Leader Connect placement guide

Leader Connect placement guide

Contents Introduction... 1 Business case... 2 Performance management... 2 Confidentiality... 2 Conflicts of interest... 3 Copyright and intellectual property... 3 Terms and conditions... 3 Change to the term of the placement... 3 Employment status... 3 Remuneration... 4 Hours of work... 4 Leave... 4 Travel and other expenses... 4 Health and safety... 4 Ethical considerations... 4 Appendix 1: Development plan guide... 5 Leader Connect development phases... 5 Development plan... 6 Executive coach... 6 PSC case manager... 6 Reflective practice journal... 6 Daily questions... 6 Weekly questions... 7 Evaluation of development... 7 Leader Connect placement guide (version 1.0) - ii -

Introduction Leader Connect coordinated by the Public Service Commission (PSC) provides identified Queensland public sector leaders with short to medium-term opportunities to gain intensive, practical experience in another organisation or context to challenge and stretch their leadership skills. Leader Connect supports the public sector s Leadership talent management strategy which aims to attract, develop and retain great leaders, ensuring we have a servicedriven, high performing and productive public sector for the people of Queensland. The PSC acknowledges the shared commitment to leadership development and the importance of providing exposure to other organisations as an effective approach to developing leadership capability. The PSC has also listened to leaders feedback seeking greater support for development placements and mobility. In response, the PSC has established Leader Connect in partnership with the CEO Leadership Board and agency chief human resources officers. This placement guide provides information about the governance arrangements for a placement 1 and supports the preparation of the placement agreement a formal agreement between the participant, host organisation and home agency. The guide covers: business case performance management confidentiality conflicts of interest copyright and intellectual property terms and conditions ethical considerations. In addition to the placement agreement, participants in partnership with the host organisation and home agency must also complete a development plan. Please refer to the development plan guide (Appendix 1). 1 The Public Service Act 2008 supports experiential learning by public sector employees through a range of mechanisms. For ease of reference, all mobility mechanisms under the Act are collectively referred to in this guide as placements. Leader Connect placement guide - 1 -

Business case Leader Connect is about capability development at an individual, agency and public sector level. The participant will prepare a business case that outlines (but is not limited to) the following: The development priorities from the participant s Executive Capability Assessment and Development (ECAD) development plan and/or their performance and development agreement that could be met by a placement. Skills, knowledge and/or experience the participant is explicitly seeking to acquire or develop. The type of placement that would meet the participant s development priorities. Key responsibilities/deliverables/experiences during the placement that would allow the participant to develop the above skills. Benefits of the placement for the participant, the host organisation and the broader Queensland public sector/community upon the participant s return to their home agency. How success is going to be measured, both throughout the placement and upon completion. A plan for sharing the participant s learnings from the placement with the home agency and other relevant stakeholders. Once approved by the supervisor/delegate, the business case provides a basis for the placement agreement. Performance management The participant will be subject to the performance expectations of the host organisation during the placement as reflected in the work activities outlined in the placement plan. The host organisation will be responsible for the performance of the participant and ensuring the participant s performance meets its requirements by conducting performance reviews under its standard procedures. During the placement, the home agency may also continue to conduct performance reviews of the participant. The host organisation will provide the home agency with appropriate input for these purposes, to agreed timeframes. The host organisation will assist the home agency (as appropriate) with any postplacement appraisals, including information on work undertaken during the placement. Confidentiality The participant will not discuss or disclose confidential information (including but not limited to processes, materials, documents, costs, secrets etc.) related to any aspect of the home agency or host organisation without the express agreement of the relevant organisation. This does not apply to any information or matter which is in the public domain which is required to be disclosed by compulsion of law or which is not confidential in nature. For the duration of the placement, the participant will not use the host organisation s information technology systems for the purposes of undertaking any work other than Leader Connect placement guide - 2 -

for the host organisation, including any work on behalf of the home agency (unless agreed). Prior to commencing the placement, if required by the host organisation, the participant must sign a Deed of Confidentiality in a form reasonably required by the host organisation. The home agency will not require the participant to disclose or use any information which is confidential to the host organisation. The host organisation will not require the participant to disclose or use any information which is confidential to the home agency. The host organisation and home agency will maintain confidentiality on any sensitive information it acquires as a result of the placement. Conflicts of interest If an actual or potential conflict of interest arises during the placement, any party which becomes aware of the conflict will notify the other parties in writing as soon as possible, and all parties will attempt to manage the conflict appropriately. The host organisation should not request the participant work on a matter that would give rise to a conflict of interest (e.g. work on a matter regulated by the participant s home agency). Copyright and intellectual property Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all work produced by the participant in the course of the placement and intellectual property rights in that work, shall belong to the host organisation and will continue to do so after the termination of the placement. If the home agency wishes to use any of the intellectual property produced by the participant, the host organisation must agree on terms with the home agency before using the intellectual property. Terms and conditions Change to the term of the placement Should an extension to the agreed term of the placement be required, this will be discussed between all parties and signatories to the placement plan. Any party may bring the placement to an end for any reason with one week s notice. If the reason relates to poor conduct or performance, no notice period is required. Employment status The participant is an employee of the home agency throughout the placement and is subject to the employment conditions of the home agency. The participant will not become, or be regarded as, an employee of the host organisation. Any variation to the participant s employment conditions will be the responsibility of the home agency. At the conclusion of the placement, the participant will return to their substantive level and position with the home agency. Leader Connect placement guide - 3 -

