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City of Swan
Workforce Plan
2013/2014
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‘… The Workforce Plan
identifies our workforce
challenges, and provides
for a continuous business
planning process…’
Workforce Plan
2013/2014
Table of contents
INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
2
OVERVIEW OF THE CITY OF SWAN
3
A WORKFORCE PLAN FOR CITY OF SWAN
4
What is Workforce Planning?
4
The Workforce Planning Model and Methodology
5
How the Workforce Plan helps to achieve the City’s Objectives
6
WORKFORCE PROFILE
8
Age and Gender of Employees
8
Type of Employment
8
Years of Service and Occupational Groups
9
Retirement Eligibility
9
Turnover
10
Workforce Diversity
10
Budget FTE and Headcount Report
11
Salary and Rewards
11
Career Development
12
EXTERNAL LABOUR SUPPLY
Labour Demand and Supply
LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE
Impacting Strategies and Factors — Internal and External
13
14
16
16
Significant Workforce Challenges
18
Workforce Strategies 2013 – 2018
20
FTE Requirements 2013 – 2018
21
FTE Cost Modelling
22
Skills and Capabilities for the Future
23
SUMMARY OF ACTIONS IN WORKFORCE PLAN
24
MEASURING OUR SUCCESS
28
Reporting Schedule
28
1
Introduction from the
Chief Executive Officer
Our communities have
expressed their aspirations
and priorities for the City
of Swan in the form of the
Strategic Community Plan
(SCP). This plan provides
the blueprint for the City’s
activities over the next 10
years. In conjunction with
the Integrated Planning
Framework and the SCP,
the City has developed a
five year Workforce Plan.
2
The Workforce Plan identifies our
workforce challenges, and provides
for a continuous business planning
process to ensure there is sufficient
and sustainable capability and
capacity to deliver the SCP objectives
now and into the future.
From a workforce perspective, a
growing population, aging workforce
and constant change in our operating
environment provide some challenges.
There is a need to ensure the City has
the right people with the right skills,
at the appropriate time to meet these
demands and challenges.
The workforce plan demonstrates
our commitment to ensuring the
strategies going forward address the
potential gaps through improvement
of organisational processes,
attraction, recruitment, professional
development and succession planning.
Our increased focus in each of these
areas, as well as a range of supporting
initiatives, will enable us to move
one step closer in the direction of our
vision, “One City, Diverse Places”.
Mike Foley
Chief Executive Officer
Overview
of the City of Swan
The City of Swan
is a diverse area
of land collectively
known as the
Swan District.
The City of Swan is
geographically the largest
local government in the
Perth metropolitan area and
is one of the fastest growing
urban corridors in Australia.
Stretching over 1,044 square kilometres, the City is a unique
blend of residential, commercial, industrial and rural land.
With a forecast population of more than 121,0001 residents
(and rising) in 2013, the City is a thriving hub of economic
growth, consisting of some of the fastest growing suburbs in
Western Australia, two regional centres, several national parks
and reserves, major commercial and industrial areas and
historically important town sites and rural areas.
Our major tourist attractions, including the magnificent
Swan Valley and significant Aboriginal and southern
European heritage sites, have elevated the City to “mustsee destination” status. We always welcome the tens of
thousands of local, national and international tourists who
visit us every year.
also rapidly increasing. The Ellenbrook area has seen major
population growth over recent years. The suburbs of Bennett
Springs, Brabham, Dayton, West Swan, Caversham and Henley
Brook are undergoing significant development which will lead
to further population increases.
Industrial areas within the City of Swan also continue to thrive
and this in turn provides a substantial revenue base to support
the sustainability of the City, particularly from the Malaga
area. Hazelmere, Viveash, South Guildford and Midvale are
also classed as industrial centres within the City.
It is expected that the population within the City of Swan will
continue to grow at a rate of approximately 2.47%2 per annum
to 2036.
Future residential growth will occur on multiple fronts.
These include the Urban Growth Corridor, 1,100 hectares of
land encapsulating new developments in Bennett Springs,
Brabham, Dayton, West Swan (West) and Caversham;
continued growth at Ellenbrook; and potential urban infill
opportunities throughout the City, all of which will contribute
significantly to population growth.
City of Swan statistics
The City of Swan lies on the north-eastern region of the Perth
metropolitan area, and combines a diverse range of land uses
and economic activities. The City is continuing to grow at a
rapid rate especially in the Urban Growth Corridor where our
three new suburbs of Bennett Springs, Brabham and Dayton
are located.
Estimated resident population (ERP) (2011 ABS)3
Located 20 km north east of the Perth CBD, Midland is the
gateway to the northern and eastern wheatbelt region, giving
it a large customer catchment and employee base.
Swan residents who have arrived in Australia since 20015
10,272
(highest numbers in Ballajura, Beechboro and Ellenbrook)
Currently, the State Government has allocated $44 million
over a four year period for an urban renewal program being
managed by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority
(MRA) in partnership with the City. This program includes a
307 bed hospital, a General Practice (GP) Super Clinic with
associated speciality and support medical services, new
residential and commercial developments, including the
redevelopment of the old Railway Workshops and a Midland
university.
Midland is not the only area showing positive growth and
development opportunities. Other areas within the City are
114,179
2
121,089
Forecast population – 2013
Forecast average annual population growth – 2013 to 20362 2.47%
Eligible voters (citizens aged 18+) (February 2013 – WAEC)4 68,558
Residents born overseas5
32,481
Most common non-English language spoken at home5
Vietnamese
5
56.8%
Proportion of residents who travel to work in a car5
72.5%
Proportion of residents who work outside of Swan
Total number of rateable properties
Households with a mortgage5
6
49,822
48%
5
Average household size (persons)
2.76
1
2
http://forecast2.id.com.au/Default.aspx?id=223&pg=5000
http://forecast2.id.com.au/Default.aspx?id=223&pg=5000
3
Australian Bureau of Statistics
4
WA Electoral Commission
5
http://profile.id.com.au/swan?WebID=180&DataType=en
6
City of Swan
3
A Workforce Plan for City of Swan
The City’s Integrated Planning Model is
the approach to setting strategic direction
(where the City has come from, where
it is going and how it will get there) and
translating that into services that are
delivered to the community, through our
Corporate Business Plan. Our Corporate
Business Plan is reviewed annually to
ensure we continue to provide relevant
services to the community with the
appropriate levels of resources such as
people, financial and assets.
