professional learning and development terms used in the state … · 2019-02-05 · 18/105975 page...
TRANSCRIPT
State Service Management Office
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Professional learning and development terms used in the State Service
A guide to increase a shared understanding of
workforce learning and development terms
Version #1 | 5 February 2019
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Disclaimer
The information contained in this guide is presented for the purpose of increasing meaning and understanding of professional learning and development terms (Part 1) used in the State Service and models/services widely used (Part 2).
It is not an academic paper. This document is intended to assist:
practitioners in organisational design and development, learning and development and education space;
people managers and those that work across government; and
people with an interest in these terms
to build a shared understanding of professional learning and development terms broadly.
Links to websites are inserted as footnotes for convenience and do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service.
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Part 1 – Workforce learning and development terms
Term Definition
Accelerated training is a period of intensive vocational training or retraining which enables individuals to obtain the necessary qualifications in a much shorter period than usual in order to enter an occupation at the required level.
Accreditation1 is the formal recognition of a vocational education and training course by the state or territory course accrediting body or the Australian Skills Quality Authority.
Excluded from this explanation is those occupations where Accreditation is undertaken through Standards or other affiliations.
Action is a project, or initiative that has a start and end date that is undertaken to improve an Indicator or Performance Measure.
Adult Learning means entire range of formal, non-formal and informal learning activities which are undertaken by adults after a break since leaving initial education and. training, and which results in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills.
Adult Learning Theory
(Andragogy)
is a set of ideas and concepts about how adults learn best, most famously championed by Malcolm Knowles, but today augmented by a range of other learning theories and ideas.
Agency means a Government department or a State authority or other organisation specified in Schedule 1 of the State Service Act 2000.
Applied Learning means hands on, practical learning experiences where new skills and knowledge are applied and practiced in ‘real-life’ or ‘real-life’-like situations.
Australian Qualifications Framework2
sets out the standards of education and qualifications across Australia. It is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. It incorporates the qualifications from each education and training sector into a single comprehensive national qualifications framework. The AQF was introduced in 1995 to underpin the national system of qualifications in Australia encompassing higher education, vocational education and training and schools.
Award means an award, determination, decision, order or agreement in force under the Workplace Relations Act 1996 of the Commonwealth, the Industrial Relations Act 1984 or any other Act of the Commonwealth or of Tasmania which provides for the determination of conditions of employment of a person.
Benchmarking3 is the process of comparing the performance of Government agencies in producing goods and services with other governments or the private sector. This process enables analysis of the effectiveness and efficiency of the production of Outputs relative to best practice in other jurisdictions and the private sector. Benchmarking assists the Government in making decisions on the level and range of Outputs purchased from departments.
1 Accreditation in this context does not apply to teachers, doctors, nurses, allied health professionals who have Accredited Programs/Accreditation processes specific for their occupation. 2 More information about the Australian Qualifications Framework can be obtained from https://www.aqf.edu.au/ 3 3 Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB), 2018, AUASB Glossary, October 2018.
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Term Definition
Blended Learning is a learning event which includes the use of any combination of learning methods, usually over a number of different timeframes. The term is now media-neutral, although blended learning does generally incorporate online elements.
Blended learning is also a learning design that strategically, systematically and effectively integrates a range of face-to-face, online, mobile, distance, open, social and other technology enhanced learning across physical and virtual environments.
Capability takes account of attributes, attitudes and behaviours, and the ability to achieve a certain outcome in the future. In this way agency capability arises from the use and application of an employee’s and team’s competence.
Capability building / development
is the process of building skills and attributes of employees in a workplace to underpin agency and personal success. These skills can be:
technical or operational, such as meeting compliance needs or tasks of a specific role or profession.
soft-skills, such as people management or interpersonal skills.
related to culture or mind-set, such as attitudes to ongoing professional learning; adopting new technologies.
Capability development is a broad term encompassing all learning and development programs focussed on building skills, behaviours and attitudes in employees. These could be eLearning tools or regular training and graduate programs.
Capability Framework provides a description of the range of capabilities an agency needs to achieve its goals. It provides a systematic basis for creating roles; recruiting to roles; managing performance; capability development and career planning; and, more broadly, workforce planning.
Capacity refers to the amount or volume of work, for example how much and how many.
Coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the here and now rather than on the distant past or future.
Coaching occurs through conversation, is about learning, helps employees access what they already know, is about asking questions (rather than providing the right answers); is about change and transformation and is a journey where the journey is as important as the destination.4
Coaching also provides an opportunity for coaches to:
Share their experiences with others
Further develop and nurture their own skills
Further develop communication and feedback skills
Develop and inspire others
Demonstrate their commitment to agency objectives, and
Contribute to the learning and educational culture of the agency.
