Optimizing expected policy outcomes through creative problem structuring: Police human resource development policy in the southeast Sulawesi regional police, Indonesia
Amirullah Amirullah1
Eka Suaib2
Abdul Kadir3
La Ode Bahana Adam4
Zaludin Zaludin5*
1,4,5Department of Management Science, Halu Oleo University, Indonesia. |
AbstractThis study aims to investigate the problem structuring process using creative methods to create well-structured problems, and how it can optimize the expected policy outcomes of human resource development in regional police. This study uses a qualitative research method by integrating qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and administrative data. Five informants were purposively selected, four of whom were authorized officials in the field of human resource development at regional police institutions, and the other was a prominent civic organization activist. The interview data were analysed using qualitative interactive models, while directed content analysis was applied to administrative data. The results of the study show that the problem structuring process in human resource development policies for regional police is limited to identifying the main elements of problem definition through the partial use of brainstorming methods and classification analysis. Such a problem structuring process cannot create well-structured problems that optimize expected policy outcomes of human resource development. However, the use of creative problem-solving methods in a comprehensive manner can optimize the expected policy outcomes from the development of more critical and collaborative human resource development in the regional police force. |
Licensed: |
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Keywords: JEL Classification: |
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Received: 6 March 2023 |
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| (* Corresponding Author) |
Funding: This study received no specific financial support. |
Competing Interests: The author declares that there are no conflicts of interests regarding the publication of this paper. |
1. Introduction
The state is still considered the main facilitator of solutions to diverse public problems (Amir, Husain, Suaib, & Alam, 2016; Cepiku & Mititelu, 2010; Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2017) . To streamline the implementation of its responsibilities, the state apparatus needs to have a set of capabilities that enable superior performance in different situations. These abilities not only include threshold abilities such as experience, knowledge and basic cognitive abilities, but also distinguishing abilities such as systems thinking (Boyatzis, 2008), credibility (Schlesinger, Nagi, & Kremnitzer, 2017), cultural competence (Gonçalves & Matos, 2016), and digital competence (Rodríguez-García, Cardoso-Pulido, De la Cruz-Campos, & Martínez-Heredia, 2022). However, these distinguishing competencies are contextual (Mulder, 2011) and driven by the needs of the organizational environment (Boyatzis, 2008). Consequently, the state apparatus, including police insinuations (Bargu, 2019), needs to constantly improve these capabilities (Łuczak, 2018).
The process of constantly improving and facilitating the development of human resource capabilities is called human resource development (Ainslie & Huffman, 2019; Bimenyimana, Abay, & Lee, 2021; Dirani et al., 2020; Edvardsen & Hoel, 2022; Goncharova & Zhidkova, 2021; Hamouche & Chabani, 2021; Koedijk, Renden, Oudejans, Kleygrewe, & Hutter, 2021; Kohlström, 2022; Kosmajadi, 2021; Mroziewski, 2021; Mukwevho & Bussin, 2021; Nascimento, Souza, & Adaid-Castro, 2020; Nasir, 2017; Parameswaran, 2020; Razali, Rami, Nazuri, & Suhaimi, 2021; Rothwell, Lindholm, Yarrish, & Zaballero, 2012; Staller & Körner, 2021; Sunahwati, Maarif, & Sukmawati, 2019; Tshukudu, 2021; Ulyanina, Levi, & Teplova, 2020) . Human resource development itself is still considered by a number of scientists as part of human resource management (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014; Rothwell et al., 2012; Werner & DeSimone, 2012) although other scientists have viewed it as a new discipline (Tshukudu, 2021) with an interdisciplinary foundation (Jacobs, 1990).
Research on human resource development covers complex issues. This is because the issues addressed are processes that underlie the human condition, are intangible and very difficult to measure, and are interrelated with the complexity of social and economic and political organizations (Lee, 2014). However, the theoretical and empirical literature in the field still focuses on strategic issues based on action-goal logic. In a way of working based on strategy logic, issues are formulated along with, even after, the formulation of expected policy outcomes (Garpenby & Nedlund, 2022). The critical unanswered question is on what basis are the objectives of the public sector human resource development policy determined? This critical question leads to the logic of policy analysis. Under this logic, policy problems guide the prediction of expected policy outcomes, and knowledge of policy problems is created through collaborative efforts (Cairney & Oliver, 2017; Eden & Wagstaff, 2021; Leuz, 2018) .
