Agenda Document Pack - Joint Consultative Committee for Local Government Employees - 18/03/2025
North Lanarkshire Council · 18 March 2025
Back to Joint Consultative Committee for Local Government Employees — 18 March 2025 and its agenda
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7 March 2025 Members of the Joint Consultative Committee for Local Government Employees Chief Executive’s Office Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Notice is given that a Meeting of the Joint Consultative Committee for Local Government Employees is to be held in the Committee Room 1, Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB on Tuesday, 18 March 2025 at 14:00 PM which you are requested to attend. The agenda of business is attached. Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Members : Clerk Name: Karen Swan Clerk Telephone: 07919 730272 Clerk Email: swank@northlan.gov.uk M Boyd, H Brannan-McVey, J Cairns, T Carragher, M Coyle, G Currie, K Duffy, J Hume, L Jarvie, D Johnston, J Logue, P McDade. G Bryson (Unison), A Clark (Unison), J Hannigan (Unison), M Quigley (Unison), J Rooney (Unite), W Shearer (Unison), H Smith (Unison), L Stewart (Unison), V Thompson (Unite), J Watson (Unison) , D Whelan (GMB). Page 1 of 32
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Agenda 1 Declarations of Interest In Terms of the Ethical Standards In Public Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 2 Workforce Planning New Template and Guidance Note Submit report by the Chief Officer (People Resources) outlining the benefits the new and improved approach to workforce planning provides to the Council 1 - 28 3 Update on Review of the Council’s Trade Union Consultative Arrangements for Local Government Employees Hear verbal update by Chief Officer (People Resources) Page 3 of 32
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North Lanarkshire Council Report Joint Consultative Committee Does this report require to be approved? ☐ Yes ☒ No Ref FW/PMcC Date 18/03/25 Workforce Planning New Template and Guidance Note From Fiona Whittaker, Chief Officer People Resources E-mail mccaffertypa@northlan.gov.uk Telephone 07973 729532 Executive Summary As part of the One Workforce update to Policy and Strategy committee in December 2024, a commitment was made to build on and develop our approach to workforce planning. The Council takes a proactive approach to manage the impact of a difficult workforce environment, by placing a strong emphasis on workforce planning with a range of actions to address gaps, including setting out detailed service level workforce plans with an agreed bi-annual cycle led by Chief Officers across all services. This approach was recently audited and endorsed as part of our Best Value Workforce Innovation Audit with the outcomes of that reported to Policy and Strategy in September 2024. Whilst this shows we are in a good position to demonstrate we have effective plans in place to manage, where possible, the many workforce risks the Council faces both apparent and on-going, recommendations were made to further develop and strengthen the process. This report therefore outlines the changes which have been made to the process including an updated template for completion and the introduction of a detailed guidance note and training for those involved in the process. It is the intention to present workforce plans to the One Workforce board to ensure appropriate scrutiny, challenge and approval which will only serve to further enhance the process. Recommendations It is recommended that the JCC recognises the benefits the new and improved approach to workforce planning provides to the council and endorses the approach being taken. The Plan for North Lanarkshire Priority Improve North Lanarkshire's resource base Ambition statement (23) Build a workforce for the future capable of delivering on our priorities and shared ambition Programme of Work One Service Item 2 Page 5 of 32
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2 1. Background 1.1 Workforce planning is essentially the process of balancing our labour supply against demand. It includes analysing the current workforce, determining future workforce needs, identifying the gap between present state and future requirements whilst being creative and innovative about implementing solutions to achieve this so that an organisation can achieve its mission, goals and strategic plans. Our Workforce Plans are clearly linked to the Plan for North Lanarkshire Council and are a key activity for the One Workforce Board. 1.2 Workforce planning is a continuous process that is owned by the whole business and supported by our People Resources function. It is important to note that it shouldn’t be done in isolation. Key stakeholders should be identified so that strong relationships can be built and similar themes identified to avoid duplication of work and effort. Workforce planning is not rigid, and it needs to be agile, evidence-based and analytical. 1.3 Over the past 12 months, the Council’s services have continued to experience a range of pressures in building and maintaining their workforce capacity as well as looking forward to the future requirements of the services. 1.4 Despite the complex and continuing mix of workforce pressures faced by the Council, we have continued to maintain a strong focus on workforce planning as well as proactively progressing actions required to address gaps and identify more sustainable ways to build workforce capacity in key service areas, including work currently underway at both a regional and national level working with key partners to develop solutions for known workforce gaps. 1.5 As part of the commitment made to committee in December, work has now taken place to further strengthen our workforce planning approach with a revised process now agreed at CMT. This enables a full bi-annual refresh of the current plans using enhanced tools and training around workforce capacity and demand planning including heatmaps for hard to fill roles and service considerations around possible alternatives to overtime and the use of agency workers. 