Remuneration The home agency will remain responsible for the payment of the participant s salary, associated entitlements, and any agreed allowances for the duration of the placement and for withholding and/or reporting taxes as required by applicable law. Hours of work During the placement, the participant will devote their time and attention, during normal working hours, to their duties in connection with the placement according to the terms in their employment contract. Leave During the placement, the participant will be eligible to use any accrued leave entitlements subject to operational requirements and approval of the host organisation. The participant must arrange leave and report any sickness or other absence to the host supervisor. The home agency will be responsible for administering any leave taken by the participant and the participant will inform the home agency of any leave taken. The participant s leave entitlements will continue to accrue with the home agency during the placement. Travel and other expenses Reimbursement of expenses incurred by the participant in the course of the placement must be agreed by the participant, home agency and host organisation, and documented in the placement plan. Health and safety During the placement, the host organisation will be responsible for the participant s health and safety. The participant will take appropriate steps to ensure their own safety and to avoid causing harm to others, including bringing any health and safety issues in the work place to the attention of management within the host organisation. Ethical considerations To maximise the state s investment in the placement, there is an expectation that the participant will make a commitment to remain employed with the Queensland public sector for the duration of the placement, and for sufficient time after completing the placement for the public sector to realise the benefit from the investment. For example, if the placement is for a period of six months, the participant will remain employed in the public sector for at least the same amount of time. In negotiating placements, the PSC will be encouraging host organisations to respect the development nature of the placement and not induce the participant to work for them. Leader Connect placement guide - 4 -

Appendix 1: Development plan guide A key part of your Leader Connect placement is achieving the development objectives identified from your Executive Capability Assessment and Development (ECAD) assessment, or through other means, such as performance development discussions. The development plan, with the support provided by your Public Service Commission (PSC) case manager, will assist you in preparing for your placement and enabling you to: reflect on your development during placement embed development opportunities to further enhance your leadership capability apply what you have learned to your role when you return share what you have learned with your home agency and the broader Queensland public sector. Leader Connect development phases Leader Connect has three distinct development phases: before placement during placement after placement. These distinct phases are designed to articulate and optimise learnings throughout your Leader Connect placement. Phase Before placement During placement After placement Tasks and resources Complete your development plan: meet with your PSC case manager establish development objectives engage an executive coach. complete a pre-placement survey Reflect on and communicate development achievements: complete a reflective practice journal check-in with your PSC case manager complete a mid-point evaluation survey share learnings with your home agency, host organisation and other Leader Connect participants. Evaluate development objectives. Complete a post placement survey Share learnings with your home agency, host organisation, other Leader Connect participants and colleagues across the Queensland public sector. Leader Connect placement guide - 5 -

Development plan The PSC case manager will assist you to complete your development plan, ensuring it meets the objectives identified in your ECAD development plan or performance and development agreement. The development plan will help identify in advance the experiences, challenges and opportunities you intend to pursue during your placement. It will also prepare you to share your learning when you return from your placement. A signed copy of the development plan is sent to relevant parties, including the PSC case manager (leaderconnect@psc.qld.gov.au). Executive coach We encourage your agency to engage an executive coach to help guide your development throughout your placement. Your home agency may already engage executive coaches that you can access. Alternatively, additional information can be provided by the PSC case manager, if needed. PSC case manager A PSC case manager will be in contact with you before, during and after the placement, primarily to: provide information to assist planning and transition to/from the host organisation assist you to craft a tailored development plan for the placement and plan for transfer of learning provide support during the placement and follow-up progress on achieving your development objectives. Reflective practice journal Reflective practice is an important part of thinking strategically about development. It involves a conscious effort to think about events, and to develop insights into them which in turn tends to improve self-knowledge and self-awareness, and the quality and depth of learning. It also helps to evaluate progress towards achieving development objectives. Keeping a journal throughout your placement is useful to help identify and embed learnings from your experiences during your placement, and to prepare to share your learnings upon your return to your home agency. This is particularly useful if the placement is for a significant period of time (e.g. more than a month). The following questions could be considered as starting points for a reflective practice journal and of course can be adapted to suit individual needs and circumstances. Daily questions 1. What experience(s) did I have today? 2. What was most relevant to my development? 3. What was most relevant to my home agency and/or the Queensland public sector? Leader Connect placement guide - 6 -

Weekly questions 1. What insights did I gain about my leadership? 2. How will this impact on my leadership in the future? 3. What progress did I make towards meeting my development objectives this week? 4. What actions will I take to progress my development priorities next week? It is worth considering how you will promote this development opportunity more broadly for example, across the Queensland public sector or a publication in an industry journal to encourage others to participate in Leader Connect opportunities. Evaluation of development There is an expectation you will evaluate your development at the end of the placement. The PSC case manager will support this, and will also help to evaluate the effectiveness of your placement in the context of the public sector s Leadership talent management strategy and Leader Connect more broadly. Leader Connect placement guide - 7 -