POLICE-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF FIELD OPERATIONS SOUTH CAUCASUS the police oversight bodies, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Defence, National Security and Internal Affairs, the Human Rights Defender’s Office (HRDO) and civil society. These meetings focused on how lessons learned from the protests could help in the development of more targeted reforms, identification of main priorities, as well as a better understanding of how to modify police training and apply it in operational policing. As an outcome of the discussions, the Office, in addition to its planned activities, organized capacity-building events aimed at improving police officers’ negotiation and communication skills in crisis situations and during public order management (POM), as well as strengthening the knowledge and skills of police cadets on various elements of democratic policing. The co-operation with the HRDO focused on the identified need to further strengthen the capacity of the HRDO’s Rapid Reaction Group (RRG), which actively monitored the July events and provided regular updates to the Office on the situation. To raise public awareness on the functions of the RRG, the Office supported the preparation and broadcast of a thematic TV programme. Another outcome of the discussions was an agreement to organize a conference in 2017 with the Office’s support and with active involvement by the police, media and civil society to assess the existing level of co-operation, the main challenges and the ways to further improve trust in the police. Activities Related to General Police Development and Reform Complex. For the 2017 academic year, 22 applicants, including 11 women, were admitted to the Police Academy, and 77 applicants, including 15 women, were admitted to the Police College. During the 2015, 2016 and 2017 academic years, the total number of women admitted to the Academy and College has remained consistent, but the number of female applicants to the College has increased by 50 per cent. Police Development and Reform From 6 to 10 June, the Office continued to participate in the work of the independent admissions commission that monitors the admission process of the Police Training Centre of the Republic of Armenia Police Educational Complex. Established at the Office’s initiative in 2011, the commission organizes and oversees a fair and transparent admission process. In the fourth review of the 2015-2016 academic year, 115 applicants, including six women, were admitted to the Police Training Centre. From 31 October to 3 November, the Office supported a training course on democratic policing for 30 cadets from the Police Educational Complex. The course covered the role of the police in a democratic, rule-of-law based society, the essence and principles of community policing, fundamental human rights, police ethics, professionalism and integrity, police-media relations, building trust between the police and the public, responses to domestic violence, negotiation and conflict resolution. On 20 and 21 July, the Office, DCAF and the police, organized a train-the-trainers course using an interactive teaching methodology and curriculum design for 25 staff members from the Police Educational Complex. The trainers covered topics related to needs analysis, and linked training to organizational performance, curriculum design and lesson planning. These topics were supplemented with thematic exercises, group work and role playing. Police Management / Human Resources From 1 to 6 and from 8 to 16 August, a representative of the Office participated in the independent admissions commission monitoring the admissions process to the Police Academy and Police College of the Police Educational On 23 and 24 November, the Office, in co-operation with DCAF, organized a workshop on police management methods and practices. Workshop facilitators shared advanced theories of management and leadership, along with the importance of delegating authority and empowering subordinates with over 20 participants from various police districts and services. The participants and international experts discussed the specifics of management and leadership in the Armenian police, as well as the identification of opportunities for further modernization and reform. 103