Operational support

The Police University College has more than 200 employees, about half of whom hold teaching positions. Approximately half of us are police officers. Around 90 % receive their pay from overall Finnish Police funding, the rest are employed in different projects with separate and project financing. We are an expert organisation and our staff is our most important resource.

Our HR planning is part of strategic management. We periodically prepare a human resources plan in which we collect information on such matters as personnel structure, competence development and the Police University College as an employer. In our human resources plan, we specify the key goals that are linked to our everyday life through our action plan.

Recruitment, employment and competence development

Our recruitment is based on an annual personnel budget and our operational needs. Our heads of competence areas start recruitment by preparing a proposal to fill a post or a fixed-term employment relationship. We discuss vacancies in our steering group, where they are assessed not only in terms of our functional needs but also in relation to our total person-year accrual and available funding. Our goal is to find the best and most motivated expert for each open position. We open a permanent post or a fixed-term employment relationship for at least two years for application through the government's electronic recruitment system. 

Supervisors are responsible for the induction of new employees. We have an induction plan in place to ensure that the induction is comprehensive. The supervisor and the inductee record the actual inductions in the plan, by subject area. After induction, the supervisor submits the induction plan for archiving to our HR services.

We use the pay system for the police, in which the amount of pay is determined mainly on the basis of the complexity of the work, personal work performance, and experience allowance. The Working Hours Act and the government collective agreement define the grounds of employment management. We have a flexible working time system, the details of which can be found in the guidelines on Working time, remote work and balance leave policy at the Police University College.

In our competence development, key methods include the human resources plan, action plan, performance and personal appraisal discussions, as well as the National Police Board’s guidelines on Supporting independent study in the police administration. Each of us discusses the development needs of their competence with their own supervisor each year.

Wellbeing at work and occupational safety

We support and promote the wellbeing at work of our personnel in many ways. 

We use the early support model, which is described in the guidelines on Management and support of work ability at the Police University College. Our occupational health care services are based on a fixed-term contract and the action plan, and they are available to all of our employees with a public service or employment relationship.

The objectives of our occupational safety and health activities are:

• safe working conditions
• improvement of job satisfaction
• prevention and elimination of health hazards related to or resulting from working.

Our employees have the opportunity to use working time for physical activity training for a maximum of two hours a week, their duties permitting. We comply with the National Police Board’s regulation on Fitness training and competitive sports in the police administration. There is also a decision on our recreational activities called Working time used by staff for recreational activities and the costs for these.

Our higher education community has zero tolerance for harassment and inappropriate treatment. We comply with the police administration’s national guidelines Management of harassment and inappropriate treatment in the police administration. Similar guidelines has also been prepared for our students. 

See also

Vacancies at the police in the valtiolle.fi service

Read the Police University College's annual reports and personnel statistics

The Police University College's process on support for HR management

Our university college community

More information for police administration staff in Finnish

Human resources plan (Poliisin intranet / Tietoa työhön / Arvot ja strategia)

Recruitment (Poliisin intranet / Henkilöstöasiat / Rekrytointi)

Induction (Poliisin intranet / Henkilöstöasiat / Meillä töissä)

Employment relationship (Poliisin intranet / Henkilöstöasiat / Meillä töissä)

Pay and remuneration (Poliisin intranet / Henkilöstöasiat / Palkkaus)

Competence development (Poliisin intranet / Henkilöstöasiat / Osaaminen ja koulutus)

Travel (Poliisin intranet / Henkilöstöasiat / Meillä töissä)

Well-being at work and occupational safety (Poliisin intranet / Henkilöstöasiat / Työterveys ja -hyvinvointi)

Our total funding is approximately EUR 26 million annually, of which internal financing accounts for around six per cent. Every year, we conclude a performance agreement with the National Police Board, in which we agree on resources and operational objectives.

The performance agreement targets are part of our action plan, and its implementation is monitored in interim evaluations. Our planning documents include the performance agreement, action plan, procurement plan, internal budgets and other documents related to operational and financial planning.

We manage financial services in accordance with the regulations and instructions of the State Treasury and with shared information systems of the central government in cooperation with the Government Shared Services Centre for Finance and HR (Palkeet). 

Our funding consists of the following sections:

• overall Finnish Police funding received from the government budget
• revenue from paid service activities
• project funding granted by the National Police Board
• other separate national and international funding for research and development.

