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Inaugural Graduation of An Garda Síochána Executive Police Leadership Programme

Date: 08 Jan 2008

Back Row (L-R) Chief Superintendent John Kelly, Chief Superintendent Kieran McGann, Assistant Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan, Chief Superintendent John Grogan, Detective Chief Superintendent Campbell Corrigan (Strathclyde Police), Chief Superintendent Michael Feehan, Assistant Commissioner Louis Harkin, Chief Superintendent Kevin Ludlow, Chief Superintendent Michael Byrnes, Chief Superintendent Patrick Murphy, Chief Superintendent Fintan Fanning.

Front Row (L-R) Deputy Commissioner Martin Callinan, Professor Eamon Walsh, PwC Professor of Accounting, Assistant Commissioner Catherine Clancy, Prof. Tom Begley, Dean UCD Schools of Business, Dr. Padraic Conway, Vice-President University Relations, Deputy Commissioner Peter Fitzgerald, Dr. Phillip Matthews, Director of Executive Education, Prof. Aidan Kelly, Director of UCD Smurfit School, Superintendent Yvonne O'Connor.

The first class from the An Garda Síochána Executive Police Leadership Programme graduated recently at a ceremony held in the Garda training facilities at Templemore, Co. Tipperary.

The programme was developed by UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in partnership with An Garda Siochana and provides an Advanced Management Diploma in Police Leadership.

The programme comprises nine modules delivered over a nine month period at the Garda training facilities in Templemore, Co. Tipperary with one module outsourced to the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. The class size is limited each year to 12/14 participants, all of chief superintendent rank or above and each year the programme has had participants from the Police Forces in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The core modules include:

• Team Development in Organisations
• Strategic HR and Performance Management
• Strategic Management
• Change Management
• Negotiation Strategy & Skills
• Managing Organisational Integrity
• Leadership
• Knowledge & Organisational Learning
• Strategic Finance

Each module comprises a three hour action-learning session focusing on the development of learning journals and personal development plans. Coaching is provided to project groups and individuals by a team of four executive coaches throughout the programme.

Chief Superintendent Mick Feehan is perhaps typical of the intake. He is based in one of Dublin’s toughest inner city neighbourhoods. But like many fellow officers, he is no stranger to further education. He holds an MBS from UCD Smurfit School and is currently completing a PhD on governance at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Commenting on some of the key benefits of the Programme Chief Superintendent Feehan said:

“Every day, people at my level; are in negotiation, whether it’s a local authority that we’re working with on joint policing committee or with elected politicians. The course has been a huge assistance in preparing us for those types of engagement.”

Commenting on the success of the programme, Prof Tom Begley, Dean UCD Business Schools, who teaches on the programme, said:

“We are delighted to partner with the Garda Síochána to provide this innovative and exciting executive development programme for the next generation of top leaders within the Garda ranks. Such programmes demonstrate UCD Smurfit School’s ability to design and deliver customised Executive Education programmes that are tailored to meet the specific requirements of organisations through a combination of contemporary business content and highly interactive action learning.”