The Workforce Plan 2013/2014 is one of the core components
of the City’s Integrated Planning Model. Together with the
Asset Management Plan and Long Term Financial Plan,
the Workforce Plan details the quantitative and qualitative
workforce requirements to deliver our Strategic Community
Plan and Corporate Business Plan.
What is Workforce Planning?
Workforce planning is a proactive and “continuous
process of shaping the workforce to ensure that it
is capable of delivering organisational objectives
now and into the future”.
Workforce planning helps the organisation to proactively
identify and anticipate change (as opposed to simply
responding and reacting to events), identify the important
issues driving workforce change, and enable us to develop
and implement appropriate strategic and operational
responses.
It gives management a strategic basis for making human
resource decisions and provides a methodical plan to address
current and future workforce issues, within and across the
organisation.
Effective Workforce Planning will assist in delivering a flexible
and more efficient workforce that can do the job now, and
adapt to a constantly changing environment as well as
changing community and customer needs.
City of Swan Integrated Planning Framework
STRATEGIES
COMMUNITY VISION
STRATEGIC COMMUNITY PLAN
(10 YEARS)
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
(4–5 YEARS)
SERVICE PLANS
PLANNING STRATEGY
CORPORATE BUSINESS PLAN
(4–5 YEARS)
PLACE PLANS
BUDGET
(1 YEAR)
4
RESOURCING
• FINANCIAL
• ASSETS
• WORKFORCE
The Workforce Planning Model and Methodology
In 2012, the City commenced
Workforce planning using the
framework below. Employee
data was gathered from
the City’s Human Resource
Information System to construct
a profile of the workforce.
Executives Managers, Business Unit
Managers and other key internal
stakeholders were interviewed to
understand the current and future
workforce requirements and this forms
the basis of the development of the
workforce plan in conjunction with data
analysis. In addition to these interviews,
the Strategic Community Plan provided
vital context for the future challenges/
requirements that the City faces.
1. CURRENT WORKFORCE
Workforce Profile
Retirements
Turnover
External Labour Market
Further consultation was undertaken
to develop and refine strategies and
actions that were specific to Divisions
and Business Units.
External data was collected from various
sources including Australian Bureau
of Statistics, Department of Workforce
Development Western Australia, Centre
of Excellence and Federal Government
websites.
2. FUTURE WORKFORCE
Internal Factors
External Environment
Staffing for the Future
Organisation Capability
3. ANALYSIS –
GAPS AND PRIORITIES
4. WORKPLACE PLAN
Objectives and Strategies
5. MONITORING AND
EVALUATION OF OUTCOMES
5
How the Workforce Plan helps to achieve the City’s Objectives
Considerable urban commercial and industrial
development is occurring in the City of Swan,
which is accompanied by rapid population and
industry growth. This brings with it increasing
demands for services and associated challenges.
The need for comprehensive planning is therefore
imperative to ensure that we understand our
community and customer needs.
Extensive consultation occurred with our communities, staff
and key stakeholders to develop our Strategic Community
Plan (SCP). The Strategic Community Plan sets out our vision,
aspirations and objectives for the Swan community over
the next 10 years. It is our principal strategy and planning
document. This means that it governs all of the work that
the City undertakes, either through direct service delivery,
partnership arrangements or advocacy on behalf of our
communities.
In addition, the clear mandate given by Council is to ensure
that the City amongst others, focuses on sustainable growth
and has the requisite resources and organisational capability
(i.e. Workforce, Assets and Finances), to deliver the SCP
outcomes in the most efficient and effective manner.
‘… The Strategic Community
Plan sets out our vision,
aspirations and objectives for
the Swan community over
the next 10 years …’
6
The five theme areas in the Strategic Community Plan are:
Economic:
Thriving, Sustainable Business Capacity and Growth
The main objectives are to:
E1.1
Attract business and investment opportunities.
E2.1
Actively support and develop local and new business.
E3.1
Strengthen the capacity and integration of the tourism industry.
Natural Environment:
Environmentally Sustainable Leadership
and Stewardship
The main objectives are to:
N1.1
Mitigate City’s carbon footprint, reducing waste and greenhouse
gas production.
N2.1
Preserve and protect local ecology and biodiversity of natural
ecosystems.
N2.2
Reduce adverse impacts on biodiversity.
Built Environment:
Diverse, Connected, Sustainable Places
The main objectives are to:
B1.1
Facilitate and integrate housing options, local services,
employment and recreational spaces.
B2.1
Manage current and future assets and infrastructure.
B3.1
Advocate and provide alternative transport.
Social:
Connected, Safe, Inclusive
The main objectives are to:
S1.1
Determine service requirements and delivery options in the
areas of aged, youth, families and children.
S2.1
Strengthen Place based access and delivery of services.
S2.2
Build a strong sense of community health and safety.
Governance:
A Sustainable and Capable Council
The main objectives are to:
G1.1
Provide accountable and transparent leadership.
G1.2
Promote the City of Swan as a place to live, work and visit.
G2.1
Improve capability and capacity.
The Workforce Plan most clearly contains
strategies that sit within Governance:
A Sustainable and Capable Council.
However, optimally skilled, engaged
employees are required to achieve these
SCP outcomes.
The Workforce Plan is therefore a key
input into the Corporate Business Plan
that enables business units to plan for
and make decisions on service delivery
and resources required to deliver the SCP.
The Workforce Plan also provides an
ability to bring a renewed strategic focus
to the City’s current employment related
programs, policies and plans.