The Director decides on the distribution of the money and personnel resources, and confirms the performance targets that include the performance agreement and specific targets to be compiled in the action plan. With internal resource allocation, we support the implementation of the strategy, the achievement of the objectives of the action plan, and the implementation of agreed development projects.

We monitor the budget almost in real time, by unit and project, using the Kieku system's reporting functions. 

Our financial and procurement activities and planning are primarily guided by the following documents:

• Financial rules of the National Police Board’s accounting unit
• Handbook on Government Procurement
• Procurement guidelines of the Ministry of the Interior’s administrative sector
• Guidelines on materials management and procurement at the police
• Financial guidelines of the Police University College
• Rules of procedure of the Police University College
• Guidelines on procurement and materials management at the Police University College 

The implementation of our purchases is based on the procurement plan, and we primarily utilise central government framework agreements. Financial services provide instructions and guidance in tasks related to procurement and purchases of services.

See also

State Budget Act 423/198 in the Finlex service (in Finnish)

State Budget Decree 1243/1992 in the Finlex service (in Finnish)

Performance agreements and annual reports of the Police University College on the police website (in Finnish)

Act on Public Procurement and Concession Contracts (Act on Public Contracts) 1397/2016 in the Finlex service (in Finnish)

Link to Hansel’s service website

Police University College's process on support for financial management

More information for police administration staff

Information about the economy (in Finnish) (Police intranet / Tietoa työhön / Talous)

Financial guidelines (in Finnish) (Police intranet / Työtilat / Polamk Yhteiset palvelut))

Performance planning documents (in Finnish) (Police intranet / Tietoa työhön / Organisaatiomme / Tulosohjaus)

Preparation and monitoring of the performance agreement and action plan (Poliisin intranet / Työtilat / Polamk Tulossuunnittelu ja laatu)

Communication services are part of our management and all of our processes. Our communication services are guided by the communication policies and guidelines of the police and the Police University College. The principle is that people must be able to trust police communications. Our communication is open, timely, realistic and systematic. We take into account those who need information and our partners interactively and fairly.

The Director is in charge of communication services at the Police University College. The Head of Communications is responsible for the steering, development, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of our communication services. Every member of the Police University College's staff, especially those in a supervisor position, has the responsibility for communications related to their area of responsibility. Our communication team is part of the competence area of support services.

The main channels of work community communication are the police intranet and the college network intranet. Our external communication channels primarily include the polamk.fi website and social media channels.

See also

Polamk's news

Polamk on social media

More information for those working or studying at the Police University College in Finnish

Police intranet / Tietoa työhön / viestintä

The competence area of support services is responsible for planning, steering, monitoring and developing our information management. The Act on Information Management in Public Administration (906/2019) defines the foundation of our information management. According to the information management policy of the police, information management ensures the collection and maintenance of information so that the information is of high quality and usable. Information management supports the reliability and efficient utilisation of information.

For the processing of administrative cases, we use the document management system of the police, which is an information system for the preparation, decision-making and archiving of administrative cases, documents and work management. The system is based on a joint information steering plan of the police.

More information for police employees is available on the police intranet in Finnish

Police information management policy (National content > Instructions and regulations > Library of norms > Information management)

Police information management instructions and regulations (National content > Instructions and regulations > Library of norms > Information management)

Police information steering plan (in the guidelines of the document management system)

We teach using the principle of blended learning, which alternates between contact teaching, e-learning and practical training. It requires an electronic learning environment where teachers have strong pedagogical and technical skills, clear forms of cooperation, appropriate teaching technology tools, effective support services and sufficient resources. E-learning services enable students to develop the capabilities needed in police work and skills in continuous learning both on and off the campus.

We have two separate data communication networks: the network used by the police and the college network. The police network meets the requirements of high preparedness and security, and it can also handle confidential information. The college network focuses on supporting daily teaching and studying, and offers a diverse range of services for use also on the user's own terminal device from outside the campus. The networks are separated from each other both physically and logically. Both network environments have separate services.

The primary electronic learning environment of our degree programmes is the college network’s Moodle (OV-Moodle).  In addition we utilize actively M365-services in learning and teaching. The online learning environment of the police is intended as an environment for confidential study materials and learning assignments. The learning environments of our continuing education are defined on the basis of the content of the instruction and the target group, on a training-specific basis. Our training also uses operational information systems and their training registers, as well as source material on the intranet sites.

