Proposal changes national unity to House of Representatives

With the presentation of the force transition plan to the House of Representatives, changes within national unity can begin. The plan must lead to the creation of two well-governed national units and to concrete interventions in the area of ​​leadership and culture, but above all to tangible improvements for LE employees.

The plan is the response to recommendations from the Schneiders committee, which investigated issues surrounding national unity. The committee was tasked by responsible minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius (J&V) to oversee the transition. The minister also asked the committee to provide her and the chief of police with solicited and unsolicited advice.
Police chief Henk van Essen is pleased that concrete changes can now be implemented: “The realization of the plan was a complex process. We had to deal with many “players” and initially with too limited a financial framework. But when it comes to the body, there is now a feasible plan, with sufficient financial scope. All in all, we are entering a new phase ten years after the start of the National Police. Because changes that begin with National Unity affect the entire police force.

work culture
The plan pays a lot of attention to the need for changes in work culture and leadership. Chief of Police LE Oscar Dros: “These interventions are a priority. They must lead to a safe working environment with space for the human dimension and more attention for each other. An environment where there is plenty of room for the development of the profession, employees and their teams. Employees need to start noticing that something is really changing.
Dros: “At first, we are therefore entering into discussions in different teams. In these conversations, we make it clear what is desirable and undesirable behavior and that there is no room for a violation of social security or persistent undesirable patterns in the work culture. Leaders are expected to demonstrate exemplary behavior and be bearers of culture. They aim for cooperation and a safe and inclusive working environment. They limit unwanted behavior.

Leadership
In the short term, a leadership profile will also be drawn up with the help of external expertise, which will serve as a basis for the evaluation and selection of managers. The assessment is in no way intended to settle accounts with managers, but to find out whether managers fit into the leadership profiles that have been developed and can play a role in the necessary cultural change.
A separate profile has been drawn up in conjunction with the LE works council for the appointment of two quartermasters to lead the transition. This profile has been tested against the recommendations of the Schneiders Committee. The appointment of the quartermasters should be announced soon.

cleavage
Of course, the splitting of the current National Unit into two National Units is also explicitly addressed in the plan. The starting point of the split is that entire services, departments and teams will be transferred as far as possible to one of the two new units. Although there are tasks that require customization. “There will soon be room for every employee in one of the two units,” says Dros. “Formally, there is a reorganization, but the consequences for employees should be limited.”

Employee contract
In a letter to the House of Representatives, Minister Yesilgöz-Zegerius notes that the police unions and the Schneiders committee are critical of the leeway given so far to LE employees in planning. But the space to talk and think will really be there, says Dros. “The transition is a complex task and we had to develop the plan in a short time. The necessary coordination with other units, such as the PDC and the Police Academy, was a priority in this phase. We are aware that employees have not yet been sufficiently consulted. However, the Works Council and the Central Works Council are active and closely involved. In the coming months, we will expand the conversation with employees. Of course, trade unions are also important partners in the process.
Finally, Dros points out that the force transition plan describes the main features and needs to be further elaborated. “In this elaboration, there is still plenty of room for employees and managers to express their wishes and needs within these outlines.”

Assignment
Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius asks the police – partly at the request of the Schneiders committee – to provide more clarity in the coming weeks on the actual management and implementation of the transition. According to her, it is not yet clear enough. She also wants the additional details to clearly outline how employees, police unions and works councils will be involved in the transition and how communication to the workplace will take shape. Transition teams from LE and Police Command will begin work on this mission in the coming weeks. The aim is to have the detailed elaboration ready by the end of January.