4 In their book The Complete Guide to Workplace Coaching, P Zues and S Skiffington, 2000, provide some key themes to help define coaching.
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Term Definition
Coaching systems5 provide an employee with a content expert who works with that individual in assuring that employee learns a particular skill or piece of knowledge.
Coaching is about skills and knowledge acquisition. Although it may involve the personal, the primary focus is professional. In many ways, coaching is akin to teaching.
Code of Conduct are the conduct requirements specified in section 9 of the State Service Act 2000.
Cohort is a group of people with a shared characteristic.
Collaboration6 was defined for the Australian Public Service in 2004 as “…public service agencies working across portfolio boundaries to achieve a shared goal and an integrated government response to particular issues. Approaches can be formal and informal. They can focus on policy development, program management and service delivery.”7
Whatever the term used, the essential features of collaboration include:
agencies working across traditional portfolio boundaries;
developing an integrated approach to a complex or cross-cutting issue; and
sharing responsibility for an outcome, including the risks and rewards associated with the project.
At its best, collaboration creates a community working to achieve a common goal through the sharing of practice, knowledge and problems. Effective collaboration encourages ongoing observation and feedback among colleagues where a culture of professional sharing, dialogue, experimentation and critique becomes commonplace.
Community of Practice is a group of people who come together regularly to share information and experiences about a common interest to learn and develop personally and professionally.
Competencies are measurable skills acquired to do a job to an agreed standard of performance within a given range of contexts.
Competency refers to knowledge, skills or strength at a particular task and is another word for an employee’s expertise.
Continuous improvement means ongoing review and improvement to business processes and systems.
Cooperation means to be of assistance, or willing to help.
Corporate Learning and Development Strategy
is a Strategy which articulates the workforce capabilities required to ensure a sustainable, successful agency and that sets out the means of developing these capabilities to underpin agency effectiveness.
5 Management Mentors, 2013, Coaching vs Mentoring, 25 Ways They’re Different. This white paper also provides a helpful chart that summarises the differentiators. 6 Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2009-10, Collaboration – a Tasmanian Government approach. This document can be accessed on the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s website accessed 3 January 2019 - http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/policy/collaboration 7 Australian Public Service Commission, 2004, Connecting Government, p4
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Term Definition
Credit means recognition of prior studies that count towards the requirements for a current degree. The credit granted may be 'specified' ie the credit may be granted for a particular unit, or 'unspecified', for example, for elective units at a particular level. This is also referred to as 'advanced standing' or 'recognition of prior learning' (RPL).
Critical job roles are roles which are:
key, or may become key to the functions of the agency
difficult to fill due to labour market tensions
have an impact on the agency’s business outcomes if left vacant
require a long lead time to develop the required skills
have the largest number of employees (that is, critical mass)
have niche or specialised skills that have little redundancy within the agency.
Cultural awareness is an understanding of cultural values, beliefs and needs, including gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, disability and lifestyle.
Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD)
identifies communities which comprise people for whom English is not their primary language, or who were born into a culture significantly different to the dominant Australian culture. CALD groups include refugees and asylum seekers and migrants.
Culture is a range of behaviours, ethics and values that are practised and reinforced by a person, group or Agency.
Data is information that has been gathered about indicators that, when analysed, shows whether progress is being made on a certain condition or circumstance.
Delivery mode means the way training instructions are delivered to support and enable learning process. Examples include face-to face. Online, blended and flipped modes.
Discipline a field of related studies, eg the disciplines of Physics, Mathematics, History, Latin. Some schools within Universities are divided into a number of disciplines; eg the School of Asian Languages and Studies includes the following disciplines: Asian Studies, Chinese, Indonesian, and Japanese.
Diversity Is about recognising and respecting individual differences – including ethnicity, gender, age, race, religion, caring responsibility, disability, or sexual orientation, as well as characteristics such as people’s career path, life experiences, education, where they live, and their appearance.
Education means the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school, college or university.
Effectiveness8 means the performance principle relating to the extent to which the intended objectives at a program or entity level are achieved.
8 Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB), 2018, AUASB Glossary, October 2018.
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Term Definition
Efficiency9 means the performance principle relating to the minimisation of inputs employed to deliver the intended outputs in terms of quality, quantity and timing.
eLearning is learning and training conducted through digital media/resources, typically on the Internet. eLearning is provided through electronic devices such as computers, tablets and even cellular phones that are connected to the internet. This makes it easy for users to learn anytime, anywhere, with few, if any, restrictions.
Employee is a person employed by an Agency under the State Service Act 2000 to support the Agency in its operations. Excludes Volunteers and Contractors.
Employment Directions are the directions issued by the Employer under section 17(1) of the State Service Act 2000.
