Workforce Plan 2013/2014

1 Workforce Plan 2013 - 2017

workforce plan2013/2017


contents.

our vision & values 2WHAT IS THIS DOCUMENT ALL ABOUT? 3Our Workforce 4Our Profile 6 Age 7

Gender 7

Diversity 8

What our employees think 8

Our Challenges 10

Our Focus for the Future 12

Wagga Wagga City Council 4 Year Delivery Plan 15

contents.

OUR VISIONTo be acclaimed by our community for our passion, professionalism and performance.

OUR VALUESTrust, Respect, Innovation and Teamwork


about this plan.

What is a workforce plan?The Workforce Plan optimises the use of Council’s workforce resources to meet the goals and objectives of the Community Strategic Plan 2011-2021 and ensures that the workforce resources are in place and well managed to deliver on Council’s Delivery Program.

Simply put, the Workforce Plan ensures Council has the right people in the right jobs at the right time.

Our key steps in developing Wagga Wagga City Council’s 2013 – 2017 Workforce Plan:

1. Analysis of Wagga Wagga City Council Workforce: Analysis of our existing workforce profile as well as identification of current positions as core or discretionary was undertaken. This analysis enabled Council to identify the risks associated with the impact on business, should these positions were to become vacant. Shortfalls and opportunities were also highlighted to utilise current resources more efficiently and effectively.

2. Forecast of future needs: Planning and consideration of Council’s Delivery Program and Operational Plan items were undertaken in order to understand our capacity and capability to deliver current and future work requirements and identify future skill and competency needs.

Managers were asked to project their future workforce requirements. This data was complied and reviewed by each respective Director, then collectively by Council’s Executive Team to ensure new identified positions were made in consideration of Council’s Long Term Financial Plan.

To ensure the identified positions are aligned with Council’s strategic direction, and that the Workforce Plan remains an active working document each new identified position will also be assessed under Council’s New and Vacant Position Process.

3. Gap Analysis: Findings from our workforce analysis and forecasting steps, enabled Council to identify gaps between workforce demand and workforce supply, internal and external impacts, challenges on current resources, then identify potential actions.

4. Developing Strategies to address key issues: Planning and design of Council’s 4 year Workforce Delivery Plan to address gaps in demand and supply of labour/skills was undertaken. This included the development of contingency plans to address absences of incumbents in core and discretionary positions.

5. Implementation of Strategies: Implementation of Council’s 4 year Workforce Delivery Plan will be undertaken.

6. Monitoring and Evaluation: Ongoing review of the Workforce Delivery Plan action items through Council’s Performance Planning reporting tool, in addition to Council’s New and Vacant Position Process with remedial actions to be implemented as necessary.

what is this documentall about?

community strategic plan10 years

ongoing monitoring,evaluation and review

this way wagga vision 2030

delivery PROGRAM4 years

OPERATIONAL PLAN1 year

resourcing plansWorkforce Plan

Asset Management PlanLong Term Financial Plan

annual reportAnnually

ongoing reporting


our workforce.

ourworkforce.


OUR WORKFORCECouncil delivers services to the community through five Directorates and the General Manager’s Division. Each Council Directorate consists of units responsible for delivering services in line with key directions from the Community Strategic Plan.

General ManagerCity Brand Community Engagement Community Newsletter Council Website Event Management Graphic Design Internal Audit Marketing and Advertising Media Releases/Enquiries Photography Social Media

Corporate ServicesAccess to Information Customer Service Councillor Support Corporate Application support Financial Management Geospatial Information Governance Human Resources Insurance Integrated Planning and Reporting Risk Management Records Management Technology Services

Commercial and Economic Development Bomen Business Park Development Economic Development Evocities Initiative Livestock Marketing Centre Maintain Council buildings Property Management Riverside Master Plan Tourism Wagga Wagga Regional Airport

our workforce.

ourworkforce.

