The environment in which law enforcement officers operate is becoming ever more complex and unpredictable. Forecasting training needs and implementing relevant training when the future is often uncertain and unclear are constant leadership challenges for police forces everywhere.

In a multiyear, strategic response to this challenge, the Israel National Police is introducing what it calls a “Learning Revolution” across the entire police force.

Leading change across any organization is inherently challenging. In this case, the change involves a radical departure from previous practices, making the process even more challenging. The Israel National Police is not only changing how it plans, creates, and implements training, it is also attempting to change the learning culture throughout the police force and become a true learning organization.

In a nutshell, a learning organization is one that is expert at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge and at changing or adapting its behavior to reflect new insights and understanding.

Practically speaking, a learning organization in law enforcement means that every officer takes on the responsibility of continuous, independent learning. Commanders assume responsibility for ensuring the competency of those they are leading, and the entire police force becomes an organization that can quickly learn from its mistakes and implement changes and improvements.