Managing Complex Investigations: A practical Framework for Task Force Supervisors

This two-hour course draws on experience supervising investigations to examine what it takes to manage an investigative team. It begins with the supervisor’s role in setting expectations, holding people accountable, and giving detectives ownership of their work. Those principles provide the foundation for managing complex assignments, particularly when information is limited and several agencies or units are involved.

Drawing on examples from multiple investigations, the course follows the decisions supervisors face from the initial briefing through the final debrief. Topics include setting realistic objectives, coordinating with partner agencies and prosecutors, giving investigators room to make decisions, and recognizing when an investigation is losing focus. Participants will discuss how to address performance problems, remove obstacles, communicate with command, and evaluate their own role in the investigation’s progress.