Evaluation10 Is the process of judging performance; or making judgements about the merit or worth of one or more programs or service, usually against set goals, objectives and strategies and usually in relation to their efficiency, effectiveness and/or appropriateness. It plays a key role in improving and guiding changes to lead to better outcomes.
Evaluation Plan identifies the goals and ways in which learning and development information/data is collected and analyzed. This includes which information you’ll collect, along with how, where and when you’ll collect it. It identifies your research methods, those responsible for carrying out the plan, timelines and budget.
One of the most important aspects of any evaluation plan is articulating the questions that the evaluation will be structured to answer. Frequently this will relate to both outputs (eg. the specifics of what is being done – services provided, number of people served) and outcomes (eg. the actual change that resulted from the program).
Program reviews, monitoring, research are not evaluation.
Evidence means information (including analysed data) that helps to prove a fact and inform decision-making.
Feedback is qualitative or quantitative information from a broad range of stakeholders to employee’s, teams or agencies and it can:
tell employees, teams or agencies how their actual performance or behaviour compares with planned performance or expected standards;
be in the form of positive feedback or constructive criticism with research indicating that a ratio of more than five positive comments for every negative one results in greater effectiveness;
be received from a variety of people; and
take the form of coaching – in particular where employees are supported to establish and assess their performance against goals for improvement.
Coaching and feedback can be complementary.
9 Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB), 2018, AUASB Glossary, October 2018. 10 A comprehensive overview of evaluation can be obtained from the Better Evaluation website, 2018, Accessed 12 December 2018, www.betterevaluation.org/
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Term Definition
Flipped classroom is a pedagogical model which reverses the traditional learning model of face-to-face instruction followed by further individual work outside the classroom. In the ‘flipped’ model, students engage individually with the topic first then engage face-to-face.
Framework is defined as a basic structure/diagram underlying a system, concept, or text.
Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs)11 is a measure of staffing levels which converts the total number of hours worked by all staff (including part time and casual staff) to an equivalent number of full-time staff. FTEs can be calculated on a number of different bases reflecting the range of entities included and the coverage of employee groups. This means that comparisons of information from different sources may not be prepared on a consistent basis.
Gap analysis is the study of identifying the difference between desired and actual performance.
Goals are desirable end points or achievements used to guide planning, allocate resources, and monitor and evaluate the impact of services.
Governance structure is a structure with ultimate accountability for the service/program, such as a board, a management committee, or the executive level of a government agency.
ICT is Information and Communication Technologies. This is the common term for the entire spectrum of technologies for information processing, including software, hardware, communications technologies and related services.
Impact is an assessment of how the intervention being evaluated affects longer term social, economic, cultural and/or environmental outcomes and whether these effects are intended or unintended. An impact evaluation looks at the long-term, deeper changes that have resulted from that program. This type of evaluation could, for example, suggest that the changes to your skills-training participants’ lives continued over time and perhaps transferred across generations.
While the outcome evaluation tells us what kind of change has occurred, an impact evaluation paints a picture as to how a program might have affected participants’ lives on a broader scale.
Inclusive organisations eg Agency
focus on ensuring that the culture, values and behaviours of the agency enable everyone to be respected in the workplace and to have equal access to opportunities and resources.
Indicator/s are measurable markers that show whether progress is being made on a certain condition or circumstance. Different indicators are needed to determine how much progress has been made toward a particular output, outcome or impact.
Induction is a process tailored for employees to familiarise them with overarching information about the Agency.
Information is data processed in a way to give it meaning through analysis or interpretation and presentation.
11 Government of Tasmania, 2018, Guide to the Budget: A guide to the Budget Framework and Budget Papers, June 2018.
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Term Definition
Innovation is development and application of a new product, service or process that adds values and create opportunities – vital for economic growth and addressing social challenges.
Inputs are resources that are used by an intervention. Examples are money, employees, time, facilities, equipment etc.
Instructional Design is the systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction. It is the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs.
JARS12 means the Joint Agency Reporting Service is the Tasmanian Government’s new principal reporting tool for employee data
Job Design is the process of outlining the task, duties, responsibilities, qualifications, methods and relationships required to perform a job.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
are specific measurable results which indicate if an employee, team, agency is achieving desired outcomes and which are also core to assessing the overall agency/program desired outcomes.
Knowledge is a state created when relationships shown by information have been tested and refined through experience.
Knowledge management is the process of planning, organising, analysing and controlling data and information, including both digital and paper-based systems.
Leadership team is the Governing body or management/Executive team of the Agency that significantly influences a service’s performance and culture, and positions the Agency to excel.
Leadership13, 14 is important for dealing with complex issues. People at many levels of public employment, not just the Senior Executive Service, exercise leadership.
