BUILDING ON SUCCESS DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS Adrian Kerr

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

BUILDING ON SUCCESS Change 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

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH ROLES cont’d: • Structured Action Planning - Central but creative and responsive to local needs • Maintaining Commitment - To the change itself, improve information and recognition

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH SKILLS: • Utilise Previous Change Experience - Retain existing Champion knowledge and recruit experience in other areas • Succession Planning - Introduce a system/self selection and encouragement

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH SKILLS cont’d: • Utilise in Support of Other Change Initiatives • Coaching and Mentoring - Management Development Programmes – redesign to place emphasis on coaching and mentoring

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH BARRIERS: • Encouraging Support - Awareness raising events, create involvement opportunities • Resource Provision - Target support and equitable distribution of funding, etc.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH BARRIERS cont’d: • Communications Strategy and Readiness for Change - Communications Strategy designed, ‘Readiness for Change’ Audit/Action Plan • Member/Officer Relationships - Development Programme and opportunities to work together

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH BARRIERS cont’d: • Trade Union Consultation and Commitment - Permanent TU/Management Forum – consult on planned change

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT NEEDS • Build on Existing - Obtain buy-in to the programme and evaluate • Worklife Balance - Include in Development Programme

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RESEARCH 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 THE LGSC IMPLEMENTATION MODEL • Inception Phase (managing) • Operational Phase (managing) • Development Phase (supporting) • Development Phase (developing and supporting) - Culture Changes Phases are not mutually exclusive

MATCHING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LGSC IMPLEMENTATION MODEL INCEPTION PHASE • • • Composition Appointment Utilise previous experience Succession planning Support other initiatives Coaching and mentoring – in Management Development Programme

MATCHING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LGSC IMPLEMENTATION MODEL OPERATIONAL PHASE • Partnership Working • Plan of Work (flexibility) • Maintain Commitment • Resource Provision

MATCHING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LGSC IMPLEMENTATION MODEL DEVELOPMENT PHASE • • • Member/Officer Relationships Worklife Balance Support Groupings Mentoring and Coaching Personal Development Plans Build on Existing Development Interventions

MATCHING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LGSC IMPLEMENTATION MODEL 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) Composition Continue with present structure & consider expanding Appointment Continue with self selection Utilise Previous Experience Retain existing network & recruit by experience & commitment Succession Planning Initiate planning system Supporting Other Initiatives Utilise existing expertise for other change initiatives including retirees Coaching and Mentoring – in Management Development Programmes Utilise existing expertise as mentors in all future senior local government management development programmes Partnership Working Encourage cross category partnership working Plan of Work Build flexibility & allow for creativity Maintaining Commitment Improve information on the topic, introduce motivational and recognition events Resource Provision Target individual support to reduce time commitment & equitable distribution Member/Officer Relationships Initiate enhancement programme Worklife Balance Initiate a programme of stress management & personal support Development Phase – Culture Changes (developing and supporting) Encouraging Support Initiate Central & Local awareness raising of change initiative Communication Strategy Designed to overcome identified barriers Support Groupings Initiate pilot self select group(s) Readiness for Change Project for shared learning and joint Initiate project, monitor, problem solving disseminate results & evaluate recommendations Mentoring and Coaching Introduce awareness training and Trade Union Consultation introduce programmes Establish consultative & negotiation mechanism Personal Development Plans Initiate personal development Supporting Development and planning scheme Learning Experiences Highlight concerns re: need for Building on Existing Development improved self-development & Interventions confidence building measures and Initiate re-design team and learning environment implement recommendations

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK Set in three developmental levels 1. General 2. Targeted 3. Personal

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK Development Level Content – linked to recommendations Participants 1. Awareness Raising All Champions General information and developments relating to the change process (Advance details would enable potential participants to opt in or out of the general programme) General Internal/External best practice examples

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK Development Level Content – linked to recommendations 2. Targeted Participants Content driven by group needs who could set Specific categories of champion their own development needs agenda on an e. g. annual basis Officer/member Additional content to cover awareness Self selecting groups training to support specific development recommendations e. g. Mentoring and Common Interest groups Coaching, Worklife Balance, Member/Officer Support groups Relationships

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK Development Level Content – linked to recommendations Participants 3. Individual Champions 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. Self select from a detailed seminar programme issued quarterly

MODEL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK Development Level Content – linked to recommendations Participants 1. Awareness Raising All champions General information and developments relating to the change process (10) (Advance details would enable potential participants to opt in or out of the general programme) 2. General Targeted Internal/External best practice examples (5) Content driven by group needs who could set their own development needs agenda on an annual basis (17) Specific categories of champion e. g. Officer/member. Additional content to cover awareness training to support Self selecting groups specific development recommendations e. g. Mentoring and Coaching, (18) Work/life Balance, (16) Common Interest groups Member/Officer relationships (13) 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