PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES AND DELIVERY

Transcription

1 PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES AND DELIVERY January 2013

2 Overview Portland Public School District (the District or PPS) contracted with AKT to create a new vision and values for their Human Resources organization. This project includes identifying critical and essential Human Resources services and the appropriate resources and organization structure to create a more responsive and forward looking Human Resources function. This is the first of two reports for the project based on the deliverables as outlined in our contract. This report is an assessment of the current Human Resources organization and our findings and recommendations. It also includes the results of work with focus groups to create the Principles and foundation for redesigning and improving PPS and Human Resources services. The District has now hired the new Chief HR Officer and AKT will continue to work with him during the second portion of this project, the redesign and implementation phase. Background Since 2004 the District has had four Chief HR Officers and on two occasions had interim Chief HR Officers to fill the position. The relatively frequent change in leadership means that: Many initiatives have been started while few have been fully completed The direction and focus has shifted frequently Roles and responsibilities have become blurred from multiple reorganizations Relationships with stakeholders and community have become more focused on short term gains than long term vision Inconsistency in practices and processes has created a confused and reactive organization Year after year budget cuts have increased the impact of leadership changes and decreased the ability of the Human Resources to be proactive and responsive in its service delivery. Methodology In June 2012, AKT held meetings with work groups within Human Resources and later with other employees of the district. In all, we met with more than 20 Human Resources employees inside six work groups. The challenges identified in discussions with those providing services are frequently different from those identified by the individuals or the groups receiving the services. To gain a broader perspective, we also met with seven stakeholder and community groups and with a representative group of school Principals and Regional Administrators. Project Charter and Goals Participants: In September 2012, AKT convened two focus group sessions with more than 30 participants in each session. The participants included Human Resources employees, employees of the District, and stakeholders including labor representatives and community members. The members were tasked with the following roles and responsibilities: Attend two 2 to 3 hour meetings Bring forward ideas about what would make a great Human Resources system Represent their group while working toward the shared goal of improving Human Resources service delivery Be open to new ways of thinking about Human Resources and be ready to embrace and champion the change Speak up and be willing to listen to others 1

3 Problem Statement and Issues: The focus groups identified the following issues and concerns within Human Resources and to its external customers: Contracts and Human Resources practices do not support the District s changing business needs Much of Human Resources work is transactional and is not strategic Human Resources individual work units perform their work well, but there is a lack of integration between work units Human Resources policies, processes, rules and protocols are not centrally maintained, current or easily accessible Decision making and problem solving protocols are not clearly established or used as Human Resources tools Competing internal and external priorities make it difficult for Human Resources to be proactive Human Resources has not developed communication protocols that provide timely and consistent responses The lack of comprehensive Human Resources policies, strategies and practices has resulted in inequity between various District employee groups Goals: The project goals are to create a Human Resources organization that is nimble and consistent and that delivers the services and programs necessary to assist the District in meeting its mission and goals. From these broad statements, it is the intent of this project to craft specific recommendations with actionable and measureable steps to ensure the success of Human Resources. Project Approach: In this report, we refer to a Human Resources System (HRS) as the people, processes, policies, protocols, models and software that support the District s investment in its human capital. A Human Resources System goes beyond the traditional role of enforcing and regulating Human Resources policies and includes the business needs of its users in the philosophy of the organization. The recommendations that follow will assist the District in creating a strategic Human Resources System. For this project, AKT approached the development of its recommendations from two perspectives: Findings Principles Foundation Elements Recommendations 1. Principles that will create a nimble, responsive and effective Human Resources System 2. Foundation Elements that guide the redesign of the Human Resources System The findings from AKT s interviews and focus groups form the basis for the Principles. The Principles underlie the Foundation Elements. Both Principles and Foundation Elements are embodied in AKT s recommendations. 2

