Should the Commission authorize the Executive Director to enter into a contract with a qualifying entity for the presentation of the POST Quality Assessment Program (QAP) in an amount not to exceed $583,064.00 for Fiscal Year 2022-23 and in an amount not to exceed $96,217.00 for the remaining of Fiscal Year 2021-22.

One of the most compelling challenges for POST is to assess how effective training is for students, and specifically whether the curriculum enhances student performance, competency, and service. Therefore, it is critical to audit training to ensure it conforms with the content and delivery method previously reviewed and certified by POST. This was previously reinforced by the Commission when it expressed a desire to ensure the return on investment to law enforcement was being realized through meaningful training.  Furthermore, in testimony before the Senate Budget Committee in 2018, the Legislature emphasized to POST staff the need for POST to scrutinize training material being delivered to POST agencies.

The QAP measures law enforcement instructor and course quality, evaluates instructor use of adult learning methods and techniques, reviews course documentation, measures learning validation, and ensures the quality of POST-certified training courses. In addition, the QAP identifies regulatory compliance deficiencies, as well as non-compliance to POST-approved budgets for tuition costs.

If an assessment reveals a weakness in the curriculum or the facilitation skills of an instructor, the QAP assessor will make recommendations for a more robust curriculum or enhance classroom environment management and facilitation skills. The course coordinator will provide a step-by-step outline of how these weaknesses could be remedied to bring the course up to POST standards.

If an assessment reveals non-compliance with Commission Regulation(s), significant deviation from the POST-certified training course outline or non-compliance to the POST-approved budget, etc., those findings and corrective actions will be detailed in a written response to the course presenter. The course presenter has 30 days to implement necessary corrections to the course presentation. Upon receipt of the presenter's response, POST determines if it is sufficient. If it is not sufficient or the presenter fails to respond, it may result in course suspension or decertification.

The Fiscal Year 2020-21 contract was originally set to expire on June 30, 2021. However, due to COVID-19 staffing and travel restrictions, as well as course cancellations, the contract was amended to extend the expiration date to December 31, 2021. In Fiscal Year 2020-21 POST QAP assessors evaluated 62 presenters with some of those presenters having multiple courses, and 313 instructors. The total number of course hours assessed was 3,385 hours.

Maximum budget expenditures of $583,064.00 for Fiscal Year 2022-23 are described in Attachment A – QAP– Maximum Expenditures.

Contract History is described in Attachment B – QAP – Contract History.