Welcome to your Conversation Management Training
Interviewing is a key skill for an investigator and Conversation Management (CM) is a long established and proven method for conducting effective and ethical investigative interviews. CM uniquely combines the principles of successful communication and effective investigation into an interview approach that will help you obtain more information from victims, witnesses and subjects.
This course is based on the book Investigative Interviewing: The Conversation Management approach, which is now in its third edition and is co-authored by one of your course trainers. This book is recognised as the leading interview textbook of its kind by practitioners and academics.
The complete course includes Knowledge modules and Practical Exercises.
Knowledge modules – these contain core content from the book icompressed into video sessions organised as three separate modules –
- Principles – the foundations that underpin effective interviewing.
- Techniques – the how-to sessions covering interviews with victims, witnesses and subjects, and
- Information – supporting material that helps inform the techniques and principles.
There is flexibility in how you choose to complete the modules. However, we do recommend that you work through the Principles before studying the Techniques, and that you watch the Techniques sessions in number order as this module builds over the sessions to avoid repetition of points.
The Knowledge modules are designed to be informative, easy to navigate, and concise. The longest individual session is 14 minutes and the total duration of all three modules is 4 hours and 20 minutes.
The video sessions are supported by a course document, handouts, and suggestions for additional readings which can be downloaded below.
Practical Exercises – This module offers the opportunity to apply the principles and techniques taught in the theory sessions by conducting practice interviews using anonymised and redacted real life cases. Students also get the chance to play the role of interviewee – and experience the interview process from a different perspective.
Students get time to prepare for each interview. The practicals are recorded, generally last around 30-45 minutes and are reviewed remotely by the course trainers, who provide individual written feedback. During a course each student will participate in 4 interviews; they will each conduct one witness and one suspect interview and also be interviewed as a witness and as a suspect by other students. The practical exercises constitute approximatley 10 hours learning time.
Optional webinars can be added to the program for additional group plenary.
The complete course provides 15 hours comprehensive training in Conversation Management and will improve your ability to interview victims, witnesses, and subjects in investigations.