Performance Culture
Performance Toolkit
The Goal for the Performance
Culture Pillar
GOAL
Local Government will create an
environment where individual, team and
council goals are aligned; individuals will
receive continuous development and
feedback on performance and will be
recognised for excellence in service
delivery.
Development and Implementation of
a Performance Culture Toolkit
Background and Context
• New Councils face a focus on performance on a scale that has not yet been
required
• Provision 85 of the Local Government Act 2014 stipulates each Council to set
objectives for improving its functions during that year
• Wider remit of the new Councils, increased scale, geographic reach and changing
legislative environment creates a complexity than has been previously experienced
• Interface with Central Government, reporting and scrutiny will be at a level not
experienced in the past
• Cultural legacies from the amalgamation of the Councils into one single
organisation will have significant challenges for employees and Members that
shouldn’t be underestimated
• Leaders within the new Councils will need to be equipped and confident in
behaviours and systems of Performance Management at a level not many will have
had in the past
• The new Chief Executives will be under personal scrutiny as never before
Toolkit – Introduction
Performance Culture Framework
Link with IESE Organisational Design
• Has strategy built in a way that all employees can connect to it
• Has people with the right skills, capabilities and behaviours that
enable them to be motivated and deliver in their role
• Has leaders that have the confidence and mindset to focus on
performance and create the environments to enable people to
be accountable for their performance
• Has the processes that are fit for purpose in supporting
performance
• Creates and maintains a culture that has performance at its core
• Structures organisations to deliver performance at an optimum
level
Aim of the Toolkit
• Provide a comprehensive framework that will support Councils in building a
sustainable Performance Management culture through:
 Clear diagnostic checklists that will identify priority areas
 Detailed step by step guides that will focus on how to build both, an
infrastructure for change and a method to establish and embed the core
elements of a Performance Management culture.
 Sample tools and techniques that can be used
 Case studies from other councils that have been working on different
aspects of the framework and have a story to share.
• Important element of the toolkit is to have project teams in place to deliver
the improved performance
• Should be from as wide ranging group of employees as possible – more
effective to build cultural change from outset
The Purpose of the Toolkit
• To enable the Chief Executive and the senior management to identify team
priorities for development, through completing the Performance Culture
Diagnostic Checklist.
• To provide an internal project team with guidelines on their role in
implementing this framework
• To provide a project team with a more detailed diagnostic tool in order to
pinpoint the development areas were they need to focus.
• To give a project team the tools and techniques to embed the Model in their
own organisation providing ongoing guidance through the step by step
guides, case studies and tools.
• To provide HR practitioners with the performance tools that they can use in
supporting the establishment of a Performance Culture within the Council.
• To deliver a culture of high performance in the Council.
The Structure of the Toolkit
Chief Executive & SMT Diagnostic
Identifying Priority Development Areas
• This high level diagnostic checklist has been developed against
the 5 key elements of the Performance Culture Model
• Purpose is to provide a strategic current state analysis of the
performance culture within the organisation indicating the
priority areas, where further development is required.
• This high level checklist is for the Chief Executive and the Senior
Management team to complete and will provide information on
where the council:
• is doing well (green)
• where they are still some areas to improve (amber)
• where there is nothing in place or if what is in place is not
delivering (red)
Diagnostic Example Questions
• Process:
 Our Performance Management processes are trusted and
adhered to by managers and staff and used in a meaningful and
disciplined way.
 Our Performance Management processes are fit for purpose and
focused on creating and sustaining a Performance Culture within
the context of our corporate plan.
 We have processes in place which provide meaningful data to
managers and teams on all aspects of organisational, team and
individual performance.
 Our processes add value to our citizens and the organisation by
reducing bureaucracy and improving service delivery.
 We make sure our people make best use of the processes and
data available to them to continuously improve performance.
Establishing the Performance Culture
Implementation Team
• Team comprises employees from across functions and
levels within the organisation
• Really important to define the role of HR in the project
• Really important to establish a structured project
management approach
• Will recognise a change in approach for Council and will
mean new ways of working and thinking
• One of the main reasons why many change projects fail is
the rush to implement the first ideas for change
• Cultural change is particularly difficult and requires
discipline, patience and resolve to be successful
Critical Success Factors
• Setting the right structures and levels of governance –
including strong and active SMT sponsorship and
support;
• Establishing the working group or project team as an
identified team (this may take the shape of a Task and
Finish team but should not be limited to this and may
have a longer term scope);
• Establishing very clear terms of reference and scope for
the project;
• Establishing the overall From To analysis,
• Establishing the Communication and project plan.
Change Management Model
Launching the Change
• Clear accountabilities and governance are fundamentally important.
 Initial and continuing justification of the project
 Setting up an appropriate management structure
 Establishing a framework for decision-making
(roles/responsibilities/authorities)
 Ensuring sufficiently thorough plans are prepared and updated as necessary
 Implementing a stakeholder management strategy
 Putting in place a quality management strategy
 Setting up and operating a project monitoring and control regime
 Managing uncertainties (threats and opportunities)
 Managing problems and changes.
Programme Governance Framework
Implementation of Local Government
Performance Culture Model
• Diagnostic checklists for each of the 5 key elements within the
model – a detailed checklist outlining the best practice
requirements for each of the key areas. These are linked to the
checklist completed by the CE and SMT but are much more
detailed and will help the team pinpoint the areas that need to
be developed.
• Model for implementation – a step by step guide to put in place
the key elements.
• Tools and techniques – sample tools and techniques that would
be recognised as best practice ways to implement effectively.
Evaluating The Impact and Capturing
The Learning
• Establish a clear evaluation plan
• Track the agreed evaluation criteria
• Report on progress to Chief Executive and
Senior Management Team on regular basis
The Way Forward
• Toolkit in final draft stages
• Now on the LGSC Website
• Through LGTG funding available for training and support to Councils
• Want to make the toolkit real, practical and interactive
• Training/Support arranged through completed Diagnostics Checklist
• Ability to see projects through from beginning to end
• Recognise a complete new way of working
• Learn from colleagues in Ballymena/Ards and Cookstown
THANK YOU