Julie Thompson

1
Members taking responsibility for their training
and development needs

• Julie Thompson Rod Lee

2
The Area, characterised by

• An area of 400 miles2 (80 in agricultural use)
  and a 42 mile coastline
• 100,000 population and 6.5 million visitors per
  year
• 310 full time equivalent employees (ftes), 100
  seasonal employees plus 48 elected members

3
Our vision is

• To be a council in which councillors and staff
  embrace diversity and equal opportunity, and work
  together to meet the needs of local people and
  their communities.

4
The Councils ambitions include

• To be an effective community leader in touch with
  what really matters to our local communities
• To be a high performing council, achieving
  service excellence through continuous improvement
  

• To act corporately and collaboratively, and to
  listen, learn and remain self-aware
• To stay focused on our priorities

5
The Historical Context..

• Prior to the election in May 2003 North Norfolk
  was
• Perceived as a rural backwater but quietly
  leading in some areas
• NNDC was a Politically balanced Council and
• Corporate aims were not all linked to service
  delivery
• There was no long term strategic planning
• Strong evidence of silo working
• Performance Management systems not yet developed

6
The Emerging Context..

• Following the election in 2003 is the Council
  has
• A Liberal Democrat administration and a new Chief
  Executive
• A Cabinet rather than an Executive
• A Corporate strategic 5 year plan
• Corporate aims that are linked to service
  delivery
• Performance management systems that are being
  developed
• A new management structure that
  will lead to a reduction in
  silo working

7
The Corporate strategic 5 year plan

• Outlined objectives that specifically relate to
  Member Training and Development, which include
• Targeted and more focused training and
  development process linked to changing
  expectations of Members roles
• Joint Member and staff training

8
NNDC Learning and Development Strategy

• Focuses upon
• Recognising the diverse nature of the people
  engaged on the Councils business
• Encouraging personal ownership and responsibility
  of learning for Members, Management and staff
• Enabling the Council to develop internal capacity
  that can be used to develop its people and
  culture
• Where possible encourage people at different
  levels to take leadership roles in helping the
  organisation and its people learn and develop

9
Member Development - Historical overview

• Modernisation Agenda adopted by NNDC 1999
• Members Charter adopted by the Council in 2000
• Members Training Working Party established in
  2000 and its membership was politically balanced

10
Members Training Working Party Achievements

• Included
• Council adopting a policy that all Members before
  they become members of Planning Committees must
  be trained
• 44 out of 46 members were personal users of
  Information Technology and training has been
  provided
• An comprehensive Induction Process was developed
  following a design brief being agreed by the
  Working Party
• 13 Members were trained as Coaches/Mentors to
  assist new Members were elected in MAY 2003

11
New Members Training and Support Group 2003

• Terms of Reference include
• To formulate policy, to be agreed by the Cabinet,
  on issues relating to training, development and
  members support.
• To develop and review existing training and
  support provided to Council members and the
  opportunity for joint training with officers.
• To advise the Cabinet on the future training and
  support requirements of Council members,
  including the development of a training programme
  for members.

12
New Members Training and Support Group 2003

• Issues initially that affected the groups
  effectiveness includes
• Selection process by political groups
• Education and employment of members generally
• Commitment and availability of group members
• Lack of clarity as to the purpose and outcomes
  required of the group
• No accountability for the groups effectiveness

13
New Members Training and Support Group 2003

• Now Consists of members our three political
  groups, but the role of group needs to be able to
  evolve because
• The change process affecting Local Government and
  specifically NNDC
• The changing roles of members
• A Change in emphasis relating to the positioning
  of training and development
• Different needs and expectations

14
Members Training and DevelopmentGetting
Commitment Requires

• Ownership from the Council leadership
• Leaders acting as role models in relation to
  training and development
• Members promoting the importance of training and
  development to other members
• Focusing on providing training and development
  that suits the needs of members
• Planning and publishing training and development
  activities
• The proper promoting of training and development
  events or opportunities and resources
• Organising events at times suitable to members
  including evenings or weekends
• Members engaged in setting and agreeing learning
  outcomes for specific training that relates to
  members only
• Using different and appropriate methods and
  systems
• Involving members in the design and delivery of
  training
• Member led, Officer facilitated training

15
So whats happening in North Norfolk?

• Cabinet appointed a Portfolio Member
• Terms of Reference
• The Leader of the Council is a participant in
  IDeA Leadership Academy
• Cabinet will engage in MAP
• Regular reports on the groups activities
• Quest Profiling and Positive Impact
• Publish a programme of training events to
  commence September 2004
• Specialised training programmes eg. Scrutiny,
  Cabinet
• Democratic Services Human Resources working
  together

16
Members Training and Development Future Issues
and Plans

• How to identify more objectively training and
  developments needs?
• Can we get all members to engage in either the
  diagnosis or undertaking training and
  development?
• Can we afford not to invest in members
  development?

17
Members Training and Development Future
Developments

• Personal development planning
• Adopt or adapt the National Skills Framework to
  our development planning process for both members
  and officers
• Linking the Skills Framework to specific members
  roles
• Measuring the overall impact and return on the
  investment in training and development
• Role descriptions
• Pre-candidate selection pack