7
Workforce Profile
Age and Gender of Employees
Type of Employment
The City’s permanent workforce consists of
45% female and 55% male. Males and females
are proportionately represented across the
organisation.
Of the total number of employees, approximately
30% are employed on a part time basis. This
provides workforce flexibility particularly for
employees transitioning to retirement, or mothers
returning to the workforce. This work arrangement
also serves to encourage work life balance.
This proportion varies in different Divisions. Operational areas
are still predominately male. This is indicative of the large
operation focus of parks/garden operations, road construction
crews, drainage and fleet & waste. In contrast female staff are
dominant in the administrative functions.
Demographically, the workforce has an average age of 41
years old and there is a reasonable spread across the age
groups. Thirteen per cent of the workforce is under 30 and the
largest percentage is within the age bracket of 30–49.
Ages within some of the division also reflects the nature
of the industry. The Operations Division retains a mature
workforce with a more conventional skill set, whilst the
Planning Division has a slightly younger workforce.
Employment type
Number of employees
300
Age and gender of employees
180
Male
Female
Number of employees
160
140
120
64
86
73
78
80
60
39
48
Part time
Full time
11
250
200
150
264
100
50
0
100
16
14
15
Chief
Executive
Office
114
115
64
18
48
Corporate Operations
Place
Planning
Business Units
59
40
29
33
20
0
Some Divisions have more part time arrangement as
compared to others and this is linked to the nature of the
services delivered. Achieving the right balance of part time/full
time staff is vital for the City. Efficient training and streamlined
administrative processes are essential to enable Business Units
to manage large number of part time staff efficiently.
33
35
21
>20
20–29
30–39 40–49 50–54
Age range
55–59
24
13
8
60–64
65+
‘… Efficient training and streamlined
administrative processes are essential to
enable Business Units to manage large
number of part time staff efficiently …’
8
Years of Service and
Occupational Groups
The average length of service for staff is
approximately seven years.
Approximately 12% of the workforce has 15 years or more
of service and this component of the workforce holds a
significant amount of corporate knowledge and experience
and it is imperative that this is captured and appropriately
managed.
Years of service—permanent employees
Number of permanent
employees
300
250
240
188
Twenty-four per cent of our employees are currently eligible
for retirement (i.e. 55 years and older) compared to 19% in the
WA public sector.
100
50
0
61
62
<1
1–4
25
24
5–10
11–15 16–20 21–25
Number of years of service
25
>25
Occupational Groups
The figure below identifies the breakdown of the different
occupational groups within the City.
Occupational Groups
4%
2%
People are tending to work longer. According to
the statistics from Australia Bureau of Statistics,
there is an increasing trend of later retirement.
The age at which people choose to “retire” has
increased over the past ten years.
The impact of the recent global financial crisis on personal
superannuation and investments has also meant that people
are remaining in the workforce longer than expected.
200
150
Retirement Eligibility
Many of the staff who are eligible for retirement bring with
them years of experience and technical “know how”. The loss
of corporate knowledge and skills will need to be managed
in some areas of the organisation. The likes of Operations and
Place will have a greater need to manage an aging workforce.
Retirement Eligibility
5
Planning
16%
4%
52
Place
11%
24%
14%
14
Corporate
Admin/Business Improvement
Trades
Customer Service
Semi-skilled/Technician
Community Care
Professional
Other
149
79
Operations
2
Chief Executive
Office
0
190
57
25%
Management/Supervisory
55 and over
Under 55
56
21
50
100
150
Number of employees
200
9
Turnover
Workforce Diversity
Employee turnover in the City has been stable
over the last three years; between 13% and
16%. This average is considered to be healthy
and is indicative of a variety of turnover reasons
attributed to career advancement, relocation,
retirement and performance management.
In producing this Workforce Plan, the City reviewed
and analysed the demographic profile of its local
communities versus our current workforce profile.
In 2012, 55% of departing employees were aged between
30–50 years and this is consistent with the current workforce
profile.
In order to address these areas of improvement, the City
will develop a comprehensive Employee Diversity Strategy
which will amongst others include Aboriginal Employment.
The City has been improving its indigenous employment
via traineeships and skilled positions in many of the diverse
roles in the City. More effort will be made to increase our
commitment to indigenous employment.
The staff turnover in occupational groups such as
professionals, sub trades/semiskilled and trades/skilled groups
is at 20%, which will require specific retention strategies.
This analysis indicates that the demographics of the City’s
workforce was largely consistent with the demographics of
our communities but that there were areas which could be
improved on as demonstrated in the table below.
Turnover rate (%)
Turnover Rates
Swan
Community*
City of Swan
Females
50.2%
45%
Males
49.8%
55%
Indigenous population
3% of the
population
1%
People from a Cultural and
Linguistic Diverse (CALD)
background
5.3% of
population
4%
20
15
10
5
0
13%
14%
16%
2010
2011
Year
2012
*Data as of 2012 from id profile3
As the profile of the community becomes more diverse due
to migration, the amount of employees from CALD (cultural
and linguistic diverse) backgrounds has increased and it is
predicted that the trend will continue as migration increases.
The City will therefore continue to ensure that the
demographic profile of our workforce reflects that of the
communities we serve.
‘… the amount of employees from
cultural and linguistic diverse
backgrounds has increased and it is
predicted that the trend will continue …’
10
Budget FTE and Headcount Report
As at May 15 2013, the City employs more than 600 FTE (full time
equivalent) positions in a wide range of areas such planning, project
management, community and Place, engineering, corporate and
other services.
The schedule below provides a breakdown of the different occupational groups
within the City. In addition to its permanent and fixed term workforce, the City
has also has an extensive pool of casual employees (circa 230) who in the main
are employed to meet variable and cyclical demand for services in areas such as
libraries, leisure centres and our visitor centre.
