The impact of international law enforcement training on the South African Police Service’s effectiveness

The need for globalisation and a competitive edge in the ever-changing policing trends and crime-combatting strategies necessitates training and development interaction on a global platform. Essential in this regard is the development of skills, among others the training, development


Introduction
This paper presents a comprehensive review of literature and empirical research on the impact of the international law enforcement training interventions on the South African Police Service (SAPS). The SAPS annually trains and develops its human capital in various learning programmes applicable to policing in operational and support-related environments, to equip them and enhance their knowledge, skills, and capabilities to be able to perform their tasks effectively and deliver quality service to the SAPS' clients. In addition, SAPS members also attend international law enforcement training and development interventions. The SAPS is involved in international relations and cooperation with many countries on the continent in terms of training and development in the policing sphere and annually invests large amounts of its capital through participation in international interventions by policing agencies globally. This training and development endeavours with international counterparts are aimed at improving organisational performance and productivity. However, there are concerns that the SAPS honours invitations to international training interventions even though there is no value for money and the transferring of skills is not considered. Further to this is if international training and development in law enforcement result in positive change in attitude and behaviour, implementation of best practices, and the transfer of knowledge and skills that will improve service delivery are in question. 550 expand their knowledge and skills in order to further improve service delivery. Yet there are complaints from the public at large about poor service delivery from the SAPS; members are not properly trained and the quality-of-service delivery is constantly under the spotlight. The dissatisfaction of the community towards the service they are entitled to might not be unfounded in the sense that the SAPS members are often inadequately trained. The rationale behind exposing the SAPS members to international training interventions is to equip them with international competencies and skills to be on par with changing practices in policing globally and to enhance their policing abilities and performance.
It can be argued that the SAPS does not fully benefit from investing in its human capital through international training interventions. This might be because of a lack of resources to apply the knowledge and skills gained; no relevant platform to share best practices, skills, and knowledge gained; or that the wrong target group or training category is engaged in the training and development of personnel. As a public institution, the SAPS represents an excellent example of a labour environment where numbers are plentiful but where skills are lacking, despite the 5 interventions by external stakeholders to train and develop SAPS officials. A number of the SAPS officials, through the interventions of external donors, have attended international training but the impact or results thereof are yet to be realised. This research was informed by all of the above developments, and other reasons sourced from literature. The need to conduct a scientific study on the monitoring and evaluation processes of international training interventions provided by Division HRD is inevitable.
The main objective of this study was to determine respondents' perceptions of the effectiveness of the SAPS's international training interventions.
The specific objectives were threefold: i.
To determine the effectiveness of international law enforcement training among the SAPS members. ii.
To determine the consequences for performance of international law enforcement training among the SAPS members. iii.
To identify areas of improvement in the international law enforcement training.

