PROMOTION
PROCEDURE GUIDELINES
UNIFORMED POLICE CLASSIFICATIONS, EXCEPT CHIEF
CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
ADOPTED: JUNE 24, 2004
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Promotion Procedure Guidelines (hereafter referred to as Guidelines) is to provide direction for the promotion of Uniformed Police Personnel for all ranks except Chief. Promotion refers to the advancement of an employee from one classification to a position of another classification of a higher grade pursuant to a competitive selection process.
II. RESPONSIBILITY
The responsibility for establishing policy and general procedure guidelines regarding the promotion of Uniformed Police Personnel rests with the City of Little Rock Civil Service Commission.
The responsibility for the administration of this Uniformed Police Personnel promotion process rests with the Director of Human Resources (hereafter referred to as the Director). The Director is authorized and directed to develop and implement administrative procedures and test components to ensure the efficient and professional administration of the guidelines. The Director may modify such administrative procedures and test components as necessary to ensure compliance with the Guidelines. The Director shall also act as a technical advisor to the Civil Service Commission with respect to promotion matters. The responsibility for the initiation of timely promotion related activities for all ranks within the Little Rock Police Department rests with the Director.
The Police Chief shall ensure the:
timely development of reading/study lists for candidates and distribution thereof,
timely collection and preparation of candidate records and files as necessary for personnel record review process,
timely maintenance and reporting of applicant education data relative to the education component,
availability of in-house subject matter experts to assist in written examination development,
timely distribution of job and examination announcements, and
availability of in-house command level personnel to serve as personnel record review assessors.
III. PROCEDURES
A. Announcements
The Director shall make all reasonable effort to announce and implement testing procedures according to a timetable that will result in certification of a new eligibility list upon expiration of the previous list. The anticipated eligibility list certification dates for the ranks of Lieutenant and Sergeant through 2006 are presented in Chart I below. After 2006, the Director shall continue to make all reasonable effort to announce and implement testing procedures according to a timetable that will result in certification of a new eligibility list upon expiration of the previous list. A promotion process for the classifications of Police Captain, and Assistant Police Chief shall be scheduled to fill a vacancy or a projected vacancy.
1. At least 60 days before the written test for those ranks requiring a written test, the Director shall announce a list of reading materials from which the test will be constructed.
2. At least 30 days before the date of the written test for those ranks requiring a written test, the Director shall announce:
· The date, location, and time of the written examination.
· Eligibility to compete in the selection process.
· The promotion components, maximum points possible per each component, and additional information regarding the components or the process.
· Source materials used in construction of the test.
· Other information as necessary.
3. For Police Captain and Assistant Police Chief, the Director shall provide the following notice at least 30 days before the first component:
· The date, location, and time of the first component.
· Eligibility to compete in the selection process.
· The promotion components, maximum points possible per each component, and additional information regarding the components or the process.
· Other information as necessary.
B. General Provisions
Letters and/or notices to candidates shall be issued as necessary by the Director to explain and/or give notice about critical dates, action required by the candidate, documents required from the candidate specific to each component, and other information. Failure to comply with the requirements described in these letters/notices shall result in disqualification.
Candidates who arrive late for any component or fail to submit application or component documents by the announced deadline shall be immediately disqualified.
C. Application
Eligible current City employees must complete and submit an Application for Position Change form by the announced application deadline for all announced positions.
IV. ELIGIBILITY LISTS
A. Upon completion of the promotion components (Chart III), including any appeals, the candidates shall be ranked in the order of their standing and their names placed on a list to be submitted for certification by the Civil Service Commission.
B. Beginning in 2004, the effective period of the eligibility lists for Sergeant and Lieutenant shall be two years from the date of certification by the Civil Service Commission. The effective period of the list certified in 2003 for Lieutenant shall be stated in Chart 1.
C. For Police Captain and Assistant Chief, the effective period of the eligibility list shall be one year from the date of certification by the Civil Service Commission.
