Deep Dive Into Assessment Centers

This session will provide an overview of promotional assessment centers in public safety, specifically within fire and police departments. We will discuss the typical structure and components of an assessment center, such as tactical simulations, role-playing exercises, written exercises, and oral presentations. We will then dive deeper and discuss some of the elements that are necessary for ensuring an objective and fair process.

Participants will gain insights into:

• How the components of an assessment center are designed to simulate real-world on-the-job situations.
• Evaluating candidates on their performance across multiple exercises using assessment dimensions such as problem-solving, communication, leadership, interpersonal skills, and professional orientation.
•  Strategies to ensure that assessment centers are fair, impartial, and provide equal opportunity for all candidates, including comprehensive assessor training.
• Candidate orientation sessions to help candidates prepare for the assessment -what information you should give and not give to the candidates.

Geoff Burcaw, MS 

Senior Consultant, CPS HR Consulting

Fundamentals of Test Administration: Building a Strong Foundation

Effective test administration is the cornerstone of fair and reliable assessments. This session will introduce public safety professionals to the key principles of standardized test administration, highlighting the importance of clear procedures, thorough documentation, test security, and consistent practices. Attendees will gain practical insights into building a strong foundation that ensures integrity, transparency, and confidence in testing outcomes.

Lynette Conn

Manager, Test Administration, CPS HR Consulting

Best Practices for Building Promotional Exams: Lessons from the Front Line with Ideas from Theory and Research

This session will provide a foundation for understanding promotion systems from a real world perspective, informed by research. This will include coverage of typical factors and considerations impacting promotion systems; common "things" measured and determining how to measure those things in promotion procedures. Additionally, this session will cover basic actions to develop a fair promotion system.