1.6 The revised template and guidance are now available to all Chief Officers and their third-tier officers to begin the refresh of current plans. This report details the changes which have been made and the plan for implementation. 2. Report 2.1 Within the Council, we already have a strong and robust process in place for workforce planning. As mentioned in the background section, a commitment was made to committee to review the process to ensure that we are using enhanced tools and training around workforce capacity and demand planning including developing heatmaps for hard to fill roles and service considerations around possible alternatives to the use of overtime and agency workers. 2.2 Our current workforce plans take account potential workforce change and transformation including our digital ambitions and the increasing incorporation of AI technology to drive efficiencies and improvement in our services. 2.3 To enhance and develop our approach, we consulted with various experts including the Local Government Association (LGA), the Improvement Service and other local authorities to ensure we were adopting a best practice approach. Page 6 of 32
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3 2.4 Based on this research, a short life working group was established to develop the new template and guidance. In addition to the group, and as part of the One Workforce Programme of Work Board, all Chief Officers delivered presentations providing a detailed overview of their current workforce, emerging priorities and challenges, future operating models and any other relevant considerations the service might be facing. Through these presentations, Chief Officers have access to a wealth of information to help shape and inform the next iteration of workforce plans. Main Changes to our approach 2.5 In line with the recommendations from the Best Value audit and feedback from the LGA, numerous changes have now been made to the original template. The main changes are as follows: - A more detailed focus on both internal and external challenges - Use of data utilising dashboards created on iTrent - A focus on capacity planning - More focussed implementation plan - Addition of a comprehensive guidance note - Addition of training sessions for those involved in the process 2.4 Both the template and guidance note can be seen in Appendices 1 and 2. In summary, the template now asks Chief Officers to cover the following key stages: Stage 1 – establish a baseline considering internal and external factors as well as any expected changes to service delivery Stage 2 – Analyse the workforce using data and consider workforce capacity and the workforce talent profile Stage 3 – project and consider workforce requirements of the future, directly related to the Council’s strategic direction Stage 4 – conduct an analysis between supply and demand and identify how current workforce gaps are managed Stage 5 – Action planning. Based on the analysis, what actions have been identified and how are they going to be achieved Stage 6 – Implementation, monitoring and review. Working with colleagues in People Resources, to ensure the resulting plans are reviewed and updated regularly. 2.5 The guidance also provides access to tools and techniques for workforce planning and it has been highly recommended to Chief Officers to use these when preparing their plans. Training will be given on using the tools in the workshops which will be available. 2.6 Once plans have been created, they will also be subject to scrutiny, challenge and approval by the One Workforce Board. This will ensure they are sufficiently robust and ambitious in their approach. 2.7 All Chief Officers will be fully supported by their Senior HR Business to take them through the process with additional support available from OD Partners. In addition, a series of workshops will be available to Chief Officers and third tier officers involved in the process to take them through the template in more detail and support them in the Page 7 of 32
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4 completion of their plans. This approach was recommended by the LGA and has been incorporated into our new process. Next steps 2.7 This new process gives us a much more structured approach to workforce planning and will give us much more rich and detailed information on which to take action on the many workforce challenges the council is facing. Senior HR Business Partners will be in contact with Chief Officers to start the process with the aim of having all plans across all services ready by August 2025. 3. Measures of success 3.1 The main measure of success will be the creation of new revised plans with a clear structure and a fully agreed action plan for implementation. 4. Supporting documentation 4.1 Appendix 1 – Workforce Planning template 4.2 Appendix 2 – Workforce Planning guidance Fiona Whittaker Chief Officer, People Resources Page 8 of 32