4 Findings From our various meetings with Human Resources and with their internal and external stakeholders, we analyzed what is and what is not working. We used a series of interview questions for each type of group we met with (see Appendix A). Findings Throughout the district, Human Resources staff are recognized as being dedicated to doing the best possible job with limited resources and with significant workloads. It is commonly understood that increasing workloads and decreasing staff due to budget cuts coupled with changes with each shift in leadership has impacted Human Resources ability to meet demands for its services. However Human Resources customers and stakeholders identified the following major issues and gaps in the services: Management and Labor Relations Contractual labor agreements are not jointly owned District personnel have not been trained to manage the contracts Personnel sometimes bind the District through their actions when responding to grievances Provisions in labor contracts have been retained through the years, making it difficult to adapt to changing conditions Relationships between management and labor is not collaborative Compression in the compensation structure is impacting the District s ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees Services Critical Human Resources functions are not routinely performed and there are insufficient or no staff assigned to these tasks: o Training o Policy and administrative rules o Compensation and classification o Equity and Diversity Human Resources is currently focused on compliance and is unable to adequately balance its regulatory and customer service roles HRIS does not have the necessary modules and resources to adequately support all Human Resources functions Models and Protocols There is not a common problem solving model that provides guidance to resolve issues There is not a decision making model that identifies how decisions are made, who makes decisions and at what level Human Resources does not have adequate communication processes that ensure customers and clients receive timely responses and information Roles and responsibilities Roles and responsibilities between various Human Resources work groups are not clearly defined Inconsistency in responses to queries and issues is prevalent in all Human Resources work groups There is not a clear understanding of the difference between serving customers and clients as defined in Appendix B 3

5 Principles and Foundation Elements The Principles and Foundation Elements below offer a progressive and effective process to provide high quality Human Resources services that support the District s goal to be a single employer and an employer of choice. Each of the recommendations support one or more of the Principles developed in collaboration with the focus groups. These Principles will help the current Human Resources organization become a nimble and responsive Human Resources System as it achieves each of the Foundation Elements. Foundation Elements are the consecutive steps the Human Resources organization will progress through as it becomes an effective Human Resources System. Principles for a Nimble, Responsive and Effective Human Resources System (HRS) The following list of Principles for Human Resources System is the result of interviews, focus group sessions, and AKT s experience with other Human Resources organizations. These Principles address relationships, communication and the structure necessary to support a continually improving organization. The recommendations that follow support the accomplishment of each of these 12 Principles. 1. Human Resources is owned and embraced by the entire organization and its central role is recognized and valued. The District must use Human Resources as a strategic partner to achieve its goals. The District s reliance on Human Resources System enables it to make the best use of its investment in human capital. 2. Human Resources values all District employees and recognizes that the employees are critical in meeting the District s mission. The Human Resources System understands its role within the larger context of the organization s mission. Implemented policies and procedures help District employees provide the highest quality education and personal growth of students. This includes employees directly serving students and those supporting the District such as IT, facilities and transportation. 3. Human Resources plays an active and critical role in assuring that the District meets its Equity commitment. The Human Resources System recognizes its role in assisting the District to manage Equity initiatives and strategies through appropriate and targeted recruitment, hiring, placement, training and compensation policies. The District s ability to successfully meet its commitment is dependent on the practices and policies of the Human Resources System. 4. The Chief HR Officer is the single exclusive bargaining agent and the only person that can bind the District. Principles The Chief HR Officer has the fiduciary responsibility for the whole District and has the experience to understand the short and long term impact of bargaining agreements. All employees of the District are trained to recognize how and when their actions may inadvertently bind the District and thereby create precedents. 4

