Maximising the return on investment

Our xd mapping solution displays location data on incidents, crime and resources visually so that police analysts can identify patterns and trends. It’s used by 25 UK forces to support investigations, understand risk and improve performance, and Essex Police is a long-term customer.

To support its growing focus on hotspot policing, the force wanted to be sure its analysts were using the full potential of xd. However, they also needed to be sure that any training needs would be met cost-effectively and delivered with minimal disruption. That’s where our Training Needs Analysis comes in.

Devising a tailored training solution

We developed our Training Needs Analysis to help forces identify any knowledge gaps and fill them quickly and efficiently.

Through a simple online survey that allows analysts to report their level of confidence with key aspects of xd, it reveals exactly where training is needed. All responses are confidential too, so that areas of concern or requests for help can be reported freely.

The questions cover the basics, such as analysts’ understanding of technical terms like ‘isochrones’. It also covers more complex tasks that may be vital to future planning or ongoing investigations, for example how far a suspected offender could have travelled in a certain time frame.

After collating the feedback, we then recommend a training programme to upskill the team in key areas while minimising time away from their critical roles.

Delivering training for Essex Police

After reviewing our recommendations, Essex Police commissioned us to deliver a series of online training sessions and the feedback from the analysts has been positive:

“The pace of the course was excellent. The environment was relaxed to allow participants to freely ask questions or catch up when required. No awful “test” at the end. Recaps helped reinforce the learning. One of the best courses I have attended.”

“Trainer was fantastic at checking everyone understood, and was really good at taking further questions and helping troubleshoot.”

We will repeat the feedback exercise after a few weeks too, to check whether participants are using xd with more confidence in their day to day roles.