NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITIES W W W. D E T. N SW. E D U. AU

DRAFT

STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCES PLAN 2012-2017 IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE WWW.DEC.NSW.GOV.AU 1

Implementation Guide Strategic Human Resources Plan 2012-17

ContentsAchieving Education and Communities goals

Implementation guide for the Strategic Human Resources Plan 2012-2017

Key workforce challenges

Workforce profile – 2012 snapshot

Linking strategic goals to high performance through improved workforce capacity

Values that underpin our work

Actions you can take to achieve:

Highest quality staff

Empowered and capable leaders and managers

New and better ways of doing business

High performing inclusive workplace

Determining progress and success by 2017

References

Contacts for further information and assistance

Achieving Education and Communities goals

World class education and training and strong sustainable communities are what the people of NSW expect of our organisation.

The quality and commitment of our workforce determines how effectively we respond to the needs of students and communities.

The purpose of the new Strategic Human Resources Plan 2012-2017 is to prioritise action in four areas which will result in improved workforce capacity to deliver significantly better outcomes.

In attracting, developing and retaining high performing leaders, managers and staff, our Department sustains important reform in education, ensures decision making is relevant to local needs and forges strong partnerships with NSW communities.

Our workplaces become high performing and more accountable to the NSW community through better planning of the workforce, managing the work performance of all staff and developing their capabilities. We improve ways of doing business: implementing the

HR shared services model, eliminating barriers to efficient practices, using new technologies efficiently and effectively to drive innovative service delivery, and ensuring HR policies and practices are evidence-based.

Staff are committed to achieving our goals. Working for our organisation inspires them to do the best possible work.

Implementation Guide for the Strategic Human Resources Plan 2012-2017

Each area of our organisation will address the priorities of the Plan by tailoring actions to suit their own business and workforce requirements.

All employees have a part to play in bringing this plan to life, encouraged by senior staff who lead the achievement of our goals though quality customer service.

The actions outlined in this implementation guide can be used flexibly – they are not intended to be prescriptive. The guide includes initiatives to be led by Human Resources and other Corporate Services areas which will complement and support organisational requirements.

Key workforce challenges

With over 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, the NSW Department of Education and Communities is one of the largest employers, public or private, in Australia.

The staffing environment is diverse and complex. Staff members are employed under a number of Acts of Parliament and are located in all areas of New South Wales, including rural and remote sites. They work in early childhood centres, schools, TAFE Institutes, regional and state offices.

Our workforce must be sustained and renewed in the context of an ageing population, a tight labour market, demand for better services and doing more with less. The State of the NSW Public Sector Report 2012 and the People Matter Employee Survey 2012 provide further evidence of the key challenges we face and the imperatives to improve the performance of our workforce. These include:

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ORGANISATIONAL CHALLENGES

Leadership of education and community sector reforms

Responsive customer service with transparent communication

Decision making relevant to local needs

Sustained and renewed workforce

■ strong leadership and management capabilities

■ capacity to manage change well

■ improved teacher quality

■ partnering and collaboration skills

■ capacity to deliver in competitive environments

■ high performing organisational culture

■ managers skilled in the art of maximising performance and addressing underperformance

■ customer centred approach

■ strong communication skills

■ managers have flexibility with accountability for local decision making

■ evidence-based decisions

■ streamlined processes, reduced red tape

■ diverse talented workforce reflective of community

■ innovative solutions for specialist skills shortages and challenging staffing locations

■ opportunities for innovation, creativity and knowledge continuity

■ positive workplace behaviour; workplaces free from bullying

■ supporting work-life balance for employees

TEACHERS (TAFE)

TEACHERS (SCHOOLS)

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT (TAFE)

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT (SRO)

EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT (SCHOOLS)

OFFICE OF COMMUNITIES

CORPORATE SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND

COMMUNITIES (2012 FTE)

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Workforce profile

2012 snapshot

Men Women

53.9% 46.1%

LEADERSHIP GENDER BALANCE ACROSS SES LEVELS

WOMEN IN DEC

73.6%

56.9%

76.2%

62.0%

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

People from racial, ethnic, ethno-religious minority groups

People whose language first spoken as a child was not English

People with a disability

People with a disability requiring work-related adjustment

2.6%

3.2%

n/a

10%

19%

11.2%

n/a

3.5%

1.5%1%

10 100907060 80500 20 40

REMUNERATION LEVELS BY GENDER

$$$0–40,662

40,664–53,407

53,407–59,705

59,705–75,552

75,552–97,702

97,702–122,128

122,228> (non SES)