6 5. Human Resources implements systems and processes that support the organization in meeting its business and personnel needs. The Human Resources System processes are well understood and vetted in the organization and help increase employee efficiency. Wasted effort is reduced or eliminated and employees are able to maximize their effectiveness. 6. Human Resources develop equitable compensation and benefit policies and plans so the District can attract and retain the talent necessary to meet its mission. Using a commonly understood and applied system of compensation, classification and benefit policies provides the basis for Human Resources to assist the District in attracting and retaining high quality employees. Human Resources can respond to pressure from varying sources, including bargaining units and budget cuts, with policies that ensure the needs of the District are met in a way that respects and values employee contribution. 7. Human Resources consistently maintain and communicate a comprehensive list of services and responsibilities. A comprehensive list of Human Resources services and responsibilities will instruct the District in how to use its Human Resources System. This list must be centrally located, up-to-date, contain policies and rules and must be accessible by all District employees. 8. Human Resources train managers and employees on how to use its services and programs. Training will increase the ability of the Human Resources System to leverage its efforts. Trained employees know how to use the Human Resources systems, how to manage within the Human Resources rules and policies designed to support their work, and how and when to ask for help from Human Resources staff. 9. Human Resources assure performance management systems help managers and employees set and accomplish goals and hold them accountable for assigned responsibilities. Performance management systems provide managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively motivate and assess employee performance. Human Resources track and monitor the evaluation process to help the District ensure that staff are evaluated timely and consistently. 10. Human Resources utilize a consistent decision making model, a problem solving model, and communication protocols that result in effective and transparent management. The Human Resources System has processes and models that provide a consistent outcome. Standardized communication protocols are critical and foster trust throughout the organization. 11. Human Resources provide and are accountable for consistent and effective client and customer services. The Human Resources System develops and implements tools and processes that are designed to address client and customer issues. A Human Resources System holds itself accountable for the delivery of its services. 5

7 12. Human Resources administrative rules are current and easily accessible to internal and external customers and clients. From a single, current set of rules, all employees can have clear information concerning their roles, their employment, and what is expected and required from them by their employer. Foundation Elements for Designing the New Human Resources System The Foundation Elements begin with the basic components of a Human Resources organization and progress through the stages necessary to become a successful Human Resources System. Each of the Principles discussed above support the achievement of one or more Foundation Elements. Foundation Elements The 12 Foundation Elements in the diagram on page 8 are designed to systematically build and support the evolution to a Human Resources System. Each Element must have some measure of success before the next Element can be achieved. SYSTEM LEGITIMACY: The first three Elements are fundamental to changing the way Human Resources System is viewed by both those who provide and those who receive Human Resources services. They speak to the basic recognition of what a Human Resources System is as well as the impact that everyone within the District has on the system. These most basic Elements are infused into the District through dependable communication protocols and training. A. All District employees and Labor partners recognize their impact on the Human Resources System and their role within B. The Human Resources System will be clearly defined and legitimized C. Human Resources ensure that all District personnel are trained to use the Human Resources System appropriately COMMUNICATION TOOLS: The next group of Elements supports a more uniform understanding of internal and external roles and responsibilities and requires a commitment from the Human Resources System, the Districts, and its stakeholders to work collaboratively toward improving relationships and increasing the trust and respect between the groups. They also speak to the joint ownership of pivotal agreements. D. Human Resources adopts and consistently utilizes clear communication protocols E. Clients and customers are committed to following Human Resources policies, procedures and processes SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES: The next four Elements begin to refine how the Human Resources System will use guiding protocols and models to resolve issues and perform its daily tasks. Joint ownership of contracts will provide opportunities for collaboration with Labor. At this stage in the evolution, efficiency and effectiveness gains begin to make a marked difference in the delivery of services. The Human Resources System now has the capacity to communicate with and differentiate between how it responds to customers and clients. F. Human Resources will promote mutual use of Joint Labor Agreements to collaboratively resolve issues G. Human Resources designs policies and processes that actively support achievement of Equity goals H. Human Resources designs and consistently uses common problem solving models I. Human Resources develops and implements decision making protocols with clearly defined roles 6

8 STREAMLINED SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES: The fourth group of Elements supports the District as a single employer with a set of uniformly adopted Principles. Those Principles include the efficient delivery of services and renewed trust in the organization through consistent and transparent responses. The Human Resources System has the IT systems necessary to support their work. J. Human Resources clearly defines roles, responsibilities and accountability for its processes K. Human Resources Information systems support efficient processes FULLY EVOLVED SYSTEM: When all the other Foundation Elements have been substantially achieved the Human Resources System will have designed and will be providing services and programs that assist the District in meeting its mission and goals. L. Human Resources System ensures the District functions as a single employer and an employer of choice 7