Environment and Community ServicesCemeteries and Crematorium Companion Animal and Livestock Management Cultural Development Environmental Sustainability Family Day Care Health inspections Home and Community Care (HACC) Program Museum of the Riverina Oasis Aquatic Centre Playgrounds and Parks Public Art Public Health Programs Regulatory Services Roadside Mowing Rural Village Plans Sporting and Recreation Facilities Natural Environment Protection Noxious Weed Control Program Wagga Wagga Art Gallery Wagga Wagga City Library Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre

Infrastructure ServicesAsset Management Bridges Bus Shelters Car Parks Cycleways Emergency Services Engineering Design Fleet Management Footpaths Gregadoo Waste Management Centre Kerb and Gutter Levee and Flood Protection Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan Procurement Services Road Maintenance and Renewal Sealed Roads Solid Waste Services Stormwater and Sewer Services Street Lighting Unsealed Roads Waste Management

PlanningAnnual Fire Safety Statements Awnings Policy Building Applications Construction Certificate Development Applications Developer Contributions Local Environmental Plan Subdivision Management Plumbing and Drainage Section 149 Planning Certificates Spatial Plan Strategic Town Planning Swimming Pool Inspections


our workforceprofile.

workforce profile.


our profileWagga Wagga City Council’s total workforce represents 2.2% of the total workforce within the City of Wagga Wagga Local Government Area. Council comprises of 680 people including 480 permanent (full time and part time), 160 casual and 30 temporary staff members (figure 1). Council is also host to 9 trainees and apprentices and maintains 5 cadetships in its permanent workforce. Council’s Full Time Equivalent (FTE) is 468.68 (figure 3).

Age The various age groups represented in Wagga Wagga City Council’s workforce are fairly evenly spread in six main age groups (figure 3). The 30-39 age group makes up 25% of the workforce, the 40-49 age group makes up 25% of the workforce, and the 50-59 age group makes up 23% of the workforce. Over 32% of Council workforce is aged over 50 years, with 30 employees over 60 years and 14 employees over 65 years (figures 3 and 4).

As a result of this analysis, our Workforce Delivery Plan has incorporated strategies that enable and focus on knowledge capture, succession planning and allows for phased retirement options.

figure 3: Permanent Workforce Distribution by Age.

AGE FEMALE MALE TOTAL15 - 19 4 4 8

20 – 24 14 10 24

25 – 29 24 23 47

30 – 34 26 32 58

35 – 39 25 40 65

40 – 44 30 27 57

45 – 49 22 43 65

50 – 54 20 40 60

55 – 59 5 47 52

60 – 64 8 22 30

65+ 4 10 14

TOTAL 182 298 480

workforce profile.

Permanent (480)

Casual (160)

Temporary (30)

Trainees/Apprentices/Cadetships (12)

Environment & Community Services 145.64

Corporate Services 71.15

Commercial & Economic Development 33.77

Planning 38.40

Infrastructure Services 167.72

General Manager 12.00

Permanent (480)

Casual (160)

Temporary (30)

Trainees/Apprentices/Cadetships (12)

Environment & Community Services 145.64

Corporate Services 71.15

Commercial & Economic Development 33.77

Planning 38.40

Infrastructure Services 167.72

General Manager 12.00

figure1: Total Workforce Summary as at 1 March 2013

figure 2: Full time employment as at 1 March 2013

figure 4

15-1

920

-24

25-2

930

-34

35-3

940

-44

45-4

950

-54

55-5

960

-64

65+

Female16.0%

Permanent Workforce Distribution by Age

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%

Male

Total

15-1

920

-24

25-2

930

-34

35-3

940

-44

45-4

950

-54

55-5

960

-64

65+

Female16.0%

Permanent Workforce Distribution by Age

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%

Male

Total


Gender Wagga Wagga City Council’s total workforce is made up of approximately 38% female employees and 62% male employees. Gender bias for both male and female employees are fairly evenly spread across the administration and environment and community services areas. Typically, male employees are predominate in engineering, operational services and parks and recreation services. The ratios are mainly historically driven and associated with the functions performed in those areas (figure 5).

figure 5: Permanent Workforce Distribution by Directorate

DIVERSITY

Wagga Wagga City Council is committed to achieving equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all employees as a means of increasing its effectiveness and recognising the true potential of its staff. Council recognises the many organisational and community benefits which derive from promotion and implementation of effective EEO management practices and seeks to broadly reflect the diversity of the local community within its workforce.

Council’s EEO Management Plan 2011-2014 details the requirements for reporting on activities to implement EEO initiatives. It is the intent of our Plan to promote:

• Equality of opportunity for all employees within legislative requirements;

• Universal respect for employees and for the people with whom Council has a relationship;

• The celebration of social and cultural diversity; and

• A workplace free of harassment, discrimination and bullying.

