NSW Public Sector Capability Framework

1. NSW Public Sector Capability Framework Briefing Session

2. What is the Capability Framework • It defines the skills, knowledge and abilities relevant to all NSW public sector staff, regardless of their location, agency or job role

3. Why do we need a Capability Framework • The capability framework will provide a common language to help everyone understand the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to do their job. • It provides a platform for both sector wide and individual agency workforce planning and human resources practices. • The Capability Framework will contribute to recruiting, developing and retaining the capabilities required to deliver services to the community and government priorities.

4. What does the framework mean for agencies • All agencies are required to adopt the framework as much as possible. • There is flexibility in the framework to develop agency/technical specific capabilities.

5. How has the framework been developed? • Consultation process • Key findings • Alignment to job evaluation

6. Consultation Process • Reviewed a number of existing agency capability frameworks to identify common capabilities across the sector • Held consultation meetings with a number of agencies to define the skills, knowledge and abilities relevant to all NSW public sector staff • Held focus groups for a number of occupational working groups to understand specific job family career paths and relevant capabilities. Focus groups were held for the following groups: • Customer Service • Finance/Accounting • Engineering • Leadership and Management • Audit • Case Work • Asset and Property Management • Policy • Reviewed over 140 position descriptions across a range of agencies, occupations and grades

7. Key Findings from Review of State Plan and Strategic Documents • Importance of Line-of-Sight between Vision, Values and Capability Framework • Rights, Respect and Responsibility • Delivering Better Services • Fairness and Opportunity • Growing Prosperity Across NSW, and • Environment for Living • Key Drivers – NSW Government Values – State Plan • Stronger Accountability • Structures to Drive Action • Effective partnerships • Decisions for the Long term • Key Drivers – NSW Government Values – Code of Conduct • Responsibility to the Government of the day • Respect for people • Integrity and public interest • Responsive service • Economy and efficiency • Fairness and equity • Confidentiality • Review of APS Leadership Capabilities • Review of New Zealand’s Capability Framework

8. Key Findings from Review of Existing Frameworks and Positions descriptions • There are currently 79 capabilities in use (i.e. referenced in PDs) • There is inconsistent use of capabilities • There is very little capability level definition • Capabilities are often duplicated • Some agencies have adopted a few favourites which they use for almost every job • There are gaps (as expected) between what is in agency Position Description and the capability frameworks

9. Commonly used capabilities • The most commonly used (ie found in position descriptions) capabilities are: • Conceptual and analytical ability • Interpersonal skills • Negotiation skills • People management • Problem solving and decision making • Project/Program management • Teamwork and collaboration • Verbal communication • Written communication

10. Key Findings from Consultation • There is a difference in the depth and breadth of capability that is required for core business roles (e.g. Audit Office, Treasury, Premiers) versus agency environment and the framework has to offer • There is some rough grade consistency across agencies for similar roles • Key common capabilities in draft form emerged: • Analytical/Conceptual Thinking • Communication • Customer Service • Management/Leadership • Project management • Teamwork • Technical knowledge/expertise

11. Designing the Framework • Our key criteria when designing the framework: • in line with the Sector’s vision and values • makes sense for all agencies and occupations across the sector • comprehensive • meaningful and easy to use • Who does the framework apply to? • What about SES • Quality • Mercer’s global capability library • private sector/international models

12. Organisational Culture Direction Capacity to Deliver • Common to all jobs in the public sector • Define how people work together to deliver better outcomes for the people of NSW (“the flavour” of the work) • How we go about planning, leading, managing and evaluating what we do • How we minimise risk and ensure goals are met • Specific skills, knowledge and abilities which are needed in particular jobs which are common across the Sector, eg. policy development or research Framework Structure – 3 streams of capability

13. Teamwork Framework Structure

14. The Capabilities

15. Primary Focus of Role STRATEGIC • How is it done? • behaviour • values • culture TACTICAL Management Leadership OPERATIONAL • What is done? • tools & techniques • systems & processes • structures and frameworks TRANSACTIONAL Direction – Leadership and Management Stream

16. Alignment to Job Evaluation • Used capabilities to document 42 roles • Analysed each capability and each capability level and how it would map back to grades • Created a feasibility matrix that matched each capability level to an A&C grade level • Outcome was a matrix showing for each grade a range of capability levels • Note: different level of overlap for different capabilities.