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10 Recommendations The recommendations below will assist PPS in achieving and sustaining a successful Human Resources System. The employees of the District, its stakeholders and the community will benefit from an organization capable of maintaining its vision. The recommendations provided are designed to be practical and impactful. At the conclusion of this report, we provide a roadmap for the next steps in this project. Recommen- dations Our recommendations are grouped into two categories: Structural recommendations overarching changes in the Human Resources System structure Operational recommendations more specific recommendations related to the day to day activities of Human Resources Structural recommendations: Recommendation #1: The Superintendent and the Board must ensure that the authority of the Chief HR Officer is recognized. This position creates and implements a strategic and forward thinking Human Resources System that can support the present and future needs of the District. The Chief HR Officer is also the exclusive bargaining agent for the District. All levels of leadership within PPS and labor organizations must acknowledge and value this authority. Impact: The Chief HR Officer can create and sustain an efficient and effective Human Resources System that serves its internal and external users. PPS managers, staff and Labor groups understand that all contracts, administrative rules and policies, and grievance resolutions must be approved and signed by the Chief HR Officer. Unilateral decision making is also eliminated. Supporting Principles: 1, 4 Recommendation #2: Create overarching policies that guide the outcomes of the Human Resources System and administer progressive, consistent and effective Human Resources practices. Impact: Users understand Human Resources function, purpose, role and authority and that PPS is a single employer. Functioning as a single employer decreases the cost of doing business and increases the effectiveness of the workforce. Human Resources can partner with its users to proactively build a system of responsive services. Supporting Principles: 2, 3, 5, 10, 11 Operational recommendations: Recommendation #3: Create and implement decision making and problem solving models. Train and implement the models at all levels of the organizations. Impact: Customers and clients can reach agreement with Human Resources on the problem definition and approach. Thorough vetting of ideas and solutions bring opportunities for understanding and agreement. Roles and responsibilities are defined by the models which provide a greater degree of accountability and trust. Supporting Principles: 5, 8, 10, 11 Recommendation #4: Organize work units to create a customer focused model for service delivery. Train Human Resources staff in the principles of customer and client relationship management. Develop a mutual understanding of the roles and responsibilities of Human Resources and its users and a process to measure performance against expectations. Impact: Human Resources staff will know the business needs of their users. Human Resources professionals will have the knowledge and training to strategically address current and future needs of the District. Supporting Principles: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 9

11 Recommendations #5: Invest in the District s commitment to Equity by expanding the expectations and resources necessary to achieve it. Apply the equity lens to all Human Resources functions by expanding their roles and responsibilities in the following areas: Recruitments Contract negotiations Classification and compensation Promotions and placements Benefits Training Diversity Tracking and monitoring Impact: A diverse workforce will effectively support the community it serves. The District s Equity commitment will be demonstrated through action and dedication of resources rather than messaging. Measuring the success of the investment will ensure an ongoing commitment. Supporting Principles: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 11 Recommendation #6: Create communication protocols that are timely, reliable and meaningful to users. Develop protocols that distinguish between clients and customers of the system and respond appropriately. Impact: Communication is the most effective tool Human Resources has to effectively work with customers and clients. Users of Human Resources System develop trust when they receive a consistent response within the same timeframe regardless of who they call. Supporting Principles: 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 Recommendation #7: Create an overarching compensation philosophy and guiding principles on how compensation decisions will be made and enforced. Create a classification and compensation system that will support all employees of the District. Design protocols that can be implemented regardless of current economic conditions. The protocols will allow and sustain equitable compensation and benefits across represented and nonrepresented employee groups. Develop a compensation policy and structure approved by the Board. Develop a classification system that will support the compensation structure, pay practices and improve how jobs are reviewed and measured. Impact: A strategic approach to compensation and classification combined with a progressive training unit will move the District away from its currently compressed structure. Collaboratively working with managers and labor will create a system that rewards and retains high quality employees. Supporting Principles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Recommendation #8: Commit to improving the relationships with Labor and the District s stakeholders. Provide more opportunities for collaboration and joint problem-solving. Impact: A relationship of genuine trust and cooperation creates an environment to achieve the mission and goals of the District. Working collaboratively to improve relationships decreases the time it takes to resolve grievances, improves communication between groups, and increases the equity of the outcomes. Supporting Principles: 2, 4, 6, 8 Recommendation #9: Design a comprehensive workforce training system that includes a District-wide needs assessment and gap analysis. The training system must track and trend training and identify remedial or improvement needs. Develop and require training for all employees in areas such as equity, cultural competency, conflict resolution, contract management and how to use the Human Resources System. 10

