Transcript People Management Peer Review February 2008

People Management Peer
Review
February 2008
The Review Team
• Chris Geyton – Excellence in Business
• George Bishop – Director of Personnel and
General Services, Royal Borough of Kensington
& Chelsea
• David Colvill – Director of Resources – Crawley
Borough Council
• Len Hull – Head of HR – Bassetlaw District
Council
• Rebecca McKenzie – Director of HR – Swindon
Borough Council
• Cllr David Minnery – North Shropshire District
Council
The Review
• Findings based on interviews on site and
documentary information provided during
a 2 day on-site visit
• Process does not seek to make binding
judgements
• Designed to strengthen the Council’s selfawareness – focus on strengths and areas
for improvement
• Final report has been made public
Context
• Southend has undergone many changes in both
process and personnel in the last few years
• Significant changes in personnel at senior
management level
• Significant distance travelled in the last few
years from a position of recognised weakness
• Driving up performance
• Encouraging results – “Improving Well”
People Management Peer Review
(PMPR) Benchmark
1. Leadership
Based on the following rationale:
LEADERS determine the high level STRATEGY for
people management within the Council. They
ensure that there is an appropriate DELIVERY
model in place including management
arrangements and processes to translate high
level Strategy into OPERATIONAL RESULTS.
LEARNING from the implementation of the people
management arrangements and the results
achieved is used to drive continuous improvement
within the Council
PMPR OUTCOMES
• Strengths and areas for development
identified
• SBC to determine priorities/timings
within organisational context
Leadership
Strengths
• Clear and well-communicated vision and values
• People Management issues represented at CMT
level
• OD Programme Board chaired by the Leader
• CMT are visible and take a lead in delivering and
cascading strategic messages
Leadership (continued)
Areas for Improvement
• Member engagement and development
• Complexity of member groups/committees
involved in People Management issues –
leads to difficulties in monitoring progress
against People Management Strategy*
• No clear measures in place to judge the
effectiveness of Corporate Equalities
Steering Group
Leadership (continued)
Areas for Improvement (cont)
• Plans to develop initiatives such as
exChange are not clear to staff*
• Uncertain commitment to Health & Safety*
Strategy
Strengths
• Revised People Management Strategy
• Corporate Plan, service planning and
appraisal process provide the basis of the
“golden thread” to drive performance
• Key HR policies have been subject to
review and improvement
• National agendas on People Management
included in strategies and plans
Strategy (continued)
Strengths (cont)
• Investment in OD
• Some examples of strong joint working
(Southend Together), focused use of
data/analysis (Children’s Specialist
Services) and succession planning (school
leadership)
Strategy
Areas for Improvement
• Extent to which employees are involved in
the development of the PMS not
demonstrated*
• Lack of “People”/HR area on the Intranet*
• Current PMS needs to be better integrated
with key HR activity*
• Lack of systematic approach to training
and development*
Strategy (contininued)
Areas for Improvement (cont)
• Lack of “risk-based” approach to resource
planning
• Limited evaluation by senior managers or
Members of the impact of strategies and plans
• Lack of strategy to improve effectiveness and
efficiency of HR through technology
• Lack of a Council-wide Workforce
Development/Planning Strategy*
Delivery
Strengths
• Evidence of positive collaboration with
partners to deliver more efficient and
effective HR services
• A number of strong processes, e.g.
