10,000 Volts1 (10kV) is an electronic focus group technology. Explained simply, 10kV functions as an electronic ‘chat room’ wherein participants can discuss a nominated topic. It is nonetheless sophisticated enough to be at the forefront of debriefing technology worldwide. 10kV was designed by Professor Jonathan Crego and was originally commissioned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to debrief critical incidents2. Latterly, 10kV’s use has extended to multi-agency work (e.g., child protection enquiries) and the system has proven so successful it is now used internationally with different countries co-operating simultaneously in online 10kV debriefs.

Since its inception, 10kV has been used extensively by The Metropolitan Police - principally as a debrief tool in major cases such as the London bombings and Iraq hostage negotiations - but it is also used for pre-briefs, planning and training, for example, The Met.’s review of race and diversity issues following ‘The Secret Policeman’ documentary shown on television recently. The technology has valuable applications beyond its principal user (The Met.) and, at this stage in its development, its use has extended to: 1) other police forces and 2) other agencies that need to plan, review, prebrief and debrief at a strategic or operational level. In short, 10kV can help to achieve evidence based, effective practice within and across organisations. For example, emerging academic research is highlighting some of the barriers to effective multi-agency collaboration.

10kV earned its name after a commander described the experience of a major high profile event and its impact on the professionals and community concerned, saying “It’s like being hit with a 10,000 volt shock.’ A critical incident is defined as “Any incident where the effectiveness of the police response is likely to have a significant impact on the confidence of the victim, the family and /or the community” (Metropolitan Police, 2002). They are typically complex events characterised by stress and time pressure (e.g., counter-terrorism/disaster response/high profile murder enquiries). such research, in conjunction with 10kV technology, can be of benefit to agencies that collaborate at an inter-organisational level.

• ∗  Multi-agency child protection exercises

• ∗  UK Response to the 2004 Tsunami

• ∗  Race and Diversity Issues

2. Training

10kV debriefs can be run after HYDRA or other training to develop best practice; participants can discuss how the training went and learn what was successful or otherwise. e.g. 1 - local authority emergency plans; e.g. 2 - discuss, evaluate, review or revise responses, mobilisation plans etc. following chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) attack simulation exercises.

3. Prebriefs and Planning

Event planning – e.g., discuss and prepare for large-scale events such as policing the annual Beatles festival in Liverpool, football matches, prevent and prepare for terrorist activities. Other agencies may plan for implementation of new initiatives such as the ‘Safer, Stronger Communities’ strategy or overcoming barriers to multi- agency collaboration such as information sharing issues.

What Happens in a 10kV Session

10kV sessions take place in a room set up with interconnected PCs and there is typically a structured procedure. The debrief begins with a completely free, open recall session where participants simultaneously type their experiences and important issues onto computers (Police debrief example: “Having to fight continuously (sic) for staff or running an enquiry on a shoestring and often being blamed for the force’s performance against targets” or “Time and volume of work is not an excuse the family or the media will accept”). All computers are connected so everyone can see all comments as they appear on screen. Each person can respond to others’ comments so discussion threads are formed. Importantly, comments are anonymous so no one knows who wrote what.

As the debrief continues, participants distil the initial flood of comments down into recurrent key themes that are regarded as the most important issues (e.g. Media, Managing the team, Family Liaison). Next, themes are scored against different criteria (e.g. 1-= very easy through to 10 = very difficult to get right) and finally, general comments and recommendations are fed back (e.g. “The management of politicians, Police Authority, local community and local council...take trust and long term work. These skills in these areas are seriously underdeveloped and need considering alongside critical incident training”). All activities can be delivered via 10kV technology. For example, participants categorise statements into themes by ‘clicking and dragging’ typed comments into theme ‘bins’. The system also has the facility to deliver questionnaires during the session. However, with regards to the structure of the session, the technology is enabling rather than prescriptive; for example, traditional face-to-face breakout activities may be included if organisers so wish.

Strengths of 10kV

Anonymity is a significant strength of 10kV. It is extremely successful in obtaining very frank and candid responses. Participants can report without concerns about rank or status and ideas are weighted on merit not on source. Any possible interpersonal or inter-organisational differences are also lessened. Certainly, participants seem more comfortable revealing personal trauma and, in the past, many have reported that they find the 10kV experience cathartic. Controversial or ethical issues can be discussed easily and blamelessly. It is difficult to access these important features without the promise of anonymity; for example, people find it difficult to address inter-agency barriers in a face-to-face group without the ‘real issues’ becoming constrained, compromised or even completely neglected.

10kV is very time efficient and it can capture the views of senior professionals whose time is precious, e.g., 250 statements generated in 20 minutes and 15 key themes developed by the end of the session. Simultaneous recording means that, unlike traditional focus groups, there is no need to wait for turns to speak; research also shows that participation rates are higher. ‘Loud voices’ cannot dominate the discussion so 10kV ensures that all views are heard. Open ‘real time’ discussion means that participants may think about views they had not previously considered and can also question why others hold particular views. Academic research on computer mediated focus groups supports these claims.

Recent research work on 10kV data has provided valuable insights into the factors that affect police officers. Of course, it is obvious to anyone that an enquiry has to be led and that critical incidents are difficult and stressful to manage but research on 10kV data provides the necessary detail. Examples are:

• Which features produce stress; which are best in moderating stress

• Which types of leadership skills are most effective in different situations

• Which emotions officers are likely to experience and when

How all these things affect decision making with obvious implications for the outcomes of an enquiry as a whole.

No such thing as a free lunch?

A founding principle of the Hydra Foundation is to reduce the divide between academic and practitioner communities. If our research is to continue to have genuine applied value, it must be conducted in partnership with other professionals. To that end, we continue to build on and extend our established partnerships in a reciprocal arrangement and, hence, 10kV and Hydra suites are offered as non-profit facilities in return for the insights we gain into practitioners’ experiences that enable our research.

We are bound by the British Psychological Society’s Code of Ethics. In practice, this means that generic research findings may be published in academic journals (e.g., ‘X% of police officers/social workers report stress as a significant factor in daily work life’) but any information that may identify individuals is withheld from the public domain.

As can be seen from the nature of the debriefs we have conducted or analysed to date, the centre has extensive experience in devising protocols for maintaining confidentiality for extremely sensitive data, including issues of national security. Data are held securely, are never accessed by anyone other than security cleared staff and the 10kV system renders them anonymous even to our team (i.e., particular comments have only participant numbers not names attached).

Conclusion

Together, 10kV debriefs, research on 10kV data and subsequent Debrief Reports for professionals constitute an iterative process. Regular debriefs, evaluation and review ensure that practice is effective, evidence based and that best practice is shared. These issues are obviously pertinent to developing professional skills. They are also pertinent to human resource issues such as managing health and safety of staff deployed to critical incidents or chronic stressors on staff working in high stakes environments (e.g., child protection officers dealing regularly with distressing events). These can be particularly difficult issues to access but may have long-term consequences for an organisation.

Difficult to access issues can also jeopardise future planning. For example, ostensibly sound strategies sometimes fail to become embedded in daily operational practice; this is sometimes underpinned by the difficulty in eliciting honest, comprehensive responses from staff or partners at the outset. 10kV’s ability to facilitate honest, full, egalitarian discussion can ensure that potential problems can be identified at the start and incorporated into future plans. 10kV is a valuable tool to aid the development of the considerable skills and knowledge that already exist in public sector agencies and can help to take them forward.