Building the Talent Pipeline

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1.Introduction

The accelerated design event in July 2011 focused on shaping the following four areas to build a diverse talent pipeline

• Development interventions to retain existing BME leadership talent through the transition, and maximise return on investment from previous development        
• Development interventions to unblock the talent pipeline for BME leaders at midlevel
• Development activities to identify and encourage those with leadership potential from BME backgrounds early in their careers to consider leadership roles
• Development of a new national programme to generate a cadre of BME leaders with the potential to take up senior positions in the future.

Initial proposals are

a)	Interventions to retain existing BME leaders through transition Resources to be devolved to SHA Clusters to identify the target group, undertake career conversations and establish tracking mechanisms, and to buy in appropriate support to undertake Career conversations, provide NHS LF diagnostics and coaching, and run where appropriate Master classes/Networks etc. A list of quality assured providers will be provided.
b)	Unblocking the talent pipeline for BME leaders at midlevel A single commissioning specification and evaluation framework to be co-produced, resources to be devolved to SHA Clusters to secure local providers to deliver local development programmes, a quality assured list of providers to be made available from which Clusters can invite organisations into local procurement processes.
c)	Encouraging participation in leadership from BME staff early in their Careers To appoint a Project Manager and support to undertake work to identify, specify and procure a range of solutions to widen participation, working with Emerging Leaders and Clinical Leaders work streams to co-produce a solution useable for these target audiences.
d)	Developing a new National programme to build a cadre of senior BME leaders The design group from the ADE plus others interested to co-produce final proposals, work to be aligned to NHS Top Leaders, activity to commissioned, co-ordinated and delivered centrally through the Leadership for Equality Team .

These initial proposals assume a mixed approach to deploying resources with some elements being commissioned, delivered, co-ordinated and paid for at the centre, and other elements being commissioned delivered and co-ordinated locally.
 
Resources are likely to be available to SHA Clusters to invest locally in a) and b) above, in addition to the support for SHAs to roll out the Equality Leads Professional development Programme
 

Details of how resources for this work will be devolved to local partners (SHAs/SHA Clusters) is part of the wider conversation regard the quantum of resources available to be devolved from the Leadership development work plan as whole for 2011/12. The aim would be to agree in partnership with SHA areas in September the amounts to be devolved and the deliverables this will secure.   
 
Our initial thinking is that the majority of resources would be devolved to a lead SHA for each cluster, each cluster would have a relationship manager from the Leadership for Equality team to support them, we would jointly agree outcomes, and lists of quality assured providers will be provided for local procurement.   
 
Further work is needed to develop and refine these ideas. Challenge, comments, feedback, additional thinking and further involvement is invited.

2. Refining development proposals and options for delivery

2.1. Interventions to retain existing diverse leadership

This assumes a much more targeted and intensive approach to talent retention that goes beyond the previous provision of master classes for a wider range of BME staff and assumes the need to identify/quantify and track BME talent over a period of time.

Target group

Existing Staff from a BME background occupying leadership positions at band 8a and above or equivalent who are at risk of being lost to the NHS and who:

• Have been identified through local talent management programmes as having high leadership potential
• Have within the last 12 to 18 months had significant investment in their leadership development
• Occupy business critical roles

This suggests a focus in the first instance on leaders in PCTs and SHAs where organisational change is widespread and targeted support for leaders in other NHS organisations undergoing major organisational change.

The Package

Pre-requisite in each SHA area is a clear identification of individuals in the target group and determination of individual development and support needs.

This requires action to spot the talent we want to retain, undertake career conversations, offer access to leadership diagnostics, and provide resources to support development through the transition (12 month investment) and track progress.

An Individual support package might include

• Career conversations
• Leadership diagnostics and action planning
• Coaching

Collective support provision might include

• Master class interventions
• Access to networks
• Secondment/shadowing/experience placements

Delivery proposals

1. Resources to be devolved to Lead SHAs in each SHA Cluster with the requirement that the SHAs in the cluster work together to
   • Identify the target group, undertake career conversations and establish tracking mechanisms.
   • Buy in appropriate support to undertake Career conversations, provide NHS LF diagnostics and coaching, and run where appropriate Master classes/Networks etc.
2. A list of quality assured providers previously used to support such activity will be provided to SHAs for them to commission support from
3. Each Cluster would be signed up to and held to account for delivery of agreed outcomes against a clear MOU etc.

  
   Download the presentation slides for section 2.1 here

 

2.2. Unblocking the talent pipeline for BME leaders at midlevel

This assumes the co-development of a programme with a consistent national feel to it – a shared specification for commissioning – but with a sub national/regional flavour. 

Target Group

Primarily BME staff in leadership positions at band 6 and 7 or equivalent, with some elements of the programme also including their sponsoring “line manager” an appropriate service user, and the executive sponsor.

The Package

A recruitment process which identifies participants driven by inclusive principles and overseen by a diverse panel. Participants to have the sponsorship and active involvement of their line manager, the development to be consistent with their PDP/Appraisal, to be supported by their Chief Executive, and to have a senior leader mentoring them.