Leadership qualities include:
proven capacity to see the big picture, to see the links to other policy areas;
an ability to embrace change that advances policy objectives;
an ability to establish a sound working partnership with colleagues so the team, group or division works in a constructive manner to achieve its goals;
assists in engendering a collegiate culture amongst staff;
is credible and confident when representing the agency;
a good grasp of the imperatives that drive the business the agency deals with;
an ability to make decisions;
deals with dysfunction or poor performance of employees.
being resilient and not easily deterred by criticism; and
provides direction, encouragement and inspiration to motivate employees and teams to achieve agency success.
Learning is the process of acquiring new information, knowledge, skills, attitudes or behaviours.
12 See also Part 2 of this glossary – the JARS website is under construction: www.JARS.tas.gov.au and expected to be live in February 2019. 13 The Mandarin, Stephen Easton, 2015, Lloyd on leadership: what makes an effective public sector manager, anywhere. 13 Rainey, H.G., 2009. Understanding and managing public organizations. John Wiley & Sons.
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Term Definition
Learning and Development (can also be called training and development or human resource development)
refers to the measures undertaken by an agency to improve the capability and performance of employees. There are many different ways that employees can develop (knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours) including induction, on-the-job/off-the-job training, internal and external courses and workshops, compliance training, supported external study, coaching and mentoring.
Learning and Development Evaluation15
is the process of judging performance; or making judgements about the merit or worth of one or more programs or service, usually against set goals, objectives and strategies and usually in relation to their efficiency, effectiveness and/or appropriateness. It plays a key role in improving and guiding changes to lead to better outcomes. For evaluation to be truly valuable to decision makers there needs to be consistency with its planning and execution.
Learning organisation/Agency means an agency where training, learning and development are integral tools in the achievement of core business goals and change and learning is recognised as a normal, ongoing process.
Logic Model is a visual representation of the logic of how an intervention will work to effect change. The model identifies the intended causal links between activities, short-term outcomes, medium-term outcomes and long-term outcomes. Outcomes may be positive, negative or neutral, intended or unintended.
There is no one way to represent a logic model – the test if whether it is a logical representation of the intervention’s causal links. This is also referred to as: program logic, program theory, theory of change, causal model, outcomes hierarchy, results chain, and intervention logic.
A basic logic model is a pathway that starts with resources/inputs and then moves toward activities, outputs, outcomes and finally, impact. It also helps identify the most relevant evaluation questions. It shows both what the program is supposed to do and how its components will lead to outcomes.
Management16 is about using authority, maintaining order, solving technical problems and being accountable for decisions. Management is also concerned with planning and budgeting, organising and staffing, controlling and problem solving.
Management is also about coordinating people’s efforts to deliver and the allocation of resources to maximise efficiency and effectiveness in achieving identified agency goals.
For the Whole-of-Service Manager Essentials Program, management is defined and includes:
supervisors, first line (frontline), middle or senior managers;
people who have responsibility and accountability for the full range of management matters eg managing people and resources;
people who have direct reports; as well as
people who manage complex projects where significant stakeholder engagement and influence is required.
15 A comprehensive overview of evaluation can be obtained from the Better Evaluation website, 2018, Accessed 12 December 2018, www.betterevaluation.org/ 16 The Mandarin, Stephen Easton, 2015, Lloyd on leadership: what makes an effective public sector manager, anywhere.
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Term Definition
Mentoring17 is a relationship mechanism where a more experienced person provides 1:1 support in either structured or informal settings, to a less experienced person. Mentors are listeners and sounding boards and do not usually do the problem solving.
Mentoring provides an opportunity to build the potential of employees. It fosters professional relationships where parties have the opportunity to collaborate and share insights.
Mentoring systems are designed to promote professional development by linking an employee with a mentor who will focus on the overall development of that mentoree.
Mentoring is transformational and involves much more than simply acquiring a specific skill or knowledge. Mentoring is about a relationship and involves both the professional and the personal. In many ways, mentoring is like counselling.
Mobility is the planned movement (temporary or long term) of employees to build capability and develop a more experienced and engaged workforce. It can occur within or across agencies.
means the ability to deploy employees to where they are needed most to ensure the Service effectively serves the Tasmanian community. Mobility helps ensure employees with the appropriate skills and experience are available to work on priority issues.
Mobility builds employee capability.
Monitoring is a process to periodically report against planned targets (indicators). Monitoring is typically focussed on outputs rather than outcomes. Monitoring is used to detect problems/corrective actions.
On boarding is a process of integrating a new employee into a work group or Agency and refers to the mechanism through which new employees acquire and understanding of expectations as well as the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors in order to become effective employees. It includes socialization into Agency culture and could also include formal meetings, lectures, videos, printed materials, or computer-based orientations to introduce newcomers to their new positions/roles and Agency.
