AGENDA ITEM: REPORT TO: POLICY & FINANCE COMMITTEE DATE: 19 TH OCTOBER, 2006 REPORT NO. REPORTING OFFICER: CONTACT OFFICER: OFFICERS CONSULTED: SUBJECT: CFO/193/06 CHIEF FIRE OFFICER DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE & ORGINAISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT NICK MERNOCK LYNN HUGHES EMPLOYEE SUCCESSION PLANNING STRATEGY Purpose of Report 1. To present a draft employee succession planning strategy for consideration by Elected Members. Recommendation 2. That Members approves the draft strategy and agree to the production of a further report, which will include a full implementation plan and guidance documentation for managers. Executive Summary of Potential into Performance - A Succession Planning Strategy The succession planning strategy consists of 3 main strands:- Identification of a long-term talent pool. This will be established through an accelerated development programme. It is important to select leaders who will make a difference to service delivery and embed leadership values and behaviours to all they do. The scheme will identify who has more to give and provide a structured proactive career development. The process is distinct from the current Assessment and Development Centres (ADC s)s as it wil select applicants using diferent competencies and the development will be more closely aligned to leadership and strategic development positions. This will involve: - Producing an advert based upon the individual s preparedness to undertake a project, which will improve organisational effectiveness and make efficiency savings.
Selection based upon the transformational leadership dimensions and project viability Attendance on a 12 month in-house development programme including rigorous assessment, coaching and cross sector working. Subject to performance on the programme candidates will be better prepared to enter the Middle Manager ADC or undertake strategic projects. Identification of Short Term Successors The organisation s human resource needs are identified for a three-year periodand ADC s planned accordingly. The results of that process should enable us to classify applicants under the following groups: Green - Competent and a position on a management development programme to be substantiated Amber - Competent but do not secure an immediate promotion. This becomes a talent pool for future promotions supported in the short term by workshops, coaching and mentoring. Red - Not yet competent who need further workplace support For strategic level posts (Area Manager & PO4 upwards) the pool of successors will be identified and exposed to development 12 months prior to competing for a position. Adopting a Risk based approach to roles in the organisation This provides the tools to assess the risk in the organisation of individuals leaving posts. The impact of leaving will depend on the organisations reliance on that individual, how unique their skills are, how much knowledge they have and how pivotal a role they play in achieving MFRS objectives. A database will be constructed looking at all our personnel and plotting:- How likely they are to leave Impact of their leaving. It is recommended that organisational Development Department compile a register by working closely with function heads to assess their staffs likelihood of departure and impact.
Introduction 3. The organisation adopts a process by which one or more successors are defined for key posts and that development activities are planned for prior to moving posts. 4. Successors may be ready to do the job (short term successors) or a long-term talent pool is created from those who are deemed to have long term potential. 5. This involves a strategy for recognising and developing successors for the highest three tiers of management including uniform and non-uniform staff. This will ensure that there are possible successors for each projected vacant post arising a minimum of 12 months in advance. 6. The organization also requires that long-term successors be identified from lower down the organization structures thus creating a corporate resource or talent pool whereby short-term successors are identified. This does not preclude promoting from outside the organization but allows us to have a workforce in which we have recognized and developed talent. 7. The process will consist of:- Strong emphasis on using succession planning as a process for proactively developing talent Planning for pools of jobs where possible, not just for individual posts A fast track process, which provides staff progression supported by development programmes and rigorous assessment. 8. The authority has developed an HR strategy, an objective of which is the determination of a staffing model as to the staffing required by the authority to undertake it s functions, including implementation of its Integrated risk Management Plan. 9. One of the purposes of the staffing model is to enable the service to identify potential numbers and types of vacancies, which will arise in the following 18 months and then enable the service to plan for the filling of those vacancies in advance. 10. It is also part of our workforce development strategy, which considers how we recruit, retain, reward and develop the right people at the right time in the right place. 11. The succession planning process sits inside a much wider set of resourcing and development processes, which encompass a management resources strategy, planning and auditing of skills, recruitment strategy and management and leadership development.
Background 12. There are a number of drivers to adopt a succession planning strategy namely: Improved job filling for key positions through broader candidate search and faster decisions. It drives down the risk of people leaving the organisation and key posts being vacant. It meets the requirement for building leadership capacity in addition to recognizing management potential through the existing ADC process It provides people who have the key skills, experience and values to impact on organization performance It turns potential into performance thus creating a culture based on success and vision. It also identifies who has got more to give. Active development of long term successors by ensuring their careers progress and exposing them to strategic thinking and direction The active pursuit of skill development which will be needed over the years Delivery process 13. The succession planning strategy consists of 3 main strands: - Identification of Short Term Successors The organisations human resource needs are identified for a three-year period for all uniformed posts. Assessment and Development Centres can be planned accordingly. This should be managed as a partnership between attendance management and Corporate Development Manager. The results of that process should enable us to classify applicants under the following groups: Green - Competent and a position on a management development programme. Amber - Competent but do not secure an immediate promotion. This becomes a talent pool for future promotions supported in the short term by workshops, coaching and mentoring. Red - Not yet competent who need further workplace support. For strategic level posts (Area Manager & PO4 upwards) the pool of successors will be identified and exposed to development 12 months prior to competing for a position.
Identification of a long-term talent pool. This will be established through an accelerated development programme. It is important to select leaders who will have direct impact on service delivery as well as managers who maintain work activities. The scheme will identify who has more to give and provide a structured proactive career development. The process is distinct from the ADC s as it wil select applicants using diferent competencies and the development will be more closely aligned to leadership and strategic development positions. This will involve: - Producing an advert based upon the individual s preparedness to undertake a project, which will improve organisational effectiveness and make efficiency savings. Selection based upon the transformational leadership dimensions and project viability Attendance on a 12 month in-house development programme including rigorous assessment, coaching and cross sector working. Subject to performance on the programme candidates will be placed in strategic positions where they will be able to individually and collectively make a difference. This process will be managed and supported by Corporate Development Manager. Adopting a Risk based approach to roles in the organisation This provides the tools to assess the risk in the organisation of individuals leaving posts. The impact of leaving will depend on the organisations reliance on that individual, how unique their skills are, how much knowledge they have and how pivotal a role they play in achieving MFRS objectives. A database will be constructed looking at all our personnel and plotting:- How likely they are to leave Impact of their leaving. It is recommended that organisational Development Department compile a register by working closely with function heads to assess their staffs likelihood of departure and impact.
Equality & Diversity Implications 14. There are some key principles, which inform the process namely that it is an open system, which covers the whole organization. It is important that it embodies our equality and diversity procedure and no individuals are slotted in without a fair and open system. Risk Management Implications 15. Succession planning drives down risk by ensuring that the right people are appointed at the right time. The risk based approach considers all employees in the organisation and assesses the likelihood of them leaving and the impact this will have. The impact of them leaving will depend on the organisational reliance on that individual, how unique their skills are, how much knowledge they have and how pivotal their role is in achieving the services objectives. Financial Implications 16. There are no extra costs anticipated. Health & Safety Implications 17. None Any Other Implications/Considerations 18. None Contribution to Achieving Vision 19. The strategy ensures that we have a talent pool, which can be identified as short-term successors or long term from lower down the hierarchy. This enables us to unlock and release potential so that the services mission is achieved. BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS Pay and Workforce Development strategy National Framework 2006/08 Leadership and Development in the Fire Service Consultation Paper.