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5 5. Impacts 5.1 Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty Does the report contain information that has an impact as a result of the Public Sector Equality Duty and/or Fairer Scotland Duty? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? If Yes, has an assessment been carried out and published on the council’s website? https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/your-community/equalities/equality- and-fairer-scotland-duty-impact-assessments Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.2 Financial impact Does the report contain any financial impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant financial impacts been discussed and agreed with Finance? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.3 HR policy impact Does the report contain any HR policy or procedure impacts? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant HR impacts been discussed and agreed with People Resources? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.4 Legal impact Does the report contain any legal impacts (such as general legal matters, statutory considerations (including employment law considerations), or new legislation)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, have all relevant legal impacts been discussed and agreed with Legal and Democratic? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.5 Data protection impact Does the report / project / practice contain or involve the processing of personal data? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, is the processing of this personal data likely to result in a high risk to the data subject? Yes ☐ No ☐ If Yes, has a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) been carried out and e- mailed to dataprotection@northlan.gov.uk Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.6 Technology / Digital impact Does the report contain information that has an impact on either technology, digital transformation, service redesign / business change processes, data management, or connectivity / broadband / Wi-Fi? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? Page 9 of 32
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6 Where the impact identifies a requirement for significant technology change, has an assessment been carried out (or is scheduled to be carried out) by the Enterprise Architecture Governance Group (EAGG)? Yes ☐ No ☐ 5.7 Environmental / Carbon impact Does the report / project / practice contain information that has an impact on any environmental or carbon matters? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.8 Communications impact Does the report contain any information that has an impact on the council’s communications activities? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact? 5.9 Risk impact Is there a risk impact? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the key risks and potential impacts, highlighting where the risk(s) are assessed and recorded (e.g. Corporate or Service or Project Risk Registers), and how they are managed? 5.10 Armed Forces Covenant Duty Does the report require to take due regard of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty (i.e. does it relate to healthcare, housing, or education services for in-Service or ex- Service personnel, or their families, or widow(er)s)? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the provision which has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the particular needs of the Armed Forces community to make sure that they do not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public services. 5.11 Children’s rights and wellbeing impact Does the report contain any information regarding any council activity, service delivery, policy, or plan that has an impact on children and young people up to the age of 18, or on a specific group of these? Yes ☐ No ☒ If Yes, please provide a brief summary of the impact and the provision that has been made to ensure there has been appropriate consideration of the relevant Articles from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). If Yes, has a Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA) been carried out? Yes ☐ No ☐ Page 10 of 32
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7 Appendix 1 – Workforce Planning Template Strategic Workforce Plan Template Page 11 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 8 Service Overview Brief overview of service area and where it sits within the council. Page 12 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 9 Section 1 – Understanding the Organisation and its Environment Strategic Drivers (What are the internal and external factors influencing our strategic direction? Keep this high-level and future focused i.e., 1-5 years). Internal Factors (Consider the Council’s plan /PoW/leadership operating model/DigitalNL/servic e plans External Factors (Consider political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legislative factors at both national and local level) National Level Local Level Expected Changes to Service Delivery (What are the key changes affecting the delivery of our services? Should be kept high-level and future focused i.e., 12-18 months. Consider changes in operating models, service redesigns and restructures) Impacted Service Expected Change Page 13 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 10 Section 2 - Analysis of Current and Potential Workforce People Dashboard (Include a snapshot of your service People Dashboard on Power BI) Page 14 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 11 Section 2 - Analysis of Current and Potential Workforce (cont.) Workforce Demographics Demographic Data Summary (Give a brief overview of what the data is telling us) Data analysis (What current/potential workforce challenge do we face regarding this demographic?) Demographic 1 Demographic 2 Demographic 3 Demographic 4 Demographic 5 Demographic 6 Page 15 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 12 Section 2 - Analysis of Current and Potential Workforce (cont.) Workforce Capacity Do you have the workforce capacity you need to meet current job/service/organisational requirements? (If the answer is no, why? Where are the gaps? Are you under-resourced in relation to your demand needs? How are you meeting current demand? i.e., is there a heavy reliance on overtime, contractors or agency staff? What are the current challenges you face? Consider labour market, recruitment processes and budget) Current Workforce Capacity (Consider your current workforce capacity and assess how you are meeting demand) Workforce