On the Job Learning is teaching the skills, knowledge, and competencies that are needed for employees to perform a specific job within the workplace and work environment.
Operational Workforce plan – Operational
(12 to 18 month outlook)
usually covers the next 12 to 18 months aligns with an agency’s business planning cycle. It identifies actionable strategies to address a specific workforce gap in the short to medium term, and describes the workforce capability and capacity requirements to deliver against an agency’s business plan.
Organisational Design is the process and the outcome of shaping an agency’s structure, to align it with the purpose of the business and the context in which the organisation exists. Organisation design is sometimes considered together with, or as part of, organisation development.
17 Employment Equity and Diversity, Public Employment Office, NSW Premier’s Department, 2004, Mentoring Made Easy: A practical guide, 3rd Edition. NSW Government Publication.
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Term Definition
Organisational Development (OD)
is the practice of changing people and organisations for positive growth and is concerned with improving the overall organisational effectiveness over a period of time with a strong emphasis on change in an organisation’s culture and behaviours, rather than structures, systems and processes. In practice, OD can take on many forms, and typical OD activities can include some of the following:
Team building
Organisational assessments
Career development
Training
E-learning
Coaching
Innovation
Leadership development
Talent management
Change management
Diversity and inclusion
Culture and values.
Orientation is usually at the Agency level and is tailored for employees to familiarise them with the specific work environment/requirements of their job specifics. It provides a detailed introduction to a specific program area, and the relevant legislation, policy and procedures including mandatory training.
Outcome means a result or consequence of a product or service based on its quality, as measured in benefits to customers or stakeholders.
Outcomes means the changes that occur for individuals, groups, systems, or communities during or after an intervention. Changes can include attitudes, values, behaviours or conditions. Change can be short term, intermediate or long term.
Short term outcomes – the most direct result of an intervention, typically not ends in themselves, but necessary steps toward desired ends (intermediate or long term outcomes).
Intermediate outcomes – link an intervention’s short term outcomes to long term outcomes; they necessarily precede other outcomes; and
Long term outcomes (sometimes called ultimate outcomes or impact) – result from achieving short term and intermediate outcomes, often beyond the timeframe of an intervention.
There are also three different levels of outcomes18:
Community Outcomes are the long-term, high level objectives sought by the Government for the benefit of the Tasmanian community. These Outcomes are at such a high level that all of the activities of the State Service, along with contributions from the non-government sector of the Tasmanian community, contribute to their achievement;
18 Government of Tasmania, 2018, Guide to the Budget: A guide to the Budget Framework and Budget Papers, June 2018.
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Term Definition
Government Policy Priorities are those policy directions which indicate a change in direction, an area of reform or a change in priority; and
Agency Outcomes are those Outcomes for which an agency can be held accountable and the achievement of which contributes not only to the Government Policy Priorities but also to the Community Outcomes.
Outcomes measurement is the process of measuring if, and how much, activities lead to certain outcomes.
Outcomes-focused approach / planning
means the broad process of developing a theory of how change happens because of activities and gathering data to prove or disprove the theory of change and learn what works to inform better decision making. This is also referred to as: outcomes management or managing to outcomes.
Outcomes-focused performance management
means an approach to performance management that emphasises the use of outcomes data to inform strategic planning and decision making.
Output is an identifiable good or service produced by, or on behalf of, a department and provided to customers outside the department. The Government purchases Outputs in order to achieve policy objectives or Outcomes.
People plan/strategy usually covers a three to five-year time horizon, with many organisations focusing on a four-year time horizon aligned to an Agency/department-wide strategic workforce plan. It sets the strategies that will enable the transition of the workforce from its current state to that required to meet the challenges of the future. For example, what the organisation needs in a recruitment or branding policy or a work health, safety and wellbeing policy.
Strategic people plans and strategies are ideally informed by a strategic workforce plan.
Performance management plan is a professional development and performance management plan prepared under section 34(1)(g) of the State Service Act 2000
Performance Measure are measures of how well public programs and agencies are working. The most important performance measures tell us whether the clients or customers of the service are better off. Measures that track the quality of the program are also important. Performance measure can apply to entire agencies, service delivery systems, or individual programs.
Process Evaluation is the process that looks at the actual development and implementation of a particular program. It establishes whether you’ve hit quantifiable targets and implemented strategies as planned. It’s typically done at the end of the project and it looks at the program from start to finish, assessing cause-and-effect relationships between the program components and outcomes. This type of evaluation can be very useful in determining whether a program should be continued, expanded upon, refined or eliminated.