Programme to comprise

• Access to leadership diagnostics equivalent to TL diagnostic including organisational climate assessment.
• Components to develop networking, understand organisational politics and cultural structure, QIPP and leading for quality, and to build resilience and personal impact.
• Joint development sessions with Service users, line managers and exec sponsors.
• In addition potential for stretch assignments, and access to the Board.
• Improvement to be measured by reference to impact measured at start of programme, end of programme and 9 months after programme completion using a consistent 360 tool.
• ROI measures to be further specified.

Delivery Proposals     

1. Single commission specification to be co-produced
2. Commission specification to be provided to the four SHA Clusters along with resources for them to use  to secure local providers to deliver local development programmes
3. Quality Assured list of Providers to be made available from which Clusters can invite organisations into local procurement processes
4. Each Cluster would be signed up to and held to account for delivery of agreed outcomes against a clear MOU etc.
5. Clusters to manage recruitment to, delivery of and evaluation of the programme. Evaluation framework to be co-produced once and used across all four Programme interventions

   Download the presentation slides for section 2.2 here

 

2.3. Encouraging participation in leadership from BME staff early in their Careers

This is a challenge as the target group is wide and definitive numbers of BME staff at these levels is not readily to hand, and there is likely to be variable practice across the NHS relating to development support for this group in general and BME staff specifically. Any approach needs to supported, managed and accessed locally and targeted appropriately. 

Target group

BME staff in supervisory positions band 5 and below, with the potential to progress and ambition to develop their leadership capability.

The Package

Some initial ideas for further development

• Some activity nationally to define the profile of workforce numbers at these levels.
• Development of accessible material which engages with such leaders and encourages them to look at developing their leadership potential built around a framework of when individuals are most likely to want to access such learning, e.g. appointment to a more senior role, taking on supervisory responsibilities, advancement etc…
• Time limited access to online learning materials and potential access to other learning networks.
• Password protected managed access to web based leadership development and assessment tools at the right level which can both help to measure potential and sign post individuals to the areas they might need further development in and what they might consider doing to meet these needs.
• A filtering process that depending on “potential” scores opens up access to additional leadership development resources e.g. if you get to Level 2 you can access on line e-learning materials, level three you get access to telephone mentoring sessions, level 4 you join an online local network of BME leaders, and get access to a number of face to face master class opportunities etc. 
• Once registered at level 2 participants are then tracked over a period of time to look at their career progression etc.

Delivery proposals

1. Appoint a Project Manager and support to undertake work to identify, specify and procure a range of on line solutions to deliver the above.
2. Work with both Emerging Leaders and Clinical Leaders work streams to co-produce a solution useable for these target audiences. 
3. Establish a small working group led by the Project manager with representation EL, CL and L4E to scope this work over the next three months. 

   Download the presentation slides for section 2.3 here

 

2.4. Developing a new National programme to build a cadre of senior BME leaders

Target Group

BME staff at band 8 and above or equivalent plus their senior managers.

The Package

Crucial those involved are embedded in service and their development is owned by and supported by those around them, and who are responsible for them and their development. Needs to work on enabling cross over for BME leaders from specific groups, accessing networks for BME leaders that open doors, focus on areas where there are opportunities clinical leadership roles in CCGs etc, needs to engage existing senior leaders in the development process to generate a different climate for inclusive leadership.

Combination of access to

• Access to Experience – providing senior BME leaders from particular professions with bespoke support, secondments, apprenticeships, bursaries, IMAS
• Access to Networks – connected to TL participants, involvement in CE and ED networks etc
• Working on behaviours – looking a leadership that create climates that value diversity, mentoring and     coaching
• Action on system level change – development support to existing senior leaders to engage

Delivery Proposals     

1. Design group to co-produce final proposals
2. Work to be aligned to NHS Top Leaders
3. Activity to commissioned, co-ordinated and delivered centrally through the Leadership for Equality Team

   Download the presentation slides for section 2.4 here

 

3.  Delivering on investment - General Principles

1.1. Each SHA Cluster/SHA will have a relationship/account manager from the Leadership for Equality Team. This Manager will work with each Cluster/SHA area to support their work on leadership diversity and inclusion, and to help them access central resources, and use devolved resources locally.
 

1.2. Where resources are devolved to SHA/SHA Clusters we will identify with the local organisation the Accountable officer for the receipt of the money and delivery of the outcomes and we will establish a clear memorandum of understanding with each setting out agreed expectations and outcomes and accounting and reporting arrangements
 
1.3. Relationship/Account Managers for each patch will ensure with the local Accountable officer that investment is delivering agreed outcomes.
 
1.4. Where possible we will provide SHAs with a quality assured list of providers with knowledge skills and expertise in inclusion, diversity and leadership for SHAs to commission from. Where different Providers not on the list are used we would seek assurance that these have been quality assured locally.
 
1.5. Where ever possible we will operate the model whereby we will seek to co-produce centrally outline frameworks for development activity at each level to guide the work, consistent outcome measures, but flexibility for delivery locally to reflect local circumstances.
 
1.6. Where resources are retained centrally and deployed centrally members of the design teams from the service will be involved in selecting and appointing providers and in steering the delivery.