A transparent audit

3 Responses to “A transparent audit”

1. 

   Christine Morton
   

   October 18th, 2007 at 11:40

   With the London Centre of Excellence’s project led by the London Borough of Camden. They analysed London LAs procurement workforce through a survey, and then devised training to upskill those with lower skill levels.

2. 

   Nigel McKay
   

   October 18th, 2007 at 12:28

   I have carried out two skills gap analysis in the past and found that you need a mixture of Experience, Education and Training overall competency
   On the experience side I used criteria which managed minimum conditions of satisfaction to fill the role (i.e. what mandatory practices must the be profficient in)
   Understanding of Policy and Procedures
   Type of roles that they have fullfilled for example
   Purchasing routes, Strategic or operational roles, Secondments, other industries, or affiliation to external bodies.
   Education I have used their formal educational attainment as a reflection
   Purchasing Competence was based upon, company systems and the training courses in relation to their role.
   The last issue is overall competency and has been linked in to our companies HR comeptency assessment across areas such as Business Thinking, Unlocking Potential, Inspiring People, Achieving Results.
   If you need to discuss more my e mail address is attached

3. 

   Andrew Grover
   

   October 18th, 2007 at 18:13

   Much depends on the project scope. Is it simply for identifying key competencies and assessing what levels are required and where gaps exist? Are new working methods and business processes being introduced and assessment of working styles within teams required for resource planning? Is there an identified need for improved workforce motivation and dedication (high sickness absence records, staff scoring poorly in annual reviews, etc)?
   I was given a similar project to initiate, review, and support (but not – fortunately for me – to control!), and have a few suggestions. Essentially, the following are what I would recommend you consider as your three main areas to focus on:
   • Profiling – defining skill base mixes required across the workforce through analysing work patterns and procurement requirements; evaluating skills and work histories through personal perspective reports, skill and target analysis, histories of procurement activities; evaluating aims of individuals (interviews and/or questionnaires so that their desired outcomes can be worked towards where possible); and a working skills analysis (with an electronic People Mapper tool – there are several of these on the market and they are easy to source, particularly if your organisation has an experienced HR or training and development manager). The profiling methodologies need to be planned and led between HR, Training and Development, and the you as project lead
   • Actioning – matching skills, styles and aims through the project management tools; resource planning methodology, and new or rethought tools and techniques for learning and developmen (reading groups, training courses, mentoring systems, shadowing opportunities, activity demonstrations and debating groups (possibly incorporating lunchtime exchanges), learning logs/decision diaries, work history records, and best practice guides). These lead to recording progression more effectively, both centrally and also on an individual basis. This is the area you appear to be most clearly required to take overall control of, at least in the short-term
   • Reviewing – Using the knowledge and requirement database to identify development requirements and progression issues, so that appropriate actions can be taken.
   The value of an analysis of the workforce and a tightly defined, carefully considered resource plan being created are that these can study competencies (and so address what individuals require), knowledge bases (to support best practice), interests (to address individual wants/targets – people will be developing different roles and tactics within their jobs, and clarification of where this is acceptable and where adjustments need to be made is essential to ensure suitable activities are pursued), and the working styles of all those within an organisation (to support teamwork, as well as the personal development of individuals). The future development of the organisation has to be considered, to ensure that people within it are swiftly able to adapt to new working practices that may occur.
   When initiating the project, don’t just consider your human resources and time, as training costs and the availability of current information, along with the difficulty of encouraging support from all staff, are as likely to cause problems in the short-term. Clear skills and training records may not be agreeable to individuals and some may fear that the analysis will box them into roles rather than open out career paths, which will have a negative impact on morale and reduce the effectiveness of the activities. For those staff not keeping detailed learning records, it will probably be difficult to record negative experiences (failures and gaps in development are not easily stored, reviewed, and tackled!). The collation of key staffing issues and learning requirements and achievements for use by management can incorporate structure charts, cost centre lists, head counts, creation of mentors and learning teams, Personal Development Plans (PDPs), skill and working style mix assessments, and experience histories.
   Remember not to place too much of a focus on specific roles – and therefore training requirements – for people over their current roles and requirements, nor to place in-house training as a replacement for all off-job learning. People learn in different ways, and it is important to recognise this and help them feel valued, even if much short-term effort is placed on areas that may suit the company rather than the person.
   Key to aiding development of experience through recorded learning and development is knowledge management. Employing knowledge management techniques should lead to savings through faster access to knowledge and better dissemination of best practices – knowledge in customers, products and processes will all be more effectively handled if a clear methodology is applied with authority. Knowledge management will involve ensuring that tacit knowledge is more frequently communicated and mapped, and that explicit knowledge is shared more effectively via the knowledge spiral (individual knowledge becoming organisational knowledge) and employing knowledge cycles (continual processing of new knowledge from existing knowledge). The spiral and cycles can be aided by lunchtime exchanges and other debating and demonstration activity. Informal networks – such as reading groups – could help with issues that will aid understanding in less constrictive environments (to reduce any feelings of intimidation). Rules for the organisation of knowledge management will clearly be critical success factors, as will knowledge leaders and champions being identified early on (and changed as requirements and processes develop) and top management support to ensure recording learning and participation in the development support structure (making it part of everyone’s roles and responsibilities).
   • Phase 1: assessment of how the workforce consider themselves – individually and collectively – to have any work-related learning requirements outstanding, clear areas of experience, and conflicting or supporting styles of working practice;
   • Phase 2: review accuracy of the previously gathered data, and set up work groups to identify how learning requirements can be addressed through case studies, mentoring from experienced co-workers, action learning groups, and through suitably targeted training courses and reading;
   • Phase 3: (organisation) wide study of how the wider workforce – both individually and collectively – have any work-related learning requirements outstanding, areas of experience, and styles of working practice. Tools continue set up to aid development techniques and resource planning; and
   • Phase 4: Work stream adjustments to aid mentoring on areas of interest and required knowledge bases, with project teams built around experience and working styles (where available human resources will allow). A ‘lessons learnt’ document for individuals and teams can be set up, centralisation of key issues and details for the workforce used as a template for such activity in the future.
   After the initial project is complete, there is a requirement for a review mechanism of work which will be on-going or your assessment will be fairly pointless, and suitable actions should be considered and taken in developing skills, conflict resolution methods and purchasing histories for individuals. This will include reviewing moves into new roles, changes in learning and workplace behaviours over time, and to cover new members of staff as the workforce and work requirements change. Lessons learnt must be implemented as a process to ensure development tools and techniques are working effectively, and that expertise can be further shared for continuous knowledge and process improvement.
   Don’t forget to investigate professional communities sharing best practice, encouraging innovation, and so developing skills and helping to raise the profile of procurement (used as a tool for learning though debating and sharing best practice – the web-based CPD facility CIPS has could help to map the skills of individuals and workforce as a whole to aid development and Agency assessment of standing in public sector procurement capability and capacity). There are also several companies that focus on developing skill profiles into structured learning schemes – which does suit some organisations, but not all.

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