communications and cascade of
Employee Absence Support System
• Improvements in relation to sickness and
absence management
Delivery (continued)
Strengths (cont)
• HR staff have been actively involved and
informed throughout the HR change
process
• Examples of Equality & Diversity agenda
being embedded into mainstream work
• High level of buy back from schools into
the HR Service
Delivery (continued)
Strengths (cont)
• Career progression schemes and positive
recruitment campaigns in Children’s
Services working well
• Clear evidence of support for staff to
deliver performance appraisal process
• Corporate training and development
generally of good quality
Delivery (continued)
Strengths (cont)
• Evidence in some areas that people are
given the capacity and authority to perform
their role to its potential
Delivery (continued)
Areas for Improvement
• No formal measure or review of the
effectiveness of HR Service delivery*
• HR Business Partner role needs
developing*
• Decentralised recruitment budgets means
an insufficient resource or direction to
establish “a clear brand”
Delivery (continued)
Areas for Improvement (cont)
• Lots of positive but not integrated action in
respect of recruitment – again due to lack
of resource in HR function
• Managers would like to take on more of
the recruitment function
• Lack of a system link between Payroll and
HR – an integrated system should be
considered
Delivery (continued)
Areas for Improvement (cont)
• Clarification of role of strategic HR especially in
respect of OD*
• Current Equality & Diversity Action Plan for CMT
is not widely understood*
• Lack of systematic approach to identification of
training needs and the development of the
corporate training offer in line with corporate
priorities*. Budgets not identified for this
purpose
Delivery (continued)
Areas for Improvement (cont)
• Still some inconsistency in application of
appraisal process*
• Management competence/ability to cope
with their HR responsibilities is not
reviewed*
Operational Results
Strengths
• Staff satisfaction levels are monitored and
measured and are improving
• Awareness of higher profile issues such as
sickness
• Quality of HR data is better
• Management of sickness is better
• Perception of staff is that staff morale has
improved
Operational Results (continued)
Strengths (cont)
• View of partners is that quality of partnership
working has improved
• Genuine enthusiasm about Inspiring programme
– Authority has improved as a result
• Examples of customer feedback influencing
service improvements
• Excellent examples of “softer” recognition –
Managers saying thank-you, personal letters
from Chief Executive
Operational Results (continued)
Areas for Improvement
• Staff feel that stress levels are increasing*
• Number of groups with overlapping responsibility
for People Management needs to be reduced*
• Need to establish a balanced set of local People
Management PIs, linked to service plan*
• Need to use data more effectively to inform
policy and strategy
• Need for a more consistent and equitable
approach to training budgets
Learning
Strengths
• HR function and Council are self-aware
and recognise respective strengths and
weaknesses
• Committed to being a “learning”
organisation
• Healthy attitude towards external
challenge of its People Management
practices
Learning (continued)
Strengths (cont)
• Examples of learning producing positive
results, e.g. developing capacity around
procurement
• Evidence of evaluation of
leadership/management development
programme via 360° appraisal
• Examples of benchmarking visits to inform
future planning and improvement
Learning (continued)
Areas for Improvement
• Need to capture and share good practice
in a more effective way
• Better analysis of exit interviews
Actions Already in Hand*
• People Management and Development
Board – replaces OD Programme Board
and People Management Strategy
Working Party
Actions Already in Hand
(continued)
• Revised PMS and Y2 Action Plan – this has
been well communicated across the
organisation via Unions and staff forums
• Corporate Workforce Development Strategy
– to be developed as one of Y2 actions in PMS.
Will now be picked up by newly formed POD
team
• Refocusing of Health & Safety arrangements.
Action plan endorsed by CMT in June 0 8
(includes Stress Management). H&S CMT lead
identified as Andy Lewis
Actions Already in Hand
(continued)
• Developing a “People” section on the
Intranet – again as part of Y2 PMS Action Plan
• Developing People Management PIs as part
of service planning process and PMS
• Y2 PMS Action Plan now integrates with key
HR activity
• Review of appraisal process and link to
identification of training needs underway
Actions Already in Hand
(continued)
• Redefinition of HR Business Partner role
underway
• OD function now mainstreamed within HR &
Communications and role aligned to HRBP
model
• Work towards Corporate I.i.P. will focus activity
and lead to changes around training and
development processes, etc
• Peer Review on Equality & Diversity work is
planned
• Proposed permanent recruitment solution with
Capita PC is currently being explored
Outstanding Issues
• Member engagement and development
• Integrated HR/Payroll System
• Evaluation of impact of strategies and
policies