Human Resource Planning and Budgeting: The Dallas Perspective

Human Resource Planning and Budgeting: The Dallas PerspectiveAuthor(s): Dianna M. Sword and John CutsingerSource: Public Administration Review, Vol. 44, No. 2 (Mar. - Apr., 1984), pp. 174-176Published by: Wiley on behalf of the American Society for Public AdministrationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/975870 .

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174 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW

Human Resource Planning and Budgeting: The Dallas Perspective Dianna M. Sword, City of Dallas John Cutsinger, City of Dallas

Human resource planning has long been a concern of private sector organizations, but the public sector has been somewhat slower in getting on the human resource planning bandwagon. With conflicting demands for increased service delivery and tax rates, governmental organizations have generally failed to see the long-term benefits of human resource planning. However, public entities are now beginning to recognize the benefits of such planning and make it a part of their organization structure.

Dallas' efforts in human resource planning can be attributed to a concerted and integrated effort by the city's entire management staff. In considering the Dallas approach to human resource planning, several key elements will be addressed: the overall management plan, executive performance plans, the affirmative action task force, civil service task force, management development (succession planning), career development, and data based systems.

The Management Plan

Human resource planning efforts in the city of Dallas begin with an annual management plan which outlines the city manager's guidelines for the year. The plan covers four major objectives:

1) improve productivity, effectiveness, and responsive- ness in the delivery of city services;

2) improve the affirmative action and equal employment opportunities in employment and procurement;

3) improve the long-range planning process; and 4) increase employee participation in the development

and achievement of organizational goals.

The management plan describes the guiding principles for the city organization and reflects the values and em- phasis of the city manager and his staff. The plan is designed to complement individual department performance plans.

Executive Performance Plans

In the fall of 1982, Dallas introduced a new executive compensation plan which emphasized verifiable and measurable performance goals. The performance plan consists of six to 20 objectives which are statements of desired outcomes. These plans are derived from the programs and priorities specified in the management plan. The objectives reflect what can reasonably be accom-

polished in a fiscal year but could take an incremental approach over several years. In addition, the objectives should, but may not always, contain a standard for measurement.

Objectives may be one of three types: departmental, those directly related to the missions, goals, or functions of the program of a department; city-wide, those directly related to the objectives expressed in the management plan; and human resource, those directly related to the management, supervision, motivation, or development of employees.

Upon identification of objectives, a relative point value is assigned to each one. The points reflect the im- portance of the goal and relative effort needed for completion. The performance plans, prepared by each director and assistant director in the organization, must be approved by the next level of management.

Affirmative Action Task Force

In March of 1982, the city manager convened the Af- firmative Action Task Force to address his management plan objective to improve the affirmative action and equal employment opportunities for minorities and women. The task force, chaired by the city manager, had representatives from 17 city departments. After six months of study it presented 12 recommendations:

* establish a five-year affirmative action goal for minorities and women;

* formalize managerial commitment to affirmative action;

* develop a hiring/promotion policy which emphasizes affirmative action in job classifications where minorities and females are under-represented;

* stress an upward mobility program for paraprofes- sional employees;

* reinstitute a tuition reimbursement program; * establish a centralized employment center;

John W. Cutsinger is assistant director of personnel for staffing, training and development, Dallas, Texas. He is responsible for managing programs of organizational, management and employee development, executive recruiting and selection, employee orientation and process- ing, volunteers, affirmative action, workforce and succession planning.

Dianna M. Sword is personnel administrator for the personnel department, Dallas, Texas. She is responsible for affirmative action, management development and career development programs.

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PUBLIC MANAGERS' FORUM 175

* create a trainee position for underutilized job categories;

* establish interview selection committees; * revise the personnel classification system; * continue review of civil service listing for adverse im-

pact; and * ensure city employee participation in management

assistant program.

The task force proved to be a very effective tool for soliciting departmental and employee input to the city's affirmative action plan and further instilled a feeling of departmental commitment to affirmative action goals. As a result, many of the recommendations have been in- corporated into departmental affirmative action plans.

Civil Service Task Force

While merit systems present a fair and equitable mechanism for selecting the most qualified individual for a position, they can sometimes create problems in implementing a human resource plan. Public entities can encounter difficulties when utilizing both civil service and personnel departments to perform staffing functions. Because of this, Dallas formed its civil service task force to review the civil service (merit system) and personnel staffing functions. The goal of the task force was to present a program that would improve performance of the civil service personnel employment system in recruiting, hiring, promoting, and developing employees. This task was to be accomplished in a timely manner with assurance that all activities take place within a respected merit system. It was a major element in refining the city's human resource planning efforts.

It is important to note that from the beginning, the task force received the utmost support and encourage- ment from all quarters. It was commissioned by both the Civil Service Board and city manager. The civil service and personnel departments were supportive of the effort and receptive to the ideas generated.

