Innovative Hr-Eu Hr Working Group

EUROPEAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION NETWORK

Human Resources Working Group

QUESTIONNAIRE: INNOVATIVE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 1 INNOVATIVE HR EPAN - HR WORKING GROUP

1. Purpose of questionnaire

2. How to complete the questionnaire

3. Glossary

4. The questionnaire

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 2 1. Purpose of the questionnaire

This questionnaire has been prepared for the UK Presidency of the European Union for the European Public Administration Network (EPAN). The topic deals with Innovative Human Resources Management Strategies. This survey enables you to set out how and why HR is changing in your administration and to highlight areas of interest to other member states.

The survey will focus on the following dimensions:

1. How you select those staff who will be responsible for HR management in the Public Administrations of the 25 member states of the European Union; 2. Some specific aspects of how HR is organised in the Public Administrations of the 25 member states of the European Union; 3. The internal and external factors that are driving the changes in HR now and how you are responding to them; 4. Changes made to the HR function over the last 18 months.

The questionnaire does not seek to duplicate the statistical data you have already provided to other studies. Instead, it asks a few open questions that give you the opportunity to tell your own story about the direction of HR in your own state. It builds upon the findings set out in the Luxembourg study on ‘Human Resources Strategies to Support Organisational Change’.

The Cabinet Office of the UK is working closely on this project with the UK’s National School of Government. The National School of Government has developed the questionnaire and will analyse the responses. Finally, they have been mandated to present the result of the survey to the Directors General Responsible for Public Administration at their meeting in Newcastle in December 2005.

2. How to complete the questionnaire:

Please email your completed questionnaire to: [email protected]

The questionnaire has fields to write down your responses and to provide personal comment. As it is a Word document, you can expand the fields to provide comprehensive responses.

The deadline for the completion of this questionnaire is 31 August 2005.

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 3 We also provide a glossary, which you may find helpful. If you encounter any problems or have any further questions, please contact::

Malcolm Gregory +44(0)1344 634760 [email protected] Jean Meyrick +44(0)1344 634386 [email protected] Jacky Hamilton +44(0)1344 634522 [email protected]

We realise that in some Member States the HR function is decentralised. Where this is the case, please respond to the questions in a way that reflects practice and trends across HR organisations throughout your administration. We also welcome specific examples from individual organisations, ministries or agencies.

3. Glossary

 Human Resources (abbreviated as HR) is often referred to as that part of the organisation responsible for managing the people within that organisation. The responsibility often includes management planning, recruitment, career management, training, remuneration and people development.

 HR Strategy: Goals and objectives set by the HR department to support the overall goals and objectives of the organisation.

 Public Administration: This broad term includes ministries, administrations and organisations that exist to enable Governments to conduct their business. They may range from the provision of state healthcare to the briefing of ministers. Please answer with respect to those parts of the civil service or public sector for which your organisation is responsible.

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 4 1. The Questionnaire

Name: Member state:

Name, telephone and email details of English speaking contact:

Section 1. The HR manager in your country

Q1.1 What do you see as the main roles of HR managers in your Public Administration? You may choose more than one role

 Providing strategic organisational development advice to the Director Generals and senior managers  Providing expert advice on HR issues such as employment law to managers  Managing transactional functions such as payroll and personal records  Any other roles – Please specify

Answer: Q1.2 When appointing HR managers what do you consider to be the appropriate criteria for selection? You may choose more than one criteria

 Proven experience in HR management in the Public Administration  Proven experience in HR management in the Private Sector  Public Administration generalist who can be offered specific training in HR management  Public Administration generalists with a professional qualification in HR management  Any other criteria you think appropriate

Answer: Q1.3 Do you provide specific training and development for your existing HR staff? If so please provide the following details:

 Are staff trained to gain professional qualifications?  Do you have a structured training programme?  Who provides the training?  Which of your staff receive the training?

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 5  Any other training and development issues you wish to mention.