Literature Review Theoretical and Conceptual Background
Effective policing is recognised throughout the world as an essential element to the economy of the country (Chauke, Motllekgosi & Mofokeng, 2022;Modise, Taylor, & Raga, 2022;Melwich & Mofokeng, 2020;Mofokeng, 2020;Mofokeng & Aphane, 2022). Mvuyisi and Mbukanma (2023:96) posit that "skilled and engaged people result in high job satisfaction, commitment, and hence retention, advantages of staff improvement and engagement. Regardless of whether an organisation has established, functional training programmes, staff growth can never be effective until the work environment allows for and encourages -ongoing learning." Thus, it is through training and development that police officers would be able to respond adequately to the demands of the public. Sharma and Kurukshetra (2013) are of the view that training and development is an important concept of any organisation to facilitate the learning of job-related behaviour for its employees. The term behaviour is termed in a broad sense to include any knowledge and skills acquired. Davis, Leach and Clegg (2011) explain training and development as focusing on identifying, assuring, and developing, individuals' key competencies, through planned learning, that will assist to perform their current and future jobs. An employee is a blood stream of any organisation, they are crucial but expensive resource.
The above is supported by Kleygrewe, Oudejans, Koedijk and Hutter (2022) that, police training plays a crucial role in the development of police officers. Because the training of police officers combines various educational components and is governed by organisational guidelines, police training is a complex, multifaceted topic. Wolfe, McLean, Rojek, Alpert and Smith (2019:1) posit that police officers are exposed to numerous training programmes throughout their careers on a variety of topics ranging from the use of force to emergency driving. While police executives are increasingly turning to research evidence to make decisions regarding how to address crime problems, the same cannot be said about the selection of training programmes. The political nature of policing often forces police managers to pursue new training programmes in response to controversial officer-citizen encounters in an attempt to "do something" about a problem.
The SAPS is the principal law enforcement agency has a key role in contributing to the safety of the citizens. The SAPS's strategies consist of operational priorities and organisational priorities. The SAPS's Strategic Plan of 2020-2022 is clearly rooted in the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 on building safer communities. The NDP Vision 2030 clearly emphasises the police as being a well-resourced professional institution staffed with highly skilled officers who value their work, serve the community, protect the peaceful against violence, and respect the rights of all to equality and justice (South Africa, 2011). This futuristic plan focuses on professionalising the police through strategic outcome-oriented goals, which include an efficient, effective, and developmental oriented public service. To improve employee performance and motivation, the SAPS managers should utilise training to improve police officers' capabilities. The NDP Vision 2030 also highlights the importance of training and skills development (South Africa, 2011). Different pieces of legislation and authorities in South Africa govern training and development in the SAPS.
These pieces of legislation and authorities are outlined as follows: The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996): Section 195 of the Constitution states that public administration must be governed by democratic principles and values, such as good human resource management and career development (South Africa, 1996). This can only be achieved through training and continuous development of SAPS employees. Chapter 2, Section 29, subsection (1) positions education, adult basic education, and further education as the basic right. Chapter 10, Section 195, subsection (1) of the Constitution (1996:115) stipulates that career-development practices and good human resources should be cultivated to maximise human potential. This Constitutional value is specific to education, training, and development (ETD) practitioners and is among others, among eight values and principles outlined in Chapter 10 of the Constitution that govern public administration, including ETD practitioners. For the industry to uphold its mandate effectively it is obligatory to have skilled employees who will be able to meet the objectives and future challenges of the organisation.
SAPS Act (No. 68 of 1995) as amended: The SAPS Act of 1995 states that the minister may make regulations regarding training, appointment, promotion, and transfer of members. Chapter 8 of the Act stipulates that the minister can further obligate members to attend training courses (Naidoo, 2004, as cited in Mokoena, 2018Mokoena, Pheiffer & Mofokeng, 2022). The SAPS falls within the ambit of the public sector, but the SAPS Act (68 of 1995) governs some employees, whereas the Public Service Act (103 of 1994) governs others. The SAPS Act employees and Public Service Act employees (Naidoo, 2011:18) enact the distinction between the two due to the nature of duties that are performed. The SAPS Act (68 of 1995) regulates that the minister may make regulations concerning training appointments, promotion, and transfer of members. Chapter 8 of the Act stipulates that the minister can further regulate the attendance of members to training courses. It also states that the National Commissioner shall determine the training that the members or employees of the SAPS shall undergo. Act (No. 97 of 1998): The Skills Development Act of Act (97 of 1998) forms part of the National Skills Development Strategy, which is aimed at addressing social and economic problems in South Africa (Mnisi, 2015, as cited in Mokoena et al., 2022:67). The Skills Development Act (97 of 1998) is one of the important pieces of legislation concerning skills development.

Skills Development
The Act forms part of the National Skills Development Strategy, which aims at addressing social and economic problems in South Africa. Mohlala (2011:38) states that the development of skills through training and development has been the most important tool for improving both individual and institutional competitiveness. Skills development and training in the South African context should be addressed against the social, political, and economic background where reconstruction and development still occupy the highest status on the national agenda. The author further states that the Skills Development Act (97 of 1998) was introduced because of the realisation that the economy was being constrained by the shortage of a skilled workforce and the political imperative to redress the unfair discrimination in training and development in employment opportunities. The country was facing an increase in unemployment, as the labour market did not hire sufficiently equipped and trained human resource. Furthermore, employers did not provide sufficient training. The purpose of the Skills Development Act (97 of 1998) is to develop the skills of the South African workforce. The Act further stipulates the following reasons: i.
To improve the quality of life of workers, their prospects of work and labour mobility; ii.
To improve productivity in the workplace and competitiveness of the employers; iii.
To promote self-employment and to increase the levels of investment in education and training in the labour market; i.
To encourage employees to use the workplace as an active learning environment; ii.
To provide employees with opportunities to acquire new skills; iii.
To encourage workers to participate in learnership and other training programmes.
The rationale for the Skills Development Act (97 of 1998) is to provide an institutional framework to devise and implement national, sector and workplace strategies, to develop and improve the skills of the South African workplace. The special focus of the act is to improve the employment prospects of the previously disadvantaged persons through education and training (Van Dyk, Nel & Haasbroek, 2001 as cited in Modise et al., 2022:306). Mohlala (2004, as cited in Mnisi, 2015 states that the development of skills through training and development has been the most important tool for improving both individual and institutional competitiveness. Skills development and training in the South African context should be addressed against the social, political, and economic background where reconstruction and development still occupy the highest status on the national agenda.