Consequently, research on human resource development in the public sector must start from the creation of knowledge about what policy problems guide expected policy outcomes. Our reasoning is that public sector human resource development includes the ability to handle increasingly complex jobs. This complexity arises from changes in context, such as information communication technologies (Chu et al., 2017) the use of digital networks by the wider community (Tropina, 2012) mass media pressure (Johnson, Faulkner, Meredith, & Wilson, 2020), and the demand to work with a human-centered approach in a new society (Mourtzis, Angelopoulos, & Panopoulos, 2022). These changes, in reality, bring with them complex policy issues (Howlett & Lejano, 2013; Zhang & Kim, 2016). The process by which knowledge of policy problems is created is called problem structuring (Dunn, 2017). This process is critical because the policy problem does not arise by itself, it is created socially (Dunn, 2017; Hanberger, 2001).
Done effectively, problem structuring will produce structured policy problems that are used to guide the prediction of expected policy outcomes (Dijk et al., 2017; Dunn, 2017). The use of creative methods will help in streamlining this structuring problem (Dunn, 2017). However, the structural mismatch between problem structuring and problem solving has been realized as a threat that must be taken seriously in policy studies (Hoppe, 2010). After all, despite their importance, such topics receive less attention. Scientists do not discuss how the problem of human resource development is structured and defined, and how the main characteristics of the problem are clearly related to expected policy outcomes. Addressing this literature gap, we explored the issue at the regional police institution in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study focused on two questions: how problem structuring is carried out through the use of creative methods to create well-structured problems, and how it can optimize the expected policy outcomes of human resource development in regional police.
The regional police in Indonesia is a public institution with authority directed at maintaining public security and order, enforcing the law, and providing protection and service to the community. The complexity of the implementation of these functions arose initially from the euphoria of democracy after the 1998 political reforms.
Previously, the police force was considered a non-independent tool of the state, using its authority and discretion coercively and repressively. Persistent public demands arose for the state and the police to better represent the virtues necessary in a democracy, including the idea of policing by consent (Bloksgaard, Fekjær, & Møberg, 2020; Newburn & Peay, 2012). These demands are critical because Indonesia is a large democracy with a very pluralist society. Moreover, recent advances in technology and science, the use of digital networks by the public, and the pressure of mass media have further complicated the work of the regional police.
In addition to the pressure from external sources mentioned above, the problem of human resource development in regional police in Indonesia also arises from internal sources. An important internal source is the adoption of two new policing programs at the central level. The first program, adopted in 2016, was PROMOTER, an acronym for Professional, Modern, and Trusted; and second, adopted in 2021, is PRECISION, an acronym for Predictive, Responsibility, and Fairness Transparency. The first program contains problem-oriented policing, while the second is predictive policing, both of which are based on the superiority of police human resources. The Southeast Sulawesi regional police must effectively respond to these new programs.
After all, the Southeast Sulawesi regional police has just experienced an increase in organizational typology. Previously, it was type B and since 2020 it has become type A. Human resource development based on the logic of policy analysis is important and urgent to help streamline the implementation of these increasing and complex responsibilities.
2. Literature Review
2.1. Human Resource Development Policy
"An organization is only as good as its people" (Werner & DeSimone, 2012), shows a general recognition that human resources are a critical feature of any organization. Key human resources include knowledge, skills, and entrepreneurial orientation traits such as proactive, innovation, and the ability to take risks (Azamela, Tang, Owusu, Egala, & Bruce, 2022), as well as interdisciplinary credibility and expertise (Schlesinger et al., 2017). Human resource-based theories have been widely recognized as the most powerful for describing, explaining, and predicting organizational effectiveness (Barney, Ketchen Jr, & Wright, 2011; Kraaijenbrink, Spender, & Groen, 2010). However, the nature of the work, the way it is handled and the work environment are constantly changing. In the police environment, this change is illustrated by the movement from policing by force to policing by consent (Bloksgaard et al., 2020; Newburn & Peay, 2012). We are now in the era of digital governance, where the work of public servants is driven by and oriented towards information technology, creating a competency gap (Alvarenga, Matos, Godina, & João, 2020; Kuzior, Kettler, & Rąb, 2021). Developing human resources is a prerequisite for a comprehensive improvement in public sector performance. As Werner and DeSimone (2012) said, all organizations must have human beings with characteristics that are highly responsive to effective and superior performance.
