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The application of the local government Senior Management Job Evaluation Scheme
Background
The Senior Manager Job Evaluation (JE) Scheme was developed by Local Government Association (LGA) for local authorities who wish to undertake job ranking and pay and grading reviews for their senior managers.
The scheme is intended to apply to all senior managers, including the chief executive, whose pay and grading is determined with reference to the JNC Conditions of Service for Chief Officers and Chief Executives.
The Scheme provides a bespoke methodology designed specifically for local government to underpin the design of appropriate pay and reward strategies in a manner which is consistent with the principles of equal value legislation.
It is envisaged that the scheme will assist local authorities moving toward joint working where new structures and roles require evaluation to ensure that pay and grading arrangements properly reflect new and changed responsibilities.
The Scheme
The Scheme is analytical, being factor and points based and it covers all significant features of senior manager posts in local authorities. It has been developed using our extensive experience of evaluating jobs at this level in local authorities and is able to take account of the different ways local authorities are structured and the way different roles operate both internally and externally from one organisation to the next.
To promote the principles of openness and transparency, the Scheme is written in plain English making it easy to understand. It also allows local authorities to tailor the scheme by developing local conventions which reflect the environment in which they operate and the services they provide.
Design
The Scheme contains four factors which consider elements that are common to all senior manager posts in local government. The scoring matrix includes the factor weighting that was developed following a programme of testing initially against a database of senior manager posts, then further refined by pilot studies.
Factors:
- Knowledge
- Creative thinking and policy direction
- Impact on people/organisation (s)
- Responsibility for Resources
Knowledge
This factor considers both the depth of knowledge, in a professional managerial and technical context. Also, the breadth of knowledge, specifically the planning and integration required and contribution toward the corporate and strategic management of the organisation.
Creative thinking/policy direction involved
This factor considers the complexity of challenge and the need for innovative thinking, actions and decisions taken. It takes account of thecreativity required and the environment and context within which decisions are taken.
The level of discretion considers the constraints placed upon decision making and the scope the postholder has to develop new and innovative solutions to problems. It also considers the extent to which the post is required to develop policy and engage in strategic thinking impacting outside of their primary area of responsibility.
Impact on People / Organisation
This factor looks at managerial influence in terms of size of teams managed coupled with the role jobholders have in managing and developing relationships with external bodies and the impact this relationship has on the Council.
The factor gives recognition to both the numbers of staff managed and the impact of post holder has internally on the organisation by virtue of the advice they provide other managers and combined with their responsibility for shaping policy development.
Responsibility for Resources
This factor takes into account the nature and size, expressed as a % or gross revenue expenditure, of the postholder’s responsibility for managing budgets and resources. The Scheme does not only consider direct responsibility for service budgets but also the indirect impact on budgets by virtue of advisory or policy making responsibilities.
Implementing the Scheme
The implementation of the job evaluation scheme from one authority to the next may vary significantly.
In practice, some local authorities may wish to outsource the entire assignment to consultants. In smaller authorities it may not be an efficient use of resources to train internal evaluators in the use of the scheme to evaluate only a few posts. Larger authorities may wish to fully involve local staff and trade union representatives at each stage of the process to ensure they develop the skills to maintain the Scheme into the future.
For further information on the Senior Manager Scheme contact Jennifer McNeill at jennifer@seemp.co.uk