If you’re part of the Basalt Solutions community, you’ll know we place a major emphasis on investigative interviewing. In fact, we’re kind of obsessed about it. More than a decade of investigations has convinced me that quality of interviewing is one of the biggest variables in investigations. If you constantly invest in improving your interviewing skills, you’ll achieve outstanding results. If you fail to upskill in this area, you expose yourself and your organisation to risk. The method we use and the method we teach is the PEACE interviewing method. Unless you work for a government enforcement agency, there’s a good chance you’re scratching your head right now. PEACE? What does that mean?
PEACE is an acronym that lays out the five phases of an effective interview:
- Plan and prepare
- Engage and explain
- Account, probe, clarify, challenge
- Close
- Evaluate
In our investigative interviewing workshops, we break down each one of these phases into its various parts. We give you an opportunity to learn the entire process in a scenario-based, practical training environment. But, why PEACE?
In this article I’m going to give you seven reasons why I believe in the PEACE framework. And why you should consider it for your organisation.
1. Evidence-based
The PEACE method is validated by decades of scientific research. It emerged out of Europe in the 90s. Law enforcement agencies identified several serious issues in the way in which officers were conducting interviews. For example, interviewers weren’t identifying the vulnerabilities of suspects at interview. The development of PEACE moved the emphasis away from obtaining confessions towards interviewing with an open mind. Obtaining a full and accurate account and being fair became the primary goals. Importantly, it’s focus was on developing evidence-based techniques. It provided a framework for interviewing the subject of an investigation as well as complainants and witnesses. In 2023 the model was described in a review of interviewing techniques as ‘a ground-breaking, visionary and revolutionary framework’. High praise!
2. Legal
PEACE in the criminal investigation
The PEACE method was developed by law enforcement. It’s now used by Police forces and regulatory agencies all over the world. This means it has also been extensively scrutinised by the Courts.
Interviews present a great opportunity for defence lawyers in Court. There are strict rules to which detectives must adhere when interviewing. In New Zealand, for instance, Chief Justice Sian Elias issued a Practice Note on Police Questioning in 2007. These judicial guidelines provide Police with clarification around the rules of interviewing. Police may not even suggest that it’s compulsory for a suspect to answer questions. The rules outline when a suspect must be advised of their rights. They outlaw questioning that amounts to cross-examination. They ensure that evidence is fairly explained to suspects. Suspects must be given the opportunity to review and correct their statement.
When a criminal matter goes to trial, the interviews are always up for criticism. I’ve been grilled on the witness stand for hours about my interviews. There are many criminal prosecutions that have fallen over due to deficiencies in the interviewing process. While I have been fairly criticised for my mistakes, none of my interviews have never actually failed to be admitted as evidence. That’s because I was well trained in the PEACE interviewing method. The PEACE interviewing framework ensures that investigators conduct interviews that withstand legal scrutiny.
PEACE outside the criminal investigation
The underlying principles that govern interviews in criminal investigations are generally also applicable to other contexts such as employment investigations. They align with the principles of natural justice. Which are ultimately about being fair. You must be open and honest about an interviewee’s right to advocacy and legal counsel. You can’t lie about evidence. Interviewers must be impartial truth-seekers.
The PEACE interviewing framework ensures criminal investigators deliver legally compliant interview. It’s the same outside the criminal investigation. Using PEACE helps you ensure your interviews are conducted legally.
3. Well-being enhancing
If you try to approach an investigative interview without any training, you will naturally place yourself at the centre of the process. This is natural. We all do it. You’ll focus on what information you want to obtain. How much time you have. The best interview location for you. The questions you want to ask.
An investigative interview already involves an imbalance of power. If you’ve ever been interviewed, you’ll know this. The person asking the questions has the power. As an interviewee, you feel powerless. You feel like you’re not really being heard.
Trauma
This makes the process a harrowing experience if you’ve experienced trauma. It’s damaging to wellbeing. Complainants and witnesses are often already traumatised. They don’t need the interview process to make it worse.
A process that doesn’t focus on well-being is also ineffective. A stressed, tense interviewee is not going to provide you with the information you require. It just doesn’t work that way. Someone who feels at ease is far more likely to provide you with the required information. And feel good about it!
The PEACE model forces you to place the interviewee at the centre of the process. The Plan and Prepare phase prompts you to ask questions about what’s best for the interviewee. The Engage and Explain phase focusses on building rapport and giving the interviewee the information they need to feel comfortable. The Closure phase ensures the interviewee feels good about the process.