Professional development are activities that develop an employee’s skills, knowledge and expertise. It focuses on formal learning activities such as on-the-job training; workshops, short courses, conferences, as well as approaches such as work-based learning projects, communities of practice and mentoring.
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Term Definition
Professional learning are activities or learning experiences that develop an employee’s skills, knowledge and expertise and can include activities such as:
reflective practice
working together and sharing ideas / collaboration
make changes in the thinking, knowledge, skills and approaches of work role; and
strive to improve learning outcomes.
Professional learning takes place at several levels –employee, workplace and agency.
Program reviews are typically quicker than evaluation and are a more operational assessment of delivery to get a sense of ‘how are we going’ and to inform continuous improvement. Program reviews take place well after implementation.
Public sector are entities and employees that exist and work for public purpose eg Commonwealth Government, Local Government; Government Business Enterprises and which are established by legislation.
Qualitative data is data that cannot typically be representative by numbers, and which are commonly collected via observation and interactions with individuals and their unique experiences.
Quality Assurance Model
(eg for a professional learning proposal)
is where a range of questions would be asked to determine scope, content, design, adult learning principles and evaluation frameworks including intended learning outcomes are asked to ensure learning and development strategies are fit for purpose and design.
Quantitative data are measures of values or counts and are expressed as numbers.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL)
is the recognition of prior, relevant learning achieved through formal education, training and experience.
Record is any departmental information that is created, received, and maintained as evidence and information by an organisation or person, in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of agency business.
Reflective thinking is the process of analysing and making judgments about what has happened. Adults, in particular, learn best when they have the opportunity to reflect on their past performance and about how new learning can be integrated into their day-to-day work.
Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)
are providers and assessors of nationally recognised training that have been registered by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). Only RTOs can issue nationally recognised qualifications.
Research involves a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation design to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.
Reverse mentoring involves matching young mentors with older, more senior employees. An example of reverse mentoring is providing young mentors to teach older more senior employees about technology.
Risk management is the identification, analysis and reduction of possible risks or adverse events to the Agency and its employees, visitors and customers, including strategies and programs to control or finance related losses.
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Term Definition
Scenario planning is a method that helps your organisation understand the possible and plausible future business directions and scenarios that may eventuate so as to make flexible long-term plans and identify possible contingency plans.
Senior Executive Leadership Capability Framework (SELCF)
identifies the five core capabilities for high performance by senior executives. The five capabilities are:
Shapes Strategic Thinking
Achieves Results
Cultivates Productive Working Relationships
Exemplifies Personal Drive and Integrity; and
Communicates with Influence.
The SELCF is also a tool that has been designed for Senior Officers to ensure that capabilities and behaviours of the Service’s leaders are articulated and can be used for:
discussion around work performance and to inform Performance Management – helps Senior Executives to identify the behaviours required for effective performance; and
career planning – can help identify employee strengths and weaknesses in terms of their knowledge, skills and personal qualities and those required for the next logical career steps; and
learning and development – provides a tool to help analyse learning needs and it can assist managers to develop their employees through coaching, feedback and other learning support.
Services are duties, work or activities performed for the organisation by its employees.
Shadowing is where a shadow (the participant) follows a Shadower (a peer or leader) to observe their practice in the workplace. Each participant spends an allocated amount of time observing management and leadership in practice with:
A peer; and
A senior leader from within or across government.
Skill means an ability, acquired through deliberate, systematic and sustained effort, through training and/or experience, to perform tasks within a role that require specific cognitive, technical and/or interpersonal skills.
Skills Audit means the process of measuring and recording the skills of an employee or group.
Social learning is learning through social interaction. These can include group sessions with cohorts (ie more than 10-15 people) to share job experiences and link them to the learning;
live meetings where learning moments are shared and guests might give lectures; and
interactions through blogs and wikis.
Social media are the internet based tools used for publishing, sharing and discussion information. Social media includes blogs, wikis, file-sharing, user generated video and audio, crowd sourcing, virtual worlds and social networking sites. Popular social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Wikipedia, Skype, dating sites, virtual games and virtual social worlds.
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Term Definition
Stakeholder Is a person, group, community or organisation with a legitimate interest, such as target groups, other service providers or funding bodies.
State Service Principles are the Principles in section 7 of the State Service Act 2000.
Strategy is a document that articulates strategies – a coherent collection of actions which have a reasoned chance of improving results/outcomes.
Succession Planning is the process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key higher-level positions within an organisation.
Systems thinking or Think systemically
means understanding the complex relationships between all parts of the workforce development systems within which we work. It requires us to work together to develop effective processes and strategies, involving all agencies, stakeholders and delivery partners, to support the needs and aspirations of all employees undertaking professional learning.
Talent consists of those employees with the performance history and potential to make a significant difference to an organisation both now and in the future.