D. The Police Chief may select any of the three (3) standing highest on the certified list for promotion to the rank for which the candidate has competed providing that the candidate meets the minimum service requirement for promotion to that rank as indicated in Chart II. Regardless of ranking on the certified list, a person will not be considered as standing among the three (3) highest on the certified list until he meets the minimum service requirement as indicated in Chart II.
E. At the expiration of the effective period of the list, all right of priority under the list shall cease.
CHART I
ANTICIPATED CERTIFICATION DATES AND EFFECTIVE PERIODS
UNIFORMED POLICE RANKS
|
RANK |
CURRENT LIST EXPIRES |
ANTICIPATED CERTIFICATION IN 2003 |
ANTICIPATED CERTIFICATION IN 2004 |
ANTICIPATED CERTIFICATION IN 2005 |
ANTICIPATED CERTIFICATION IN 2006 |
|
Asst. Police Chief |
NA |
Only if needed |
Only if needed |
Only if needed |
Only if needed |
|
Police Captain |
NA |
6/03 (1-yr list)* |
Only if needed |
Only if needed |
Only if needed |
|
Police Lieutenant |
12/20/03 |
12/20/03 (16-mo. list) |
--------- |
4/28/05 (2-yr list) |
--------- |
|
Police Sergeant |
3/14/04 |
--------- |
3/14/04 (2-yr list) |
--------- |
3/14/06 (2-yr list) |
*Announced pursuant to Promotion Procedure Guidelines and Civil Service Rules and Regulations prior to Act 280 of 2003.
V. PROMOTION ELIGIBILITY
A. A Little Rock police employee serving in an eligible classification as listed in Chart II shall be eligible to compete in the promotion process for, Lieutenant or Sergeant if he satisfies the applicable minimum service requirements listed in Chart II or if he is within twelve (12) months of meeting the applicable time in service requirements listed in Chart II.
B. For Captain and Assistant Police Chief, a Little Rock police employee serving in an eligible classification as listed in Chart II shall be eligible to compete in the applicable promotion process if he satisfies the applicable minimum service requirements listed in Chart II.
C. To be eligible for promotion to the rank of Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, or Assistant Chief the candidate must be a uniformed Little Rock Police employee who satisfies the eligibility requirements indicated in Chart II and stands among the top three (3) on the certified eligibility list. (See IV. Eligibility Lists, item D.)
D. The time of service in the eligible classification shall be computed to the date of the written test. For the ranks of Captain and Assistant Chief the time in service in the eligible classification will be computed to the 15th day after the closing date indicated on the announcement.
CHART II
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
|
For Promotion
To |
Eligible Classification |
Minimum Service In Eligible Classification |
|
Sergeant |
Police Officer |
5 years |
|
Lieutenant |
Sergeant |
1 year |
|
Captain |
Lieutenant |
1 year |
|
Assistant Chief |
Lieutenant or above |
1 year as Lieutenant |
VI. PROMOTION COMPONENTS
The promotion process for each rank is comprised of different components (see chart III).
CHART III
POLICE PROMOTION COMPONENTS
AND MAXIMUM POINTS PER COMPONENT
|
Promotion To (Subject Rank): |
Education |
Written Test |
Assessment
Center/ |
Personnel Records/Accomplishments Review |
|
Sergeant |
3 points |
38 points |
39 points |
20 points |
|
Lieutenant |
3 points |
25 points |
52 points |
20 points |
|
Captain |
8 points |
NA |
72 points |
20 points |
|
Asst. Chief |
8 points |
NA |
72 points |
20 points |
A. Composite Score
1. Candidates will be ranked by composite score. The composite score is the sum of the points obtained by an individual in each component. The maximum composite score is 100 points. Example - If a candidate scores as follows: Education points = 2, written test points = 20, Assessment Center points = 40, and Personnel Records/Accomplishments Review points = 15, the composite score is 77 (2+20+40+15).
2. All candidates for promotion may personally receive information as to the composite score that he received on all promotion factors, beginning the first workday after the Civil Service Commission has certified an eligibility list for the specified rank.