Division
Budget
FTE
Permanent
Fixed
Term
Total
Casuals
Chief Executive
Office
33.62
23
6
29
0
Corporate
74.42
71
9
80
0
Operations
287.08
269
7
276
5
Place
188.11
201
30
231
224
Planning
67.48
61
5
66
1
650.71
625
57
682
230
Total –
City of Swan
Salary and Rewards
The City offers competitive salaries as well as a range of fringe
benefits to its employees such as discounted leisure centre
membership, additional employer superannuation contributions,
RDOs (rostered days off) etc. to ensure that is able to attract and
retain “the right people”.
Conditions of employment are in the main set out in the Local Government Industry
Award (LGIA) as well as Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs) for the relevant
employees.
A job classification system was developed and implemented in 2010 to ensure
relativity (internal and external), market competitiveness and fairness in the
salaries of employees. Salary increments are implemented annually based on
employee performance as demonstrated in the employee’s annual Performance and
Development Review.
11
Career Development
A significant number of employees have been appointed and
promoted to more senior roles at the City. Notwithstanding
this, the City has increased its focus on the development of
its employees as a result of the development of its Workforce
Plan to ensure that its employees have the capabilities and
competencies to deliver the organisational and business
outcomes in the short, medium and long term.
To this end, the City currently offers opportunities for secondments
(internally and externally), acting higher duty roles, involvement in special
projects etc. Employees also have access to our Study Assistance Program
by which the City offers both financial assistance and study leave to obtain
job related qualifications.
‘… The implication on demand
for skills and labour for the
City is therefore that the
labour market will continue
to be competitive for the
foreseeable future … ‘
12
External Labour Supply
Statistics provided by Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations (DEEWR) confirmed an
employment growth in the number of
professional positions between May
2011 and May 2012. DEEWR predicts that
there will continue to be growth in these
professional groupings in WA albeit at a
reduced rate compared to 2011 and 2012.
WA Employment by occupation May 2011 and May 2012
May
2011
May
2012
(‘000s)
Managers
148.6
155.2
6.5
4.4%
Professionals
240.3
260.3
20.0
8.3%
Technicians and
Trades Workers
218.1
224.6
6.5
3.0%
174.5
168.4
-5.7
-3.3%
Clerical and
Administrative
Workers
%
Labour market data and the Job Outlook Report by the
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
Relations forecasts a strong growth in demand for skills and
jobs in marketing, construction, community care and health
promotion. The growth for tourism and trades is predicted to
be moderate over the next five years.
The demand for skills and labour in the resources sector has
not created any noticeable impact on labour supply in WA
and predictions are that this trend will continue and fluctuate
depending on the approval start up of major projects such as
Gorgon and Wheatstone.
The implication on demand for skills and labour for the
City is therefore that the labour market will continue to be
competitive for the foreseeable future. The City will therefore
have to constantly review its Workforce Strategies to ensure
that it is able to attract and retain competent and capable
employees to deliver the requirements set out in the Strategic
Community Plan as well as the business outcomes specified in
the Corporate Plan.
13
Labour Demand and Supply
Occupational Group
Professions
Trades/
Operators
Management/
Supervisory
14
External
Labour Market
Demand*†
Current competition
for labour
Recent Recruitment
Experience
Architect
High
Private Sector
N/A
Engineer – Civil
High
Mining /Oil and Gas
N/A
Engineering Manager
High
Mining /Oil and Gas
N/A
Engineering Technician
High
Mining/Oil and Gas
N/A
Design Drafter
High
Oil and Gas
N/A
Landscape Architect
Medium
Construction companies
N/A
Surveyor
High
Mining
N/A
Building Surveyor
High
Private Sector and other
Local Government
N/A
Environmental Health Officer
High
Other Local Government
N/A
Local Area Planner
Medium
State Government and
Private Sector
Difficult to attract
candidates with right
experience
Business Improvement
Medium
Private Sector
Difficult to attract
candidates with appropriate
skill levels
Tourism Marketing
Medium
Other Local Government
N/A
Project Manager – Construction
High
Construction companies
Candidates with right skills/
experience limited
Maintenance Planner
High
Mining/Oil and Gas
Library Systems Technician
Medium
Other Local Government
Electrician
High
Fabricator
High
Mining
N/A
Motor Mechanic
High
Mining; Oil and Gas
N/A
Heavy Duty Mechanic
High
Mining
N/A
Welder
High
Mining
N/A
Plant Operator
High
Construction; Oil and Gas
Difficult to attract right
experience
Truck Driver – HR Licence
Medium
Mining
N/A
Organisational Planning
High
Mining
N/A
Civil/Earthworks Supervisors
Medium
Mining
N/A
Maintenance Supervisor
High
Mining/Oil and Gas
N/A
Sports Centre Manager
High
Other Local Government
and Private Sector
N/A
Marketing and Communication
Coordinator
High
Private Sector
Competition for people with
e-marketing and IT skills.
N/A
N/A
Occupational Group
Community Care
Customer
Service
Admin/Business
Support
External
Labour Market
Demand*†
Current competition
for labour
Recent Recruitment
Experience
Bus Driver
High
Mining/Not for Profit
organisations
Some difficulties in
recruiting people to drive
larger vehicles
Activities Assistance
High
Community Groups
and Not for Profit
organisations
Hard to fill part time roles
for unsociable hours
Customer Advocate
High
Other Local Government
and Not for Profit
Limited number of good
candidates
Customer Liaison Officer
Medium
Private Sector and other
Local Government
Difficulty attracting temp
positions
Place Manager
High
Community groups/Not
for profit organisations
No recent experience
Contract Administrator
High
Mining
N/A
Business Analyst
High
Mining
N/A
Library Clerk
Medium
Local Government
Quality of pool limited
* External Labour Market Demand is based on WA State Priorities Occupation List 2012 and occupations
identified as Industry critical with high or medium growth in demand expected for 2012–2015.
†
Skills Shortage report produced in June 2012 by DEEWR that summarises national skills shortage research
in a variety of industries.