Human resource development is about developing a high-performance culture, ensuring that the organization has the talented, skilled, and engaged people it needs, and creating a positive working relationship and a climate of mutual trust (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014; Tshukudu, 2021). The impact of human resource development is the growth or realization of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and capabilities (Armstrong, 2014). Knowledge, skills, and attitudes are often referred to as psychological competencies (Wong, 2020) or threshold competence (Boyatzis, 2008), which are no longer deemed sufficient to navigate the complex public service work today. The cluster of distinguishing competencies that distinguish outstanding performers from the average, as already mentioned earlier, needs to be the core part of the development of public sector human resources, including regional police institutions. Training is the main classical method of human resource development, but now this instructor-led and content-based intervention is considered inadequate. Alternatively, cutting-edge human resource development practices rely more on learning, development and education (Armstrong & Taylor, 2014).
The development of human resources in public sector organizations requires a positive action pattern of multiple actors logically related to the perceived problem and a good policy. Policy is defined as a relatively stable and purposive way of action of a group of actors in dealing with a problem of concern (Anderson, 2015). A policy is a product of demand, a deliberately chosen act to respond to the stress of perceived problems (Birkland, 2019; Howlett & Lejano, 2013; Howlett & Mukherjee, 2014; Howlett & Rayner, 2013; Smith & Larimer, 2017) . Public issues are conditions that are widely considered considered unacceptable and therefore require intervention (Kraft & Furlong, 2018). Policy issues, including human resource development policies, are generally part of a complex system of problems. In general, the complexity of policy problems is determined by decision-making variables, alternatives, utility (value), outcomes, and probability (Dunn, 2017), depending on the constraint that define the problem (Turnbull & Hoppe, 2019).
Public problems in police institutions that have been identified in the literature include the use of coercive and deadly force, corruption and gratification (Millie & Das, 2008), low commitment to problem-oriented policing (Tura, Hunter, Thompson, & Tseloni, 2022), low efficiency and effectiveness of the police in maintaining order (Laguyo & Caelian, 2020), and violation of the rights and freedoms of citizens, such as the application of administrative measures against them without signs of crime and administrative detention that exceeds the legal time limit (Kubaienko, Okhrimenko, Kryzhanovska, Kislitsyna, & Hryshchenko, 2021). These problems are generally unstructured, meaning they lack clear definition and solution path (Adamson, Smith, Clifford, & Wallace, 2021; Compton, Luetjens, & Hart, 2019; Head, 2022; Howlett & Lejano, 2013; Shin, Jonassen, & McGee, 2003) , and there is no agreement on methodology in the policy domain (Peters & Tarpey, 2019). Furthermore, these problems form what Dunn (2017) calls systems of problems that are impossible to solve using a reductionism approach. Therefore, predictions about expected policy outcomes in the development of human resources in police institutions can be made only after all the elements that go into the definition of the problem are identified. Hoppe (2010) argues that wicked policy problems need to be properly organized to enable further management.
2.2. Problem Structuring Dan Expected Policy Outcomes
Problem structuring is defined as an analytical phase where analysts compare, differentiate, and evaluate various problem formulations to generate knowledge about which problems need to be solved (Hoppe, 2010). Structuring a problem from an analytical perspective involves identifying the main elements that define a problem, such as political, economic, social, ethical factors (Dunn, 2017). The concept is close related to problem-framing, which involves selecting and simplifying obscure or complex problematic situations, and can involve various competing reasons, including technocratic/scientific, cultural, social, and political reasons (Garpenby & Nedlund, 2022). Therefore, the structuring of problems not only involves an analytical process but also a political debate and struggle about the representation and framing of competing issues (Hoppe, 2010). This process is complex because policy issues can be verified, defined, and detailed in relation to the values of the groups and individuals involved (Patton, Sawicki, & Clark, 2012). Furthermore, in the public domain, all levels of government can define policy issues (Hanberger, 2001).