Talent Profile Does the talent profile of your current workforce meet current job/service/organisational requirements? (If the answer is no, why? What are the gaps? What challenges do you face in attracting and retaining talent to meet the requirements? Consider the labour market, recruitment processes, attractiveness as an employer etc.) Skills, Qualifications & Competencies (Consider the talent of your current workforce by identifying key skills, qualifications and assess how you are meeting demand) Section 3 – Determine the Future Workforce Needs Page 16 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 13 Future Workforce What will be Required? (Refer back to the strategic drivers and expected changes to service delivery in section 1 and assess the future needs of the workforce in the next 1-5 years) Predicted timescale Short Med Long Demand (What workforce capacity will you need to deliver services? Are there anticipated changes in technology, policies or regulations that will increase or reduce workforce demand?) Roles (What roles are you going to need to deliver services? Will existing roles be required to change? Are new roles needed? Can roles be removed?) Skills (What skills/capabilities will the workforce need to meet future objectives? Do you foresee any skills shortages?) Section 4 – Identify Workforce Gaps Page 17 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 14 Current Workforce Gaps (Consider the current workforce and identify gaps between supply and demand you’re facing right now. How are you managing these gaps?) Future Workforce Gaps (Consider the future workforce and identify gaps between supply and demand you will face in the next 1-5 years. How will you manage these gaps?) Workforce Demographic (Refer back to analysis in section 2) Workforce Capacity (Refer back to analysis in section 2 and section 3) Workforce Roles (Refer back to analysis in section 2 and section 3) Workforce Skills (Refer back to analysis in section 2 and section 3) Page 18 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 15 Section 5 – Action Plan Plan to Address Workforce Gaps (Refer back to section 4 and identify actions that can be taken to address the current and future workforce gaps) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Function/ Team What is the workforce gap? What is the potential impact if the gap is not addressed? Risk (low/medium/high) One Workforce Priority (Please select) What action will be taken? (Please select) Other (If you selected “other action”, please provide detail below) How will you implement the action? Lead Officer Due date RAG Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Choose an item. Page 19 of 32
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Section 6 – Implement, Monitor and Review Implementation Managing Stakeholders (Have all relevant audiences/forums been given sight of the plan? How do you plan to communicate with them and keep them engaged) Have you clearly defined roles and responsibilities? (Do responsible people understand their role in the action plan? Use the RACI tool to clarify roles and responsibilities) How often will you review the plan? (Give specific review periods for key actions the need to be monitored) Monitor and Review Review of Actions (Are actions being implemented successfully? Are they having the desired effect? Has anything not gone to plan? If not, why?) Changes to Plan (Have any risks or assumptions changed? Have any unforeseen circumstances arisen? Do any adjustments need to be made to the plan?) Page 20 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 17 Appendix 2 – Workforce Planning Guidance Strategic Workforce Plan Template Guidance Page 21 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 18 Introduction Workforce planning is a key element within our One Workforce Plan which focuses on ensuring that the Council has the required workforce capacity and capability to deliver on its strategic aims and objectives both now and in the future. It is also a critical enabler of the core aims and objectives of the programme of work and its wider ambitions linked to the Plan for North Lanarkshire. What is Workforce Planning? Workforce planning is the process of balancing labour supply (skills) against the demand (numbers needed). It includes analysing the current workforce, determining future workforce needs, identifying the gap between the present and the future, and implementing solutions so that an organisation can accomplish its mission, goals, and strategic plan. Workforce planning is a continual process that is owned by the whole business and enabled by HR. It is not done in isolation; you need to understand the requirements and concerns of the different stakeholders involved in workforce planning, so identifying who they are and developing strong relationships with your key stakeholders is critical. It is not rigid, and it needs to be agile, evidence- based and analytical. Workforce Planning Process North Lanarkshire Council follows the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) six-stage workforce planning process: Stage 1 – Understand the organisation and its environment. Align workforce planning with organizational goals, strategies, and external market conditions. Stage 2 – Analyse the current/potential workforce. Assess workforce composition, skills, and demographics to identify strengths and gaps. Stage 3 – Determine future workforce needs. Predict future workforce capacity/capability based on objectives and anticipated changes. Stage 4 – Identify workforce gaps. Compare current workforce capacity/capabilities to future needs, highlighting shortages and risks. Stage 5 – Action plan to address gaps. Create strategies to address gaps, including recruitment, training, or restructuring. Stage 6 – Monitor and evaluate actions. Continuously review workforce plans to ensure alignment with