This document outlines key considerations for developing a workforce strategy for the future. It discusses understanding priorities like integration, diminishing resources, quality and competence, culture and values, and leadership. It emphasizes establishing a baseline of the current workforce, planning with stakeholders, and continuously reviewing and evaluating the strategy as the landscape changes. Quality and competence focuses on having an appropriately skilled workforce to deliver safe services. Culture and values should address commonalities instead of differences. Leadership is crucial and should model accountability, visibility, and succession planning. The strategy must recognize national developments while allowing local implementation and manage the ongoing transition.

1. Building a workforce for the future
Brian M Walsh
Executive Director People
Coventry City Council
9 October 2013

2. Contents
What is a workforce strategy?
Understanding the priorities of the future:
Integration
Diminishing resources
Quality and competence
Culture and values
Leadership

3. W
orkforce Strategy
Baseline
What do we have now?
How well does it work?
Planning
Involve a wide range of
stakeholders but be realistic
about what you can achieve
Stated intentions: realistic outputs
Emphasis on how this will be achieved
Development
Keep under constant review and scrutiny
Evaluate outcomes and impacts on
workforce development

4. Understanding the landscape
Diversity in workforce
Move towards integration
Reducing resources
Regularity of review
and information overload

5. Quality and competence
The appropriate workforce with commensurate skills, to
deliver safe services
Importance of considering skill mix and qualification
levels but not be bound by conventions of the past
Understanding levels of risk and
ability to articulate such risks to
diverse audiences

6. Culture and values
A workforce strategy must address
culture and values to be meaningful
Need to embrace commonality as opposed
to fixating on organisational differences
Important to be able to articulate in a
way that is meaningful to all –
simplify the language

7. Leadership
Modelling behaviour is crucial
Leaders who are accountable and visible
Can leadership be taught?
Encouraging leaders for the future
Emphasis on succession planning

8. W
here next?
Importance of national developments
and the links to local implementation
Manage the transition: recognition that
workforce planning is dynamic
Criticality of championing workforce
‘A journey of a thousand miles
starts from beneath one’s feet’
(Laozi)