Problem structuring allows for a change in the type of policy problem, from unstructured and sufficiently structured to well-structured. A well-structured problem involves only one or a few decision makers and a small number of alternatives; there is a consensus on value; the outcome of each alternative is known with complete certainty or within acceptable error limits (Dunn, 2017; Hoppe, 2010; Mingers & Rosenhead, 2004). Most problem-solving models describe the process for solving well-structured problems (Shin et al., 2003). For wicked policy problems, known problem structuring methods include boundary analysis, classification analysis, hierarchy analysis, synectics, brainstorming, multiple perspective analysis, assumption analysis, and argument mapping (Dunn, 2017). However, in Turnbull and Hoppe's (2019) opinion, unstructured or difficult-to-solve problems are best addressed through practical assessment and long-term acceptance of partial answers through gradual negotiations. The use of creative methods of problem structuring can help in simplifying, selecting and defining human resource development policy problems that need to be solved. Once the human resource development policy problem has been well structured and elements of the problem definition have been identified, it is relatively easy to predict the expected policy outcomes, that is, the possible consequences of adopting one or more policy alternatives designed to solve the problem (Dunn, 2017). In practice, policy problems are often constructed before expected policy outcomes are formulated or simultaneously with the formulation of expected policy outcomes, even after solutions have been identified (Garpenby & Nedlund, 2022). However, we argue that in the context of today's rapidly changing duties of local policing, the understanding of the construction of policy problems and the desired solutions should be gradual. First, creatively structuring problems to produce adequate knowledge of what the policy problems are, and secondly, predicting expected policy outcomes that are logically related to those policy problems.
3. Methodology
To investigate the two empirical questions, this study uses qualitative research methods on the grounds that the phenomenon of problem structuring and predicting expected policy outcomes in human resource development is a social construction that not only requires disclosure but also qualitative interpretation to produce comprehensive knowledge. The case study strategy is used to describe and concretize the concepts under investigation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five purposively selected informants from both internal and external institutions of the Southeast Sulawesi regional police. The four informants from the internal institutions were the Deputy Chief of Regional Police, the Head of the Human Resources Development Bureau, the Head of Professional and Security Affairs, and the Chief of Police Resort of Kendari City. The fifth informant was a prominent civic organization activist names with the initials AB. The study also analysed administrative data obtained from documents to complete and triangulate the interview data. Qualitative analysis of interactive models was applied to interview data, while directed content analysis was used for the administrative data.
4. Results
4.1. Structuring Human Resource Development Policy Issues
The human resource development policy in the Southeast Sulawesi regional police is outlined in a strategic plan for 2020-2024. This strategic plan directs the policy towards improving the quality of police human resources while the strategic goal is police professionalism. In this context, police professionalism is the expected policy outcome, while improving the quality of police human resources is the policy option. Informants understand police professionalism as:
“... the competence or skill expected of a professional police officer according to the type and level of his or her position.” (interview).
It is clear that competent professional police are an ideal condition expected as a consequence of the adoption of an improved quality of police human resources. However, what is not yet clear is what the policy issues are and what the processes leading up to the creation of those policy problems? Specifically, what elements are brought into the definition of a policy problem, namely the competence of the professional police, what are the more fundamental causes of the problem, and how are the elements of the professional police competency problem at the individual level raised into the public domain to be subsequently transformed into a policy problem? Based on the results of this study, there is a multi-stage process to organize human resource development policy issues in the regional police. The informant stated:
"We utilize an integrated data and information post-assessment of the regional police which is carried out once a year. For 2021 and 2022, the post-assessment includes officers who occupy the posts of sector police chief, section chief, and unit chief, with rank requirements ranging from Police Commissioner Adjutant, First Police Inspector, to the lowest Second Police Inspector." (interview).
The 2021 and 2022 post assessments as referred to, have revealed the level of professional police competence proficiency in five categories, from "highly qualified" to "not yet qualified" for an office. Focusing on policy issues, the following description shows a number of individual competency issues that fall into the category of "not yet qualified" (see Table 1).
