Branko Lobnikar

Short Resume

Branko Lobnikar, Ph.D., earned his doctorate in human resource management from the University of Maribor. He is a full professor of security studies at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security. As a collaborator with international organizations and the Slovenian police, he has contributed to training security experts abroad. He was appointed State Secretary twice, at the Ministry of Public Administration (2010) and the Ministry of the Interior (2022). His research focuses on strengthening integrity in security institutions, preventing radicalization and extreme violence, addressing domestic violence and elder abuse, and exploring smart policing initiatives.

Title of the presentation

Different Stakeholders in Assessing the Performance, Efficiency, and Quality of Police Organizations

Abstract

Generally, approaches to evaluating police activities can be divided into traditional and modern categories. Traditional approaches focus on reactive work and prioritize efficiency, cost considerations, and reliance on quantitative indicators. In contrast, modern approaches build on traditional ones but align with contemporary strategies and directions in policing. They emphasize preventive activities, problem-solving, innovation, relationships with stakeholders and the public, and meeting expectations. A systematic literature review can help identify best practices tested in the evaluation systems of foreign police organizations. The following key factors have been identified: (1) the selection of indicators is critically essential; (2) it is advisable to avoid time-consuming and costly measurement and control of all available items or data; (3) establishing a stable, systematic, and long-term evaluation framework is crucial; (4) incorporating in-depth, qualitative approaches to measurement and evaluation is necessary. Additionally, it is important to include (5) internal public opinion, employee views, and organizational climate and (6) to create a systematic, standardized, and transparent overview of the collected data and the resulting target values. Lastly, it is essential to determine (7) who is suitable and competent to conduct the evaluations and how to ensure the evaluators' independence, professionalism, and impartiality.

Keywords

police, efficiency, performance, quality, stakeholders