Analytical Unit Proposal

Posted: December 21st, 2022

Analytical Unit Proposal

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Analytical Unit Proposal

Police offers in the process of investigating a case or an issue before them often collect relevant data to facilitate the investigative process. The police do not only collect data for the sake, but also strive to gather what is relevant. Today, police departments gather data from various avenues, including computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, observation, interaction with others, and vehicle mounted computers among other avenues. However, the objective should never be to gather data at random without knowing their meaning or impact taking into account that unregulated collection of data could result to a cluster of unusable or irrelevant data. The intention should always be to gather data for a particular reason while deploying effective data analysis techniques. Once the information is gathered with an intention, it is not the role of crime detectives and analysis to transform the data into useful information, then convert that into insight. In other words, data collection does not have any value unless it is easily perceived and has significance to the case. The analysis process offers insight into what one has or what they miss. The analysis finally organizes the content in a manner that results possibly to successful prosecution. With this idea in mind, the essay is a proposal of directions for establishing a unit responsible for analysis within a police department. The report addresses various key issues related to the initiative, encompassing the mission, goals, and objectives, as well as examines the functions of analysis within the police department. In addition, the report offers valuable information concerning staffing, procedures, and needed training to equip those responsible for the analysis process with valuable information. Also featuring in the analysis is the anticipated products. Completing the task helps to know the importance of data analysis within police department, and shows the value of having a special organ to oversee the process as a way of improving the value of the collected data.

Mission, Goals, and Objectives

Having a mission, goals, and objectives should be the starting point in the development of the analytical unit within the police department. Clarifying these is important because it helps to communicate the roles of the unit to stakeholders. In addition, creating aspirations is essential because it informs strategy development, as well as provides an opportunity to form the measurable goals and objectives, thus making it possible to measure the prosperity of the entity’s strategy (Hoek et al., 2016). Hence, the mission of the unit is to reiterate the significance of data analysis as a way of gaining valuable insight into what the data presents. On the other hand, one of the chief goals for the analytical unit is to facilitate the adoption of effective data analysis techniques taking into account that the use of more effective analytical forms increases the chances of getting the needed information that would help to understand particular cases and the factors surrounding them. The other goal of the unit is to continuously improve on the data analysis processes because constantly improving on the process increases the chances of making needed progress in the use of various data analysis processes. On the other hand, various objectives will also guide the analytical unit. One of the chief objectives is to make considerable progress in how the unit uses the various analytical techniques while aspiring to incorporate technological forms. The other objective is to improve the knowledge of those in charge of the analysis process to equip them with needed skills and information required to achieve impressive results in the practice.

Role of Analysis within the Department

Data analysis will play fundamental roles within the department. One of the key roles and functions is that the process will help the department and individual officers to make sense of data (Sharma, 2018). Analyzing the data will give the required insight, and will create awareness on what trends to follow when acting on particular issues (Sharma, 2018). The process will come in handy in solving critical cases where making decisions that are not based on facts could have devastating effects. Consequently, those in charge of the process should pay more attention to the exercise based on the impact of the practice on overall performance.

Staffing

Establishing an analytical unit requires those in charge of the process to pay considerable attention to staffing because the effort the group places in this area, will contribute significantly on how the group performs. Staffing is the practice of hiring eligible persons in the in the group and placing in different positions (Sultana & Razi, 2012). Often, those in charge of recruitment considers the knowledge and skills of the applicants or candidates and then give them specific functions accordingly. Hiring and developing the needed personnel is imperative because this provides an opportunity to handle the various functions, while ensuring that things go as planned (Sultana & Razi, 2012). Hence, at least ten people will be posted at the unit as a start. Each of the posted individuals will play different functions while seeking to achieve a common goal. They will coordinate among themselves to ensure that everything runs as expected. The staff will follow a hierarchy in the way they work, which means that a leader will offer guidance to junior employees on how the analysis processes should happen. Moreover, staff members will follow a code of conduct and code of ethics that determine how they perform their duties and relate with each other. The guidelines will ensure that no one violates the other or act in a way that could affect operations at the workstation. For instance, the regulations would ensure that staff members follow their leaders’ directives and have respect for their leaders. Consequently, having an appropriate staffing plan enhances the chances of improving operations at the unit, and presents a suitable chance to achieve the targeted goals. However, it is essential to mention that whereas staff members will hold various positions, they may be reshuffled depending on the departmental and unit needs.

