1. Talent Management & Succession Planning
It’s part of the Business
Harriet Dodd
Director People & Culture

2. PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION
To explain where we have got to in this work in progress
To pose some questions that continue to bother me with a view to engaging you in debate here and beyond

3. Effective programmes changing the lives of targeted children
Right staff, right place, right cost now and for futures. (implying that
Demand, Supply and Workplace are right to make best use of resources for quality Plan work)
Analysis identifies key drivers of child poverty and op/threats to changing them
Org functions
Overstaffing; poor motivation; behaviours not aligned with values; wrong skills, gaps etc.
These two axes are in fact totally interrelated more like a double helix than two axes
Since joining Plan 65 working days ago I have heard people say:
"If you have worked in IH you will find it hard to work in the field again“
“If you want to be a child right organisation you have to respect the rights of those working for it”
"The NOs in their drive for funds undermine agreed country strategies"
"Blocks to mobility of good staff occur when Regions demand knowledge of the region"
"There is a lack of engagement of staff with training opportunities which are offered online“
“Marketing the organisation for funds and lobbying for policy change are not the same thing and need different skills”
"Staff in IH dont understand the field needs"
"Staff in the field are too isolated from the global programme: silos must be joined creatively"
"Current performance management practices don't have sufficient clarity to really see who has achieved what"
"The salaries of local CO staff are not sufficiently competitive and are in contrast to the benefits of internationals“
“New people come into Plan without knowing the history and try to re-invent us in appropriate ways”
I have also repeatedly heard that Plan has some of the most committed staff of all NGOs I have heard praise of interviewing processes to reveal good candidates I have met staff who have committed their entire careers to Plan, others who have spoken of the relief they felt in joining Plan after experiences in other orgs commending its MA structure and governance
All of this is suggestive of a problem of some problems of alignment in what could be an extremely high performance organisation
THE CHALLENGE
We have three challenges:
Defining a high point on the curve
Defining what people management issues must be addressed as specifically as possible
Prioritising for maximum return on our chosen investment
Clearly the management of talent makes sense to increase motivation and skills and reduce costs, but talent for what? Where are the key gaps Succession is also very important, but is this to retain the same product or continually refine it?
Teams are obviously important for coherence and impact, but do we just mean PU or CO teams or do we mean to create cross-regional or programme-based teams?
Pay structures need to be transparent and competitive, but what in current systems needs to change and why?

4. BRAND/IDENTITY CONSISTENT WITH VALUES
Reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized with high quality programmes that deliver long lasting benefits to children T E A M I N C O M E P A R T N E S H I
Joint Planning
Joint Portfolio
Mutual accountability
BRAND/IDENTITY CONSISTENT WITH VALUES

5. TEAM $ CEO & EXEC 4 REG DIRS & MANAGEMENT & KEY PROG AREA DIRECTORS
50 COUNTRY DIRECTORS & COUNTRY MANAGEMENT TEAMS
PROG UNIT MANAGERS AND COUNTRY TECHNICAL

6. Talent Management & Succession: What will success look like?
Business aspirations served medium to long term with placement of good internal talent
Fair and non-tribal process
Efficient system/process functioning within business delivery rhythms
Whole workforce impact:
Multi-system improvement and inter-linkage
Preparing for growth/change
Innovation – staying effective and competitive
Global workforce
International reach
People Diversity

7. Key factors influencing successful process roll out
1. Change Management Approach: Consult – Design – Consult – Launch – Reflect – etc. with those who will implement
2. Research and understand the specific needs of Plan’s business
Time: Pace but no hurry
Stakeholders: Different interests, different views
Interface with other systems: Workforce Planning, Job Descriptions, performance management, structures and teams etc.

8. Consultation Business model has shifted and changed what we need
Some core skills are missing
Management of another process in already stretched workloads– another initiative
Keep the process simple, flexible and linked with our day job
It’s got to demonstrate that it’s good for business

9. Process Attributes
Simple
Flexible
Integrated
Training
Bite-sized pieces for busy managers

10. Talent Management Flow Chart
Succession Planning
Annually
Half yearly
ID critical roles & individuals
ID Current and potential talent
Managers review and update medium and long term succession plans
Forums meet and teams of managers discuss
Action taken to support talent
Action taken to ID succession needs
Posts filled and Reporting

11. Central FORUMS DEFINE CRITICAL ROLES AND BEHAVIOURS
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL CAREER CONVERSATIONS
Central FORUMS
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL CAREER CONVERSATIONS
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL CAREER CONVERSATIONS

12. How practical is this approach? How strategic is this approach?
Questions and thoughts
How practical is this approach?
How strategic is this approach?
What unintended impact might is have?