Talent Management is the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention and deployment of employees.
Tasmanian State Service is established by the State Service Act 2000 legislation and is where employees are employed under the State Service Act 2000.
Training focusses on skills and specialist knowledge acquisition. Training is an instructor-led, content-based intervention, leading to desired changes in behaviour. Strategies for delivery include lectures, workshops, train the trainer, small group work; elearning and guest speakers and online learning (eLearning).
Training Needs Analysis is a process by which an organisation defines the training needs that are required for an employee, a group, team, department or industry sector. The focus is on the job role of those involved and what skills and knowledge are needed in order to perform that job competently.
Values are understandings and expectations of how employees should behave and on which all business relationships are based, such as trust, respect, support and truth.
Vision is a description; image or long term outcome of how the Agency wishes to be in the future.
Vocational Education and Training (VET)19
is a national system of post-compulsory education and training, designed to skill workers for particular industries. VET also includes programs which provide the basis for subsequent vocational programs. It is underpinned by a national training framework. The education and training is delivered by TasTAFE, colleges or private Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).
Work based learning Is learning in a work environment using real situations and tasks.
19 Skills Tasmania is Tasmania's State Training Authority, developing strategies and providing support, advice and opportunities and funding to deliver quality training to meet the needs of Tasmanians in our industries. Further information about VET training is available at https://www.skills.tas.gov.au/
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Term Definition
Workforce affordability means the number of people—in full-time equivalent (FTE) —an organisation can afford, who have the requisite skills and capabilities to deliver business outcomes.
Workforce capability is the skills, knowledge and abilities of the workforce. Workforce capability can be used to describe what is in existence, including latent capability (that is, capability not currently being used), what is predicted may be required in the future and any gap between the two.
Workforce capacity is how much the workforce can do. It refers to the ‘availability’ of the workforce to do work, for instance the absolute numbers of employees available with the necessary skill sets (including their level of the skills) and other elements such as time and levels of absenteeism (or presenteeism).
Workforce capacity can be used to describe what is in existence, what may be required in the future and any gap between the two.
Workforce capacity is affected by elements such as employees’ engagement, motivation and discretionary effort.
Workforce data analytics is the use of metrics and data to evaluate Human Resource initiatives and programs and to assist planning for the future.
Workforce demand means the workforce an organisation needs to perform its functions and achieve its business objectives, now and into the future. It is defined in terms of workforce capability, workforce capacity and the alignment of the workforce to the functional business delivery of the organisation (structure).
Workforce Management Plan (immediate issues)
deals with immediate and specific workforce issues (such as impending restructure, the conclusion of a significant project or the addition of a new business line) and identifies actionable strategies for managing these.
Workforce Plan – Strategic
(three plus year outlook)
Usually covers a three to five-year time horizon, with many organisations focusing on a four-year time horizon aligned to Portfolio Budget Statements. However, if the lead time to fill critical job roles is longer than three to four years, the forecast period may need to extend beyond this.
A strategic workforce plan seeks to address high-level trends and developments that will affect the workforce by identifying actionable strategies. It indicatively describes the future workforce capabilit y and capacity requirements to deliver against your organisation’s strategic plan. Employee numbers by job role or job capability set would be aggregated to total numbers required a year, giving a high-level overview of the workforce you require.
A strategic workforce plan would ideally inform a people plan or strategy, which articulates what your current workforce capability is, what it needs to be and how it will be achieved.
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Term Definition
Workforce Planning is
a systematic approach to managing resources to meet the operational needs of the agency;
a roadmap to support decision-making;
tied to your agency’s business plan, operational plans, and financial plans; and
an on-going process.
Workforce Planning is about understanding:
what your workforce looks like now;
what your agency needs for the future; and
how to get the workforce you need.
Workforce profile is a summary of workforce demographics that provides a snapshot view of the workforce.
Workforce segment is a specific job family, job function or job role within your organisation.
Workforce supply, external means anyone who does not work for your organisation but could do so, now or in the future with the right skill set and qualifications or future skills and qualifications.
External workforce supply is used to reconcile demand and supply if internal workforce supply is not sufficient and/or cannot be developed to meet demand.
Supply is defined in terms of skills, capabilities and numbers.
Workforce supply, internal means everyone in the current workforce. It should also consider future movements in and out of the workforce. This includes full time and part time, casual employees who are working for or supplying services to the Agency.
Supply is defined in terms of skills, capabilities and numbers.
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Part 2 – Models/Services used in the State Service
Models Description
70:20:1020 model of learning describes a model which proposes that on average workplace learning happens in the following way:
70% of development happens informally on the job (work experiences, stretch assignments, special projects, task forces, temporary assignment to other positions, job shadowing, practice);
20% of development is relationship-based (feedback from manager, peers and direct reports; coaching; mentoring; networking; volunteer work; developing through others);
10% of development happens through formal training or readings (short courses, professional conferences, external seminars).