B. Education
Applicants will earn credit for education as follows (applicant is credited only the points applicable to the highest level of education achieved):
1. Sergeant (maximum 3 points)
· 1-1/2 points for Associate Degree or
· 1-1/2 points for 60 hours toward a Bachelor’s Degree or
· 3 points for a Bachelor’s Degree or higher
2. Lieutenant (maximum 3 points)
· 1 point for Associate Degree or
· 1 point for 60 hours toward a Bachelor’s Degree or
· 2 points for a Bachelor’s Degree or
· 3 points for a Post Graduate Degree
3. Captain (maximum 8 points)
· 1-1/2 points for Associate Degree or
· 1-1/2 points for 60 hours toward a Bachelor’s Degree or
· 5 points for a Bachelor’s Degree or
· 8 points for a Post Graduate Degree
4. Assistant Police Chief (maximum 8 points)
· 1-1/2 points for Associate Degree or
· 1-1/2 points for 60 hours toward a Bachelor’s Degree or
· 5 points for a Bachelor’s Degree or
· 8 points for a Post Graduate Degree
Sixty (60) or more college hours will be considered the equivalent of an Associate Degree. No additional points will be awarded until a Bachelor’s Degree or higher has been obtained.
Only degrees/hours completed at an institution accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education will be accepted.
C. Written Examination
For each rank, all applicants for the specific rank will be administered the written test at the same time and date.
A candidate may be permitted to take the written examination at an alternate location pursuant to the following circumstances:
· the candidate is scheduled for military duty on the day of the test and the candidate provides acceptable documentation that he made reasonable effort to reschedule the military duty,
· the candidate is on Little Rock Police Department business out-of-state on the day of the test,
· the candidate is out-of-state attending to an emergency situation such as the death or hospitalization of a member of his immediate family,
· acceptable written evidence of the scheduling conflict is provided to the Director before the announced test date and time,
· an acceptable test monitor is available at the alternate location and the monitor agrees to perform the monitor duties as prescribed by the Human Resources Department,
· the monitor guarantees that security of test materials as prescribed will be maintained prior to, during, and after the scheduled test time, and
· the test is administered at the alternate test location at the announced time and date.
A committee consisting of one representative of the Office of the Chief of Police and one representative from the Human Resources Department will determine if the requirements for an alternate test location are satisfied. The decision of this committee is final.
This test component will cover the sources (or a portion thereof) specified in the reading list. The Director shall implement procedures to ensure the security of the test during the test development and test administration process. Candidates must pass the test to be eligible to participate in the remainder of the promotion process.
No passing/cutoff score will be determined prior to administration of the test. A modified Angoff Procedure combined with an analysis of the actual test scores, item analysis, natural breaks in the distribution, and test utility will be utilized to determine the passing score. Candidates will be notified of the passing score as soon as possible after administration of the written examination.
1. Review of Written Test
Beginning the third Human Resources Department business day following the written test, candidates may review their written test answer sheets and a test key and submit a written appeal relative to the accuracy of any test question or keyed answer. The review period duration is five Human Resources Department business days. If a holiday observed by the City, or extraordinary circumstance as determined by the Director, occurs in this period, the review period shall be extended proportionately to provide applicants the entire five-day review period.
2. Appeal of Written Test Items
A candidate may appeal any test question or keyed answer. The appeal shall be submitted in writing to the Director during the review period. The Director shall confer with the consultant, if applicable, and other advisors to determine the final keyed answer. Appeals will be published without the name of the appellant so that other interested candidates may support or challenge the appeal.
If an appeal is found to be valid, the Director will determine the appropriate remedial action and rescore all test answer sheets. Each examinee will be notified of the appeal decision and his revised test score.