Skills Development Levies Act (No. 9 of 1999):
The Skills Development Levies Act of 1999 states that every employer must pay a skills development levy to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), which is responsible for administering the Act. The SAPS has a registered skills development facilitator (SDF) at police station level (Masilela, 2012). The purpose of the SDF is to consolidate workplace learning needs at station level and report them to the provincial SDFs so that they can nominate members with skills deficiencies for workplace learning programmes, monitor individuals' skills needs, and assist members to compile individual development plans (Mokoena, 2018;Mokoena et al., 2022).
Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA): SETA is a body that comprises representatives of labor, employees, key government department members, professional bodies, and bargaining forums from business industry sectors (Masilela, 2012). The main function of the SETA is to contribute to the development of skills.
The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA): SAQA is responsible for the establishment of the NQF and national standards bodies to set training standards that ensure progression and portability, which means that a qualification earned in a workplace training environment has value in the formal system and vice versa (Mohlala, 2011). The SAPS attempts to improve service delivery, such as arrests and investigation of crimes. It is therefore necessary that the learning programmes offered must be needs based and relevant to circumstances. SAQA was formulated to ensure the development and implementation of NQF, which contributes to the full development of each learner and the social and economic development at large (Meyer, 2007: p. 28). SAQA has the responsibility to monitor SETAs accreditation processes of learning programmes. SAQA is also responsible for the establishment of the NQF and national standards bodies to set training standards, which ensure the progression and portability (which means that a qualification earned in a workplace training environment has value in the formal system and vice versa). It is responsible to monitor the implementation of standards, certifying national qualifications, and credits and approving secondary accreditation of providers and assessors (Mohlala, 2011: p. 48). The main functions of SAQA are to: i. Oversee the implementation of the NQF by a multi-year rolling strategic plan, budget and implementation framework; ii.
Recommend level descriptors to the minister after considering proposals by each Quality Council (QC); iii.
Recommend a policy framework to the minister for the development, registration and publication of qualifications in each sector, and recommend a policy framework to the minister for assessment, recognition of prior learning and credit accumulation and transfer, after considering proposals by each QC; iv.
Register a qualification recommended by a QC if it meets the approved criteria; v.
Recommend a policy framework to the minister for recognising a professional body and registering a professional designation for this act, after consultation with the statutory and non-statutory bodies of expert practitioners in occupational fields and after considering proposals by each; vi.
Recognise a professional body and register its professional designation if the approved criteria have been met; vii.
With respect to records of education and training, maintain a national learner's records database comprising registers of national qualification, national standards, learner achievements, professional bodies, professional designations and associated information; viii.
Provide an evaluation and advisory service to foreign qualifications (Bellis, 2001: p. 11). It is necessary to bear in mind that SAQA provides necessary mechanisms through which learning programmes can be evaluated for their suitability to meet set national standards and norms as discussed above (Mohlala, 2011: p. 49). The SAPS attempts to improve service delivery such as arrests and investigation.

National Qualifications Framework (NQF):
The NQF is a framework that provides a vision and structure for the creation of a national qualification system. It is a national effort of integrating education and training into a unified structure of recognised qualifications. All qualifications and competencies are registered with the NQF according to their field of learning and level of progression (Botha, Kiley, & Truman, 2007, as cited by Mokoena, 2018).

