Summary
“This research project explores competency-based curriculum and police training, examining the question: what does competency-based curriculum mean to the RoyalCanadian Mounted Police and its members'? Three texts are generated: a literature text, the researcher's educational autobiographical text, and a philosophical text. The literaturetext examines the granularity of the RCMP Bridging the Gap training program, two divergent competence ideals, and the middle ground established between the two ideals.The autobiographical text explores personal learning relationships and learning relationships in the RCMP. The final text examines the researcher's philosophical framework including his vision, mission, values and goals, and the use of this framework as a guide to personal and professional endeavors. The three texts are examined with hermeneutic purpose, a process that reveals a personal journey of discovery, learning and awareness. The research revealed the RCMP competency-based curriculum is one component of a larger competency-based human resource management system that is about to be implemented across the RCMP. The researcher learned that competency based curriculum is theorized as a hybrid framework of educational ideals and the RCMP model is unique for establishing a middle ground between the behaviorist and rationalist perspective on the issue of competence. The research brought awareness to the dramatic organizational change that is forthcoming within the RCMP as competency-based curriculum and human resource management systems are implemented. Potential benefits to the RCMP and its members are explored, and potential difficulties in implementing competency-based curriculum and human resource management are also considered.”—Page iv.