15
Looking into the Future
After analysing our current
workforce profile we will
ensure that we have the right
people, with the right skills and
capabilities at the right time to
appropriately respond and deal
with our changing community
and business environment.
Several impacting factors and strategies for the
future of the City are described below. Whilst
being cognisant of the challenges ahead, these
drivers for change have implications for our
Workforce which we will proactively manage and
respond to, to ensure that we are consistently
able to deliver to our community and customer
expectations through our people.
Impacting Strategies and Factors
— Internal and External
Place Strategy
The City’s Vision is “One City, Diverse Places” and it is committed to the
delivery of services at the following Places—Altone, Midland, Ballajura,
Ellenbrook, Rural/Bullsbrook. Our Strategic Community Plan and Place
strategy therefore means that:
The City would need to assess the level and range of services required
at our respective Places; and
Business Units will be required to deliver their services in a more crossfunctional and matrix structure. This will require that employees over
time are more multi-skilled and are able to deliver a wider range of
services particularly in areas such as Planning, Operations and Place.
Population growth
Significant population growth will continue to have a direct impact on
the City especially in regard to the demand for the delivery of services
to its communities/Places. Continuous growth will happen due to infill in
established areas and growth in new suburbs—for example, Ellenbrook
and new developments in the Swan Urban Growth Corridor that includes
Caversham, West Swan (West) and Whiteman, Bennett Springs, Brabham
and Dayton.
More people will move into areas served by existing Places, and some new
Places may be needed in the future.
Population growth may result in:
Increased demand for services and facilities such as refuse collection,
leisure and library services and the age specific community for different
age groups such as youth groups and aged care; and
Increased need for economic development/activity. The City’s ability to
attract business and investment would be a key factor.
With the increasing number of households as well as urban development,
the need for planning services will increase.
Forecast population
Forecast population
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
16
2006
2011
2016
2021
2026
Forecast year (ending June 30)
2031
2036
Change in population demographics
Community Expectations
Government policy and demand for services are changing in
response to the change in demographics with the increasing
number of CALD citizens as well as the growth in young
families settling in the City. The social challenges created by
FIFO (fly-in fly-out) workers as well as an aging population
will:
Community service expectations are constantly increasing.
Increase our communities needs for social services in
respect of the above changes.
Make the demand for children, youth and aged care
services a key consideration for future planning in services
and facilities.
Increase focus on the affordability of housing and
associated social services demands. A review of the current
service model may be required to meet demands.
Local Government Reform and Amalgamation
Local Government reform may increase the scope and volume
of services to be delivered in the short to medium term.
Whilst specific details are not known, there may be significant
integration issues to manage including:
Different approaches to implementation of the Place
Strategy with an amalgamated local government.
The use of contracted services—e.g. rubbish collection
and delivery of community services through NGOs (non
government organisations) versus in-house service
delivery.
Differences in systems and technology, work practices,
standards and procedures.
Different workforce arrangements, Enterprise Bargaining
Agreements and organisation culture (jobs, remuneration,
structure and staffing).
Use of Technology
Services and work processes are constantly evolving to take
advantage of technology, including:
Increased use of iPads, Skype, Wi-Fi and social media
to access information and provide decentralised/mobile
services; by staff and customers.
Increased use of “virtual services” e.g. eLibrary, online
planning approval systems and other digital applications.
Decentralised offices, telecommuting, remote access to
services (e.g. using Skype at Place).
Our communities utilise and expect a wider range of
services.
The community is better informed and more
knowledgeable.
We are increasingly expected to deliver services, customer
support and information outside business hours and on
weekends.
Policy and Legislative Changes
Changes to policy, legislation and regulations are going to
have an impact on our operations. Most of these changes
(Public Health Act, Building Act, OSH Act etc.) have a direct
impact on our workload, costs and existing resources.
Ageing Workforce
It is estimated that approximately 25% of the City’s workforce
will retire in the next 5–10 years which in turn could be
influenced by such factors as personal financial position,
health and job satisfaction and competency etc.
If we do not continue to focus on career and succession
planning, we could encounter a situation where our
service delivery to our communities and customers might
be impacted due to a loss of corporate knowledge and
experience.
Impact of volatile market conditions
on the workforce
In the most recent resources boom, the City faced challenges
in attracting and retaining “the right people with the right
skills”. Early indications are that these challenges have
decreased, but this experience highlights the impact of job
market volatility on the workforce.
The City could therefore experience peaks and troughs in the
demand for skills and labour and should constantly assess
and analyse the labour market and be able to respond
appropriately by means of our Workforce Plan and strategies.
These significant short-term variations in labour demand and
supply make workforce planning all the more imperative but
also more complicated.
CCTV security (fixed and mobile) making it easier to
identify and report incidents.
17
Significant Workforce Challenges
Population growth: does not necessarily
equate to a growth in City resource
Workforce adaptability:
the ability to respond to change
It is estimated that the City’s current population will increase
by approximately 40% to 50% by 2021. Our Strategic
Community Plan provides a detailed understanding of
community expectations over the next ten years. Community
demand for services is expected to increase with population
growth. This is already occurring due to the increase in the
number of young families and senior citizens in the City.
Throughout the workforce planning process, a constant
theme has emerged: change.
These changing demographics will lead to an increase in the
need for certain services. A spike in demand is expected for
services including parenting groups, early childhood programs
and aged care amongst others. Further infrastructure within
the Urban Growth Corridor such as roads, cycling tracks, parks
and leisure centres will also be required.
We have a clear mandate and commitment to deliver
services as detailed in our Plans and we will need to deliver
them within the approved resources (i.e. workforce, assets
and financial). A significant increase in the number of
employees would be considered unsustainable and would add
considerable cost.
The requirement for both human resource efficiency and
employee engagement to deliver our SCP and business
outcomes are therefore significant drivers of the Workforce
Plan.
At present and more importantly in the future, workforce
efficiency and effectiveness depends on the City’s ability to:
Attract and retain employees with the right skills.