12 Impact: Leveraging the investment in people will improve the skill sets, growth and development of each employee beyond improving performance in current positions including: Developing staff to meet current and future needs of the organization Using training to instill organizational culture Preparing a workforce to build the next generation of leadership Tracking and reporting results Supporting Principles: 2, 3, 8, 9 Recommendation #10: Develop staffing impact requirements through short and long term vacancy projections. Proactively work with Superintendent and Regional Administrators to identify shifts in the types of skills that will be needed to accommodate the changing education focus. Establish guidelines for filling vacancies externally and internally. Impact: When Human Resources works collaboratively with those it serves, it mitigates predictable events such as retirement and changing skill needs. Replacement policies that support internal promotions help retain high quality employees. Supporting Principles: 3, 5, 6, 9 Recommendation #11: Create a central repository of rules, policies and procedures that is easily accessible by all District employees. Annually review and update them to respond to changing conditions. Partner with labor to create agreements that do not have redundant, outdated and conflicting provisions. Impact: Centralized documents will provide a single source of information and reduce inconsistencies. The repository will be a transparent reference for both Human Resources and its clients. Supporting Principles: 5, 7, 12 Roadmap Implementing these recommendations will impact the entire organization at a fundamental and cultural level. Change is a process, not an event. It requires a long term commitment and investment from the District. The Superintendent must begin the process by: Supporting a District wide commitment to the change and demonstrating that commitment through the allocation of time and resources Requiring leadership at all levels to champion the effort Working with Human Resources as it defines the steps and impacts of change and providing the necessary support Holding Human Resources accountable for implementing the recommendations and measuring the improvement The Chief HR Officer must begin the process by: Embracing and supporting change Reorganizing existing resources to achieve these recommendations Developing clear action steps required for successful implementation Measuring the impact of the recommendations Holding all members of Human Resources accountable for sustaining the change effort In the next phase of this project, AKT and the new Chief HR Officer will review organization, its tasks and staffing. AKT will develop high level descriptions of roles and responsibilities necessary to support the recommendations and suggest necessary shifts in the Human Resources structure. 11

13 APPENDIX A INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Questionnaires were tailored to each group based on their use of Human Resources. The primary intent of these questions was to guide conversations and encourage discussion. Not all questions were directly asked or answered in all sessions. For HRIS and Legal, the General set of questions was used in addition to the specific questionnaire. General HRIS Legal RAs Principals Labor Community General Internal 1) How do you define "customer? How do you define "client? What are the differences in service needs for customers vs. clients? a. How does this function within your regular work? b. What services do you provide when you think you have a customer? A client? General c. How can your work change to increase the effectiveness of the way your role interfaces with the customer? With the client? d. What kind of support from others in the HR function would help you improve interactions? Who do you see as your internal customers and how effectively do you work together? 2) What do you think your role as an HR professional is? How does that align with how you think your organization has been defined? Is there a clean definition of what your role is; is that what the practice reflects? How would you go about shifting your work to better align with your view of an HR professional? 3) Are there appropriate systems and processes in place that allow you to perform your work? a. Do you have the necessary training to do your work? If not, what would change if you received such training? b. Have you received training in the policies, practices and regulations that guide the HR function? c. Does your work environment promote and support this? 4) Do you have a consistent problem solving model within your work group? Does everyone know what it is? Does everyone practice it regularly? a. How does it support PPS's mission/vision/values? b. How does it support HR's mission/vision/values? c. If there is no problem solving model that you are aware of, what would you include in the design of one? d. If there is a problem solving model, do you think it could be improved? How? 5) How are exceptions to standard processes made and tracked? How should they be made? Who should be involved and how should the exceptions be communicated? 6) Do you feel you are held accountable for decisions and results? By whom? a. If not, who should be holding you responsible? If so, is that relationship supporting your effectiveness as an HR professional? A P P E N DIX A A - 1

