Identifying levels of policing in terms of qualification levels

: development of an original generic competency model

Abstract

This doctorate portfolio develops and tests an original occupation-neutral Generic Competency Model that distinguishes progressive levels of policing in terms of internationally recognised qualification frameworks. Drawing on continental European competency theory, the model reduces earlier seven-fold taxonomies to four mutually exclusive domains: professional, contextual, social and individual. A unique feature is that each domain is expressed through four identical dimensions, yielding 16 key indicators for identifying level differences.

Three empirical strands underpin the research. Firstly, a longitudinal content analysis compares Dutch police occupational profiles from 1999 to 2019, revealing shifts in task allocation between the field and educational experts in the conceptual stage and highlighting the need for consistent level markers. Secondly, a Delphi study involving experienced ‘bachelor level-6’ police officers from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany establishes criterion validity for the 16 indicators and confirms their relevance across national contexts. Thirdly, the author’s over two decades of curriculum design and accreditation work at the Police Academy of the Netherlands furnish practice-based evidence of the model’s utility for curriculum construction, workplace assessment and prior-learning recognition.

Findings show that the 4-by-4 Matrix effectively differentiates vocational, bachelor and master performance by calibrating decision latitude and methodical comprehensiveness (as professional competencies), situational complexity and stakeholder scope (as contextual competencies), relational and communicative skills (as social competencies) and reflexivity and information interpretation (as individual competencies). Alignment of competencies with EQF and FHEQ1 descriptors enables direct comparison between experiential policing expertise and higher-education outcomes, thus offering organisations an integrated HRM2 and educational planning tool.

The research concludes that adopting the Generic Competency Model can standardise language across police services and expand lifelong-learning pathways. Because of its occupation-neutral abstraction it serves as a transferable template for other professional sectors.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Canterbury Christ Church University