evolving business priorities. Page 22 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 19 Stage 1 - Understand the Organisation and its Environment The first stage of strategic workforce planning is establishing your baseline. This requires consideration of the internal and external factors that impact the organisation and an understanding of expected changes to service delivery. Instruction Guidance Example List the internal factors that will affect future service delivery and the workforce we require. You should consider the Council’s vision and mission, strategic objectives, strategic work and service specific plans. • The Plan for North Lanarkshire • 5 key priorities /25 ambition statements • Programme of Work (PoW) • Leadership and operating model/DigitalNL • Service specific plans List the external factors, at both a local and national level, that will affect future service delivery and the workforce we require. You could use an analysis tool like PESTEL to examine the external environment - See appendix 1. • Political – UK/Scottish Government policies i.e., public spending, taxation, key initiatives • Economic – labour market, growth/decline, budgetary pressures, ringfenced funds, minimum wage, • Social – demographic shifts, changes in community needs, public expectations • Technological – digitisation, automation, modernisation, digital skills • Legislative – employment law, regulation, health & safety • Environmental – emergency of sustainability role, green skills, net zero, green technologies. • National Care Service • 21-hour teaching week • HGV labour market pressures Reflect on your internal and external analysis and identify any expected changes to service delivery. You should keep your focus high-level and future oriented i.e., 12-18 months. Consider changes in service operating models, service redesigns and restructures. • Place based integrated service delivery • Digitisation of services • New operating model Page 23 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 20 Stage 2 - Analyse the Current and Potential Workforce The second stage of strategic workforce planning is to analyse the workforce in its current state. This requires you to consider a range of employee data. Instruction Guidance Example Include a snapshot of the people dashboard for your service. This can be accessed from PowerBI by Chief Officers. • See the example dashboard on the left. Conduct an analysis of the employee data contained with your people dashboard. In your analysis you must: 1. Include the following mandatory employee data: o Employee numbers o Age o Gender o Ethnicity o Employee basis o Staff turnover o Service specific data (must be relevant to workforce planning) 2. Summarise what the employee data is telling us i.e., o Is there an ageing workforce? o Are there any diversity gaps? o Are there areas experiencing high rates of turnover? o Are there instances of occupational segregation? 3. Identify workforce risk/challenges based on the data. o What risk does an ageing workforce pose? o What might be the implications of diversity gaps? o What will happen if levels of turnover remain high? Page 24 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 21 Stage 2 - Analyse the Current and Potential Workforce (cont.) The second stage of strategic workforce also requires you to consider your workforce capacity and your workforce talent profile. Instruction Guidance Example Assess your current workforce capacity. You should determine whether your current workforce capacity is meeting the current job/service demand. If it isn’t, identify: • What/where are the gaps? • Are you over or under-resourced? • How are you currently meeting job/service demand? • Give details of any reliance on agency staff or contractors. Assess your current workforce talent profile. You should determine whether the talent profile of your current workforce is meeting the job/service demand? If it isn’t, identify: • What are gaps? • What challenges do you face in attracting and retaining talent to meet the requirements? • Consider the labour market, recruitment processes, attractiveness as an employer etc. Page 25 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 22 Stage 3 - Determine the Future Workforce Needs The third stage of strategic workforce planning requires you to look forward and project the future workforce needs. This should be based on the Council’s strategic direction and external factors already considered earlier in the template. Instruction Guidance Example Project the future workforce demand. You should: • Consider what workforce capacity you will need to deliver services and meet organisational objectives. • Based your projections on the next 18-24 months. • Refer to section 1 and consider strategic drivers and expected changes to service delivery. • Are there anticipated changes in technology, policies or regulations that will increase or reduce workforce demand? • You can make use of tools such as scenario planning to help forecast and understand the impact of different futures. Project the demand for future job roles. You should: • Consider what roles you will need to deliver services and meet organisational objectives. • You can use a critical roles analysis to help identify critical strategic roles – see Appendix 2. • Based your projections on the next 18-24 months. • Refer to section 1 and consider strategic drivers and expected changes to service delivery. Project the demand for future skills/capabilities. You should: • Consider the skills/capabilities your workforce will need to deliver services and meet organisational objectives. • Based your projections on the next 18-24 months. • Refer to section 1 and consider strategic drivers and expected changes to service delivery. Page 26 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 23 Stage 4 – Identify Workforce Gaps The fourth stage of strategic workforce