The competence of professional police in Table 1 includes only 12 types of 21 types defined in the Regulation of the Chief of Police of the Republic of Indonesia Number 5 of 2016. This is limited to the competency profiles defined for the positions covered in the 2021 and 2022 regional police post assessments. Prominent individual issues indicate competency-specific parameters that score low from the assessor. Informant states that:
"Cases of low proficiency rates for various professional police sub-competences are distributed in all first officer posts, ranging from Second Police Inspector to Police Commissioner Adjutant" (interview).
The issues of professional competence proficiency level revealed in the assessor's record are issues at the individual level that are not automatically public issues and policy issues. To identify issues of professional competence at the public level, authorized officials in the local police force use two criteria, as the informant explains:
"To get competency issues of a public nature, we refer to the problematic nature and content of the problem. The criteria of problematic nature are the norms, rules, values shared by the threatened society, while the criteria for the content of the problem are the needs of the collective, not just the needs of certain people. Based on both criteria, the competency issues revealed by the assessed police officers meet the criteria as public issues." (interview).
| Competencies | Weak specific parameters |
| 1. Analytical thinking |
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| 2. Integrity |
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| 3. Building relationships |
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| 4. Leadership |
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| 5. Control |
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| 6. Following procedures |
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| 7. Planning and organizing |
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| 8. Achievement drive |
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| 9. Fortitude |
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| 10. Developing others |
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| 11. Orientation to service |
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| 12. Innovation |
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| Source: | Post assessment documentation of the Southeast Sulawesi regional police in 2021 and 2022. |
Recognition of public problems in the competence of the police as above is a reference for structuring human resource development policy issues in the regional police. The structuring of policy problems ideally includes identifying the elements that fall into the definition of the problem and seeking to understand more fundamentally the causes of the problem and the dynamics of its occurrence. The Regional Police Human Resources Development Bureau does not seek to elaborate separately on these processes, instead obscuring the elements of the definition of the problem and the causes of the problem. The informant stated:
"Our strategic goal is clear, namely police professionalism, and we have identified three elements of the definition of policy problems, namely: unprofessional management of human resources, knowledge and skills of police that have not been oriented towards quality services and community satisfaction, and ineffective certification and strengthening the capacity of educators and investigators." (interview).
Of the three elements of the definition of police human resource management policy problems mentioned above, only the second element corresponds to the dictionary of competence in the Regulation of the Chief of Police of the Republic of Indonesia Number 5 of 2016. The definition of competence in the dictionary is:
"The abilities and characteristics possessed by the police individual in the form of knowledge, skills and behavioural attitudes needed in carrying out the duties of his position professionally, effectively and efficiently."
The main elements that are incorporated into the definition of the issue of the policy of developing the competence of a professional police, based on the document, include knowledge, skills and behavioural attitudes. These issues have been identified through post assessment (see again Table 1). However, these issues have not been brought into the process of defining competency development policy issues. In fact, the strategic plan document gave rise to two new elements, namely human resource management and certification of educators and investigators. In addition, the definition of policy issues in the regional police strategic plan refers entirely to the national police strategic plan. The verbatim statements of the informants were:
"We apply modern problem-solving methods such as brainstorming to generate ideas that can help conceptualize problem situations, and classification analysis to clarify concepts and classify problem situations. However, under budgetary constraints, the process still tends to be informal and spontaneous and involves only experts available in the internal police department." (interview).
"Our strategic plan refers to the strategic plan of the police force at the centre. The police human resource development policy instruments are directed and implemented centrally, and the involvement of local police is limited to taking advantage of the opportunities available in these instruments." (interview).
"Community activists have never received an invitation for a forum in the local police, to promote the introduction of problems, such as multiple perspective analysis. Although social and political pressures are often directed at the local police, the way this institution encourages and promotes its human resource development policy problems is still a black box." (interview).
4.2. Expected Policy Outcomes of Human Resource Development
The expected policy outcomes of human resource development in the regional police, according to the strategic plan of the regional police, is the professionalism of the police. With police professionalism what is meant is the competence of the police that is needed in carrying out the duties of their office in a professional, effective, and efficient manner. Regulation of the Chief of Police of the Republic of Indonesia Number 5 of 2016 has defined 21 types of police sub-competence required for various positions at the national and regional levels. These competencies include:
"The ability to think strategically; integrity; communication; building relationships; leadership; managing changes; control; following the procedure; self-development; decision; planning and organizing; encouragement of achievement; fortitude; conflict management; developing others; orientation to service; initiative; teamwork; Innovation; act strategically; and the adaptation of change." (interview).