Safety and Security Sector Education and Training Authority (SASSETA):
SASSETA is a SETA that was established to facilitate education and training specifically for the wide range of safety and security providers in South Africa, such as the military, police, and the diplomatic sector. According to the SAPS Education, Training and Development Policy (2007, as cited by Mokoena, 2018), in the SAPS, the Divisional Commissioner: Training must ensure that a quality management system is developed, implemented, and managed according to the criteria provided by SAQA or SASSETA. Every education, training, and development institution in the SAPS must, on a quarterly basis, report to the Divisional Commissioner: Training on all the learning interventions offered.

Changes in value systems
The South African workplace is rapidly transforming due to changes in value systems, increased local and international competition, new technologies, participative management, and the changing socio-economic environment (Grobler, Warnich, Carrell, Elbert & Hatfield, and 2006:1). As organisations strive to compete in the global economy, differentiation on the basis of skills, knowledge, and motivation of their workforce takes on increasing importance (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009:452). One such an organisation is the SAPS that trains and develops its members to improve organisational performance and productivity. The training and development of members of the SAPS is affected through in house training and external training providers. For organisations to be on par with global trends and changes, sharing knowledge and skills through training and development is essential. With the increasing promotion of globalisation strengthening international police cooperation in law enforcement is the inevitable choice. Transnational police training contributes to increasing the knowledge and ability of police organisations (Shuang, 2014:426).
The SAPS is involved in international relations and cooperation with many countries on the continent and in the world in terms of training and development in the policing sphere. The training interventions are in the form of short courses, seminars, workshops, and roundtable discussions. Transnational police training contributes to increasing the knowledge and ability of police organisations; provide common understanding between police organisations; identify standards in curriculum development, training programmes and opportunities to exchange knowledge across global police infrastructures (Ciftci & Kula, 2015:51).
International law enforcement training and development: gateway to improved service delivery and enhanced performance of police officers International training and development interventions are important to determine the value that the interventions bring to the organisation and ultimately investment in human capital (Mavin et.al. 2010). Finnish National Board of Education [FNBE] (2014:5) support the statement by Mavin et.al. (2010) that "training and development through international cooperation is vital for effective policing and its quest for professionalised service delivery." The SAPS is involved in international relations and cooperation with many countries on the continent in terms of training and development in the policing sphere and annually invests large amounts of its capital in the training and development of its members through participation in international interventions by policing agencies globally. Given the changing realm of policing and public security, training and development should be understood as both a strategic mechanism by which to pursue organisational performance and a core business tool for the delivery of efficient and effective public security (Haberfield, Curtis, Clarke & Sheenan, 2012:1). International Relations EDU says that one way to improve service delivery and enhance performance is to engage on the international law enforcement platform through training and development of police officers to be on par with the changing competitive law enforcement environment and to gain skills and knowledge from global counterparts. Training and development is a critical process that seeks to improve the performance of workers in organisations. For organisations to be on par with global trends and changes, the sharing of knowledge and skills through training and development is essential" (Kum, Cowden & Karodia, 2014:72).

Research and Methodology
To achieve the aim and objectives of this study, a descriptive quantitative research approach were followed. Quantitative research describes the methods of explaining an issue or a phenomenon through gathering of data in numerical form through data collected through questionnaires, polls, and surveys (Apuke, 2017). The outputs of quantitative research are usually in the form of graphs, statistical data, tables, and percentages (Bhasin, 2019). For this study the researcher made use of a structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions to ensure a clear understanding of the questions and to avoid misleading and unnecessary elaboration and comments, in order for answers to be specific and to allow for comparison. This study utilised the quantitative research technique. The quantitative research design is a research paradigm that emphasises quantification in the collection and analysis of data and views the relationship between theory and research as deductive (Bryman & Bell, 2011:26).
The sample frame for this study consisted of one-hundred SAPS members from various SAPS Divisions who attended international training interventions in policing from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2016 locally or abroad provided by police organisations from the United States of America, Belgium, Malaysia, China, France, and the United Kingdom (UK). The sample frame was extracted from the Division HRD Training Management System (TMS). The first author requested and were granted permission by the SAPS to conduct the research. Respondents were informed that their participation is voluntary and that they can withdraw from the study at any moment. They were also explained the aim of the study, how long it will take to complete the questionnaire and the importance why the study is done. They were made aware that their identities will not be disclosed and that no personal information will be divulged to any party. They were also assured that the information they provided would be kept safe by the researcher. The name and contact details of the first author were provided in case of any enquiries. The first author guaranteed confidentiality and the anonymity of the particulars and responses of the respondents. After the respondents indicated their willingness to be part of the study the first author commenced with the data collection process.
A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data for the study. "Structured questionnaires are easy to administer, are cost effective, and have a high response rate compared to other forms of data collection" (De Vos & Strydom 2011:186). The questionnaire consisted of three sections, namely Section A, which focused on the biographical details of the respondents; Section B, which comprised closed-ended statements relating to the respondents' perceptions of the effectiveness of international training interventions, each providing options on a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree, agree to some extent, strongly disagree, disagree to some extent, and do not agree at all); and Section C, which consisted of closed-ended statements on respondents' responses to the consequences of international training interventions (the same Likert scale as in Section B was used to measure respondents' responses).