D. Assessment Center/Behavioral Simulation
This component will consist of exercises designed to assess supervisory/management skills. The candidate’s responses will be videotaped, or recorded in written form in the case of an in-basket or other written exercise, and presented later to a panel of trained assessors for evaluation. The assessors will be law enforcement personnel equal to or higher than the subject rank and will be members of a law enforcement agency outside the state of Arkansas. For the Police Captain process, the City may administer and/or score the Assessment Center, or contract with a firm to administer and/or score the Assessment Center, utilizing current or former law enforcement personnel or other trained assessment professionals. For the Assistant Chief process the assessors will be current or former law enforcement personnel equal to or higher than the subject rank. (Note: If the process is for promotion to Sergeant, the assessors will hold the rank of Sergeant or higher.)
1. Review of Videotape of Exercises
Beginning the third Human Resources Department business day following the release of the scores for this component, a candidate may review the videotape of his performance in the exercise(s). The review period duration is five Human Resources Department business days. If a holiday observed by the City, or extraordinary circumstance as determined by the Director, occurs in this period, the review period shall be extended proportionately to provide applicants the entire five-day review period.
2. Appeal
A candidate may appeal his outcome in this examination by following the appeal procedures. Following notification of his rating on this component, the candidate may initiate an appeal by making an appointment to review his video-recorded performance. After reviewing this video, the candidate will be required to provide a written explanation of his appeal.
Utilizing the videotaped information and the appeal information submitted by the candidate, a panel of assessors will review the appeal and decide whether the candidate’s rating is: a) reasonable (remains the same), b) should be raised, or c) should be lowered.
The reviewing panel will be trained to conduct the review and may be drawn in part or whole from the group of assessors who originally rated the candidate. As indicated regarding the original assessors, the panel members will hold a rank equal to or higher than the subject rank and shall be law enforcement officers outside the state of Arkansas.
A candidate for the Police Captain promotion process may appeal the results of an assessment center developed by the Human Resources Department by following the procedures presented above. The appeal panel may consist of current or former law enforcement personnel or other trained assessment professionals.
E. Personnel Records/Accomplishments Review
This component involves a systematic approach to evaluating a candidate’s professional history/accomplishments. Candidates passing the written test will have their personnel record evaluated by a panel of command-level officers with the Little Rock Police Department. For promotion to ranks of Lieutenant and Sergeant, a panel of command-level officers with the Little Rock Police Department, i.e., Assistant Chiefs, Captains, and Lieutenants, depending upon the subject rank, will be trained to conduct the personnel records/accomplishments review. Each candidate for the rank of Lieutenant, and Sergeant will have the opportunity to contribute to the selection from the pool of trained command-level officers to serve as evaluators on the panel.
For promotion to the rank of Assistant Police Chief, a panel consisting of executive level personnel, i.e., Department Directors and Assistant Department Directors shall be trained to conduct the reviews.
For promotion to the rank of Captain, a panel consisting of Department Directors and Assistant Department Directors or other qualified assessment personnel shall be trained to conduct the reviews.
Before the panel reviews the record, a candidate will have the opportunity to review his personnel record and provide written clarification as he deems necessary.
Following certification of the eligibility list, the Human Resources Department will provide each candidate a numerical report of his ratings per each competency.
The rating of the panel is not subject to appeal.
F. Panel Interview
The Civil Service Commission shall conduct a panel interview of the top three candidates certified to the eligibility list for the rank of Assistant Chief. The Commission will make an informal non-binding recommendation to the Chief of Police.
VII. MISCELLANEOUS
The Human Resources Department will provide a copy of the certified list to the Chief of Police as soon as reasonably possible following Civil Service Commission certification. The Police Chief is then responsible for the distribution of the certified list to all work locations as soon as reasonably possible.
In these guidelines, only the masculine gender is used for simplification; it is understood that the City applies these guidelines to all employees without distinction of gender and without discrimination.
These guidelines shall be effective immediately following approval by the Civil Service Commission.
Previous Promotion Procedure Guidelines for Uniformed Police Classifications were revised and adopted by the Commission: July 27, 2000; January 23, 2003, May 29, 2003, and January 8, 2004.