The focus areas of Council’s EEO Management Plan also encompass a number of initiatives addressing women’s participation in local government. Council’s gender distribution across employment status’ of supervisory and mangement positions is shown in figure 6. Currently women in Council’s Executive Team and in Level 3 Manager positions make up 20% of this group (figure 7).

figure 6: Gender Distribution by Employment Type

CORPORATE POSITION

FEMALE MALE TOTAL

General Manager/Director

1 5 6

Level 3 Manager 4 12 16

Level 4 Manager 4 6 10

Coordinator/Supervisor

24 56 80

TOTAL 33 80 112

To increase the importance and awareness of gender equity in our workforce, Council’s Annual Corporate Training Plan incorporates a number of leadership programs, conferences and seminars directed at women in our workforce. Council has also adopted the following statement demonstrating a commitment towards gender equity issues as part of the 50:50 Vision National Program for gender equity in Local Government:

“Council will work towards increasing the representation of women in local government both as, elected members, senior managers and professionals whilst providing opportunities for both personal and professional development.”

The focus areas also align Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy 2011-2014 with our broader Workforce Delivery Plan. The Strategy has been developed to promote the recruitment and career development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The key elements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy are:

• Attracting our future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce;

• Retaining our existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce;

Female40.0%

35.0%

30.0%

25.0%

20.0%

15.0%

10.0%

5.0%

0.0%

CED Corporate ECS GM Infrastructure Planning

Male

Total

Female80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Executive Team

Managers Level 3

Managers Coordinators/Supervisors

Male

Female80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Executive Team

Managers Level 3

Managers Coordinators/Supervisors

Male

workforce profile.

figure 7


workforce profile.

• Investing in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees; and

• Developing partnerships that support the strategy.

What our employees thinkCouncil undertakes an annual employee opinion survey to capture staff feedback on issues critical to our organisation. It provides our people with an opportunity to have their say and creates a framework for improving employee satisfaction, engagement and building a high-performance culture.

Our recent survey format centred around:

• Passion: measuring employee engagement

• Progress: measuring organisational performance

• Key Drivers of Passion and Progress

Overall our results were generally positive whilst also highlighting opportunities for Council to work towards improving.

Identified strength areas for Council included:

• Providing staff with adequate opportunities to develop skills needed for career progression;

• Rewarding and recognising staff and

• Staff reporting feeling emotionally well at work

Employee Engagement Highlights

“I am proud to tell people that I work for this organisation” – 75% agree

“Overall I am satisfied with my job” – 76% agree

“I would like to be working here in 5 years time” – 65% agree


our workforcechallenges.

our challenges.


our challenges.

OUR CHALLENGESWagga Wagga City Council has challenges that are universal in nature whilst others are unique to our organisation. Over the next four years Council will be seeking to maintain current services and service levels whilst operating in a period where budgets and resources are limited. However, an increase in community expectation and growth is placing pressure on Council’s workforce to become more strategic with its resources in order to do more with less.

The Workforce Plan Development Surveys that were workshopped with Council staff identified a number of these organisational and community challenges and their impact on future staffing numbers, skills gaps and development opportunities.

With these key areas in mind, the following strategies to respond to these challenges have been idenitifed and integrated in Council’s 4 year Workforce Delivery Plan.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement Changing nature of work Technology Resourcing efficiencies

Key Objectives• Provide and promote a framework that supports continuous improvement, change management and business improvement models.• Promote innovation and capture ideas from our employees.

Safe, Healthy and Productive WorkforceImplementation of new Work Health & Safety (WHS) strategies, policies and procedures

Injury prevention and risk management Ageing workforce

Key Objectives• Senior management commitment to safety leadership.• Build and maintain a safety culture at Council.• Promotion of WHS Risk Management in all activities.• Continuously improve the work health and safety system.

• Promote health and wellbeing at Council.• Commitment to best practice injury management and return to work system.

Strategic PartnershipsCohesive work practices Employee entitlements Access to information

Key Objectives• Provide systems to enable employee engagement.• Build strategic business partnerships with our client groups.• Provision of consultation and partnerships to meet Divisional business needs. • Increase accessibility of human resource information across Council.• Improve organisational human resource capability.

