Background:
Kent County Council (KCC) is one of the largest Local Authorities in England, with more than 40,000 staff working for the organisation across Kent. KCC places approximately 80 individuals on management courses run by the Chartered Management Institute each year, and have used CMI as a training provider for more than 15 years.
The challenge:
Fifteen years ago, KCC identified that, although a large proportion of managers had professional qualifications in the discipline in which they managed, many had not benefited from any formal management training. The Council has a rigorous recruitment process, seeking to employ people with potential and talent, but also seeks to give internal applicants career progression. It therefore made sense to develop an internal management development programme for inexperienced staff to move into management roles as well as a development programme for middle and senior managers. This sought to give new managers confidence and competence as well as giving more experienced managers an opportunity to revisit management theory and practice. It also sought to give opportunities to explore new ways of working within the changing and challenging environment that local authorities are experiencing and satisfying the demands of an increasingly knowledgeable and vocal public.
Goals:
KCC has two primary goals in terms of improving the quality and performance of its managers which CMI courses are helping it to achieve. The first is for 100% of its management staff to achieve an externally accredited formal qualification relevant to their role which demonstrates their competencies and skills.
The second is for KCC to be able to provide its staff with a wide range of opportunities for professional development, enhancing their personal career progression. KCC prides itself on being able to offer a broad range of career development options, at every stage of employment.
Action:
KCC uses the CMI training modules to develop its staff. Individuals progress from lower level through to higher level courses over a period of years. KCC then works with the Open University to deliver the MBA programme for staff at senior level, so there is a clear path to follow with regard to career progression and development.
Results:
KCC’s Peggy Lawlor, who designs and commissions training programmes for managers says:
“As far as we were concerned, CMI were the best option to deliver these types of courses for our staff. The content of their courses and the rigorous assessment are important for us. Completing a qualification with CMI isn’t about gaining a piece of paper; it’s about getting our workforce competent and confident so they can manage change and use their initiative.
“The impact on staff is clear. KCC is a Four Star authority and a great deal of that is the result of the training and support we offer. Plus, confident, competent managers equal confident and competent teams and this best practice cascades down to all levels of the organisation.
“CMI courses are helpful in terms of managing talent and progressing people up the career ladder, enabling them to fulfil their full potential. We aim to ensure the opportunities that everyone needs to progress their career are available and the CMI programmes are an up-to-date framework around which we design our management workshops. The versatility of the qualification design means that we can offer short courses on particular topics, use a modular approach, or pursue the full qualification route.”
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