The task force was composed of seven individuals who were assigned to the effort on a full-time basis. It met for approximately five months. During this time, the group reviewed communication and recruiting efforts, identified employment barriers, analyzed employment facilities, interviewed applicants, and evaluated test validation techniques. The system of registers, or lists of eligible candidates, was also critiqued. The evaluation process (performance management) was examined, and recommendations were presented to encourage and reward performance. The Performance Im- provement Contract (PIC) was presented as a tool to remedy unsatisfactory employee work performance. The efforts of this task force resulted in a 343-page document which outlined 21 major topics with recommendations in each subject area. The task force reviewed previous reports in applicable subject areas, conducted a mini employee survey on the existing civil service and personnel systems, and interviewed applicants, user departments, and staff charged with implementing staffing-related tasks.

MARCH/APRIL 1984

As a result of this five-month effort recommendations were made which included: a thorough review of the city's job classification process; work force planning; the establishment of a "personnel forum" com- prised of personnel administrators throughout the city organization; the instituting of performance improve- ment contracts; and the creation of centralized employment facilities.

Management Development Program

Dallas underwent a major reorganization during 1982-83 which reduced the number of city departments from 35 to 22. During this reorganization process the management team saw a need to identify internal talent to fill key vacancies. It implemented the management development (succession planning) program, a three- step process to human resource planning.

Step one involves identifying key positions within each department of the city of Dallas. This is accomplished through completion of an "Organizational Pro- file." This profile identifies both short- and long-term candidates for these key positions. The second step assesses the candidate in 24 managerial competencies on a scale from exceptional to lacking skills, not attainable. The third step is a development action plan based on needs identified in step two. Possible action plans in- clude training modules such as strategic planning, effective presentations, performance management, or effective media relations; developmental assignments which provide job rotation assignments to gain experience in a line or staff functions; lateral transfers; and formal education opportunities. The end result of the management development program is a pool of job-ready candidates to fill key positions within the organization.

Career Development Program

In assessing its development needs, city management realized that programs existed for mid-managers and supervisors, in addition to a full line of in-service training programs for all personnel. However, no program specifically addressed the needs of para-professional employees. These para-professional employees are prime candidates to staff entry level management positions, and it is imperative that the development needs of this group be addressed.

The primary goal of the Dallas career development program is to instill a sense of career responsibility in its participants. The program leads employees through a four-step process which involves answering these questions: (1) Who am I? (2) How am I seen? (3) What are career alternatives? (4) How can I achieve my goals?

While individual career commitment is important, supervisors play a key role in the career development process. A unique feature of this program is the involve- ment of the participant's supervisor in the training process. Through the program, supervisors learn the corre- sponding roles of coach, appraiser, advisor, and referral agent. An additional benefit to the organization is that



176 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW

supervisors may be more open to and capable of developing other subordinates.

The program offers networking opportunities through employee "rap sessions" and newsletters for participants and supervisors. During the rap session, participants share career ideas and endeavors, and generally answer each others' questions and concerns. Newsletters, one presenting the participant's viewpoint and one presenting the supervisor's viewpoint, are published periodically to continue the communication process.

Data Based Systems

In addition to the traditional data based systems, Dallas utilizes turnover rates to identify hard to fill positions, computerized affirmative action reports to indicate minority and female representation in designated job categories, and tenure reports to identify length of service in selected positions.

Turnover reports indicate high turnover positions which, through efficient and effective staffing activities, could increase minority and/or female representation not only in the overall city work force but also in underutilized job categories. Affirmative action reports identify current minority and female representation and facilitate establishment of affirmative action reporting and goal identification. Tenure reports allow assessment of staffing efforts to increase tenure in highly volatile positions. For example, labor employment traditionally has a high turnover. In the past, all efforts were directed toward strategies of compiling statistics about those who left. However, during the past two years more at-

tention has centered on increasing the tenure of the larger work force. Statistics reflect where the stable work crews are located by occupation, division, and department. More time is spent on hiring, background checks, and supervisory relationships than in the past. The city can very quickly begin to identify where strengths and weaknesses exist in its employment and supervisory practices. A base average tenure of 5.2 years was established in 1982. Current efforts have increased tenure to 5.9 years, with the current fiscal year objective being 6 years. This represents significant progress and stability in the city labor force.

Program Budgeting

The advent of program budgeting in the city of Dallas allows management to assess activities by program cost and indicators. Previous budgets had been primarily of the line item type which gave managers limited oppor- tunity to evaluate resource utilization as a totality.

Conclusion

Human resource planning in the city of Dallas does not result from a single effort but the synergistic product of all management levels within the organization. Neither does it revolve around a solitary program but rather it involves a set of interrelated and mutually supporting activities. Some of the programs described above are in embryonic stages. Their ultimate position in the total human resource management process is yet to be determined; however, if management commitment to this effort is an indicator, then success is inevitable.

MARCH/APRIL 1984



Documents

Human Resource Planning and Budgeting: The Dallas Perspective