Administration of Questionnaires
The questionnaires were distributed by the first researcher in person and through email to respondents that attended the international law enforcement training and development interventions. In the case of email distribution, the researcher made use of a nodal person known as a Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) within SAPS Divisions responsible for the coordination and management of its members attending training interventions locally or abroad. The first author recorded the distribution of the questionnaires electronically during distribution, where to, how many, and the date returned or collected. A total of 100 questionnaires were received through voluntary participation received within three to five days of distribution. Each respondent's questionnaire was marked from 1 to 100 for easy tracking of entries on the MS Excel sheet, easy access to rectify incorrect entries, and also to ensure that 100 respondents respond and illuminate duplication. Data obtained through the questionnaire were scanned and recorded manually on Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that reflected all the fields of the questionnaire in the different MS Excel cells. The questionnaires were kept in a safe at the first researchers' residence where to the researchers only have access. Copies of the recorded data were saved on the researchers' computer with password protected and on memory stick under the care of the researcher.

Analysis
The structured questionnaire consisted of two sections, namely Section A, which focused on the biographical details of the respondents and not use in the study for comparison, etc., but to ensure representivity and correct target were used in the study according to information gathered from the SAPS Training Administration System. Section B that is divided into Sub-Sections B1 which comprised seven closed-ended statements relating to the respondents' perceptions of the effectiveness of international training interventions, each providing options on a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree, agree to some extent, strongly disagree, disagree to some extent, and do not agree at all); and Sub-Sections B2, which consisted of six closed-ended statements on respondents' responses to the consequences of international training interventions (the same Likert scale as in Section B was used to measure respondents' responses). A pilot study to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire was conducted with five respondents at Division HRD, which did not form part of the study. The data gathered through the questionnaire were subjected to frequency counts, in other words, the subjects' responses for each individual question were added together to determine the highest frequency of occurrence (i.e. the number of times that a particular response occurred) and statistically analysed by a statistician from the TUT. The analysis of the data provided meaningful results that could be interpreted by the researchers and presented for gaining understanding and drawing conclusions. After the analysis, the researchers made findings and presented it in percentages in pie chart format. The statement posed to the respondents are reflected in Sub-Sections B.1 and B.2 in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively. The training is beneficial for the SAPS

2
The training was relevant to my working environment 3 The training changed my attitude towards my work in a positive way 4 The training was not worthwhile 5 Future courses of this nature is required 6 The training addresses organisational outcomes 7 The training adds value to SAPS performance Source: Authors illustration (2018) My productivity increased because of the training 10 I gained more knowledge on my work specifics 11 My work performance improved after the training 12 I am able to use acquired skills and knowledge in the workplace 13 The course content should be included in SAPS learning programmes Source: Authors illustration (2018)

Findings
The authors used primary and secondary literature sources to gain knowledge and insight of international training interventions in broad and specific to law enforcement to develop the predetermined statements in the structured questionnaire, in the quest to obtain data to determine the respondents' perceptions on the effectiveness of international training interventions and the consequences of international training interventions in law enforcement. The following sections discusses the statements, content and results thereof as derived from the completed questionnaires as endorsed by respondents.

