Supporting effective management and
development of a business

We provide a framework model for the creation of a straightforward and meaningful workforce plan and planning process to support the management and development of a business.

The fundamental purpose of workforce planning in an organisation is to ensure that there are sufficient people available with the right skills at the right time to deliver the required work and outcomes. Operations and activities are therefore at the heat of workforce planning and so workforce development must start from the services and potential market for services that the firm needs to produce.

Recruitment and development of staff through learning and training needs to be responsive to the skills and competencies required to deliver those services.

We provide a framework model for workforce planning. This will ensure that the firm achieves its workforce planning linked to budgetary processes and to staff training and development plans without unnecessary duplication of work.

1 Developing a workforce planning

(1) Workforce planning provides a strategy for the recruitment, deployment and improvement and retention of the people resources.

(2) Workforce planning needs to be linked to the effective management development of the organisation as a whole, and should be related to the firms strategy and objectives and in turn to the organisation’s structure capable of achieving the objectives.

2 The process to assemble a plan

(1) Within the defined scope of the workforce plan, there are three main stages in workforce planning that need to be carried out to produce a meaning workforce plan:

  • Evaluation of existing resources.
  • An assessment or forecast of people and skill requirements if the organisation’s overall objectives are to be achieved.
  • Measures to ensure that the necessary resources are available as and when required.

3 The key reasons for workforce planning

(1) They key reasons for workforce planning also represent the issues that need to be addressed in formulating a workforce plan, achieving agreement for the basis of staffing numbers and costs for a budget, and varying the plan in the light of changing circumstances.

  • Recruitment
  • Regulating size and nature of workforce
  • Training
  • Management and employee development
  • Estimating labour costs
  • Accommodation requirements
  • Facing up to problems

4 The production of a workforce plan

(1) A model for producing a workforce plan together with a structure for producing a can be made available. It takes account of:

  • Management participation in creating and working to a plan as basis for implementation and control.
  • Underpinning the budgetary process.
  • Management of risks to ensure that the workforces plans harmonise and support operational and service continuity to the customer.

5 Programme and deliverables

(1) A specific schedule of work is assembled and agreed covering the required activity to produce a workforce plan and the dates for start and completion of each component of the programme of work.

(2) A Guide to the process and procedures for producing a workforce plan is also made available.

(3) The aim: In conjunction with management the aim will be to provide a process to assemble a workforce plan for each designated area of a business and to consolidate the plan into a business workforce plan.

(4) Action to achieve aim: The specific action and support required for achieving this aim:

  • Provide a document structure for assembling the workforce plans.
  • Run training workshops for managers to attend as part of the process of assembling workforce plans.
  • Provide a structured follow-up consultation meeting with participating managers to facilitate the process and completion of the workforce plan.
  • Preparation of the consolidated workforce plan.
  • Relate the consolidated workforce plan to budget and budgetary planning for management review.