planning requires you to conduct a comparison between supply and demand to identify gaps in your current workforce and gaps between your current workforce and future workforce. Instruction Guidance Example Conduct a gap analysis to identify gaps in workforce demographics. In your gap analysis, you should: 1. Identify gaps in demographics affecting your current workforce. Explain how you are currently managing these gaps. 2. Compare your current and future workforce and identify gaps in demographics that will affect your future workforce. Explain how you plan to manage these gaps. Refer to: • Section 2 – Analysis of Current & Potential Workforce Conduct a gap analysis to identify gaps in workforce capacity. In your gap analysis, you should: 1. Identify gaps in capacity affecting your current workforce. Explain how you are currently managing these gaps. 2. Compare your current and future workforce and identify gaps in capacity that will affect your future workforce. Explain how you plan to manage these gaps. Refer to: • Section 2 – Analysis of Current & Potential Workforce • Section 3 – Determine the Future Workforce Needs Conduct a gap analysis to identify gaps in workforce skills/capabilities. In your gap analysis, you should: 1. Identify gaps skills/capabilities affecting your current workforce. Explain how you are currently managing these gaps. 2. Compare your current and future workforce and identify gaps in skills/capabilities that will affect your future workforce. Explain how you plan to manage these gaps. Refer to: • Section 2 – Analysis of Current & Potential Workforce • Section 3 – Determine the Future Workforce Needs Page 27 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 24 Stage 5 – Action Plan The fifth stage of strategic workforce planning requires you to establish the best way to close the workforce gaps identified. Instruction Guidance Example Columns 1-3 You should complete each column referring to your analysis earlier in the document. Column 4 (Risk) You should assess the level of risk by considering: • How immediate is the problem? • How severe will the impact be if not addressed i.e., will it affect our ability to deliver statutory services? • How difficult is it to resolve? Column 5 (One Workforce Priority) • Everything we do should be aligned with our One Workforce Priorities. • Refer to the appendix A to see a breakdown of each priority Column 6-8 (Actions) • Use the dropdown menu to select what action you will take to address the workforce gap. • Refer to the 7Bs model in appendix 3 to explore ways of closing workforce gaps. • If you have an alternative solution, you must select “other” in column 6 and detail your solution in column 7. • In column 8, explain how you will implement the action. Define the specific steps you will take. Column 9-11 • Define accountability of each action and give specific timescales. • Use RAG to highlight progress of each action. Page 28 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 25 Stage 6 – Implement, Monitor and Review The sixth and final stage of strategic workforce planning requires to execute the action plan and regularly monitor and review the progress of actions. Instruction Guidance Example Manage the relevant stakeholders You should: • Identify all relevant stakeholders who require sight of the plan. • Detail how you will communicate with them and keep them engaged throughout delivery of the plan. Define roles and responsibilities You should: • Ensure that relevant stakeholders understand their role in the action plan. • Provide clarity about who is responsible for what. • Consider using the RACI tool to clarify roles and responsibilities around each action – see appendix 4. Identify review periods for the action plan. You should: • Identify the key actions that will require regular review. • Set specific timescales for review periods. Conduct a review of action plan. You should: • Follow the review periods set and identify the progress of actions • Identify actions that have been implemented successfully. Are they having the desired impact? • Identify any actions that are not going to plan, explain why and highlight remedial actions. Record any changes to the action plan. You should: • Review risks and assumptions made in the plan and consider whether they changed. • Record any unforeseen circumstances that have arisen and explain what this means for the action plan. • Record any adjustments that you need to make to action plan. Page 29 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 26 Appendix 1 – PESTLE Analysis Page 30 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 27 Appendix 2 – Critical Roles Analysis Template High High Low Strategic Importance Critical Role Specialist Support Professionally skilled Page 31 of 32
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Strategic Workforce Plan 28 Appendix 3 – 7B’s Framework Five Talent Management Levers Buy Acquiring the necessary external talent (recruitment, entry schemes, graduates, apprentices, pay and reward) Build Developing internal talent (progression, succession planning, L&D, talent schemes, high potential, diversity, culture) Borrow Contracting, outsourcing or bringing in (secondments, contingent labour, professional services, seasonal temps) Bind Retaining key employees and capabilities (pay and reward, contractual, tenure, return of service) Bridge Bridge the gap for employees facing a change in their role (due to performance management, redundancy, redeployment, exits, secondments, partnership schemes). Two Demand Optimisation Levers Balance Appropriate combination of the rest (operational transformation, budget, service levels, performance improvement, technology, organisational design) Bot Use of automation to augment or replace existing capacity or capability (robotic automation, machine learning, cognitive automation). Bridge Bridge Page 32 of 32