Analysis of the performance management system in the detective service of the Motherwell cluster in Port Elizabeth

Performance management was implemented in the public service, including the South African Police Service, in 2001. The aim of implementing performance management in the public service was to improve the performance of all public servants. It was envisaged that the initiative for implementing performance management in the public service would entrench a culture of accountability, leading to improved service delivery. The effective utilisation of performance agreements, as a tool to align individual and organisational performance in the Motherwell Cluster Detective Service, was considered in this research. The contents of the individual detectives’ performance agreements and job descriptions in the Motherwell Cluster were analysed and compared with the contents of the SAPS Detective Service strategic objectives and performance indicators, as reflected in the SAPS Annual Performance Plan for 2012/2013. Interviews were conducted with Detective Service employees in the Motherwell Cluster, to determine whether the employees received training on the implementation of the Performance Enhancement Process, as the SAPS Performance Management and Development System. Research findings revealed that the contents of the respective individual detectives’ performance agreements and job descriptions were not aligned to the contents of the SAPS Detective Service strategic objectives and performance indicators. In areas where alignment was found, such alignment was so minimal that there was no meaningful correlation between an individual detective’s performance and organisational performance. The suggested recommendations are based on the findings of this study, which should be taken seriously if there is a desire to improve service delivery by the Detective Service. Apprehension, conviction, and sentencing of an offender can cause potential offenders to refrain from committing criminal acts for fear of apprehension and punishmen