Annex C
CASE STUDY—PAY AND WORKFORCE STRATEGY
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
C1. The Pay and Workforce Strategy for Local
Government is a joint strategy of the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister (ODPM) and the local government Employers Organisation
(EO). It addresses some of the causes and effects of occupational
segregation on the gender pay gap in local government. The overall
purpose of this strategy is to support councils in maximising
the capacity and performance of their workforce to deliver continual
improvement in local government.
C2. The vision is for local government in
England to have "the right numbers of people in the right
places with the right skills to deliver improved services, greater
efficiency and better customer focus in front line services."
Government is working in partnership with the local government
Employers Organisation, the Local Government Association (LGA)
and the trade union side in the implementation of this strategy.
Ministers have approved version two of the Strategy, which takes
account of the report of the Local Government Pay Commission,
released in October 2003.
C3. This is a national strategy intended
to co-ordinate activity across the Local Government Sector as
a whole. The main focus for delivery will be in individual authorities,
and groups of authorities working together. Nationally, a partnership
of key organisations will concentrate on the issues that are best
dealt with collectively. Regionally, existing networks will become
accountable for co-ordinating support and spreading good practice.
C4. Some of the measures being taken to
address the effect of occupational segregation on the gender pay
gap in local government are set out below:
RESEARCH AND
IMPROVED DATA
COLLECTION
C5. ODPM is commissioning a research project
in 2005 to look at occupational segregation in local government.
ODPM is also working to improve the collection, accuracy and usefulness
of local government workforce data, with a view to supporting
the local government pay and workforce strategy. Useful and relevant
workforce data will help to measure the extent of the problem
and assist with tackling it.
GUIDANCE TO
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ON EQUALITY
AND DIVERSITY
IMPLICATIONS IN
PAY
C6. ODPM and EO have issued guidance to
local government on ensuring that pay systems operate fairly and
that no identifiable groups are disadvantaged. Local authorities
are required to conduct equality impact assessments of proposed
new pay structures and regular audits thereafter.
C7. Employers Organisation for local government
is preparing guidance for local government on pay reviews, equal
pay audits, pay modernisation and skills pathways. ODPM and EO
are ensuring that Local Government Services Pay Agreement reflects
the Pay and Workforce Strategy and successful pay negotiations
for Local Government Services.
C8. Initial Employer guidance on the scope
of pay reviews has been finalised and further guidance on areas
of detail such as pay audits will be developed in due course.
Guidance is also being produced for local government on pay for
top management and on pay reviews, equal pay audits, pay modernisation
and skills pathways.
C9. EO have organised a series of seminars
on pay strategies and joint working groups with the Trade Unions
have been set up to review outstanding aspects of local government
Pay Policy.
C10. The last EO Survey indicated that about
26% of authorities have completed the Local Pay Review and another
30% were well advanced. EO expects the 2004 survey to show further
progress.
SKILLS AND
CAREER PATHWAYS
IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
C11. Skills and Career Pathways, currently
being developed, has as one of its aims to improve recruitment
and retention in key shortage areas, and generally to remove barriers
in local government careers. It will also create generic pathway
model for local government that can be applied across selected
occupational groups which will provide councils with mechanisms
that will support career development, and raise skill levels of
their employees.
NATIONAL MIDDLE
MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
C12. A National programme is being developed
under the ODPM and LGA funded Capacity Building Programme, entitled
"Future Leadership", designed to train and develop about
1,000 participants over a two-year period. The programme aims
to develop existing middle managers, identify and prepare potential
future senior managers, and contribute to making local government
a desirable career choice and so attract new talent into the sector.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMMES
C13. The Local Government Leadership Development
Centre has been set up to develop leadership capacity among both
officers and members, including attracting effective leaders into
local government from outside the sector. It will also support
the tackling of under-representation of women at senior management
in local government.
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