Development of Core competencies 

Identifying Core Competencies and Required Knowledge and Abilities (KSAs) for Jail Leaders

​Leadership development and succession planning include not only identifying qualified and motivated candidates for promotion, but also developing their capabilities in a manner that will prepare them to perform effectively in executive positions. Coaching and mentoring have become widely accepted techniques for extending such development beyond classroom training and on-the-job experience. But these strategies are only effective to the extent that they include structured activities, based on identified core competencies, conducted to achieve targeted goals, by those with training to properly facilitate the process.   In order to help jails accomplish this, one of the primary outcomes of the National Jail Succession Planning and Leadership Development Project has been to prepare a leadership mentoring “toolkit” that sheriffs and jail administrators throughout the country can use to groom the next generation of jail leaders, (available at www.leadingjails.com). Before embarking on the development of such a resource, however, it was essential to determine just what knowledge, skills, and capabilities are required to effectively fulfill the responsibilities of jail leadership. 

The methodology used to identify these core competencies consisted of a multifaceted approach incorporating a comprehensive literature review, along with input and feedback from both a national advisory committee and focus group sessions conducted at national conferences.  An overview of the entire process and resulting outcomes are featured in this report.
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See also:  ​Core Competencies