Statement 1: the training is beneficial for the saps
The results in this statement revealed that an overwhelming 74.0% of the respondents strongly agreed that international training interventions were beneficial for SAPS, 24.0% agreed to some extent, and an insignificant 1.0% strongly disagreed and disagreed to some extent respectively. Based on the results, an overwhelming 98.0% of the respondents agreed that international training interventions were beneficial for the SAPS; therefore, acknowledged that international training interventions in law enforcement were necessary to participate in. The magnitude of the responses indicated that SAPS' engagement in international training interventions in law enforcement is beneficial in the training and development of SAPS employees Statement 2: the training was relevant to my working environment The responses to the statement that international training interventions were relevant to the respondents' working environment reflected that 68.0% of the respondents strongly agreed that the training was relevant to their work environment, 28.0% agreed to some extent, whereas 2.0% strongly disagreed and disagreed respectively. Based on the data, a significant majority 96.0% of the respondents agreed that the training they received were relevant to their work environment. This could be viewed that the relevant target groups were nominated to attend the interventions and the types of courses were considered and thought through.

Statement 3: the training changed my attitude towards my work in a positive way
Fifty one percent of the respondents strongly agreed that the training changed their attitude towards their work in a positive way, while 31.0% agreed to some extent, 7.0% strongly disagreed and disagreed to some extent respectively, and 4.0% stated that the training did not change their attitude towards their work in a positive way at all. The fact that an overwhelming majority (82.0%) of the respondents agreed that the training impacted positively on their attitude towards their work, is encouraging. This brings about the view that the training was influential, of value, and changed respondents' attitude positively. This can also be ascribed to the fact that they acquired more skills, knowledge, and insight into their work environment. The respondents also felt more empowered and aligned with their international counterparts.

Statement 4: the training was not worthwhile
The responses to this statement revealed that an overwhelming majority of 73.0% of the respondents disagreed that the training was not worthwhile, while 21.0% agreed that the training was not worthwhile, and only 6.0% did not respond to the statement. The results indicate that most of the respondents found the international training interventions to be worthwhile. The deduction that could be made regarding the 6.0% who did not respond is that they were possibly undecided. Furthermore, the results to this statement correspond with the responses in Statement 2 (The training is relevant to my work environment), where 96.0% of the respondents agreed that the training was relevant to their work environment, and Statement 3 (The training changed my attitude towards my work in a positive way), where 82.0% of the respondents agreed that the training positively impacted on their attitude towards their work.

Statement 5: future courses of this nature is required
A significant percentage of 96.0% of the respondents agreed that future interventions were required, 3.0% strongly disagreed and 1.0% did not respond. This shows that the respondents were of the view that the training were necessary and that it impacted on gaps in employees' performance relating to their day-to-day functioning. This confirms Statement 4 (The training was not worthwhile), where a majority of 73.0% of the respondents disagreed that the training was not worthwhile. It can thus further be deduced, based on the responses, that the courses attended were beneficial to the SAPS, as previously highlighted in Statement 1 (The training is beneficial for the SAPS), where 96.0% of the respondents agreed that the training was beneficial and that more members must attend these types of courses. The courses attended were relevant to their work environment and were beneficial.

Statement 6: the training addresses organisational outcomes
The responses to this statement showed that a significant majority 96.0% of the respondents agreed that the training addressed organisational outcomes and 4.0% of the respondents strongly disagreed. This confirms the responses to the previous statements, namely Statement 1 (The training is beneficial for the SAPS), where a significant majority of 98.0% of the respondents agreed that the training was beneficial for the SAPS members. For Statement 2 (The training is relevant to my work environment), it was also highlighted that 96.0% of the respondents agreed that the training was relevant to their work environment. This significant agreement on the necessity of this training by the respondents was also observed in Statement 5 (Future courses of this nature are required), where 96.0% of the respondents stated that future courses of this nature were required. The interventions are thus relevant, and positively impact on skills, knowledge, and behaviour, and ultimately on organisational functioning and effectiveness.