The importance of being heard
Overall, it creates a process that actually enhances wellbeing. It makes the interviewee feel heard. When it comes to victims especially, the right to be heard is important. Actually, it’s more than a right. It’s a need. To heal from the trauma of bulling, harassment, abuse or any other traumatic incident, having your voice heard is the first step. But this is also the case for witnesses and the subject of the investigation. Everyone wants to be heard. The PEACE model achieves that.
4. Restorative
If you’re conducting an internal disciplinary investigation, chances are you’ll want to take a restorative approach. Not a punitive approach. A restorative or supportive approach means you’re aiming to heal the broken relationship. A punitive approach, on the other hand, is all about punishment.
The PEACE interviewing method encourages and fosters a restorative approach. Because of the focus on asking open questions, interviews conducted using the PEACE method are very effective at identifying root causes. Underlying motives for behaviours.
This enables you to identity cultural issues, policy gaps, or underlying wellbeing issues. When you get to the root cause of an issue, you’re better equipped to be able to restore the relationship. Yes, you may be required to take disciplinary action. But because you’ve obtained a full account from your interviewees, the action you take is better informed. You have a far better chance of coming up with a long-term solution.
5. Culturally responsive
NAIDOC and Matariki
I write this not long after Australia’s National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week. A time to recognise and celebrate the culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In Aotearoa New Zealand, we’ve just celebrated Matariki. The Māori New Year.
New Zealand is now starting to think about how tikanga Māori fits into our legal frameworks. Australia is also starting to think along the same lines. There is a growing expectation that justice systems at all levels are cognisant of indigenous cultures.
PEACE and cultural responsiveness
The PEACE interviewing method is one investigation practice that is more friendly towards our traditional cultures. While western cultures are generally more individualistic, traditional cultures in New Zealand and Australia are more communal. There is more of a focus on collective ownership. Of group discussions to resolve disputes. Accusatorial approaches are unhelpful.
The PEACE method supports this approach to investigation and justice.
The preparation and planning process encourages you to slow down and think about everyone involved. To consider who might be impacted by the interview. And who needs to be involved in the process.
The Engage phase asks you to think specifically about how you will build a relationship with the interviewee. The interview is more than a cold exchange of information between two individuals. It involves connection. A concept foundational to traditional cultural understandings of how the universe operates. And how just outcomes are achieved.
6. Adaptable
It’s already clear that PEACE is able to transferred from a criminal investigation setting into an employment investigation setting. But it’s actually far more adaptable than that.
Adapt to the context
The structure applies to any professional conversation in which one party is aiming to elicit accurate information from the other. For example, here at Basalt Solutions, we’ve applied the PEACE model to the context of school student disciplinary procedures. Teachers are trained to teach. But they’re also asked to spend huge amounts of time investigating incidents involving students. This always involves formal conversations with students. Conversations in which the teacher is trying to obtain information. It is essentially an investigative interview. It’s just that most people don’t think of it like that.
Adapt to the individual
The framework is also flexible. It can be altered to suit the individual. The emphasis on planning means interviewers are better enabled to deal with neurological diversity.
For example, someone with autism won’t necessarily respond in the same way as another interviewee. More thought needs to go into the interview location. The standard set of open questions may be difficult for the autistic interviewee to answer. In some cases, this inability to answer may be interpreted as a lack of credibility! More direct, closed questions may actually be the answer.
PEACE is an adaptable, flexible interviewing model. And that’s one of the reasons why it is so effective.
7. Systematised
PEACE is an easy acronym to remember. But this structure is not just helpful because it’s easy to remember. Having a method or system has other advantages.
PEACE can be standardised across your organisation. You adapt the model to your context. Then you make it the standard for all investigative interviews.
You can build a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) around it. This ensures consistency of performance across your team. It also enables a professional development programme to be developed around your standard interviewing model. Once you have a set standard with a training programme to implement it, you’re in position to measure your performance.
The Evaluate phase is all about reflection. It begins with a self-assessment. The interviewer is assessed against the other four phases of the interviewing process. A systematic review of performance. Assessment standards can be developed against each phase of the interviewing process. Now you have a comprehensive continuous improvement strategy.
Your reputation
Ultimately this comes down to what sort of reputation you want to build. If you’re an organisation conducting internal inquiries, your interviewing shapes your investigation culture. There are, of course, other elements. There’s your risk assessments. Investigation planning. Reporting. But interviewing is at the heart of the investigation process. Get your interviewing right and you’re a long way towards shaping a reputation for fairness and integrity. You’ll build trust and confidence, even (perhaps especially?) amongst the people involved in the investigation. You’ll also avoid the reputational fallout from a botched investigation.
Get in touch with us today to discuss how you can implement PEACE into your investigation processes. Choose PEACE.
