Investors in People special
This News & Views special aims to set out what Investors in People (IIP) is, what has been going on at the School and some of the upcoming activity planned for 2005.
It also offers a focus on some staff learning and development activity, specifically highlighting a number of new projects and initiatives planned for the new year.
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What is IIP?
The Investors in People standard is an externally assessed national award operating in all workplaces - large or small, public, private or voluntary sector - which seeks to encourage, measure and reward organisational commitment to effective communication and appropriate workforce learning and development.
The standard is based on a commitment to four key principles for people development:
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to develop employees to achieve business goals and targets planning
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to review training and development needs required in context of the business action
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to assure relevant steps are taken to meet training and development needs evaluation
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to measure the outcomes of training and development for individuals and the organisation.
To date, over 36,000 organisations, large and small, have formally achieved the IIP standard. These organisations employ over 27 per cent of the UK's workforce.
Over the last few years, increasing numbers of universities have become actively involved in Investors across the whole sector, representing old and new universities.
Like the School, many organisations are using a building block approach, where the organisation has a general commitment but where different areas work towards the standard at their own pace, and in their own way.
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How it works
All IIP assessments are co-ordinated by trained external assessors, who visit organisations and select cross-sections of staff at all grades that they would like to meet in individual or sometimes small group discussions.
On the basis of these conversations, assessors build up a picture of what it is like to work in a given location and how the organisation compares to the national IIP standard. This allows a decision to be made about whether an organisation, or part of it, should be recognised as an Investor in People.
Often, more work is required, allowing for the development of an action plan and the option for a return visit at an agreed point.
LSE's managing assessor is Professor Jose Chambers, director of the Comino Centre at the University College, Winchester, and an associate of the new national Leadership Foundation.
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IIP week: 24-28 January
This is LSE's Central Administration IIP Week. In preparation for December's re-recognition visit, large numbers of staff have been invited to a series of short conversations to gauge a sense of how things are now working in four major areas:
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Human Resources (HR)
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Estates
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Business Systems and Services (BSS)
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Residential and Catering Services
The major focus will be on communication and the support available to do a good job. This includes access to training and development opportunities. The conversations will also attempt to gauge the quality of new staff induction and people's perception of how they are valued for the job they do. Discussions will happen in all locations and at all grades and levels.
This will add to work already undertaken in the Michaelmas term in the Secretariat, Finance and Research and Project Development divisions.
The aim is to produce written feedback by mid-February, which will highlight:
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areas of good practice we might be able to share and further develop
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areas still in need of work.
This will allow for the production of a clear and timed action plan taking us up to the formal assessment in December 2005.
Sessions during this week will be led by our external IIP adviser, Julia Houghton, and our newly trained team of internal IIP reviewers:
Chris Connelley and Jackie Kernaghan, Staff Development Unit (SDU)
Fran Hannan, HR
Dr Stuart Mitchell, BSS
Bob Marsh, Estates
Sarah Jons, Residential and Catering Services.
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LSE's IIP timeline
1999
Whole organisational commitment to working towards Investors in People from former Director Professor Tony Giddens
2000
LSE Library becomes first recognised area
2002
LSE Library re-recognised
2003
LSE Central Administration recognised
IT Services recognised
Personal Social Services Research Unit recognised
2004
Academic Registrar's Division recognised
2005
IT re-recognition visit scheduled for February
ODAR first assessment visit scheduled for February
Central Administration re-recognition visit scheduled for December
LSE Library re-recognition visit planned for late 2005-early 2006
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Personal checklist: What can I do from here?
There are a few things you can think about as an individual and within your office. If you answer no to any of the following questions, then there's room to raise the bar.
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When people join our team, is it a smooth and friendly process?
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Do I plan ahead for what development I might need every year?
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If I hit a problem, do I talk about what would help me to overcome it?
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Do I report back on how development has helped me with my colleagues?
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Do I share my knowledge and experience with my colleagues?
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Do I have regular one-to-one conversations with my manager?
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LSE Coaching Academy: phase two
Over the last year, 29 senior members of staff benefited from access to a personal performance coach who helped support them in organising and planning their workload and take on any broadly developmental issues of their choice.
Feedback from phase one of the scheme has been collated, and is generally hugely positive. Examples of typical comments received include:
'Very positive impact. Feeling re-motivated, focused and confident again.'
'Coaching sessions have helped transform my perceptions and attitude towards work, colleagues and substantive tasks. I am an extremely happy customer.'
'Concrete benefits include more and more productive relationships within the School.'
As a result of its success, we are further extending the availability of coaching with the launch of phase two in late February. This will offer access to a personal performance coach for another 30 members of staff.
The main focus this time will be those management practitioners who are undertaking certificated learning via the School's Introduction to Leadership and Management (ILM) and the Diploma in Management (DIM) certificates. This is intended to help create best practice in the workplace.
Phase three of the Academy in the Michaelmas term will seek to develop our own internal coaching capacity by training up a number of LSE coaches.
