TOPIC:NAVIGATING SUCCESSION PLANNING IN PUBLIC SERVICE

DURING THE 21ST ANNUAL NATIONAL HRM CONFRENCE

PRESENTED BY:G.A.OTIENO PRINCIPAL ADMINISTARTIVE SECRETARY

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE YOUTH AND GENDER AFFAIRS

INTRODUCTION

• Successful running of organizations require clear strategies and plans that address actual challenges.

• Execution of plans require right human resource/capital in terms of numbers , skills and mix .

• In an environment of rapid change, one of the main concerns of organizational

leadership is ensuring organizational sustainability, flexibility and

responsiveness in delivering services.

• This calls for deliberate and structured way of ensuring that an organization

has the right number of staff with the right skills and competence mix at all-

times.

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• The issue therefore ,is human resource planning .

• Human resource planning ensure succession management and organizational

and institutional readiness, flexibility and responsiveness in delivery of services.

• Tracking pivotal roles that are emerging as “resource pressure points” and

• proactively sourcing and developing a strong talent pool of human resource.

• Effective HR plans manage succession and positively impact on long-term

leadership quality, managerial capabilities and overall organizational

performance.

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• Organizations /leaders must have to enable them to have the insight ,plan

and implement and secure their future .

• Include:

-Strategic foresight

-participation foresight

-Revolutionary foresight

-Transformative foresight

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• Succession management is therefore, is a component of an Human resource

planning.

• HR Planning will help to develop a diverse workforce better equipped to respond

well to emerging challenges and manage succession.

• Governments just like any other institutions need to put into place succession

management systems to ensure sustainability and effective delivery of services

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Public Service

• Several attempts to address succession management as the governance systems and

development of the Country evolved.

• Approaches, not fully based on human resource management plans, neither

systematic nor holistic,

-For example:

Between 1963 to 1990 the public service focused more on growth which was geared

to address among other issues unemployment in the country.

This led to growth in numbers without proper mix of skills that led to service being

referred to as bloated.

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• Civil/public Service Reform Programmes initiated beginning 1990s, aimed at among other

things, to cut down the wage bill.

• The initiatives included:

- The implementation of Voluntary Early Retirement Scheme for officers on Job Groups “A” to “G”;

- Non replacement of officers leaving the Service through natural attrition other than those in

critical and essential areas;

- Abolition of vacant positions;

- Ban on recruitment for ten (10) years except on critical and essential areas;

- Withdrawal of guaranteed employment to university and tertiary college graduants; and

- Implementation of a compulsory Early Retirement Scheme in the year 2000 that targeted cadres

in over manned areas and in functions identified as non core.

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• The Public Service Reform Programme did not encompass human resource

plan leading succession management issues.

• In 2008, the Government developed a succession management strategy.

• One of the key recommendations being mainstreaming human resource

planning in the Public Service.

• The Strategy, not fully implemented thus, compounding succession

management challenges.

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Current Situation

• Implementation of constitution ,2010 detected need for a paradigm shift .

• Both levels of Government commissioned a study capacity Assesment and Rationalization of the

public Service (CARPS) ,2013.

Objective:

Ensure Government functions properly structured and staffed to facilitate transformation of public

service delivery .

•Premise being that public service is at the center of delivery of vision 2030 ways, namely:-

• Implementation of provision of the constitution CARPS Programme study revealed:

- Staffing gaps in the grading structures particularly at higher levels;

-Ageing workforce whereby a big percentage of Civil Servants are above 50 years (31% or 25,000)

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- High staff turnover, particularly in key cadres; and Shortage of relevant skills and

competences.

• As part of the implementation Government developed:

- Human Resource Planning and Succession Strategy for the Public Service.

seeks to address succession management challenges.

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Human Resource Planning and Succession Management Strategy

Objectives of the Strategy

• Main objective provide strategies to address the existing and future succession management challenges.

• Specific objectives to:-

- Institutionalize human resource planning aligned to national and organizational strategic goals;

- Ensure the best fit between employees and jobs;

- Have a pool of potential successors to support knowledge transfer and employee development;

- Have internal capability to ensure organizational preparedness to changing roles and competitiveness;

- Provide stability in leadership and critical positions to sustain a high performing Public Service and

ensure uninterrupted delivery of services and programmes; and

-Attract and retain talented, competent and knowledgeable employees in the Service.

-Have systems of tapping the skills and competency of those who have left the service . 10

Human Resource Planning

• Making it a critical function in the organizations

- since it ensures that an organization has the right people in the right jobs

at the right time.

• Public service organizations are being guided to define what will be

accomplished within a given time-frame, the numbers, skills and

competencies required to achieve the targets in a cost-efficient manner.

Objective :

Institutionalize human resource planning in the service aligned to national

organizational goals. Planning (HRP) is a critical function in aplishe

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How

• Develop a human resource masterplan (for entire service)linked to the national

medium term plan and expenditure framework (MTP& MTEF) and review every

5years

• Develop HRPs in Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Counties aligned to the

respective strategic plans and the National Development plans(Vision 2030 and

the constitution 2010) and programmes clearly stating the kind and number of

staff required to implement the plans, including cost.

