Paws on Patrol School Safety Program: Part 4 – How to Measure Performance

The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year” – John Foster Dulles

When I started my Marine Corps career many years ago, I learned a very simple leadership principle – “inspect what you expect.” This is a very simple philosophy, but what I have learned over the course of my military service and civilian career is that measuring performance against expectations in the canine world has its own set of challenges. Establishing a set of expectations for a program of this type begins with having clearly defined performance standards that can be implemented, measured, and evaluated by an independent agency.

Evaluating your own performance tends to be less accurate due to internal bias and the inherent desire to perform well. Any organization that is unwilling to offer themselves up to an independent evaluation and heed the outcome of each evaluation is setting themselves up for failure both internally as well as externally in the products they deliver to their customers.

National Organizations

Enhanced firearms capable detection dogs, on the surface, would appear to be readily available across the country. A well-trained dog with the right genetics, the hunt-drive with independence needed to search for extended periods, and the capability of working in a school environment is not always an easy combination to find. I wrote an article several months ago titled “Paw Powered – Do you know your dog’s story” which focuses on the fact that not all dogs are created equal, even within the niche market of specialized working dogs. This two minute read scratches the surface on learning the difference between good dogs, better dogs, and the best dogs.

There are independent agencies across the country that support testing and certification for a specific type of detection dog discipline. At GK9PG, we certify our Kinetic Enhanced Firearms Capable dog through the United Police Work Dog Association (UPWDA).

To ensure that we always offer a product and service that meets and exceeds the expectations of your canine school safety program, our standard protocol is to connect and integrate these independent agencies, school districts, schools or School Resource Officers (SRO's) with our Canine Professionals working together to build a program that best meets the needs of the organization.

 Measurement Tools

With a background in adult education, military Formal Schools Instruction, and the Systems Approach to Training [SAT] process, there are a myriad of measurement tools I could recommend for evaluating program performance. Of theses, I can share with you two of my favorite tools that I recommend as a baseline or initial phase of your evaluation cycle:

1.      GAP Analysis - a gap analysis is the process organizations use to compare their current performance with their desired, expected performance. This analysis is used to determine whether a program is meeting expectations and using its resources effectively. As a leader, you know that you need to improve certain areas of your campus security program [improvement is continuous] but understanding the roadmap on how to get there requires understanding what’s needed within your operations to get it done. This is where a gap analysis comes in. 

2.      Plan, Do, Check, Act [PDCA] Cycle - the PDCA cycle is helpful for improving processes in a way that lets you look for solutions and pilot them on a small scale. Without the PDCA cycle in place, the organization runs the risk of rolling out a solution that not only fails to fix the issue but causes even more problems. A benefit to the PDCA cycle is that stakeholders can apply it to any environment - security protocols, daily operations that need better management to meet security needs, and screening technology solutions.

Quarterly Program Review

There are three key benefits a quarterly program review, supported by program stakeholders, will have on any implementation of a solution like Paws on Patrol School Safety Program.

1. Provide a measuring stick - a well-defined performance matrix gives all stakeholders a solid understanding of where the program is currently operating, where there is a need for improvement, and what part of the program is exceeding expectations. Quarterly reviews allow you to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) providing adequate time to impact change in performance or behaviors over the long haul.
2. Track overall success metrics – a quarterly review should include KPIs with realistic timelines, budget allocations as needed, and responsible parties. A "scorecard" reflecting this ensures everyone is clear on expectations which always impact the big 3: Mitigation, Intervention, and Education. The big 3 is something we discuss consistently throughout the process of building a program of this type.
3. Solidify stakeholder commitment and engagement - a quarterly review should highlight successes to date and map improvements that can lead to greater impact within the campus security program overall. City officials, School Boards, Law Enforcement [SRO Program], and Principles should all meet routinely to discuss these topics in an environment that allows for open communication and collaboration.