SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERIVCE JOB DESCRIPTION 1. JOB IDENTIFICATION JOB TITLE Regional Planning Manager JOB DESCRIPTION REFERENCE MLPR531 DEPARTMENT National NO OF JOB HOLDERS 2 DATE JOB DESCRPTION AGREED Notes Terminology in job descriptions may change over time. This does not invalidate the job description and is only required to be updated when the entire job description is under review Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 1
2. JOB PURPOSE The postholder will provide regional planning and performance management oversight to the Service, ensuring that these functions are effectively integrated and aligned within the corporate management processes, and co-ordinated across Service, Financial and Workforce planning to support modern, integrated healthcare and inter-agency working to improve health and social care services for people and communities. The postholder will play a key role in the production of the Service s Local Delivery Plan for Scottish Government, liaising with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure coherence between the Service s strategic plans and those of territorial Health Boards, national Health Boards including NHS 24, and Health and Social Care Partnerships. In addition, the postholder will lead the development of the Scottish Ambulance Service s strategic plans on a regional basis, providing leadership and direction to operational management teams. 3. DIMENSIONS The postholder is expected to lead and support regional planning for the Scottish Ambulance Service, and will be expected to do so whilst exercising a significant degree of autonomy and personal judgment to make decisions on behalf of the Service. This post will report directly to the Head of Strategic Planning. The post will have no formal budget responsibility but will be expected to provide predictive information and advise on spending decisions of various parts of the Service, with the aim of enabling the achievement of strategic goals. A principle part of the role involves supporting the Regional Directors of the Service to develop joint working with key strategic partners external to the organisation e.g. Integrated Joint Boards, NHS Boards, voluntary sector and others The postholder will be expected to establish and nurture effective partnership working to deliver the organisational strategy. The postholder will be represent the service at Scotlands 3 regional planning forums, and will be expected to make commitments on behalf of the Service to take forward regional working, whilst ensuring that these are followed through. As such, the postholder will work closely with SAS Executives, the Regional Directors, Senior Managers and a variety of departments and directorates within Scottish Ambulance Service, e.g.: National Operational Management Team, National Senior Management Team and the Operating Divisional Management Teams and their equivalents within partner agencies to influence a range of decisions across the Service through planning and performance development activity. Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 2
4. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION (organisational charts can be included as an appendix if preferred) 5. MAIN TASKS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Develop the Board s regional and national plans and implementation plans in partnership with key stakeholders particularly the SASS Regional directors to ensure that the Service fully contributes to delivering the Scottish Governments vision and priorities. Specifically: a. Develop the Board s annual Local Delivery Plan; b. Develop the Scottish delivery plans; Ambulance Service s contribution to health & social care regional c. Provide a framework for the development, maintenance and continuous improvement of Scottish Ambulance Service Regional / Divisional Plans; d. Support, and where equired lead, the review of the organisation s existing strategic aims; e. Support, and where required lead, the development of the organisation s future strategic plans. Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 3
2. Enable the effective delivery of the Service strategy through developing corporate and regional planning arrangements, programme management structures, and strategic change management arrangements. 3. Responsible for further developing the major corporate planning platforms, including reviewing progress against the current Strategy; development and maintenance of a regional planning cycle and including a priority matrix; development of Service-wide policies and new ways of working; and development of prioritisation and escalation processes. 4. Develop and maintain an evidence-based framework to measure improvements against national priorities, and lead the development of planning systems to ensure coherence with national priorities and local issues. Identify priority areas for action and drive policy development to address these in short, medium and long-term. 5. Undertake horizon-scanning to identify policy issues which require planning solutions and performance development thereafter. 6. Prepare the Scottish Ambulance Service s response to national consultations on Health and Social Care, prior to approval by the Executive Team, as directed by the Head of Strategic Planning. 7. Work with Business Intelligence Team and Strategy Implementation & Quality Improvement Team to underpin an evidence-based approach to planning, prioritisation and the measurement of improvement. 