However, it is imperative consider various key factors during the staffing process to increase the chances of achieving impressive outcome. A crucial factor would be to form a staffing plan because this will guide the entire recruitment process (Ekwoaba et al., 2015). Staffing the unit while following a definite plan helps to make sure that the group does not hire fewer personnel than is required or end up with too many service providers than is necessary. Either understaffing or overstaffing could result in conflicts among workers, revenue losses, and decreased productivity. The plan should depict the functions with the unit as well as the precise number of personnel required to perform the tasks. The staffing plan will also show the minimum qualification needed for every position. Furthermore, the team responsible for the hiring process should consider the short- and long-term objectives. Also important is that the plan will offer guidance on how to recruit people who will lead the unit towards its realization and who have the ability to handle the group’s future initiatives (Ekwoaba et al., 2015). In addition, effective staffing requires the team in charge of the recruitment to settle on the strategy it will utilize to settle on qualified personnel. Thus, the most suitable staffing technique for this case would be to place adverts on different platforms and invite qualified candidates to apply for the position of a data analyst. Another crucial factor to consider is to perform a human resource inventory analysis to find out if the staff members’ skills are competent enough before staffing the unit (Ekwoaba et al., 2015). The process will save the team from hiring workers with skills and knowledge the police department already has. Consequently, adhering to the staffing regulations increases the chances of achieving results.

Procedures

Various procedures will guide how the facility works. All the members will abide by the rules and regulations that define the work processes. In addition, each employee serving in the unit will follow a code of conduct and a code of ethics that will influence how they perform their work and relate to other members in the organization. Adhering to ethical guidelines is important according to Bulog and Grancic (2017) because this fosters decency and fairness in the working station. Moreover, abiding by ethical guidelines increases workers’ overall morale and improves the performance (Bulog & Grancic, 2017). In addition, analysts will follow procedures that allow them to handle the data analysis more effectively. For instance, the team will begin by gathering needed data before embarking on refinement and modelling of the data with the objective of uncovering the needed information. The procedures are important and everyone will be obliged to follow them.

Training

Training is a crucial practice for all workers regardless of the work they perform and their position. Training is appropriate because it offers the chance to increase one’s performance and productivity, and because empowered workers can effectively achieve uniformity of work practices (Rodriguez & Walters, 2017). In addition, training service providers serves as a suitable way of boosting their morale, and presents them with the opportunity to interact with emerging technology and information (Rodriguez & Walters, 2017). Hence, paying attention to training will facilitate how data analysts at the unit perform their duties. The group can identify external avenues that can offer the needed training to the selected individuals to steer the data analysis process. A suitable approach in this case is to find an approved training facility that has the capacity to advance how the trainees offer their services. Alternatively, the department can organize an internal training program where those selected to serve at the unit interact with more qualified personnel or invited trainers to acquire more helpful information. Regardless of the selected method, the group must make some commitment to make the initiative a success. For instance, in the case where the analyst attend training at an external facility, the management may have to offer financial aid to facilitate the process. On the other hand, administrators may have to offer needed assistance to avail the needed resources in an event where the training takes place internally. Besides, it would be necessary to alter the working timetable for those who undergo the training process to allow them enough time to attend the required sessions. The chances of achieving the best results from the training process is likely to increase when all stakeholders support the initiative and view it as one that will elevate how data analysis happens.

The training process will yield the desired results by considering other equally essential factors. It is essential to understand the training needs of those who serve in the various capacities to be able to decide what they pursue. Appraising or evaluating worker performance may provide tips on who require what type of training (Khair, 2013). The practice would save resources and time because trainees may not have to undergo the whole package if they already understand certain concepts. In addition, it is essential to have a training manager to steer the process and be responsible of defining the training needs. The training manager will identify other weaknesses and strengths, and determine the needed resources for training. Overall, having a training or program manager will facilitate the planning and execution of all training initiatives and practices within the unit. A suitable training manager is one who is motivated, curious, and open-minded. The manager should also have the interest to develop the service providers’ skills to allow them achieve their aspirations and potential (Rodriguez & Walters, 2017). Another important factor to consider is to align the training to organizational aspirations. Once training needs are identified, they must be placed in accordance with the departmental desires and initiatives. Hence, the manager should formulate a plan to address issues that could deter the training process and support the achievement of the desired goals. Also important is to set the training goals and rely on particular metrics to determine whether the practice yields the targeted outcomes (Gogoi & Baruah, 2021). Setting goals is a crucial process that would help to determine how the trainees go about the training process and how the management commits to the practice.