Learning and Development Succession Planning Specialised skills and technical knowledge Skills gaps

Key Objectives• Develop leadership capabilities to meet organisational requirements.• Coordinate and promote effective Leadership Programs.• Promote career planning and talent management.• Integrate coaching and mentoring to promote effective leadership.

A Sustainable WorkforceSuccession Planning Flexible working conditions Ageing workforce

Key Objectives• Attract and retain high performing staff.• Grow our own people.• Align the workforce with corporate goals and objective.• Succession plan for ‘core’ positions.• Create a workplace which encourages workforce diversity.

our workforcechallenges.


our focus forthe future.

our focus for the future.



OUR FOCUS FOR THE FUTURE After analysing the data collected from the Workforce Plan Development Surveys and in accordance with our workforce strategies, our key areas of focus for the future include succession planning, skills gaps, ageing workforce, technological changes and identification of workforce priorities in the effort to attract and retain specific professional groups.

These key focus areas will assist Council to maintain a qualified and capable workforce able to meet the needs of the Community Strategic Plan.

Succession PlanningIn forecasting our organisation’s future needs Council identified what capabilities, competencies and service levels were needed in our workforce. As part of the Workforce Plan Development Surveys each division was asked to identify core positions within our current workforce structure that:

• Provide services which the division could not function without;

• Provide services for which there is a high community need and high community expectation;

• Retain critical corporate knowledge;

• Contain specialised skills and knowledge extremely difficult to source / replace; and

• Provide services essential in the provision of our Delivery Program and Operational Plan items.

As a result, each division will be required to prepare succession plans for every identified core position to ensure business continuity if any employee(s) in these core positions were to leave the organisation or be absent for a period of time.

Council has in place a number of processes and systems to help support the divisions when developing their succession plans including:

1. Mentoring and Coaching Program: Designed to support and guide those staff currently working within Council to broadened their knowledge of leadership and business, build their networks both internally and externally, and create career development opportunities. Organisational initiatives this program is aligned with are our:

• Women’s Leadership Program

• Leadership Program

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy

• Education Assistance Program

• New Employee Induction Program

2. Knowledge captureDocumentation of Council’s processes, procedures and policies along with internal knowledge bases have been developed to improve performance through the use of data, information and knowledge to understand variability and improve strategic and operational decision making.

3. Upskilling and the need to ‘grow our own’ In ‘hard to fill’ specialised areas Council has a number of programs to develop staff internally. Part of Council’s solution to improve the skills of our workforce comes from investing in our current workers and growing our own talent by providing access to programs such as traineeships, apprenticeships, cadetships and graduate opportunities. Council currently has traineeships, apprenticeships, cadetships and graduates in the fields of horticulture, environmental health, arboriculture, information technology, mechanics, planning and building, engineering, customer service and human resources.

4. Training and developmentCouncil continues to build a workforce culture that encourages learning and development both at a professional and a personal level so that our staff are equipped to deliver outstanding service to our customers. Council’s key workforce planning initiatives are incorporated into the learning and development plan. These focus on:

• Improving our capabilities in leadership, strategic planning, and service delivery;

• Offering professional development opportunities that link with being an Employer of Choice;

• Developing a workplace learning culture that promotes self directed learning in line with our corporate values; and

our focus forthe future.


• Offering diverse learning opportunities by participation in cross functional and/or project teams.

5. Career progression opportunitiesCouncil offers a diverse range of professional development opportunities designed to enhance the capability of staff. All employees can access performance and professional development opportunities throughout various phases of their career - from aspiring through beginning, consolidation and growth, to high achieving and transitioning to other roles. In addition, staff can engage in a variety of targeted programs that build management and technical skills, whilst also ensuring we are up to date on our legislative knowledge.

Skills GapsCouncil’s Workforce Plan Development Survey identified a number of current skills gaps present within our workforce which are consistent with the skills shortages identified by the Australian Centre for Excellence for Local Government. These will be considered in Council’s recruitment strategies and our Learning and Development Training Program. The areas of skill shortage were identified as follows:

• Building Surveying

• Civil Construction

• Engineering

• Event Management

• Web/Social Media technical skills

• Irrigation and Plumbing

• Urban and Regional Planners

These skills are generally hard to attract, some reasons for this include, Council’s regional location, industry-wide skills shortages, and our ability to compete financially with private enterprise organisations.