Our degree students and staff members have role-based access rights to the services. We are also a HAKA member of the Finnish Trust Network of universities of applied sciences and universities. It allows us to reliably identify for joint services of higher education institutions, such as eDuuni workspaces, Adobe Connect or Theseus.

Our ICT and educational technology team is responsible for our ICT management and provides services together with the Information Technology Centre of the Police (POL IT) and the Government ICT Centre (Valtori). The ICT and educational technology team is part of the competence area of support services. Student Services is responsible for the development of teachers' pedagogic competence and support and guidance of e-learning.

More information for those studying or working at the Police University College is available on the intranets in Finnish

Police University College’s ICT and educational technology on the police intranet (Tietohallinto)

Police University College’s ICT and educational technology on the college network's intranet (Yhteiset palvelut / Tietohallinto)

Instruction library and support for the college network at the Police University College (Teams)

We mainly operate in Hervanta, Tampere, on premises owned by Senate Properties. The premises of the Police Dog Training Centre are located in Hämeenlinna. We also organise vehicle training in Pieksämäki, motorcycle training in Loppi, snowmobile training in Taivalkoski, boat training in Savonlinna and off-road traffic training in Padasjoki. The Tampere campus has teaching facilities, a restaurant, exercise and vehicle halls, a training area and accommodation. Our campus houses a library specialising in the police sector and the National Police Museum.

Our University College has different study facilities, such as auditoriums, group workspaces and classes of different sizes. In addition, we have many environments that support authentic learning in which we can practise and simulate, in a versatile manner and in line with working life, matters such as management, surveillance and emergency duties, pre-trial investigation of crimes, and control of vehicles.

Technical services are responsible for the maintenance and development planning of the facilities. Development needs of the premises are collected in connection with operational planning. In procurement, we comply with the procurement instructions of the Ministry of the Interior’s administrative sector and the Police University College, as well as our rules of procedure. Technical services are part of the competence area of support services.

Reservation and accommodation of facilities 

Our staff can book teaching facilities in the study management system of the college network or from timetable planners. Staff members reserve conference rooms themselves, via the calendar in the e-mail application. Police units and cooperation authorities can submit a request for space reservation using an electronic form. For a space reservation by a party outside the Police University College, we always appoint a responsible person who will act as the contact person for the reserving party and manage the practical advance arrangements and support during the event.

We offer student housing for rent to Bachelor of Police Services degree students. For our Master of Police Services students, accommodation is arranged for contact teaching periods. Those participating in our continuing education should describe their accommodation needs during registration. Accommodation in the campus area is also guided by the Police University College's code of conduct. 

See also

Information on housing for new students

Take a peek at the campus at the virtual Police University College

Information for visitors

More information for Police University College staff and students on the intranets in Finnish

Information on facilities on the police intranet (Police University College > Administration > Premises)

Making space reservations on the police intranet (Shortcuts > Space reservations)

Facilities and space reservations on the intranet of the college network (Support services > Facilities and space reservations)

Our library specializes in the field of police activities. It supports learning and teaching as well as research and development on the police sector. Our collections focus on the police sector, management, law, criminology and other social and behavioural sciences.

Our library:

• is responsible for teaching information retrieval skills at different degree levels
• maintains the ETSIVÄ collection database that is available for free use online
• serves as the main user in Theseus, the publication warehouse for Polamk publication series and theses
• maintains and develops the POLAS glossary
• forwards publications reported by Police University College staff to the Research.fi portal.

We serve everyone who works for the police. We ask others to agree on a visit in advance.

See also

Website of the Police University College library

The National Police Museum is part of the Police University College and the competence area of RDI activities. The Museum's task is to collect, store, research and display the history of the Finnish police and the activities of the police. Our exhibition extends from the Middle Ages to the present day. The National Police Museum is responsible for teaching of police history at the Police University College, and for the collections and exhibitions of the Crime Museum of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Jokiniemi, Vantaa. 

We increase our collections in line with our collection policy program, which we review and update on a regular basis. 

The National Police Museum is open to everyone, free of charge. The Crime Museum is a teaching exhibition that is closed to the general public. 

See also

Website of the National Police Museum