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Badge: Filling the Gap Between Written Tests and Assessment Centers

NCJ Number
132242
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 58 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1991) Pages: 47-48,57
Author(s)
D R Baltzley
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
BADGE, Behavioral Assessment Dimension Guided Evaluation, is an alternative promotional test procedure for police officers that compensates for the weaknesses of a written test-only approach while reducing the cost and time associated with an assessment center.
Abstract
Unlike the older, unstructured oral board process of promotion, BADGE is focused on critical, job-relevant scenarios that can be used to evaluate all the skill categorizes identified through a job analysis. Critical incidents for the scenarios are based on actual instances of effective and/or ineffective performances in the target position. The scenarios are also balanced for difficulty and frequency of occurrence on the job. The board members who evaluate the candidates are trained to take effective behavioral notes, classify those notes into skill categories, and make accurate judgments using these notes. BADGE was recently implemented as a 10-step lieutenant's promotional process in a mid-sized sheriff's office in Florida and has been used successfully in several other agencies. The process has also been adapted for fire departments and corrections agencies.