Consistently align the performance objectives of all of its
employees to the SCP and the overall Vision and of the
City.
Consistently develop employee performance capability.
The City has experienced significant growth and change over
the past 20 years from semi rural/urban shire to one of the
biggest Local Governments in terms of geographical size, as
well as population. However, at present, the rate of change
is unprecedented. These changes are varied and include type
of services being delivered to our communities, the change
in demographic of our communities, legislative changes
and requirements, potential local government reform and
amalgamation, streamlining of administrative processes as a
result of advancement of technology; to name a few.
In most instances, these changes have significant implications
for our workforce at many different levels and the ability to
adapt and excel in times of change is of critical importance to
the City.
Our Place Based Strategy is an example of our ability to
develop and deliver services to our diverse communities/
Places. This means that we recognise that a “one size fits
all” model of service provision does not optimally deliver the
outcomes specified in the SCP.
With the full implementation of the Place Based model,
the workforce will be more decentralised as a result of a
greater focus of service delivery at Place service hubs rather
than a centralised office. This has far reaching implications.
It changes the way the City operates, from the nature of
services required at different areas, to the need for multiple
physical offices, travelling required by employees and the
necessary technology/infrastructure to access information and
to provide services remotely.
Create a productive organisation culture that focuses on
and delivers consistent employee performance.
The City is committed to providing its workforce with the
necessary support and development opportunities to make
this transition as efficient and effective as possible.
Appropriately manage, reward and recognise employee
performance.
This guidance and support amongst others consists of:
Use appropriate and cost effective technology to deliver
performance efficiencies.
Leadership development and coaching to effectively
manage change and performance.
Establishment of multidisciplinary/matrix teams to work
more collaboratively across different functions.
Learning and development opportunities for employees
to upskill and gain knowledge/skills in addition to an
employee’s traditional job competencies.
Health and wellbeing programs to ensure that employees
are both mentally and physically able to meet the
challenges.
18
An Ageing Workforce: meeting its challenges
According to data release by the Australian Bureau of Statics in 2010, the
Australian population is aging. Those aged from 50 to 59 years grew from
1.8 million to 2.6 million during the ten years from 1996–2006 and similar
trends can be observed in other age groups (see graph below). The same
shift can be seen in the demographic profile of the workforce. In Western
Australia people aged 45 years and older account for 37% of the eligible
labour force in 2007 compared with 31% ten years earlier.
The population demographics from 1996–2006
1.8
1996
2006
Population (m)
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
–14
15
–19
20
–2
4
25
–2
9
30
–3
4
35
–3
9
40
–4
4
45
–4
9
50
–5
4
55
–5
9
60
–6
4
65
–6
9
70
–74
75
–7
9
80
–8
4
85
+
5–
9
10
0–
4
0
Age
Another factor to be considered is that the age at which people are
choosing to retire has increased over the past decade. This will increase
further with the Federal Government’s announcement in the 2009/10
budget to increase the pension age to 67 years from 2023. Life expectancy
has also increased due to medical advances and a general increase in the
standard of living (see graph below). In contrast, Australia’s lower rates of
fertility (which is consistent with other first world countries) indicate that the
number of younger workers entering the labour market will continue to fall.
Age
Life expectancy rate in Australia over 1981–2009
86
84
82
80
78
76
74
72
70
68
66
64
A concerted and planned effort to
mitigate the impacts of an ageing
workforce is required and it is being
done in a two-pronged approach:
1. The City actively supports
employees to remain in the
workforce beyond the average
early retirement age of 60.
2. Concurrently it also needs to
create opportunities for younger,
less experienced employees and
emerging leaders, which will
enable the City to proactively
identify and manage the risk of
loss and transfer of corporate
knowledge and skills.
Our Workforce Plan takes cognisance
of these challenges and addresses
them in the following ways:
Career and succession planning for
critical roles, particularly for those
roles whose incumbents are in the
“likely to retire” segment of our
workforce.
Where agreed with the employee,
a work shadowing arrangement is
put into place and the employee
mentors another employee
identified as their successor in the
role.
Flexible work and transition to
retirement work arrangements for
the relevant employees.
Male
Female
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
Corporate knowledge management
and capturing by means of process
mapping etc.
2006
Year
Source: Australia Historical Population Studies
Approximately 25% of the City’s workforce will retire in the next 5–10 years
and this segment of our workforce holds significant corporate knowledge
and experience. If left unchecked, the City could face the prospect of
having a large amount of corporate knowledge and experience walking
out of the door with no appropriate replacement. Further, market volatility
and economic environment in the resources industry will create challenging
variations in the demand for skills and labour.
19
Workforce Strategies 2013 – 2018
Workforce strategies were identified and developed in response
to our workforce challenges. These strategies were developed
in consultation with a wide cross-section of stakeholders which
included the CEO, Executive Managers, Business Unit Managers
and a significant number of core members of various Business
Units such as Coordinators and Supervisors.
The Strategic Community Plan was used as a pivotal reference document
to guide and provide context for development of our Workforce Strategies.
The City delivers services to its communities in the main by means of its
employees and the linkage of the SCP to the Workforce Plan is clearly
demonstrated by the SCP Outcome (G2), Optimised use of City resources –
Improve (employee) capability and capacity.
The strategies in the Workforce Plan are not a once-only fix-all to be
used, then shelved. Our workforce strategies will be reviewed annually
to determine whether they are relevant and in step with any changes to
community and customer needs and expectations, as well as our changing
environment and labour market.
Our Workforce Strategies are grouped into key areas of workforce
management and they provide a template for the implementation the
Workforce Plan for the next five years.
Workforce Planning and Resourcing
Attraction and Recruitment
Leadership Development
Analysis of internal and external
environment, including labour
demand and supply.
Maintain a competitive Employee
Value Proposition to attract and retain
“the right people”.
Continued development and
implementation of our leadership
program.
Determining short, medium and long
term resource requirements.