This 70:20:10 model states that significant development happens outside of a formal learning event and that in fact some sort of development is happening ‘all the time’.
ADKAR Model21 Prosci’s ADKAR model for change provides a solid foundation for change management activities. The ADKAR model has 5 elements, each of which must be in place for a change to be realised.
A - Awareness of the need for change
D - Desire to participate and support change
K - Knowledge on how to change
A - Ability to implement required skills and behaviours
R - Reinforcement to sustain the change
Change Management Toolkit22 Is a toolkit that provides guidance to people who may be involved with managing and leading change. The materials have been adapted for State Service-wide use, while at the same time allowing Agencies to contextualise to their Agency's needs. The guide has been developed to ensure that the best results are achieved in the management of organisational change.
GROW Coaching Model23 offers a way of structuring coaching sessions to facilitate a balanced discussion and includes
G - Goal – defining what you want to achieve
R – Reality – exploring the current situation, relevant history and future trends
O – Options – coming up with new ideas for reaching the goal
W – What/When/Who - deciding on a concrete plan of action
20 The 70:20:10 Model for Learning and Development created by Lombardo and Eichinger is a learning and
development model that corresponds to a proportional breakdown of how people learn effectively. 21 Prosci’s ADKAR model for change - https://www.prosci.com/adkar 22 State Service Management Office, Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2017, Change Management Toolkit, http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/ssmo/change_management 23 GROW Coaching Model originally developed in the 1980s by business coaches Graham Alexander, Alan Fine, and Sir John Whitmore - https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_89.htm
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Models Description
DISC Behavioural Styles model24 provides a common language that people can use to better understand themselves and to adapt their behaviours with others within a work team, a leadership position, or other relationships.
Genos Model of Emotional Intelligence25
comprises a set of emotionally intelligent workplace behaviour competencies. Competencies represent skills and behaviours, based on underlying abilities and experiences that are measurable and observable. The six emotionally intelligent leadership competencies of the Genos model capture the skills and behaviours that manifest from emotional intelligence abilities. The core emotional intelligence competencies are:
Self-Awareness
Awareness of Others
Authenticity
Emotional Reasoning
Self-Management
Positive Influence
JARS26 is the Joint Agency Reporting Service is the Tasmanian Government’s new principal reporting tool for employee data. JARS provides information and data to agencies on a range of HR matters including employees numbers (paid and structural), employees profiles, standard KPIs, leave usage and accruals, turnover and hiring patterns. It is being enhanced in line with agency and the government’s needs evolve.
SCARF Model of Social Threats and Rewards27
Is a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others developed by David Rock.
24 DiSC Overview is available at https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/overview/ 25 The Genos Model of Emotional Intelligence is currently being delivered as part of the Whole-of-Service Manager Essentials Program. For more information please contact SSMO. 26 www.JARS.tas.gov.au – note that the website is still in development. It is expected to be live in February 2019. 27 Further information about the SCARF model can be obtained from https://davidrock.net/publications/
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Models Description
Workforce Planning Guide and Model28
developed by the State Service Management Office (SSMO) outlines a model to support the development of a Strategic Workforce Plan and includes information on:
Assessing your Agency’s current approach
Reviewing the current environment
Consulting with the business
Interviewing business unit managers
Planning for future workforce changes
Conducting a workforce planning exercise
Addressing the workforce issues identified
Identifying the capabilities you need
Developing a business case to implement the strategy; and
Monitor and review the strategy.
Acknowledgements
A range of sources including education and training and government websites were used in the
production of this terminology guide.
Bibliography
1. Australian Human Resource Institute, 2018, Accessed 7 December 2018, https://www.ahri.com.au/
2. CCH Australia Limited, 2013, Australian Master Human Resources Guide, 10th Edition, McPherson’s
Printing Group.
3. New South Wales Public Service Commission, 2013, Accessed 7 December 2018,
https://www.psc.nsw.gov.au/employmentportal/performance-management-and-career-
planning/managing-for-performance/managers/reference-guide-mgr/capability
4. New South Wales Government, Finance Services and Innovation, Key terms and Definitions,
accessed 11 January, 2019, https://www.finance.nsw.gov.au/human_services/framework/key-terms
5. Public Service Commission Websites – various.
6. State Service Act 2000
7. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia, Accessed 7 December 2018.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
28 State Service Management Office, Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2013, Workforce Planning – A Guide for Tasmanian State Service Managers and HR, November 2013. A new online resource will be available on SSMOs website in early April 2019.