8. Work with Regional Directors, Heads of Service and Business Change Managers to provide data and information relating to matters of regional development, planning, performance and policy to inform Regional and Operational Management Teams. 9. In preparation for annual and regional performance reviews, ensure the Executive Team are fully prepared and briefed on matters of planning, performance and policy, and to act as a conduit between the Service and Scottish Government Health Directorates. 10. Working across the whole service, ensure that change projects are aligned to Service priorities; have focused, measurable aims; are fully costed; and have articulated clearly the proposed aim, benefits and risks. 11. Support the Director of Care Quality and Strategic Development and the wider Executive Team through developing tailored briefings and papers for the Executive Team, Board, Scottish Government and other Health and Social Care partners as required. 12. Occasional responsibility for management of staff in the course of manging projects related to Service strategic priorities. This will include planning, coordination and recruitment of individuals to project teams, many of whom will be more senior than the postholder in the organisational hierarchy. The postholder will be expected to direct, lead, manage, influence and develop these teams according to the needs of the project. 13. Providing support to the Head of Strategic Planning as required. Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 4
6 EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY 1. Long periods on Computers, VDU s. Daily access to MS packages and writing of reports is required. 2. Use of presentation aids such as laptop, projector, Microsoft PowerPoint, group sessions and activity work, flip charts, handouts, tests, evaluation forms, certificates. 3. Long periods of driving throughout Scotland and the wider UK to attend meetings and conferences. 7. SYSTEMS 1. Required to analyse data from Scottish Ambulance Service systems e.g. Business Objects, Tableau, Optima Predict for the production of reports and development of business cases, stage reviews, phase reviews, benefits realisation etc. as required. 2. Use of computer and printer equipment on a daily basis; use of projector, photocopier / scanner. 3. All Microsoft Office packages including Microsoft Project and Microsoft Visio. 8. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS 1. Objectives are agreed with the Head of Strategic Planning. There is a high level of freedom to act and the jobholder will work with the regional Directors to co produce the Service s development plans. 2. Externally, the jobholder is the Service s focal point for regional change programme matters and is required to deal with a number of stakeholders including MSP inquiries, Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS and local authority heads of leads, voluntary organisations at a senior level, and take forward development of joint negotiations and planning as it applies to their specific region, or nationally as delegated by the Head of Strategic Planning. 3. The postholder will receive Information and identify conflicting priorities and competing interests from throughout the National Health Service and the wider public sector. It will require a logical decision making process to highlight comparisons, judgements, and a range of options on new ways of working and innovative practice. 4. The postholder will interpret government policy, identifying the implications for the Scottish Ambulance Service and ensuring that these are considered for planning and forecasting purposes across a number of years. Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 5
5. The postholder will be expected to routinely make decisions independently which may involve highly complex facts / situations, and will require the postholder to weigh conflicting points of view to arrive at a decision. 6. The postholder will be expected to use his/her judgement to assess risks to the Scottish Ambulance Service, its patients and the wider Health and Social Care sector and manage solutions safely. 9. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS 1. Direct interface with: SAS Board Members, Executive Directors, General Managers, Heads of Service and Heads of Departments; Other Service managers, operational crews and ACC staff; Senior staff of Health Boards; Chairs of Local Health Councils; Chief Officers of Integrated Joint Boards Senior Staff within Health and Social Care Partnerships; MSPs / MPs; Patients and members of the public; Local authority representatives; GPs and lead clinicians ; Trade unions / staff representatives; Voluntary and independent sector providers; Other ambulance services both in the U.K. and abroad. The postholder is expected to communicate sensitive and highly complex information about service developments and business decisions that may have far-reaching implications, and may often be met with hostility by any of the above groups. Significant tact and negotiating skills are therefore paramount. 2. Must consult widely on national objectives with all stakeholders, including persuading and negotiating with heads of service and general managers on project deliverables and on wider changes necessary. This requires significant tact and diplomacy as postholder has no line management responsibility for heads of service, but do have executive accountability for delivering the strategic programme vision. 3. The postholder will have to be able to negotiate, persuade and empathise exhibiting professionalism at all times with colleagues in partner agencies when sharing a joint workload. 4. The postholder will be expected to represent the Service in establishing and nurturing key strategic relationship with regional planning groups, NHS Boards and relevant agencies and organisations at a senior level. 5. Presentations are frequently made to external groups, including members of the public, and these groups can often challenge ways of working either in practice, or proposed. This requires significant negotiation skills. Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 6
10. PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB 1. Required to make complex decisions, based on a wide range of options, mainly at a strategic level, but with impact at operational levels to be judged as well. 2. Required to make judgments on detailed documentation, such as Scottish Government policy guidance and advise vertically on Scottish Ambulance Service s impact (advice to directors and to operational managers). 3. Driving for significant distances is often needed. Meetings across Scotland are required. 4. Keyboard skills of a high standard are required. Use of common Microsoft, and Scottish Ambulance Service systems are necessary. Material output must be of a high standard, as documentation is often used at Board level, both internally and externally. It must also be accurate as it will often be challenged, as improvements will take place as a consequence of these outputs. 5. Frequent, prolonged concentration on detailed and complex documents and data sources is required. 6. Interaction at all levels of the Service and in the wider NHS and beyond is necessary. Frequent meetings, presentations and explanations of service improvements / innovations, with the ability to interpret feedback quickly is made with groups ranging from Chief Executive to user level. The ability to translate concepts into reality is therefore paramount. 11. MOST CHALLENGING / DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB 1. Balancing strategic planning and improvement effort between tackling national priorities and addressing local issues, often with conflicting information and opinions as to the best way forward. 2. Undertaking planning activity that spans several years, and involves a high degree of uncertainty and will have implications across the entirety of the Scottish Ambulance Service and the wider Health and Social Care Sector regionally and nationally. 3. Ensuring the Executive Team, Chief Executive, Chair Board and Directors have robust and useful management information to support the delivery of their corporate governance functions. 4. As the postholder does not have line management responsibility for project teams, significant negotiation skills are required to ensure that Strategic Change Programme deliverables are met. 5. A great deal of conceptual thinking is required to look at new ways of working, which must be able to be carried out operationally, while fitting the strategic context, which in itself is a challenge. The postholder will require to be innovative and creative in working with partners and communities to develop solutions and ensuring these are affordable and sustainable. Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 7
12. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB 1. Educated to postgraduate level in an appropriate subject or equivalent in qualifications / experience. 2. Evidence of ongoing continuous professional development. 3. A highly developed knowledge of Scottish Ambulance Service plans, policies and procedures. 4. Knowledge of Scottish Ambulance Service and wider health and social care data, and the ability to analyse and interpret large volumes of complex, and often conflicting facts to shape the direction of the Service. 5. A highly developed knowledge of wider Scottish Health and Social Care plans, policy developments and procedures, with the ability to analyse, process and communicate this in context for the Scottish Ambulance Service. 6. Experience within a senior planning, change management or improvement role within the NHS / public sector. 7. Experience of developing structures and systems to support the attainment of organisational goals across a long-term period, i.e.: 5 years or more. 8. Evidence of successful change management and service improvement work. 9. Evidence of Project and Programme Management expertise and experience. 10. Experience of building, maintaining and utilising partnerships internally and externally across a range of organisations to support the attainment of organisational and wider goals across a long-term period. 11. Evidence of multi-disciplinary working across agencies to develop whole systems policies and procedures. 12. Knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation procedures. 13. A proven track record in delivering and the ability to find creative and innovative solutions to meet organisational requirements. 14. Experience of interpreting national policy and successful implementation. 15. Excellent communication skills and an ability to relate at all levels within the organisation. 16. Ability to work autonomously and pro-actively in all aspects of the role. 17. The ability to manage own workload and prioritise conflicting demands. 13. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 8
Job Holder s Signature: Head of Department Signature: Date Date Strategic Planning Manager March 2017 9