Statement 7: the training adds value to saps performance
A significant majority (95.0%) of the respondents agreed that the training added value to SAPS performance, whereas 3.0% strongly disagreed and 2.0% disagreed. This confirms that the responses as highlighted in Statement 6, regarding those other responses from previous statements (Statements 1 to 6), to some extent, reflected responses highly in favour of the training. International training interventions provide respondents with a global perspective, shared expertise, knowledge enrichment, and new ways of dealing with and achieving the organisation's expectations.

Section B.2 consequences of international training interventions
Statement 8: i acquired new skills through the training 65.0% of the respondents strongly agreed that they had acquired new skills, while 29.0% agreed to some extent, and 3.0% strongly disagreed and disagreed to some extent respectively. Ninety-four percent (94.0%) of the respondents agreed that they had acquired new skills due to the training. This confirms the literature that training, and development must bring about new skills. The international training interventions had a positive result on the respondents in that they had acquired new skills, indicating that the training was worthwhile, added value, and was necessary for SAPS employees to attend.

Statement 9: my productivity increased as a result of the training
Forty-six percent 46.0% of the respondents strongly agreed that their productivity increased because of the training they had attended, while 42.0% agreed to some extent, 5.0% strongly disagreed, 5.0% disagreed to some extent, and (5.0%) responded not at all. Eightyeight percent (88.0%) of the respondents agreed that their productivity increased because of the international training they received. This can be related to the responses in Statement 8, where 94.0% of the respondents agreed that they acquired new skills through international training. This indicates that the newly acquired skills positively influenced employees' productivity in the sense that they were better equipped and more knowledgeable in their area of employment. This further corroborates Statement 2, that the training was relevant. These responses build on the responses to previous statements (Statement 1 to 8).

Statement 10: i gained more knowledge on my work specifics
Fifty-seven percent (57.0%) of the respondents strongly agreed that they had gained more knowledge on their work specifics, while 23.0% agreed to some extent, 9.0% strongly disagreed, 10.0% disagreed to some extent, and 1.0% responded not at all. Eighty percent (80.0%) of the respondents agreed that they had gained more knowledge on their work specifics because of the international training interventions, which broadened their insight and inputs because of external exposure to similar environments. This also depicts that even though the training had an international perspective, it is evident that other policing agencies are similar in terms of safety and security applications. Learning about the manner in which other countries perform their policing broadened the knowledge of SAPS members as they learned more about content-related issues, best practices, and transfer of knowledge and skills.

Statement 11: my work performance improved after the training
Forty-three percent (43.0%) of the respondents strongly agreed that their work performance improved after the training, while 38.0% agreed to some extent, 9.0% strongly disagreed, 5.0% disagreed to some extent, and 5.0% responded not at all. Eighty-one percent (81.0%) of the respondents agreed that their work performance improved after undergoing international training. This indicates that 69 the training developed the respondents and that there was value for money in attending international training interventions. The training was beneficial and necessary, as reflected by Statement 1, to which 98.0% of the respondents agreed that the training was beneficial to the SAPS. The training improved performance, which led to organisational effectiveness and improved organisational effectiveness.

Statement 12: i am able to use the acquired skills and knowledge in the workplace
Fifty -four percent (54.0%) of the respondents strongly agreed that they were able to use the acquired skills and knowledge in their workplace, while 34.0% agreed to some extent, 9.0% strongly disagreed, 2.0% disagreed to some extent, and 1.0% responded not at all. Eighty-eight percent (88.0%) of the respondents agreed that they were able to use the acquired skills and knowledge in their workplace. This indicates that the training was relevant, learning and transfer of knowledge occurred, that the environment allowed for the application of skills and knowledge, and that productivity increased.

Statement 13: the course content should be included in saps learning programmes
Fifty-nine percent (59.0%) of the respondents strongly agreed that the international training course content should be included in SAPS learning programmes, while 33.0% agreed to some extent, 2.0% strongly disagreed, 5.0% disagreed to some extent and 1.0% indicated not at all. An overwhelming 92.0% of the respondents therefore agreed that international training course content should be included in SAPS learning programmes. This implies that the respondents appreciated the value and relevance of international training interventions, which confirms that the training was relevant and beneficial to the SAPS.