Answer: Q1.4 Do you use HR advisors/specialists from outside your public administration? If so, on what basis do you use them:

 As external consultants for specific projects  As fixed term appointments working in your administration in specific HR roles  As advisors to your own HR managers  On any other basis. Please specify

Answer:

Section 2. How HR is organised in your public administration

Q2.1 This question relates specifically to the administrative transactions of HR management? Examples include; payroll administration, maintaining personal records, recruitment, etc. Please describe:

 Which elements are managed centrally for the whole public administration  Which elements are devolved to ministries or departments  Which elements are devolved to line managers  Which elements are outsourced to vendors  Which elements are managed elsewhere but are not mentioned above

Answer: Q2.2 This question relates specifically to activities which although often regarded as HR activities, are carried out by different parts of the public administration. Some of these activities may be managed centrally, may be decentralised or may be a mix. Please describe which part of your public administration is responsible for the following HR activities:

 Aligning business strategy and HR strategy  Providing expert advice about, for example, employment law  Performance management of individual members of staff  Workforce planning  Organisational design and structures  Pay and grading systems

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 6  Recruitment to the Public Administration  Incentives to improve performance such as reward strategies  Obtaining maximum commitment from staff to the Public Administration

Answer: Q2.3 Describe how the HR policies in your country support improvements in the service provided by the Public Administration to the citizen?

Answer: Q2.4 How successful is HR management in supporting the needs of the Public Administration now?

 What is the view of senior managers in the Public Administration?  What is the view of other staff in the Public Administration?

How do you find out about the needs and opinions of staff in your administration?

 Using diagnostic tools such as European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), Common Assessment Framework (CAF) or similar nationally recognised approaches  Using structured focus groups  Regular staff events and activities (surveys, feedback sessions, evaluation sessions amongst all staff members)  Any other methods

Answer:

Section 3. Internal and external drivers for change

Q3.1 What are the main factors driving change in your Public Administration now that require HR to respond? Please give as much detail as possible. Some examples are listed below. Please indicate which are the most important to your administration Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 7  Workforce mobility due to enlargement of EU (may need to review employment practice)  Political initiatives from your Government  Changes to budgetary requirements  EU Employment legislation  Demography of populations, e.g. aging population and workforce (may need to review pension arrangements)  Sustainable development  Environmental issues (for example the location of public administration buildings)  Corruption  Observation of practice in other countries’ public administration. If so, which countries and what are the practices?  Need to meet international standards of public administration. If so, please specify  Any other main factors

Answer: Q3.2. How is HR management in your administration responding to these factors?

 Delegation of some activity to ministries  Recruitment of new HR staff  Reduction in number of HR staff  Change in role of HR staff to become more strategic or to deal with transactional HR processes  Any other responses. Please specify

How quickly does the change to HR have to be made?

Answer:

Section 4. Changes made to your HR function over the last 18 months

Q4.1 Over the last 18 months what key changes have you introduced into HR because of these factors driving change in your Public Administration?

Answer: Q4.2 What outcomes were you seeking to achieve through these changes?

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 8  Greater efficiency/ less costly public administration  Greater effectiveness/ less errors  Faster service to the citizen  More effective workforce planning and deployment  Any other outcomes

What methods did you use to achieve these changes?

Answer: Q4.3 Were these outcomes achieved? How did you know that these outcomes were achieved and how did you evaluate their success?

Answer: Q4.4 What difficulties did you have to overcome to achieve these outcomes?

Answer: Q4.5 How did you overcome these difficulties?

Answer: Q4.6 What lessons have been learned because of implementing these changes? Would you use the same approach again?

Answer: Q4.7 What priority does your Government give to these HR changes? Please describe the four most important HR management changes you need to make.

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 9 1. 2. 3. 4.

Q4.8 What plans do you have in place to continue to respond to these drivers for change?

Answer:

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please return it to Jacky Hamilton by 31 August 2005

Innovative HR Version Final 29 June 2005 10