The new trial, which incorporates the best of OSPRE and National Police Promotion Framework, will be set within the context of a holistic approach to promotion backed by the College of Police Leadership.  The actions have been backed by Board members from the Association of Chief Police Officers, Association of Police Authorities, the Police Federation, the Superintendents' Association and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Martin Cross, Chair of the PPEB, said: ""I am delighted that all members of the PPEB were able to agree a way forward to take advantage of what we have learnt from the Police Promotion Trial and many years' experience of OSPRE.  Trialling the new Framework with an increased number of participating forces will provide us with the evidence to enable us to make sound judgements about the future.  Working with the College of Police Leadership to set the promotion framework for sergeants and inspectors within the wider context of the whole service from recruit to Chief Officer also represents a great opportunity for progress."

The National Police Promotion Framework is a four step process designed to develop a police officer's ability to work at sergeant or inspector level.  The National Police Promotion Framework will:

• allow Forces to manage the number of qualified officers to match the number of vacancies available in each force
• allow individual Forces to design and implement a promotion selection process that best suits their needs while conforming to the national framework instead of dealing with the constraints of a national assessment centre
• will ensure officers are properly supported via Performance and Development Reviews (PDRs) 

The final step will include a one year work-based assessment placement. This will provide greater opportunity to assess whether the officer has the required knowledge, skills, technical competence and leadership qualities to perform effectively in the role.

The NPIA has developed a rigorous licensing system that Forces will have to adopt before they can start to implement the promotions framework.  The NPIA College of Police Leadership will review key areas of leadership, qualifications, accreditation and promotion in line with the recommendations of the HMIC report 'Leading from the Frontline' and the Green Paper on Policing, and will aim to allow officers to build stage by stage throughout their career.

The National Police Promotion Framework includes the following steps:

• Step 1 - Suitability. Candidates must have completed probation and be competent in their current rank, as assessed through the Performance Development Review
• Step 2 - Legal examination (OSPRE® Part I exam). Candidates must demonstrate the appropriate legal knowledge relevant to the rank which has been applied for
• Step 3 - Assessment against role specific competencies and matching to vacancies. Candidates must demonstrate potential against the full range of required National Occupational Competencies. Additional competencies may also be required for specific roles
• Step 4 - Temporary promotion and work-based assessment. Candidates are provided with an opportunity to demonstrate competence in the relevant rank aspired to over, a period of at least 12 months.

Licensing:
The Interim Licence will confirm that a force has appropriate plans in place to implement the National Police Promotion Framework

The Confirmed Licence will validate forces' actual implementation of the National Police Promotion Framework. The NPIA has worked with key stakeholders who are members of the Project Implementation Board, to deliver improvements to the system.  Members of the Project Board include the Association of Chief Police Officers, Association of Police Authorities, the Police Federation, the Superintendents Association, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, Skills for Justice and Forces who provide valuable input to the project.  The seven forces involved in the Police Promotion Trial since 2004 are Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire (inspectors only), Merseyside, Metropolitan Police Service, Sussex and Thames Valley. All seven Forces involved in the trial continue to provide feedback on developments through consultation events and three Forces (the MPS, Sussex and Thames Valley) have places on the Project Implementation Board.

The NPIA will administer a selection process in order to select the three new forces, from those that register an interest in undertaking the trial.

NPIA has a dedicated webpage about the National Police Promotion Framework - www.npia.police.uk/promotions - which gives information about the new framework.