Health & Wellbeing Wagga Wagga City Council is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for everyone. Our workers have a direct impact on the provision of services to the community – the reason we exist. Without our workers, we cannot fulfil the expectations of the community and grow the City of Wagga Wagga. Therefore our aim for safety is to promote a culture of zero harm and reduce incidents and injuries to our workers.

Health and Wellbeing however is increasingly being acknowledged as a fundamental element in supporting and developing the workforce.

Research has shown that approximately one-third of adult life is spent at work (ACT Work Safety, 2010. A Guide to Promoting Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace). The workplace is therefore a key avenue to influence the health of workers and the community as a whole.

Employers who focus on the health and wellbeing of their staff can bring multiple benefits not only to workers, but also to the organisation. Organisations benefit through a more positive workplace culture; healthy, happy and balanced workers; and reduced economic costs as well as improved productivity outcomes.

Our future focus for Health and Wellbeing is to develop a strategy to encourage our employees to maintain or improve their health and fitness and work / life balance.

Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy will:

• Identify cost effective initiatives that promote a healthy lifestyle

• Provide a variety of initiatives to suit the needs of workers and look after our workers whole wellbeing

• Promote work/life balance

4 year delivery plan.


4 yeardelivery plan.



objectives Actions 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17

DP 1.6 Provide a Sustainable Workforce with the capability and capacity to support current and future service deliveryA sustainable workforceAttract and retain high performing staff

Grow our own people

Align the workforce with corporate goals and objectives

Succession plan for ‘core’ positions

Create a workplace which encourages workforce diversity

Promoting future workforce development with options such as traineeships, apprenticeships, cadetships & scholarships.

• • • •

Provide policies, programs and initiatives that support employee work life balance.

• • • •

Collate and evaluate data to be used to complement future workforce initiative. • • • •

Develop and implement initiatives to support/promote workforce diversity. • • • •

Learning & developmentDevelop leadership capabilities to meet organisational requirements

Coordinate and promote effective Leadership Programs

Promote career planning and talent management

Integrate coaching and mentoring to promote effective leadership

Provide access to innovative leadership training programs • • • •

Promote all leadership programs • • • •

Promote and maintain coaching and mentoring programs across the organisation to support leadership growth

• • • •

Provide access to a more flexible learning solution (E-Learning) • • • •

Strategic partnershipsProvide systems to enable employee engagement

Build strategic business partnerships with our client groups

Provision of consultation and partnerships to meet Divisional business needs

Increase accessibility of human resource information across Council

Develop and build relationships with Directors, Managers and Supervisors and deliver People and Culture services to meet business needs

• • • •

Review current framework for organisational consultation •

Build relationships and deliver People and Culture services to meet business needs

• • • •

Provide People and Culture benchmarking data to our clients to inform business decision

• •

Provide consultancy services and support on performance management, organisational change and improvement initiatives

• • • •




objectives Actions 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17

DP 1.7 Strive for Zero harm and a culture of health and safetySafe, healthy and productive workforceSenior Management Commitment to safety leadership

Build and maintain a safety culture at Council

Promotion of WHS Risk Management in all activities

Continuously improve the work health and safety system

Promote health and wellbeing at Council

Commitment to best practice injury management and return to work system

Review and redevelop Work Health and Safety (WHS) Management System •

Review and maintain WHS Risk Management system • • • •

Develop and implement a consultation program •

Implement, review and maintain Councils Health and Wellbeing strategy • • • •

Review and maintain WHS injury management and return to work programs • • • •

DP 1.8 Support and encourage innovation and continuous improvementInnovation and continuous improvementProvide and promote a framework that supports continuous improvement, change management and business improvement models.

Promote innovation and capture ideas from our employees.

Maintain and support our “Look Listen Do it Better” Improvement Framework • • • •

Promote and Support Continuous Improvement activities across Council • • • •


contact us.

questions? comments?contact us.contact usWagga Wagga City Council PO Box 20 Cnr Baylis & Morrow Sts Wagga Wagga NSW

Ph: 1300 292 442 Fax: (02) 6926 9199 Email: [email protected]

www.wagga.nsw.gov.au

Documents

Workforce Plan 2013/2014