ITOP- Test of Potential or Luck of the Draw?
Definitions:
- ITOP- Initial Test of Potential (now also known as ADC Stage1)
- ADC- Assessment & Development Centre
- PQA- Personal Qualities and Attributes
- SJT- Situational Judgement Test
- FRS- Fire & Rescue Service
The ITOP/ ADC 1 is the exercise designed to sift potential candidate’s suitability to attend the ADC. ‘ITOP’ stands for Initial Test of Potential, but this term has been recently dropped by many FRS in favour of ‘ADC Stage 1′. This has caused some confusion, but both refer to the same thing- the first stage of the promotion/development process. (We will try to stick to ADC Stage 1 in an effort to keep up!)
At Supervisory and Middle Manager level the ADC Stage 1 consists of two different tests, the SJT and the Simulation Exercise.
At Strategic Manager level the ADC Stage 1 is an In-basket exericse, which contains a number of different tasks which need to be prioritised and dealt with.
The Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
The SJT is a multiple choice test detailing various FRS relevant scenarios. Taking the perspective of a Manager at the next level, it asks the question ‘which one of the options is the most effective?’
The Simulation Exercise
The Simulation Exercise consists of three written tasks reflective of the type of issues a FRS Manager would expect, but presented in a ‘parallel’ organisation.
This type of intial sift or potential testing is fair in that it measures all applicants in the same way and against the same standards. Unfortunately, the ADC Stage 1 has some drawbacks. Lack of familiarity with the format, content, and unsatisfactory feedback can leave candidates feeling unsure where to go next. In addition, there is a lack of familiarity with the rationale behind PQAs and why they are better predictors of potential than technical skills and work-based evidence.
PQAs as the foundations
Put simply, the PQAs are the fundamentals, the very core values of the FRS. In order to be suitable for further career development, individuals need to demonstrate the values and behaviours appropriate to the next level, and not the skills and competence appropriate to their current role. If the PQAs are the foundations, the ADC Stages 1 and 2 are designed to take a snapshot of these, to use your behaviours and attitudes to predict how you are likely to fair in future situations. Further training and development will be built on these foundations.
Everyday use of the PQAs
From an outside perspective, it appears that the relevance of the PQAs is not sufficiently highlighted at a personal and usable level. Candidates find it easier to memorise the PQA examples as a means of preparing for an ADC rather than replicating the positive PQA related behaviours they demonstrate every day. Within your career you and your colleagues have demonstrated Working with Others, for example, in a hundred different ways. How regularly are you prompted to put these behaviours, positive and negative, into a broader organisational context? How often do you highlight to your team how different positive behaviours fit in with different PQAs? It is this sort of feedback which helps individuals see how they are meeting the PQAs in their current role, and what they might need to do differently to show the potential for the next one.
Feedback
So, back to the ADC Stage 1. Is it luck of the draw? The simple answer is no. The test does identify potential, and individuals who strongly and consistently meet the PQAs will have greater ADC success. However, it is more complicated than that. Candidates who have no idea what to expect at ADC Stages 1 and 2 are somewhat disadvantaged, as they are unfamiliar with what they have do to and how they have to do it. Candidates who have failed once and received feedback are in a better position as they know what is required. It doesn’t mean they will definitely pass, they still may not be able to demonstrate the PQAs in a suitable way. But it does mean they won’t make easily avoidable mistakes, such as poor time management, or simply repeating existing facts.
The ADC Stage 1 works best when candidates have pre-test practice, receive feedback in advance of the tests, and have had the opportunity to consider how to develop their PQAs in a work-based context. Many FRS struggle for candidates to meet the set pass mark, but this is not a negative reflection on either the individuals or the system which assesses them. It is indicative of a lack of information and support available to help candidates perform at their best during all phases of the assessment processes. Coaching, mentoring and PQA feedback can only compliment the process of embedding values, raising standards and developing individual and FRS potential.