14 b. If not, how should they be holding you responsible? If so, is the mechanism producing consistently positive results? c. If not, how will that change support HR's mission/vision/values? d. How should the organization change? How should you change? 7) How does HR effectively communicate internally and externally? a. To you from outside HR? b. To you from inside HR? c. From you to customers or clients? d. From you to co-workers? e. For each combination, do you see increasing effective communication to be a value-add to HR and its stakeholders? Why? HRIS A. Do the HR professionals receive (or have access to) the information they need? Is the data they need in the system? B. How does the HR organization communicate its needs to you? C. What processes do you use to keep the system ready to meet the needs of HR? HRIS Legal Legal A. How is training throughout the organization being performed in the areas of grievance response and adjustments, contract interpretation, bargaining, discipline issues, employee communications/ employee relations? B. How is monitoring and reporting on actions taken on issues being recorded? Being shared? Who is it shared with? C. Is there a single accessible repository of HR admin rules - other than contracts? How is this location communicated? Who is it shared with? With whom should it be shared and why? D. Do you believe that legal mostly has the reactive role? Should it be more preventive in focus? What would you do to make that shift? E. Who has the final decision making authority with regard to principals, union, regulations and admin rules? Is that authority commonly recognized? Is the final decision maker the appropriate person/position? Have they received the training they need to perform the function well? Regional Administrators 1) Do you believe that HR's role has been clearly defined? 2) What do you think is the function of HR? 3) Do you view HR as a collaborative strategic partner? 4) What role does HR play in assisting you in accomplishing District's mission and individual schools' strategic goals? 5) When interacting with HR, do you see yourself as a client or a customer, or both? What do you see as the differences between these two roles? RAs A P P E N DIX A A - 2

15 6) Do you have clear knowledge of HR policies and procedures? 7) Do you believe you have had adequate training on HR policies and procedures? 8) Do you believe that the various labor contracts are in alignment with the mission of the District "To support all students in achieving their very highest educational and personal potential...? If not, what changes are needed? 9) How do you use the various labor agreements that cover District employees as a management tool? 10) Do you believe you have had adequate training on the various labor agreements? 11) Who is accountable for HR decisions relating to contract interpretation, grievance adjustments, and performance management? 12) Who do you believe has the authority to bind the District and set contractual precedence? 13) Do you believe that there are adequate HR policies and procedures in place to assist you in your role? 14) Are HR policies and procedures easily accessible to you? 15) What impact do you have on HR's ability to strategically function for the District? 16) Do you believe that the District has a consistent problem solving model? 17) Do you believe that the District has clear communication protocols? 18) Do you believe that the District has clear and consistent decision making protocols regarding HR practices? 19) How do you hold your principals accountable for strategically working with HR to follow policies, procedures and timelines as they relate to hiring, performance management, contract management, grievance adjustments, etc.? 20) What changes would make the HR system work better? What do you believe your role is in making these changes? Principals Principals 1) Do you believe that HR's role has been clearly defined? 2) What do you think is the function of HR? 3) Do you view HR as a collaborative strategic partner? 4) What role does HR play in assisting you in accomplishing the District's mission and individual schools' strategic goals? 5) When interacting with HR, do you see yourself as a client or a customer, or both? What do you see as the differences between these two roles? 6) Do you have clear knowledge of HR policies and procedures? 7) Do you believe you have had adequate training on HR policies and procedures? 8) Do you believe that the various labor contracts are in alignment with the mission of the District "To support all students in achieving their very highest educational and personal potential..."? If not, what changes are needed? 9) How do you use the various labor agreements that cover District employees as a management tool? 10) Do you believe you have had adequate training on the various labor agreements? A P P E N DIX A A - 3