Discussions
Transnational police training contributes to and increase the knowledge and ability of police organisations struggling against transnational crime; provides a common understanding between police organisations; and identifies standards in curriculum development, training programmes, and opportunities to exchange knowledge across global police infrastructure (Ciftci & Kula, 2015:51). Training and development are critical processes that seeks to improve the performance of workers in an organisation. For organisations to be on par with global trends and changes, the sharing of knowledge and skills through training and development is essential (Kum et al., 2014:72). There is both a direct and indirect link between training, business strategy, and goals. Training can help employees develop the skills needed to perform their jobs, which directly affects the business. The evaluation of training and development involves assessing whether it is achieving its objectives and whether it is effective or not. Training effectiveness refers to the benefits that the company and the trainees receive from training. Benefits for trainees may include learning new skills or behaviour (Topno, 2012:16).
Most respondents agreed that the international training interventions were beneficial for the SAPS. Participation of the SAPS members in international training interventions is therefore necessary and of benefit to the SAPS. The respondents agreed that the international law enforcement training interventions were relevant to their work environment, meaning that the correct target group attended the interventions. Participation was considered in line with organisational needs and was seen as value for money. The respondents agreed that their attitude towards work changed in a positive way as a result of the international training interventions they had attended. The training thus boosted the morale of the respondents and gave them more confidence to do their work due to exposure to international law enforcement training and development the respondents' positive attitude towards work might also be an acknowledgement of the SAPS in developing and investing in its members. The respondents agreed that the international training interventions in law enforcement they attended were worthwhile, for both the employees and the SAPS. There was thus a meaningful impact on the respondents' training and development.
Furthermore, the respondents agreed that the training addressed organisational outcomes. This is a requirement for the SAPS when it nominates members to attend international training interventions, to facilitate return on investment and ensure applicability to the SAPS's strategic objectives and priorities. The respondents agreed that the training added value to the SAPS's performance through new skills learned and knowledge gained through interaction with international counterparts. Kruder and Salmi (2019) confirm this finding by stating that building and investing in partnerships which serves institutional objectives leads to better outcomes for all involved and show returns for all stakeholders involved. The purpose of these partnerships should be to obtain skills, knowledge, identify best practices and application to improve service delivery and enhance performance. It also indicates that a skills gap was addressed; because of this they will perform better and ultimately add value to their performance.
The respondents agreed that they acquired new skills because of the international training. One of the main purposes of training is to learn new skills. The international training interventions take this further in that it does not only entail the acquisition of new skills, but learning from international counterparts that will enhance international competitiveness and global recognition of the SAPS as well. The findings of the study also highlighted those respondents acknowledged that their productivity increased and gained more understanding and insight beyond the norm by attending international training interventions. An important view of respondents should be noted wherein they indicated that SAPS members should be exposed to international training content; not necessarily by attending international training interventions but through adding such content to existing SAPS learning programmes. This implies that the SAPS learning programmes would be enhanced by adding international law enforcement training content to it.

Conclusions
In conclusion, this study found that respondents were of the view that international law enforcement training interventions impacted positively on SAPS employees' performance, organisational outcomes, changes in attitude, promote the acquisition of skills and knowledge, and proofed that international cooperation is necessary and useful. Through sound and fruitful engagement, international training in law enforcement is key in capacitating police agencies worldwide to meet the ever-changing demand in capacity and resources to eradicate crime. The training and development of human resource capital is of the utmost importance if organisations want to positively affect their mandate. Investing in training and development is imperative for any organisation, which will certainly realise a return on investment in training and developing their employees. It is an investment not only in human resources but also in the organisation regarding its performance and the achievement of expected outcomes. As human performance increases, business performance also improves.
If employees do not have a platform to transfer skills and knowledge back into the work environment, the training was in vain. It is imperative that organisations ensure that they stimulate the transfer of skills and knowledge back into the organisation to ensure return on investment. Training and development in an organisation's own context is sufficient to some extent, but when it comes to safety and security, it is more advantageous to expose employees to international training interventions to be on par with the everchanging global environment, and for them to learn and implement best practices. The SAPS will continue to partner with and join efforts with regional, continental, and international counterparts in the fight against crime. Through sound and fruitful engagement, international training and development is the key to capacitating police agencies worldwide to meet the ever-changing demand in capability and resources to eradicate crime. The exposure and participation of SAPS employees in international training interventions should be viewed as an integral part of training and development of human capital by the management of the SAPS.