NCJ Number
95544
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 53 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1984) Pages: 14-20
Date Published
1984
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The police force of Basel, Switzerland, used structure analysis to improve the organization's effectiveness and efficiency.
Abstract
The Analysis of the Police (ANAPOL) project was a tool for reorienting and streamlining the organization, as well as an educational process for all members of the organization. The project divided the police force into 13 units and selected officers from different units to gather and analyze data. Each unit then provided information about the number and rank of persons in that unit, all unit functions and tasks, the results of each task, the recipients of these results, who worked on what task how many days a year, and the technical means and material used. This exercise showed how the time was allocated and identified a unit's priorities. Results were analyzed and discussed by the working teams and the units affected. A steering committee then determined the core functions of the unit and formulated future priorities and performance targets. Four general principles were developed for the organization: maximize primary police tasks, do work at its origin, use generalists instead of specialists, and develop leaders instead of administrators. ANAPOL's success can be attributed to acceptance of the project within the agency, a constant flow of information, a combination of talents and experiences, omission of quantitative targets, and the commitment of top management. Charts are provided.