Develop and implement robust and
fit for purpose recruitment techniques
and strategies.
Development and implementation
of our Leadership Competency and
Accountability Matrix.
Appropriate use of recruitment
technologies (e.g. online media, e-job
boards etc).
Continued development and
implementation of our of
management accountability
framework.
Workforce Planning and scheduling.
Active management of our applicant
candidate pool.
Training and accreditation of all
recruitment panel members.
Structures, Process and Job Design
Review of Business Unit (BU)
structures to optimise (Place etc.)
service delivery.
Employee Retention, Engagement,
Safety & Health
Review Position Descriptions to align
with Business Unit structures.
Maintain a competitive Employee
Value Proposition (salaries, fringe
benefits, flexible work arrangements
and environment) to retain “the right
people”.
Clearly define employee
accountabilities.
Actively measure and manage
employee engagement.
Maintain a safe and healthy workforce
and workplace.
20
Manage Employee Performance and
Development
Clarification on Employee performance
expectations.
Succession planning for critical roles.
Link employee learning and
development to performance
expectations and accountabilities.
Ongoing development and expansion
of our e-learning infrastructure.
FTE requirements 2013 – 2018
Over the past four years the City has increased its FTE
establishment by between 1.5–2% per annum. In 2012/13 this
figure was 3.5% as it included additional resources identified
through the newly developed Strategic Community Plan.
Future FTE growth projection is factored at a rate of 2% from
2014/15 onwards.
The table below shows the current organisational FTE for 2013/14 and the
forecasted FTE establishment for 2014/15 to 2017/18. These figures will be
reviewed on an annual basis in consultation with both internal and external
stakeholders.
FTE 2013/14
Establishment
FTE 2014/15
Forecast
FTE 2015/16
Forecast
FTE 2016/17
Forecast
FTE 2017/18
Forecast
653.44
666.51
679.84
693.44
707.30
The breakdown of forecasted FTE for each division throughout financial
years of 2031–2018 is listed below. The forecasted FTEs were made in
consideration of the Strategic Community Plan. The costs for the increase in
FTEs were calculated as part of the Long Term Financial Plan.
‘… Our workforce strategies
will be reviewed annually to
determine whether they are
relevant and in step with
any changes to community
and customer needs and
expectations, as well as our
changing environment and
labour market … ‘
21
FTE Cost Modelling
In the first year of employment the total cost of employment for
1 FTE is estimated at an average of approximately $103,094.00
The underlying assumptions include:
One-off pre-employment and recruitment cost estimated at 20% of employee’s
salary. These costs include recruitment advertising and recruitment agency
fees where incurred, pre-employment medical, drug and alcohol testing, office
equipment and furniture, motor vehicle where required, induction and training
costs, information technology set up costs, employee security card access etc.
and any other role specific equipment required.
The average salary at the City is $73,296, which is the maximum of our job
classification level 6 for the current financial year.
Ongoing employee benefits are estimated at an additional 20% of annual salary.
This includes superannuation, leave, worker compensation and insurance and
fringe benefits tax where applicable.
The total cost of employment is therefore = one of cost of recruitment/
7 years average length of employment + ongoing cost of employment
= 25%.
Projected
Staff Increase
Total number of
new FTE positions
Total cost of
new positions
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
2017/2018
7.9
13.1
13.3
13.6
13.9
$723,798 $1,248,234 $1,311,646 $1,388,166 $1,468,452
Note: Total cost includes an average annual salary adjustment of 3.5 – 4%.
22
Skills and Capabilities for the Future
Critical workforce skills and capabilities required to enable our
employees to deliver the City’s Vision of “One City, Diverse
Places” as well as the delivery of our Strategic Community
Plan, were identified through the Divisional Workforce Plans.
The skills and capabilities across the five Divisions are listed as follows:
Change management – manage workplace and cultural change, lead continuous improvement,
influence and gain support of key people.
Performance Management – manage employee accountability and the delivery on business
outcomes, provide performance feedback and actively manage both poor and superior
performance as well as the understanding and implementation of HR processes.
Leadership and communication skills for all Managers, Coordinators and Supervisors as well as
Management accountability training.
Frontline customer service skills – more community expectations and customer service
requirements at Place.
People management skills – ability to consistently recruit the “right” people, manage team and
individual performance, develop and retain good staff.
Project Management – coordinate and manage projects, work on a project basis, integrate Place
based projects across City of Swan.
Safety leadership and management – to make visible, priority, reduce incidents, contractor duty
of care.
Place based service delivery – develop capability for Place services, more community
expectations, changing customer base – age, CALD.
Mechanical/technical skills for changes in technology of vehicles, tools, equipment.
City of Swan systems and process efficiency – equip current and potential Managers and
Coordinators to use all key systems and processes. Develop new processes, improve existing
processes, workplace efficiency and productivity.
Community engagement – deal with requests, interests, concerns and complaints from
community and councillors, coordinate and manage relationships with community stakeholders.
IT systems and technology – know the options, assess feasibility, equip staff to use (e.g. systems,
data bases, internet, GPS, iPads).
Identification of business trends and new developments in the Small and Medium Enterprise
areas.
Business management skills – analysis of business results and identification of business trends
and data, manage service levels and business (workforce, financial and assets).
Contract Management – services, standards, costs and safety.
Marketing and communication – promote services, use social networking, develop websites,
eMarketing. Develop and coordinate community information and education programs.
Commercial and entrepreneurial approach – identify opportunities, develop sponsorships,
processes, workplace efficiency and productivity.
23
Summary of Actions in Workforce Plan
The specific details and timeframes of the Workforce Strategies are shown in the tables below.
Workplace Planning and Resourcing
Actions
Responsibility
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
SCP
links
(refer to p.6)
Review employee agreements and
conditions to enable more flexible
use of staff and increase mobility to
different location.
HR
Business Unit
Managers
Monitor service delivery levels/
options to the community and make
appropriate changes to human
resources as required.