122,228> (SES)

All staff

30

25-298.2%

30-349%

35-3910%

40-4412.8%

45-4912.7%

50-5416.8%

55-5917.4%

60-647.5%

65+2.6%

DIVERSITY OF DEC WORKFORCE

DEC

NSW PUBLIC SECTOR BENCHMARK

AGE PROFILES – ALL STAFF EXCLUDING OoC

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Government priorities in NSW 2021 set the goals for the Department of Education and Communities. These are outlined in the Department’s corporate plan, 5 Year Strategic Directions. These strategic goals directly inform portfolio plans and business plans developed by schools, TAFE Institutes and other business units.

Business plans for all areas need to include actions for human resource management tailored to particular workforce requirements.

All leaders and managers need to articulate for their staff the links between these strategic goals and the priorities for their own work units. Individual staff members then have a clear line of sight to their own key responsibilities written in their work plans.

Performance management on an ongoing year round basis, based on regular feedback and capability development for all staff, is an essential part of the role of leaders and managers.

Important strategic planning documents are available online:

■ NSW 2021 A Plan to make NSW Number One

■ NSW Department of Education and Communities 5 Year Strategic Plan 2012-2017

■ Strategic Human Resources Plan 2012-2017

■ Public Schools NSW Strategic Directions 2012-2014

■ TAFE NSW Strategic Plan 2011-2013.

Individual work plans

School/TAFE/business area plans

Strategic portfolio plans

DEC 5 Year Strategic Plan

NSW 2021

Performance management, work plans and capability development for all staff

External strategic plans

Internal strategic plans

Business plans (including workforce planning)

Values that underpin our work

The values that underpin our work include fairness, respect, integrity and responsibility.

We demonstrate these values in our daily work by:

■ providing quality services to public education and training, whether in the classroom, the office or the community

■ being consistently honest, trustworthy and accountable

■ being courteous and responsive in dealing with others

■ being committed to social justice by opposing prejudice, injustice and dishonesty

■ making decisions that are procedurally fair to people and which avoid discrimination, for example, on grounds such as gender, race, religion and culture

■ promoting dignity and respect by avoiding behaviour which is, or might reasonably be perceived as, harassing, bullying or intimidating

■ maintaining professional relationships with:

– students

– parents and carers

– colleagues, and

– business partners

■ working collaboratively with colleagues to reach our common goals

■ maintaining and developing our professional and work practices

■ acknowledging our stakeholders as partners in our work, and

■ behaving in ways that advance public education and training.

Linking strategic goals to high performance through improved workforce capacity

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Actions you can take to achieve the highest quality staff in all locations

Attract, manage and retain high performing, committed staff in all locations and support continuous improvement in their capacity to deliver excellent outcomes

■ recruit graduates to support business area and local recruitment needs

■ partner with Human Resource Directorate to recruit staff from diverse backgrounds, with particular skill sets, or for challenging locations

■ provide induction for all new staff tailored to work areas

■ ensure access to high quality professional development opportunities to drive improved customer focussed delivery of services

■ implement performance management for all staff and address underperformance

■ recognise and reward staff for excellence in achievement of organisational priorities and targets.

Human Resources Directorate will: ■ promote teaching and public service in education and communities as an admired and competitive career choice and a

great place to work

■ increase use of new technology and social media to improve attraction strategies and recruitment processes

■ support graduate recruitment across the Education and Communities cluster

■ develop innovative recruitment and retention solutions for skills shortages and challenging locations

■ develop resources to support manager-led focus on improved customer service

■ implement performance planning, management and development schemes for teaching and non-teaching staff in schools

■ continue to provide learning opportunities and tools for corporate managers to implement performance management

■ build capacity of staff to plan their own career development

■ research and develop ‘best practice’ programs that provide recognition and rewards for high performing staff

■ assist to implement the Rewards for Great Teachers National Partnership

■ assist with the transition from state based teaching standards to national professional standards for teachers.

