BUILDING ON SUCCESS – DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS Adrian Kerr Chief Executive Local Government Staff Commission for NI

BUILDING ON SUCCESS –DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS

Adrian Kerr

Chief Executive

Local Government Staff Commission for NI

BUILDING ON SUCCESSChange Champions in Practice

• History

• Research Recommendations

• Implementation Plan

• Model Development Framework for Champions

HISTORY• Established a network of champions to

advance the Women in Local Councils initiative

• Evaluated their success and made recommendations

• Roles, Skills, Barriers and Development Needs

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH

ROLES:

•Network Composition- Continue and expand

•Appointment Procedure- Self selection/ongoing basis

•Partnership Working- Encourage and form alliances- Cross traditional boundaries


ROLES cont’d:

•Structured Action Planning- Central but creative and responsive to local needs

•Maintaining Commitment- To the change itself, improve

information and recognition


SKILLS:

•Utilise Previous Change Experience- Retain existing Champion knowledge

and recruit experience in other areas

•Succession Planning- Introduce a system/self selection and

encouragement


SKILLS cont’d:

•Utilise in Support of Other Change Initiatives

•Coaching and Mentoring- Management Development Programmes –

redesign to place emphasis on coaching andmentoring


BARRIERS:

•Encouraging Support- Awareness raising events, create

involvement opportunities

•Resource Provision- Target support and equitable distribution

of funding, etc.


BARRIERS cont’d:

•Communications Strategy and Readinessfor Change- Communications Strategy designed,

‘Readiness for Change’ Audit/Action Plan

•Member/Officer Relationships- Development Programme and opportunities

to work together


BARRIERS cont’d:

•Trade Union Consultation and Commitment- Permanent TU/Management Forum –

consult on planned change


DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

•Build on Existing- Obtain buy-in to the programme and evaluate

•Worklife Balance- Include in Development Programme


DEVELOPMENT NEEDS cont’d.

•Support Groupings- Pilot self selecting groups for shared

learning

•Mentoring and Coaching- Awareness training followed by a

mentoring/coaching programme

MATCHING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THELGSC IMPLEMENTATION MODEL

• Inception Phase (managing)

• Operational Phase (managing)

• Development Phase (supporting)

• Development Phase (developing and supporting)- Culture Changes

Phases are not mutually exclusive


INCEPTION PHASE

•Composition•Appointment•Utilise previous experience•Succession planning•Support other initiatives•Coaching and mentoring – in ManagementDevelopment Programme


OPERATIONAL PHASE

•Partnership Working

•Plan of Work (flexibility)

•Maintain Commitment

•Resource Provision


DEVELOPMENT PHASE

•Member/Officer Relationships•Worklife Balance•Support Groupings•Mentoring and Coaching•Personal Development Plans•Build on Existing Development Interventions


DEVELOPMENT PHASE – CULTURE CHANGES

•Encourage Support

•Communication Strategy

•Readiness for Change Project

•Trade Union Consultation

•Supporting Development and Learning Experiences

Inception Phase(managing)

Operational Phase (managing)

Development Phase(developing and supporting)

Development Phase – Culture Changes(developing and supporting)

CompositionContinue with present structure & consider expanding AppointmentContinue with self selection Utilise Previous ExperienceRetain existing network & recruit by experience & commitment Succession PlanningInitiate planning system Supporting Other InitiativesUtilise existing expertise for other change initiatives including retirees Coaching and Mentoring – in Management Development ProgrammesUtilise existing expertise as mentors in all future senior local government management development programmes

Partnership WorkingEncourage cross category partnership working Plan of WorkBuild flexibility & allow for creativity Maintaining CommitmentImprove information on the topic, introduce motivational and recognition events Resource ProvisionTarget individual support to reduce time commitment & equitable distribution

Member/Officer RelationshipsInitiate enhancement programme Worklife BalanceInitiate a programme of stress management & personal support

Support GroupingsInitiate pilot self select group(s) for shared learning and joint problem solving

Mentoring and CoachingIntroduce awareness training and introduce programmes Personal Development PlansInitiate personal development planning scheme

Building on Existing Development InterventionsInitiate re-design team and implement recommendations

Encouraging SupportInitiate Central & Local awareness raising of change initiative Communication StrategyDesigned to overcome identified barriers Readiness for Change ProjectInitiate project, monitor, disseminate results & evaluate recommendations Trade Union ConsultationEstablish consultative & negotiation mechanism Supporting Development and Learning ExperiencesHighlight concerns re: need for improved self-development & confidence building measures and learning environment

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

Set in three developmental levels

1. General

2.Targeted

3.Personal


Development Level

Content – linked to recommendations Participants

1. General Awareness Raising

General information and developments relating to the change process

Internal/External best practice examples

All Champions

(Advance details would enable potential participants to opt in or out of the general programme)


Development Level Content – linked to recommendations Participants

2. Targeted Content driven by group needs who could set their own development needs agenda on an annual basis

Additional content to cover awareness training to support specific development recommendations e.g. Mentoring and Coaching, Worklife Balance, Member/Officer Relationships

Specific categories of champion e.g.

Officer/member

Self selecting groups

Common Interest groups

Support groups


Development Level Content – linked to recommendations Participants

3. Personal A full range of topic based seminars as identified in the research and linked to Personal Development Planning

e.g. general management skills, communication skills, people skills, problem solving, negotiation and self confidence building skills.

Individual Champions

Self select from a detailed seminar programme issued quarterly

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORKDevelopment Level Content – linked to recommendations Participants

1. General Awareness Raising

General information and developments relating to the change process (10)

Internal/External best practice examples (5)

All champions

(Advance details would enable potential participants to opt in or out of the general programme)

2. Targeted Content driven by group needs who could set their own development needs agenda on an annual basis (17)

Additional content to cover awareness training to support specific development recommendations e.g. Mentoring and Coaching, (18) Work/life Balance, (16) Member/Officer relationships (13)

Specific categories of champion e.g.

Officer/member.

Self selecting groups

Common Interest groups

Support groups

3. Personal A full range of topic based seminars as identified in the

research (Table 27, pps.267-268) and linked to Personal Development Planning (19)

e.g. general management skills, communication skills, people skills, problem solving, negotiation and self confidence building skills.

Individual champions

Self select from a detailed seminar programme issued quarterly

WAY FORWARD• Journey begins today

• Refer to Implementation Plan and prioritise within Categories

• Champion initiation event

• Agree priorities – within OD Framework

• Place emphasis on Development

• Win – Win Ambition

Documents

BUILDING ON SUCCESS – DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS Adrian Kerr Chief Executive Local Government Staff Commission for NI