Business Unit
Managers
Determine more efficient
administrative process
and commence on process
improvement.
Budget
per
Annum
B1.1;
S1.1;
S2.1
N/A
S2.1
N/A
S2.1
N/A
X
S2.1
N/A
X
X
G2.1
N/A
X
X
X
G2.1
N/A
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
SCP
links
Budget
per
Annum
X
X
X
X
X
Executive
Business Unit
Managers
X
X
X
Review and update workforce
FTEs forecasts and strategies
annually according to service level
requirements specified in the
Corporate Business Plan.
HR
Business Unit
Managers
X
X
X
Improve quality of HR data and
analysis to enhance decision making
of human resources.
HR
X
Identify critical roles as part of
workforce planning process and
develop succession plans.
Identify and develop immediate and
longer term replacement.
Business Unit
Managers
HR
X
X
Structure, Process and Job Design
24
Actions
Responsibility
Determine long term optimal
structure of Business Units to
enhance mobility/flexibility of
workforce.
Executive
Business Unit
Managers
X
X
X
X
S2.1
N/A
Review and update all position
descriptions to clearly define roles
and accountabilities of employees.
HR
Business Unit
Managers
As
required
As
required
As
required
As
required
S2.1
N/A
Attraction and Recruitment
Actions
Responsibility
Monitor labour/workforce demand
and supply data and produce
management information on
skills shortage for distribution to
executive managers and managers
as part of Workforce Planning
process.
HR
Review the City’s attraction
methods and promotional materials.
Proactive management candidate
pool in skills shortage areas.
HR and
external
consultants
Maintain ongoing relationships with
professional bodies/associations/
local community to enhance
“employer of choice” reputation.
HR
Review and improve our Employee
Value Proposition where possible.
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
SCP
links
Budget
per
Annum
X
X
X
G1.1
N/A
X
X
X
X
G1.2
$20,000
X
X
X
X
G1.2
TBA
HR
X
X
X
G1.2
TBA
Develop and deploy recruitment
training for all recruitment panel
members.
HR
Business
Unit Level
employees
X
X
X
G2.1
TBA
Review and improve our online
recruitment system, appropriate use
of social media etc.
HR
X
X
G2.1
$20,000
X
25
Employee Retention, Health and Safety
Actions
Responsibility
2013/2014
2014/2015
Monitor turnover trends and
indicators of external competition
such as remuneration.
HR
As
required
As
required
Review current rewards and
recognition system and recommend
changes to Executive Management
Team.
HR
X
X
Update flexible workforce
arrangements/policies within
the City. Emphasis to be placed
on telecommuting, job sharing
and post retirement employment
arrangements.
HR
Continue with wellness programs
such as cancer screening, physical
health assessment and participation
in City to Surf.
OSH
Ensure the continued improvement
and compliance of the City’s Health
and Safety program and initiatives.
OSH
2015/2016
2016/2017
SCP
links
Budget
per
Annum
G1.2
N/A
X
G1.2
N/A
X
X
G1.2
N/A
X
X
X
X
G1.2
$30,000
X
X
X
X
G1.2
N/A
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
2016/2017
SCP
links
Budget
per
Annum
X
G1.2
$150,000
G1.2
N/A
Leadership Capability and Accountability
26
Actions
Responsibility
Continue to develop and deploy the
Leadership Development Program.
HR and
Executive
Managers
X
X
X
Development and deployment of
the management accountability
framework that will inform manager
and leaders of different levels of
operational accountabilities.
HR and OPD
X
X
X
Performance and Development
Actions
Responsibility
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
Development and deployment of an
Employee Performance framework.
Manager HR,
Executive
Managers
X
X
X
Implement a Learning and
Development framework which
links with and is aligned to the
Employee Performance framework
etc.
HR and all city
staff
X
X
Continue to expand our online
learning capability and align it to
the L&D and Employee Performance
frameworks.
HR
Support the development and
deployment of our Customer Service
program.
Place Division
and HR
X
X
X
X
2016/2017
SCP
links
Budget
per
Annum
G2.1
TBA
G2.1
TBA
G2.1
$21,000
G2.1
$75,000
27
Measuring Our Success
Reporting Schedule
The ultimate measure of success of the Workforce Plan is if
the workforce is able to meet the challenges described in the
report. To ensure the strategies provide the workforce and
infrastructure/systems the City needs, the following schedule
has been developed to track and monitor progress.
Report areas of focus
Reporting schedule
Level of reporting
Audience
Frequency
Generated by
Community Services Perception survey
regarding delivery of SCP
Organisational Level
Employees of the City
Biannually
OPD
Measurement of Business Unit outcomes
Divisional Level
Business Unit Level
Executive Managers
Business Unit
Managers
Annually
OPD
Projected and actual FTE numbers and budgets
as per plans (Workforce and Financial Plans)
Business Unit Level
Executive Managers
Business Unit
Managers
Annually
Finance
HR
Turnover trends for all staff
(overall % and by tenure)
Organisation Level
Divisional Level
Business Unit Level
Executive managers
Business Unit
Managers
Annually
HR
Workforce Profile
(age, gender and CALD)
Organisation Level
Divisional Level
Executive Managers
Annually
HR
Number of Succession Plans completed
Organisation Level
Divisional Level
Executive Managers
Annually
HR
Profile of new recruits by age, gender,
previous employment, source of recruitment
Organisation Level
Divisional Level
Executive Managers
Business Unit
Managers
Annually
HR
Number of leaders who attended
leadership program and feedback
Organisation Level
Divisional Level
Executive Managers
Annually
HR
Number of skills development applications
Divisional Level
Business Unit
Managers
Quarterly
HR
OPD = Organisational Planning and Development Business Unit
HR = Human Resources Business Unit
28
www.swan.wa.gov.au
City of Swan
2 Midland Square Midland
PO Box 196 Midland WA 6936
t (08) 9267 9267
f (08) 9267 9444
COS00611