Expected Products

Adhering to all processes to the letter will improve the likelihood for achieving the targeted goals. One of the anticipated products is to become more effective in the data analysis process, a practice that will impact significantly on how the police department handles certain issues that come before it. Improving data analytics will provide real-time insight about various operations apart from mitigating crime. For instance, achieving impressive results in this area will allow teams with the unit and the department at large to work as a team and achieve more impressive results based on the argument by Assbeihat (2016) that collaboration enhances the probability of achieving impressive results. In addition, paying considerable attention to this area presents a suitable opportunity to mitigate risks and handle constraints more effectively. In addition, an effective data analysis process will provide the chance to offer personalized service, an approach that is increasingly becoming part and parcel of many organizations that focus on improving the experience of their clients. In addition, the department is more likely to take a critical approach towards its duties with increased focus on data analysis. The practice will transform the views of those who work at the unit and in other areas by making them to take a critical view of everything that they handle rather than merely relying on unfounded data. However, it is only possible to realize the targeted results if all involved parties play their part and consider the exercise as one that requires commitment and attention. Trainees should be keen on all aspects that they learn to be increasingly competent, while the management should give needed support. In the long run, the police department will get over the days of making uninformed or less effective decisions due to the absence of proper data analysis techniques.

Summary

Police officers collect data from different sources as part of their duties, but the data may not be as useful if analysts do not give in-depth overview to form appropriate information that is useful in various areas. Thus, the analysis shows the need of creating an analytical unit within the police department that would facilitate data analysis and improve how collected data turn into useful information. Adopting effective data analysis processes and practices will play crucial roles and introduce numerous benefits that will allow the department to mitigate crime more effectively. A fundamental aspect is to rely on a mission, goals, and objectives that are realistic, practical, and achievable. In addition, relying on effective staffing techniques will improve how the newly created unit functions, and the data analysis processes will happen as effectively as possible because the group will seek the services of qualified and competent personnel. The unit will rely on well-laid procedures that will determine how activities happen to achieve systematic operations within the unit. The procedures will also guide people’s behavior and relations towards each other as a way of creating a working environment where the staff work in harmony. The staff charged with different duties will undergo training to be in a position to perform the data analysis more effectively while relying on modern technology. The department can rely on both internal and external training programs depending on availability of resources and needs. Adhering to all recommendations increases the chances of achieving the targeted aspirations. Specifically, the police department will enhance how it deals with various issues due to improved data analysis processes.

References

Assbeihat, J. (2016). The impact of collaboration among members on team’s performance. Management and Administrative Sciences Review, 5(5), 248-259. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311811209_The_Impact_of_Collaboration_among_Members_on_Team’s_Performance

Bulog, I., & Grancic, I. (2017). The benefits of business ethics – ethical behavior of decision makers: The empirical findings from Croatia. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 8(4), 9-14. doi:10.2478/mjss-2018-0067

Ekwoaba, J., Ikeije, U., & Ufoma, N. (2015). The impact of recruitment and selection criteria on organizational performance. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 3(2), 22-33. https://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Impact-of-Recruitment-and-Selection-Criteria-on-Organizational-Performance.pdf

Gogoi, K., & Baruah, P. (2021). Goal setting: Its impact on employee outcome. SCMS Journal of Indian Management, 75-86. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350896028_Goal_Setting_Its_Impact_on_Employee_Outcome

Hoek, M., Groeneveld, S., & Kuipers, B. (2016). Goal setting in teams: Goal clarity and team performance in the public sector. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 38(4), 472-493. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X16682815

Khair, Q. (2013). Factors contributing to quality of training and effecting employee job satisfaction. The Business & Management Review, 3(4), 61-74. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322164496_Factors_contributing_to_quality_of_training_and_effecting_employee_job_satisfaction

Rodriguez, J., & Walters, K. (2017). The importance of training and development in employee performance and evaluation. WWJMRD, 3(10), 206-212. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332537797_The_Importance_of_Training_and_Development_in_Employee_Performance_and_Evaluation

Sharma, B. (2018). Processing of data and analysis. Biostatistics and Epidemiology International Journal, 1(1), 3-5. doi: 10.30881/beij.00003

Sultana, N., & Razi, A. (2012). Is recruitment and staffing decision are crucial to success? Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 12(20), 81-85. https://globaljournals.org/GJMBR_Volume12/11-Is-Recruitment-and-Staffing.pdf