16 11) Who is accountable for HR decisions relating to contract interpretation, grievance adjustments, and performance management? 12) Who do you believe has the authority to bind the District and set contractual precedence? 13) Do you believe that there are adequate HR policies and procedures in place to assist you in your role? 14) Are HR policies and procedures easily accessible to you? 15) What impact do you have on HR's ability to strategically function for the District? 16) Do you believe that the District has a consistent problem solving model? 17) Do you believe that the District has clear communication protocols? 18) Do you believe that the District has clear and consistent decision making protocols regarding HR practices? 19) What changes would make the HR system work better? What do you believe your role is in making these changes? Labor Representatives 1) Do you believe that HR's role has been clearly defined? 2) What do you think is the function of HR? 3) Do you view HR as a collaborative strategic partner? 4) What role does HR play in accomplishing District's mission and individual schools' strategic goals? 5) Do you believe the District has clear and consistent HR policies and procedures? 6) Do you believe that labor agreements are understood and managed consistently by the District? Labor 7) Do you believe the District has adequate training on HR policies and procedures and labor agreements? 8) Who is accountable for HR decisions relating to contract interpretation, grievance adjustments, and performance management? 9) Who do you believe has the authority to bind the District and set contractual precedence? 10) Are HR policies and procedures easily accessible to you? 11) What impact do you have on HR's ability to strategically function for the District? 12) Do you believe that the District has a consistent problem solving model? 13) Do you believe that the District has clear communication protocols? 14) Do you believe that the District has clear and consistent decision making protocols regarding HR practices? 15) What changes would make the HR system work better? What do you believe your role is in making these changes? 16) What is your level of trust with the District / HR? A P P E N DIX A A - 4

17 Community 1) Do you believe that HR's role has been clearly defined? Community 2) What do you think is the function of HR? 3) What role does HR play in accomplishing district and individual school strategic goals? 4) Do you believe the District has clear and consistent HR policies and procedures? 5) Do you believe that labor agreements are understood and managed consistently by the District? 6) Do you believe the District has adequate training on HR policies and procedures, and labor agreements? 7) Who is accountable for HR decisions relating to contract interpretation, grievance adjustments, and performance management? 8) Are HR policies and procedures easily accessible to you? 9) Do you believe that the District has a consistent problem solving model? 10) Do you believe that the District has clear communication protocols? 11) Do you believe that the District has clear and consistent decision making protocols regarding HR practices? 12) What changes would make the HR system work better? What do you believe your role is in making these changes? 13) What is your level of trust with the District / HR? 14) Do you feel that the District hiring practices are consistent and adequate to attract candidates that are representative of students and the communities in which they are hired to serve? 15) Do you feel that you have adequate input in the hiring process? 16) Do you have an understanding of the District hiring criteria and practices? 17) Do you believe that there are performance measurement tools in place to evaluate District personnel, including teachers and administrators? 18) Does the District hold regional administrators and principals accountable for personnel management, e.g. hiring, evaluation, counseling, and discipline, etc.? 19) Do you believe that the various labor contracts are in alignment with mission of the District "To support all students in achieving their very highest educational and personal potential...? If not, what changes are needed? 20) Do HR policies and procedures assist the District in managing personnel costs? A P P E N DIX A A - 5

18 APPENDIX B CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS The important differences between the roles of customer and client are provided in the table below. Service providers are better able to hold productive conversations and respond appropriately when they are able to correctly distinguish between customer and client roles. CLIENTS When users seek HR services in the client role, HR is the decision maker. The client must follow HR's direction to prevent putting the District at risk. HR provides comprehensive advice to clients on the course of action that must be followed. When the interaction involves technical or regulatory issues, such as OFLA, FMLA, BOLI, or a Labor Agreement, the user is in the client role. CUSTOMERS When users seek HR services in the customer role, the user is the decision maker. HR will work with the customer, providing information, options, and recommendations. In interactions involving recruitment, training, employee performance management, staffing structure, etc., users are generally in a customer role. IMPACT Service delivery is transparent and effective when HR staff and its users identify service requests as either client or customer interactions. Clear mutual expectations promote understanding, confidence and trust of the HR system. A P P E N DIX B B - 1