Workforce planning in the APS (Part 2) - The uptake of WP in the APS

Annual State of the Service reports produced by the APSC reported a growing uptake of workforce planning by departments. The State of the Service 2012-13 reported that the number of agencies with a documented workforce plan had grown from 27% in 2010–11 to 40% in 2011–12, to 42% in 2012–13 (APSC, 2013, p. 123). 

However, there was scant evidence about the effectiveness of the practice: 

• T he State of the Service 2011-12 report highlighted a case study concerning the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). Essentially, the APSC facilitated a workshop with AEC senior leaders to run through the Human Capital Planning Framework, an activity that resulted in a range of people strategies (APSC, 2012, p. 161).
• The State of the Service 2012-13 report outlined three strategies that agencies with a documented workforce plan were pursuing to address workforce gaps. The top three strategies were: targeted talent management for middle management and senior level employees, improving recruitment and retention, and integrating workforce planning into business planning (APSC, 2013, p. 137).

This lack of evidence about the effectiveness of workforce planning echoes the findings of scholars who have commented that while there is there is a plethora of literature about workforce planning methodology and processes, there is precious little academic research on the effectiveness of workforce planning in the federal public sector (Kaufman, 2012; Freyens, 2010; Colley & Price, 2010; Jacobson, 2010; Curson, Dell, Wilson, Bosworth & Baldauf, 2010, p.117).

What was going on?????

On the surface it would appear that workforce planning is a neutral activity, as essentially it involves undergoing a process to: 

• identify the agency’s future business direction;understand the agency’s current workforce (using metrics such as staffing numbers and types, gender, tenure, turnover, age, critical job roles etc.; 
• forecast the agency’s future workforce in terms of the metrics outlined above; 
• bridge the gap between the current (supply) and desired (demand) workforce by developing tactics that are articulated in an action plan; 
• monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the workforce plan (2001, Australian National Audit Office). 

See the next instalment