I feel a connection and commitment to the organisation, its values and goals – 65% agreed.

Reference: People Matter Employee Survey 2012

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Actions you can take to achieve empowered and capable leaders

Build the capacity of our leaders and managers to demonstrate innovative and efficient leadership and management practices

■ recruit a diverse range of leaders and managers, with a particular focus on women and Aboriginal people

■ support communities of practice and networks for upcoming leaders as a feature of leadership development

■ support leaders and managers to maintain the momentum of the reform agenda in education and the public sector through timely information dissemination and access to capability development

■ improve capabilities of leaders and managers to partner with local communities and build strategic partnerships in schools, VET, and tertiary education

■ develop commercial acumen of leaders and managers, increasing their capabilities to use information systems, self-service reports

■ support career progression for women and Aboriginal staff into senior roles

■ provide recognition for leaders and managers who excel in achieving organisational priorities.

Human Resources Directorate will: ■ develop incentives that may be personalised to attract high performing leaders and managers in challenging staff locations

■ implement an induction program for Senior Executive Service officers and other leaders and managers

■ design and implement a talent pool identification process across the organisation

■ establish career mobility programs for leaders and managers

■ support capability development for leaders and managers to communicate change and drive strategy through change

■ support capability development for leaders and managers to improve customer focussed service delivery

■ support capability development in partnership building and influencing skills for leaders and managers

■ develop the capacity of leaders and managers to plan, manage and develop staff performance

■ develop the capacity of leaders and managers to address underperformance and unsatisfactory performance

■ research and develop ‘best practice’ programs that recognise and reward leaders and managers.

Leaders and managers provide clear direction for the future of the organisation – 48% disagreed.

Change is handled well – 56% disagreed.

Reference: People Matter Employee Survey 2012

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Actions you can take to achieve new and better ways of doing business

Innovate and improve our ways of doing business across the organisation

■ continue to build strategic partnerships across and beyond the organisation to influence national education and public sector reforms

■ integrate workforce planning within regular business planning by all leaders and managers

■ comply with merit principles and adhere to professional standards for local decision-making when recruiting, managing and retaining high quality staff

■ use flexible working arrangements to support retention of high quality staff

■ build people management capabilities

■ implement the HR shared services model, using Learning and Management Business Reforms to drive efficiencies and effectiveness

■ address barriers to teacher movement between early childhood and school sectors, and across jurisdictions

■ continue to develop flexible pathways into teaching

■ upskill HR practitioner staff to partner with work areas to build customer focused management practices

■ upskill HR practitioner staff to utilise new technology and social media.

Human Resources Directorate will: ■ collaborate with education and industry partners to better align teacher supply to workforce needs and ensure rigorous

training and development of teachers for early childhood, school and TAFE environments

■ enable leaders and managers to improve service delivery and policy outcomes through provision of robust workforce information

■ ensure job design and recruitment information are based on relevant national standards and capability frameworks

■ streamline resources to support succession planning and knowledge continuity practices

■ review human resource policies, practices and systems to support local decision-making with accountability

■ promote understanding of merit principles and professional standards to ensure the ‘right balance’ in local recruitment and management practices

■ heighten focus on providing data-based, evidence-driven innovation, reporting, and evaluation for human resource and staff-related actions and projects

■ overcome barriers to efficient business practices, implement Learning and Management Business Reforms and the HR shared services model.

I am encouraged to be innovative in my work – 24% disagreed.

Reference: People Matter Employee Survey 2012

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Actions you can take to achieve a high performing, inclusive workplace

Ensure workplaces are high performing, fair, safe and accountable across the organisation

■ use the Workforce Diversity Plan 2012-2017 and the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Plan 2012-2017 to attract and retain

– more high quality Aboriginal staff,

– more high quality staff with a disability, and

– more high quality staff whose first language was not English and staff from racial, ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups

■ ensure all people management practices are based on principles of equity inclusion

■ implement cultural awareness strategies as detailed in the above-mentioned plans

■ ensure workplaces meet relevant compliance and additional requirements for work health and safety

■ encourage a positive, collaborative workplace culture, one which does not tolerate bullying

■ develop programs and opportunities that encourage and recognise innovation as a highly valued way of thinking and behaving within the organisation

■ ensure ethical behaviour of all staff through ongoing training and compliance with the Code of Conduct.

