to win over resistant elements within the force.
An extensive package of internationally accredited training programs was embraced by the Ministry of the Interior and undertaken initially by TOR’s external subject-matter experts. TOR then instigated a program to develop local police training capability that would gradually reduce the reliance on international trainers. Ultimately, an external monitoring and auditing approach will be required.