All's fair in race for PC to Sergeant promotions The Police Constable to Sergeant Promotion Exercise is underway again and set to improve on the mammoth gains made last year in fairness, impartiality and transparency. The success of 1998 revamp of the exercise made it the most open ever and this year further advancements have been made through streamlining administrative procedures. Senior Superintendent Moderator JPO Promotions Iain Tse Ho-yin said the 1999 exercise was continuing closely in the vein of last year's. "There have been some minor refinements but basically the exercise is the same as last year. We want to maintain the continuity of last year's fair, objective, professional and impartial exercise, keeping it equitable and thorough for all candidates," Mr Tse said. "Tremendous improvements had been brought about over previous years, complete with corruption prevention measures," he said. All candidates are now assessed with a standardised marking system, and questions asked in interviews are all drawn from a central question bank. Candidates are assessed by a Force Promotion Assessment Team (FPAT) sitting outside the formation where they are working. Promotion professor: SSP Iain Tse Ho-yin explains to promotion teams the importance of fairness "If they are, say, from Wan Chai, then they would be interviewed in a formation elsewhere and interviewers will not have a current working relationship with them. If anyone in a team has any close knowledge of, or relationship with, the candidate then they must declare a potential conflict of interest," said Mr Tse, who is also the Force Review Board (FRB) chairman. "This year there is also an emphasis on the promotion grading being consistent with performance reports over the last five years. The most suitable will then be considered by the FRB." The 13 FPATs are each made up of a Superintendent and two Chief Inspectors offering a diversity of experience. At least one in each team will have been serving in a crime unit. The assessments conducted by the teams are designed to ensure consistency throughout the Force. Their primary aim is to identify the strongest candidates for promotion from the group they are assessing. At the end of last year s exercise there was an evaluation of the changes by the SSP Moderator based on feedback from FPAT chairmen and formations. It showed the scheme was very well received. The changes were introduced as part of the process of continued development and the strive for excellence in Human Resources Management. The latest exercise is set to finish on October 30 when the promotion recommendations will be made to the Commissioner of Police, after which they will be subject to the normal vetting procedure. Successful candidates can expect to receive the results some time in January or February. Candidates not short-listed or recommended to the FRB will be notified as soon as possible during the exercise. More than 2,600 candidates have been recommended this year. "It is my personal feeling that a PC who has reached the stage in their career where they now fit the promotion bracket, I think they deserve to be treated with the greatest care and respect with openness, fairness and transparency," Mr Tse said. << Back to Index >>