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Activities:

Maintain comprehensive skills inventories that would adequately inform the

current human resource status.

Identify skills and competency gaps

Develop appropriate programs to address the gaps.

- Develop Annual HR plans

- Upgrade and adopt of integrated Government Human Resource Information

System (GHRIS)

- Establish monitoring and Evaluation framework. 13

Staffing Gaps

• Gaps in staffing is a contributor to succession management challenges

attributed to a number of factors which are highlighted hereunder.

- Reduction in funds for training and capacity building

- Numerous grading structure

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staffing gaps to:

- Establish staffing norms (workload ,skills, technology cost and impact )

- Link Recruitment to Human Resource Plans

- Ensure and maintain Optimal Staffing Levels with best fit between Employees and the Jobs.

Identify gaps in critical positions and implement targeted programmes to address the gaps;

Introduce competency based recruitment and selection; and

Undertake periodic review of secondment , attachment

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• Enhance leadership and management programmes.

- Leadership is key in succession management as leaders drive and set the pace.

- Adopt cost cutting leadership and management capacity building programmes

e.g.

Customized inhouse training

Institutionalized coaching and mentoring programmes.

Virtual training

• Review and Harmonize the grading structure to eliminate disparities, job

duplication and roles in the public service (adopting job evaluation as an

everyday HR practice and not consultants job )

- Move towards adopting matrix structures with clear job description emphasis

being placed on output (deliverable /impact /contribution)

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Management of Ageing workforce

• Human Resource Audit conducted in the National and County Governments in

• 2014/15, under (CARPS) Programme revealed

• 31% of staff at both National and County Governments level are aged between 50

and 59 years,

- 30% are in the age bracket of 40 to 49 years.

- Majority of employees in management positions professional/professional (Job Group

‘P’ and above) are over 46 years.

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•Short term intermediate intervention:

- Retention in Service beyond the mandatory retirement age.

- Employment on contract term; and

- Recruitment in critical areas among others

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• Long term interventions of staff data:

- Periodic review of staff data

Identify and ensure a pool of potential successors with requisite

skills and competencies to

replace those exiting the service and to support knowledge transfer,

employee development, and

replacement.

- Systematic Replacement of Staff

filling vacant positions in line with human resource plan;

prompt promotion of serving officers; and

Review the blanket freeze on recruitment a

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- Introduction of management trainee programme

- Design and implement a young professional programme

- Design and implement a high achievers Scheme

Develop modalities and criteria of identifying and recognizing public officers

with extra ordinary ability in work performance leadership and personal

qualities.

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Design appropriate tools and instruments for assessing and validating High

Achievers;

Introduce rewards and awards to recognize public servants who have

designed improved ways of doing business and displayed unique talents;

- Introduce Talent management programme

Develop framework for attracting people with specific talents for specific

assignments.

- Design and Implement Emeritus Programme

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Career Management • Process of systematically matching organization goals with individual capabilities

and opportunities with opportunities for growth.

• critical as it impacts on motivation as well as retention of suitably qualified staff

and therefore, a key component of succession management.

• The Public Service has not used it effectively ,leading to staff high turn over or

stagnation n one Job Group for a period ranging from 4 to 44 years. This constitutes

45.68% of the National Government total workforce.

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- This can be changed by developing schemes ment of Service /Career

Progression

- Guidelines based on job families instead of cardres introducing flexibility and

mobility .

- Integrate governance structure with performance management that ensure

equity and growth.

- Develop clear framework /tools for performance management

- Have structured team assignment that allow infusion of skills ,experience and

competence .

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Development and implement skills master plan .

- Comprehensive framework that would be key to determine areas of shortage of

skills and competencies and also areas where skills and competencies need to be

developed.

- Identify and employ staff using competency framework and annual documented

training needs assessment.

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• Develop system of knowledge management i.e. creating ,harnessing sharing,

and apply such knowledge.

- Creating innovative linkages within the provision of the law .( e.g. challenge

book)

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Conclusion

• Public service is a system operating in ;

- A political socio economic environment.

• Most functions are defined by law .

• Most of the time human resource managers not in control of the budget.

• Succession management is one that requires navigation and balancing act

of :

- political leaders and political environment

- existing legislation and a litigious clientele

- Economic environment that dictate prudent use of resource with social out

look impact. 26

- Training environment not controlled but skills and performance requirement are

specific .

- A regulated environment with diverse players contributing and controlling and

leaving little room for discretion i.e, you have to be innovative and think futuristic .

• It is tough but when you are visionary and have foresight

Strategic

Participatory

Revolutionary

Transformative

• It is possible to navigate and have optimal staffing at any given time .

- calls for dedication and commitment. 27

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Thank you and God Bless