The competency proficiency data that we previously showed was limited to a number of assessments conducted in 2021 and 2022 for first officer positions. However, it should be noted that in the regional police, there are positions for high-ranking, middle officers-ranking, and non-commissioned officers. According to administrative data, as of December 2021, the Southeast Sulawesi regional police had a total of 2,446 personnel, consisting of 2 high-rank officers, 141 mid-ranking officers, 351 low-ranking officers, and 1,954 non-commissioned officers. The optimal personnel composition, i.e. the number of personnel that should be met in order to ensure the institution’s performance, is 1,234 officers and 3,676 non-commissioned officers. Therefore, the current availability of police personnel only reaches 40% for rank officers and 53% for non-commissioned officers. If police competence is defined as knowledge, skills and behavioural attitudes, the acquisition of specialization development education provides an indication of how low the level of proficiency of the competence in question is (see Figure 1).
Police professionalism in the regional police strategic plan 2020-2024 is elaborated into three parameters: professional management of human resources, police knowledge and skills oriented towards quality service and community satisfaction, and certification and strengthening of the capacity of effective educators and investigators. However, this only covers a small part of the types of professional police competence defined in regulations. Service orientation is only one of 21 types of professional police competence. The expected policy outcomes for human resource development in local policing has not been logically and functionally linked to differentiating abilities such as systems thinking, credibility, intercultural competence, and digital competence. The informant stated:
"The protection of public interests in the perspective of democratic policing, the prompt and accurate disclosure of cases, and trust in the police have all shown no meaningful progress. In fact, skill and knowledge indicators are still often the subject of complaints in community complaint services through the official application of the regional police. All of this provides an understanding that expected policy outcomes in human resource development in local police are inconsistent with public expectations." (interview).
5. Discussion
The finding of our study is, first of all, that the regional police have adopted human resource development policies and, in that context, conducted policy problem structuring. The adoption of this human resource development policy provides empirical evidence for scientists' claims about the centrality of human resources (Barney et al., 2011; Kraaijenbrink et al., 2010; Werner & DeSimone, 2012) . It also supports the claim that competency gaps in public institutions through human resource development has been realized (Łuczak, 2018). The adoption of human resource development policy in the regional police also shows an awareness that treating human resource development as just a strategic issue is inadequate. With such a policy base, the development of human resources in the regional police can have strong and logical analytical reasons. The reason for this is that the determination of the objectives of the development in the public sector is directed by the knowledge of what the problem needs to be solved (Dijk et al., 2017; Dunn, 2017).
The problem of structuring human resource development policies in the regional police is addressed in order to simplify complex policy issues. These issues have been shaped by various factors, including public demands post-reform 1998 for the state and the police to better represent democratic values, the adoption of new policing programs at the central level between 2016 and 2021, and the increase in the typology of local police organizations from type B to type A in 2020. These external and internal sources of complexity of human resource development policy issues are consistent with the claims made by scientists about the importance of change in the context of the work (Brown, 2004), changes in society and technology (Chu et al., 2017), and demands for the public sector to adopt a human-centered approach in new societies (Bloksgaard et al., 2020; Dunn, 2017; Howlett & Lejano, 2013; Mourtzis et al., 2022; Newburn & Peay, 2012; Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2011; Zhang & Kim, 2016) .
The problem structuring process carried out in the context of human resource development policies in the regional police involves identifying the elements that define the problem and its causes. However, it does not include the process of comparing, distinguishing, and evaluating competing problem formulations to generate valid knowledge about the problem that needs to be solved. There is no political process, such as the debate on the representation and framing of competing issues, to allow the definition of authoritative policy issues. These findings are inconsistent with the structuring problem of Hoppe (2010). Additionally, problem structuring process does not identify the most important stakeholders who are influenced by and have an impact on human resource development policy issues, as advocated by Dunn (2017). While problem structuring is used in the development of human resource policies in regional police, it does not comprehensively follow the steps recommended in the policy analysis literature (Dunn, 2017; Hoppe, 2010; Patton et al., 2012).