Human Resources Directorate will: ■ promote the Workforce Diversity Plan 2012-2017 and the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Plan 2012-2017 and

implement related strategies as detailed in these plans

■ develop guidance for leaders and managers to ensure adherence to equity inclusion principles

■ design and conduct regular employee attachment, engagement and exit surveys

■ publish an online ‘Driving Innovation’ support toolkit for managers

■ facilitate the introduction of the Workplace Giving scheme

■ support Work Health and Safety Directorate initiatives to address issues of workplace bullying.

By instilling strong ethical practices, organisations can increase efficiency, engage employees and enhance their corporate reputation.

Reference: State of the NSW Public Sector Report 2012 (Chapter 2: Values and ethics)

Determining progress and success by 2017

The Strategic Human Resources Plan 2012-2017 is a document that will be renewed over the next five years. Progress will be reported in the Department’s Annual Report. In 2015, the midpoint for this Plan’s cycle, successful initiatives implemented across the organisation will be highlighted, priorities will be reviewed and refreshed, and updated information will be available on the intranet. Success in 2017 will be determined by:

Leadership of national and state reform in education and communities

■ improved capacity of leaders and managers to drive and sustain reform

■ aspiring leaders and managers supported to plan and manage their own career development

■ capability development for leaders and managers underpinned by professional standards and /or capability frameworks

■ increased numbers of teachers seek and gain accreditation at Professional Accomplishment and Professional Leadership levels.

Responsive customer service and transparent communication ■ increased local decision-making supported by new ways of doing business and the Learning

Management and Business Reforms

■ increased proportion of staff participate in professional learning and capability development activities (including a focus on improved customer service competencies)

■ increased capability development opportunities available through web-based and other delivery modes

■ individualised work performance plans for all staff – this includes an induction tailored to their workplace, a work plan, regular performance conversations with manager, a plan for learning and capability development, and an annual review

■ transparent communication with staff, customers and communities, enhanced by use of social media and new information technology.

Decision-making relevant to local needs ■ local decision-making models supported by targeted professional learning and capability

development of leaders and managers

■ local decisions supported by new resourcing models

■ workforce planning used by leaders and managers in all business areas

■ increased partnering with Aboriginal communities to improve local outcomes

■ reduced red tape

■ local selection of high quality staff facilitated by streamlined flexible recruitment processes

■ increased professional development opportunities in Aboriginal cultural competencies available for staff.

Sustained and renewed workforce ■ increased workforce diversity representative of community

– 50% or higher representation of women in senior leadership roles – 2.6% or higher representation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people – progress towards 19% representation of people whose first language was not English

and members of racial, ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups – 1 .5% or higher representation of people with a disability requiring a workplace adjustment

■ improved gender balance at all remuneration levels

■ improved age balance in the workforce

■ increased number of high quality graduates in all locations

■ more high quality leaders, managers and staff attracted and retained in challenging locations

■ increased number of staff with specialist skills attracted to work for our organisation

■ expanded use of succession planning and knowledge continuity practices

■ reduction in number of workplace injuries and average cost of claims

■ reduced number of employees witnessing or experiencing bullying at work.

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References

NSW Department of Education and Communities Strategic Human Resources Plan 2012-2017

NSW Department of Education and Communities 5 Year Strategic Plan 2012-2017

Public Schools NSW Strategic Directions 2012-2014

Public Schools: Local Schools, Local Decisions

TAFE NSW Strategic Plan 2011-2013

NSW 2021: State Plan

NSW Public Sector Workforce Strategy 2008-2012

2012 State of NSW Public Sector Report “How It Is”

People Matter Employee Survey 2012 – main survey findings and the Education and Communities Cluster Report

2012 NSW Public Sector Workforce Profile

COAG National Partnerships

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GPO Box 33 Sydney NSW 2001 Australia T 9561 8000 www.dec.nsw.gov.au

© December 2012 NSW Department of Education and Communities

Contact

For further information, assistance and to contribute success stories, please contact: Ms Carmel Senese, Senior Manager, Workforce Capability T 9561 8273 or email: carmel.senese@det.nsw.edu.au