Major Case Management : Team Commander (MCM:TC)

Purpose of the Course

The scale and complexity of major cases place extraordinary managerial demands on those charged with their direction. And the day to day experiences of most criminal investigators do not equip them to meet these managerial challenges. The recent history of major case investigations attests to the inadequacy of relying on experience alone to provide the requisite skills.

The Major Case Management: Team Commander course is designed to prepare experienced major crime investigators for the management challenges that are inherent in major cases. To this end, participants on this will acquire the analytical, legal and managerial tools to manage a major case.

Course Background

In response to the many challenges faced by police services in Canada, particularly those in the area of major case management, the Canadian Police College (CPC) conducted a Canada-wide needs assessment study. The study involved subject-matter-experts, team commanders from federal, provincial and municipal police, as well as federal, provincial and territorial Departments of Justice and the CPC Council of Investigative Excellence.

The results of the study identified the following training needs:

• training individuals in the roles of the major case management triangle, the team commander, the primary investigator and the file coordinator;
• training on a proven, best practice approach for managing major cases;
• training individuals to use a critical thinking methodology;
• training using principles of adult education and involving a performance-based assessment approach; and
• tightening of the participant selection criteria for attendance on the course to maximize the participants’ learning experience.

The New Course

Based on the results of the needs assessment study, the CPC has re-focused the objectives of its Major Case Management course. The revised version of the course was re-named Major Case Management: Team Commander course. This new course will focus on the role of the team commander in the management of a major case with an emphasis on management practices and a critical thinking methodology.

The new Major Case Management: Team Commander course will provide team commanders with the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) to manage a major case investigation. Participants on this course will consider the importance of critical thinking whether for ethical decision-making, rigorous hypothesis development or accountability. They will consider the legal aspects in a major case whether at the planning, the investigation, the laying of the charges, or the court proceedings stages. They will learn a proven best practice to manage major cases starting with the fundamentals of the command triangle approach, accountability mechanisms, the importance of clear goals, the concept of “speed, flow and direction” of an investigation, and the concept of a coordinated investigation team. They will come to understand that resource acquisition whether human, financial or material, is key to successful major case management. Participants will learn best practices to prepare memoranda of understanding and letters of agreement. They will study the issues in major cases that involve multiple agencies and multiple jurisdictions. The course will conclude with the preparation of a joint management team presentation (oral and written) for the purpose of obtaining authorization to conduct an investigation.

Objectives

At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply a critical thinking methodology;
• Involve prosecutors in the development of an investigational plan and in the delivery of legal and strategic advice throughout the investigation;
• Apply major case management principles to manage a major case investigation;
• Acquire and manage human, financial and material resources;
• Manage a multi-agency or multi-jurisdictional investigation;
• Present a major case management submission to a Joint Management Team.

Participant Selection Criteria

Police services are expected to ensure that their prospective course participants meet the following course selection criteria:

• they have a letter of support from their line officer;
• they are currently performing or will shortly be performing the duties of a team commander;
• they have completed one of the CPC investigative techniques courses listed below.

Pre-requisite CPC investigative techniques courses*:

• Major Crime Investigative Techniques Course (MCITC);
• Drug Investigative Techniques Course (DITC);
• Financial Investigations Course (new course starting Spring 2005); and
• an equivalent certificate from another educational institution recognised by the CPC is also acceptable.

* in exceptional cases, the CPC will consider participants who have not completed a prerequisite course but who have a recommendation from their line officer. The admission of these participants is subject to the approval of the Director General of the CPC, or delegate.

Participant Assessment

Participants will be assessed through a series of practical, performance-based problem solving exercises consisting of daily case studies and a course-long scenario.

Participants will be assessed individually and in groups. Each participant will have the opportunity to practice the role of the team commander as part of the daily practical exercises. They will be evaluated on their performance as team commanders in these exercises. The course-long scenario will lead to a group submission to a Joint Management Team presentation and will be the basis for a group evaluation.

CPC Academic Policy: Participants who do not meet the assessment requirements for a successful course completion will not be awarded a Canadian Police College certificate. Further details are found in the Canadian Police College Academic Policy.

Logistics

Duration: This course is eight days long.

Location:

This course is available:

• at the Canadian Police College; and
• upon request outside of the Canadian Police College.

Number of participants: A minimum of 16 participants and a maximum of 25 participants are required to run this course successfully.

Language: This course will be offered in English and French.