Problem structuring in human resource development policies in regional police has used creative methods, namely brainstorming and classification analysis. Experts such as (Dunn, 2017; Hoppe, 2010; Shin et al., 2003; Turnbull & Hoppe, 2019) have advocated the use of this creative method for the solution of evil problems. However, the problem structuring applied in human resource development policies in regional policing is a limited version that fails to accommodate broad and diverse experience and does not involving the interaction of generalists and specialists from several disciplines or fields. Due to budget constraints, only informal forums involving internal expertise are utilized. Although this creative method has been able to define and identify the level of proficiency of professional police competence on a limited scale, it has not brought into the stage of defining human resource development policy problems. This suggests that while the way the public sector handles jobs has changed (Bloksgaard et al., 2020; Newburn & Peay, 2012) and it is clear that information technology support (Alvarenga et al., 2020; Kuzior et al., 2021) is present, the status quo still persists in the regional police force.
The next finding of our study is that there is consistency between the accuracy of problem definitions and the problem structuring methods applied in human resource development policies in regional police forces. A policy problem definition has been created, but the elements included in the policy problem definition are inconsistent with the previously created competency dictionary. The issue of human resource development policy has been stated unequivocally, namely the professionalism of the police. The three elements that make up the definition of police professionalism problems are the management of human resources, knowledge and skills, and the certification of the functional capacity of the police. The three elements that make up the definition of police professionalism in the dictionary of competence are knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to police behavior. The partial application of creative methods of problem structuring in regional police does not create well-structured problems. However, there is empirical evidence on a limited scale that the application of creative methods can generate ideas that help conceptualize and classify situations of professional police competence problems. These findings are consistent with the policy analysis literature (Dunn, 2017; Hoppe, 2010; Patton et al., 2012; Shin et al., 2003; Turnbull & Hoppe, 2019) .
Another finding of our study is that the expected policy outcomes in human resource development are formulated only in general terms and not logically related to the elements of the definition of policy problems definition. The expected policy outcomes for human resource development are expressed as police professionalism and are described by three parameters: professional management of human resources, knowledge and skills oriented towards the provision of quality services and community satisfaction, and certification of educators and investigators. This suggests that there is an inconsistency between the elements of the definition of the policy problem to be solved and the expected policy outcomes created. In addition, the expected policy outcomes do not comprehensively state how likely the core problem of police human resources, in this case, competence, can be reduced by implementing human resource management policies within all three parameters. Whether the police will actually have the differentiating capabilities to handle increasingly complex jobs and work with a human-centered approach in the medium term ahead is not well predicted in human resource development policy. These findings are inconsistent with popular literature in the field of expected policy outcomes (Dunn, 2017; Hoppe, 2010; Turnbull & Hoppe, 2019).
Finally, the findings of our study are that there is a correlation between the use of creative methods in problem structuring and optimal expected policy outcomes. However, in the case of regional police, the problem structuring method is applied, policy outcomes are not optimal as they do not provide conclusive prediction on how likely the core problems of police human resources can be reduced by adopting policies as they are today.
These findings have theoretical implications as they suggest that human resource development in public sector institutions needs to be viewed from the perspective of public policy, rather than being treated solely as a strategy issue. These theoretical implications also point towards the need for the application of more creative problem structuring methods to optimize expected policy outcomes for public sector human resource development. From a practical standpoint, this research highlights the need to develop policy analysis skills, specifically those related to problem structuring and predicting policy outcomes. This can aid in formulation of evidence-based policies in regional police institutions and improve the overall effectiveness of human resource development policies in the public sector.
6. Conclusions
In conclusion, this study reveals that the problem structuring carried out in human resource development policies in regional police is limited to identifying the main elements of the definition of policy problems. The use of creative methods such as brainstorming and classification analysis is only partially applied, leading to poorly structured problems that do not guide the prediction of expected policy outcomes. However, if creative problem structuring methods were used comprehensively, it could optimize the expected policy outcomes of human resource development in regional police. Future research should focus on the incentive factors and constraints that policy formulators in regional police, and they can collaborate more critically in problem structuring and expected policy outcomes. By developing policy analysis skills and encouraging evidence-based policy formulation, regional police institutions can improve their human resource development policies and ultimately enhance their professionalism.
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