For further details, or to find out how to access the LSE coaching offer, please contact Jackie Kernaghan, email: j.kernaghan@lse.ac.uk, ext 5262, or Chris Connelley, email: c.connelley@lse.ac.uk, ext 6256, in the first instance.
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Academic Registrar's Division: new recognition
In December 2003, the Academic Registrar's Division became the most recent area to be recognised as an Investor in People, reflecting major efforts over the last few years developing learning opportunities for staff in this large and diverse division.
The highly positive recognition report by Jose Chambers made extensive reference to the distance travelled to achieve the award and to the range and creativity of development responses within the Division, including a direct reference to the power of the School's Learn for You programme, which was identified as a key staff motivator.
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Learn for You
Learn for You was set up on 14 February 2001 as one of the university sector's first employee development schemes, run in partnership between the Staff Development Unit and the three recognised campus trade unions: AUT, UNISON and the Transport and General Workers' Union.
In essence, it offers funds for less well-paid staff to undertake learning for life. Over its lifespan Learn for You has become one of the most popular and successful staff development projects ever undertaken at LSE. Hundreds of staff, in all areas and in a range of roles, have used Learn for You to take up a wide range of structured learning interests. The three most popular areas are:
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Sports and fitness
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Languages
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Driving lessons
In 2004, the individual entitlement was agreed at £100 per person, per year, for all staff earning up to £20,394 excluding London weighting.
If you are eligible and have yet to apply, you can pick up a form from the LSE Staff Development Unit (U10). The website also lists upcoming meeting dates.
If you are eligible but not sure where to start and/or how to follow up an interest, then contact Claire Hackshall in Staff Development, ext 6246, email: c.j.hackshall@lse.ac.uk to arrange a one-to-one meeting aimed at realising your learning needs.
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New IIP internal review team
Our new IIP internal review team allows for LSE staff to be directly involved in future assessments, in partnership with Jose Chambers.
During the Michaelmas term, six School staff undertook a three-day externally assessed internal reviewer training programme, providing extensive skills on:
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organising a sample group
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interviewing staff
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producing IIP reports and giving feedback
The internal review team is made up of:
Chris Connelley and Jackie Kernaghan, LSE Staff Development Unit
Fran Hannan, HR
Dr Stuart Mitchell, BSS
Bob Marsh, Estates
Sarah Jons, Residential and Catering Services.
Internal reviewers will obviously not be working and interviewing in their own area.
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Time for You
Time for You is a new concept due to launch this summer as a sister scheme to Learn for You. This time the aim is to support LSE staff wishing to get involved in volunteering projects in areas where they live. This idea was taken up due to a number of staff expressing an interest in this area.
It is hoped that Time for You will:
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help support good causes in London and surrounding areas
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develop our staff skills in a different context
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help further extend our profile in areas across London which may not always be that aware of who we are and what we do.
The project is being developed in partnership with campus trade unions and the LSE Volunteer Centre, which already does much good work with our own student body.
It should represent a major LSE contribution to this Year of the Volunteer.
More details can be obtained from Linda Westaway in the LSE Staff Development Unit, ext 3668, email: l.westway@lse.ac.uk
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IIP local champions
The IIP internal review team is further supported by a network of IIP local champions, covering most areas.
They include:
Gary Barclay Secretary's Division
Lesley Causley Central Catering
Jon Deer Research and Project Development Division
Judith Higgin Press and Communication
James Harvey IT Services
Lisa Morrow HR
Keith Adams Finance
Val Straw LSE Library
For more information on what is happening where you are, contact your named IIP reviewer/champion in the first instance or speak direct to Chris Connelley, head of the Staff Development Unit and the School's lead internal IIP consultant, who can provide an overview on the School's strategy.
All new expressions of interest should be addressed to Chris, who can advise on funding and other support to work towards Investors status.
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HMS Westminster
The LSE Staff Development Unit is delighted to announce a unique opportunity for all School staff to take part in an outdoor development project on 14 March. The event will take place on the HMS Westminster, a Royal Navy frigate anchored offshore at Portsmouth.
The day will offer a chance to develop team working skills and to take part in a range of practical tasks. It will also be a chance to sample working life in a very different organisational context.
Just 18 places are available. Simply drop SDU a short note, no more than one side of A4, identifying why you would like to be involved and what you would bring to the LSE team. Submissions must be received by 15 February. Interviews will take place during week beginning 21 February.
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The development day takes place during the working week so anyone participating will need to obtain release from their local line management.
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Overnight accommodation will be arranged for the night of Sunday 14 March to allow an early sailing on the Monday. The development day finishes around 5pm.
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LSE core spine booklet
The Staff Development Unit is currently issuing details of their new core spine programme for Lent and summer terms, outlining some of the key learning opportunities available to staff.
The handy pocket sized guide is designed to complement the popular SDU website, which offers a myriad of programmes and information on workplace learning opportunities. It also takes up feedback from staff in frontline areas that need more notice booking events, allowing for effective local planning.
If you have not yet received your personal copy, just email a request to: staff.development@lse.ac.uk to place your order.