17. The MOU • PSA has agreed to full implementation of: • the framework, including its usage through the e-Recruitment system • the library of position descriptions, including ongoing expansion • Where the framework is utilised, agencies can now use desktop evaluation (as opposed to panels) for job evaluation.

18. Union Involvement • Union Consultative Group • Library of position descriptions

19. How the PDs were created and evaluated • Mercer reviewed over 150 agency Position Descriptions • Mercer developed a template that was reviewed and improved by the Reference Group • Mercer constructed position documentation for 42 benchmark roles • Internal peer review of Position Descriptions by Mercer • Peer review of Position Descriptions by Meg Price and Fatima Abbas • Position Descriptions were then sent to Agencies for feedback • Feedback was incorporated to Position Descriptions • Job evaluations will be endorsed by Mercer and the PSA • Internal peer review of job evaluations by Mercer

20. Library of Position descriptions • 42 PDs • Common jobs in the sector • Use for new recruitment actions • Will be available from DPC and the e-Recruitment system (when live)

21. Library of PDs • Max 2 pages • Max 8 selection criteria • Changes to the library can be made to the position details (except the grade), Primary Purpose of the Position and Key Challenges and Influences without affecting the job evaluation outcome.

22. Existing agency frameworks • Agencies with an existing framework should undertake a mapping process • Identify any gaps • Attend the Capability Development Workshops in December • Flexibility in the framework to develop agency/technical specific capabilities

23. How will the framework be used? • DPC is developing resources to support agencies to integrate capabilities in • Workforce planning • Managing for performance • Career planning • Recruitment and selection • Learning and development

24. E-Recruitment System What are you doing? • Building a system that will support the full end to end recruitment process for NSW government agencies • Flagship for “Careers that Count”

25. Why are you doing it? • Public sector reform • Taking advantage of positive features • Reporting – Reform feedback loop • Slow recruitment times, resulting in • High recruitment costs • Loss of preferred candidates • Long term trends in the workforce

26. Where did the idea come from? • CCGQ recommendations • Business Case December 2007

27. What will it do? • Recruitment tools • Standard sets of capability statements, position descriptions, and job advertisements • Applicant tracking and recruitment process management, especially bulk recruitment • Pre-screening, assessment and selection tools

28. What will it do? • Advertising/Promotion • Enable online job advertisements and applications • Option to upload and direct job ads to commercial job boards, agency websites, professional associations and other employment networks • Promotion of employment in NSW Public Sector, with branding and promotional campaigns

29. What will it do? • Talent pools • Potential employees register for employment opportunities of any kind and are automatically advised of suitable vacancies • Government employers search the talent pool for potential candidates • Automatic priority matching of displaced staff

30. What will it do? • Reporting • Give agencies the ability to see how their recruitment works • Give government the ability to see how recruitment across the whole sector works • Give the opportunity to make changes to make it work better

31. What are we hoping to get out of it? • Making the process more efficient • Shorter time to hire • Freeing HR staff to advise on recruitment strategies and assist line managers • Implementing more contemporary recruitment practices • Savings to agencies when engaging temporary and contract staff • Extensive reporting to benchmark and improve agency performance • Site content attraction strategies

32. When are you doing it? • System implementation: • Tender 15 December 08 • Decision March 09 • Planned go-live October 09 • job.nsw.gov.au functionality for all agencies • full functionality for pilot agencies • Rollout of full functionality over following 15 months

33. Want to know more? • Mark Webb – 9228 3363 • Kay Hathway – 9228 5583 • Kath Rothquel – 9228 3904 • e-recruitment@dpc.nsw.gov.au

34. Piloting the Framework • Piloting in DPC in performance management and with new recruitment action • The career mobility program for finance professionals

35. Capability Development Workshops • Support agency users to develop supplementary capabilities to reflect agency specific/technical capabilities • Full day workshops: • 8 Dec • 10 Dec • 15 Dec • 16 Dec • 17 Dec • Train the trainer workshops late Jan/early Feb 09

36. Questions?