The third facet the Philippine National Police has considered comes under the label, “learning and growth.” This is crucial for the PNP because it can not keep doing the same things as in the past, if it is to realize its vision by 2030. It has to look forward, towards a future, in which it does things much better through better people and processes than in the past. Thus, it has to invest in people and processes so it can win “stakeholders’ support” (the first facet) and undertake proper, efficient, and effective “management of its resources” (the second facet).

Recognizing how crucial “learning and growth” is to the police organization, the PNP has decided to put as many as five strategic priorities – again, closely related with each other and thus tightly inter-connected – under this third facet. The set (of strategic priorities) starts with recruitment: “The most qualified applicants have to be attracted” to the PNP. Then, they have to be “trained, developed, and motivated,” serving within a “competent police service.” The PNP, for its part, needs to “uphold and promote the principles of meritocracy and fitness.” And all throughout the police organization, from top to bottom, there is the imperative of “living the PNP core values.” The set (of strategic priorities) finishes with a reference to the basic need of “institutionalizing (an) adequate package of benefits and remuneration” for the entire police force.

Without any doubt, all these strategic priorities within the third facet of “learning and growth” would depend upon the adequacy of resources provided the PNP and upon the commitment of the PNP to its philosophy framed by service, honor and justice as well as to the four core values it has chiselled into its governance charter. Resources AND commitment need to go together; it is noteworthy that the PNP has specifically listed “living the PNP core values” as among the strategic priorities under “learning and growth.”

“Learning and growth” focused upon people: their attraction and recruitment; their training and motivation; their upholding the principles of meritocracy and fitness; their living the PNP core values; and their benefits as well as remuneration. These crucial strategic priorities need to be complemented by those under the fourth facet, “process excellence,” which refers to the different processes and practices the PNP uses in carrying out its mission. The four processes of “intelligence,” “investigation”, “operations,” and “community relations” are given their due, top billing. In addition, two concrete strategic priorities are highlighted. These are: “Adopt best practices in community and rights-based policing supported by appropriate information and communications technology” and “achieve excellence in performing the integrated ‘quad +’ operations.”

The first of these gives due stress to the importance of reaching out to the communities the PNP serves and of obtaining their support, cooperation, and eventually also their higher level of trust and confidence in their police force. The second underscores excellence and integration (indeed, close coordination for maximum effectiveness and efficiency) in the conduct of police operations.

There is absolutely no doubt how important these strategic priorities under “process excellence” are. Progress in pursuing them effectively would strengthen and widen the base of stakeholders’ support (the first facet), and would facilitate the provision of more resources for the PNP (the second facet). Moreover, such progress would also be facilitated by breakthrough results being achieved under the learning and growth facet (the third). Thus, in the PNP strategy map we see several strategic priorities within each facet being very closely tied up and linked with each other.

Moreover, several of those strategic priorities within one facet are also closely connected with those in another facet. Finally, we also see that the different facets themselves show close and deep interdependence with each other.

A very coherent strategy map, indeed, our PNP has formulated for itself!