Nikolina Taylor is proposing a management report to develop a process for electronically recording disciplinary and grievance cases in the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) database at her organization. Currently, this information is recorded using Excel spreadsheets, which can have gaps and be time-consuming to report from. The objectives are to review the current recording process, determine what information is needed, analyze procedures, and provide recommendations to improve recording and reporting in ESR. Primary research like interviews and questionnaires will gather necessary information. The benefits would be having up-to-date, complete data in ESR that can easily generate reports required for the organization's Equalities Publication Scheme.

1. Wirral Metropolitan College - CIPD Certificate in Personnel Practice
Management Report Proposal
Student Name: Nikolina Taylor
Report Title: Recording Disciplinary/Grievance in ESR
1.0 Outline
The main reason for undertaking this report is to develop a process of electronically recording disciplinary
and grievance in Electronic Staff Record (ESR) database system in order to be able to report more
effectively. Under the Equalities Publication Scheme, we as an organisation have to publish Equality &
Diversity (E&D) statistics annually. As part of the positive employment strategies the Trust monitors the make
up of its workforce and uses that information to guide the development of supporting action plans.
2.0 Current Involvement
My Line Manager, who is our Workforce Planning & Information Manager was recently involved in the
reporting for the annual E&D statistics and had to ensure that all the information that was required is
complete and readily available. The task wasn’t too onerous where the information is held on ESR. The
difficulty she had was with the disciplinary and grievance information, which is currently recorded using Excel
spreadsheets with gaps in the information. HR Managers & HR Advisers are responsible for recording the
relevant information on disciplinary and grievances that are currently being investigated. I have been given a
task to develop a more effective way of capturing this information. It is paramount that the information held
on ESR database system is accurate and complete where possible and it is part of my job to ensure this.
3.0 Aim
The overall aim of this report is to review the way that disciplinary and grievance information is recorded in
ESR and to provide any recommendations on this topic.
4.0 Objectives
The main objectives of this study are:
 To review the current recording and reporting of the disciplinary and grievance
 To investigate what information is required to report on
 To analyse the disciplinary and grievance procedure to be able to assess the relevance of
information
 To provide any recommendations on how can we improve the recording and reporting of the
disciplinary and grievance in ESR and make it more efficient/streamline
5.0 Organisational Benefits
The Trust is required by law to publish annually certain information about its workforce profile and has
adopted the practice of ensuring this is reflected on its web site by the end of September each year. The
figures are reported to the Equalities & HR Group, for inclusion into its work programme and
Communications Team has been asked to include the publication scheme information on the CWP web site.
The information required for this annual report is: Staff in Post, Leavers, Training Activity, and Applications for
Employment, Grievances and Disciplinary Actions. Data is grouped by Gender, Disability, Ethnicity and
Working Pattern. Most of the information is readily available from ESR, apart from Disciplinary and
Grievance which is recorded on a spreadsheet. It was proven that the collation of the information from the
spreadsheets was time consuming and with gaps in the equality information, a challenging and inefficient
task.
The anticipated benefits of recording the information in ESR are:
 Data is always up to date, live and complete where possible - ready to report on
 Equalities information will be populated directly from ESR, so no need for extra inputting
 This will streamline the input of the relevant information
Prepared by Nikolina Taylor CIPD Membership Number: 22910330
5 January 2010

2. 6.0 Information Required
The following information will be required to help me with my project and to complete this report:
Primary Research:
One to One interviews will be held with Associate Director of Workforce Development, Head of HR, HR
Managers (3), HR Advisers (3), HR Administrator and Workforce Planning & Information Manager to
determine the following for the recording of Disciplinary & Grievances:
 What information is required to report on?
 What information is useful to know but doesn’t need to be recorded electronically?
 How the information is currently being recorded and is it effective?
 How are the reports produced and what data is available in ESR?
 Collate opinions and feedback on how process can be improved and made more streamline, less
complicated.
I have chosen this method because it will help me understand what is needed to progress with my report and
will provide me with immediate results.
Questionnaires will be produced and sent to all of the above within the HR Team and a random sample of
Service Managers. This will be on an anonymous basis. I have chosen this method because it will allow me
to collate the opinions and provide further answers to the above questions. This will also allow me to assess
and gather feedback on the suggestions on how can we improve on recording of this data.
Secondary Research:
I will research and gather any information about the Equalities Publication Scheme that our organisation is
part of and the importance of the data that it has to produce. This will be done from a number of different
sources as follows:
CWP Intranet:
 Trust Disciplinary Policy and Procedure - HR3.3
 Individual and Collective Disciplinary and Dispute Procedure - HR3.4
 Grievance Policy
 Workforce Profile Publication – CWP: Equality & Diversity staffing summary, 2008/09
Internet:
 Equalities Publication Scheme
 CIPD – Fact sheet “Discipline and grievances at work” (July 2009)
 ACAS – Advisory booklet “Discipline & Grievance At Work” (November 2009)
 McKesson K-Base web site for ESR research
 ESR Career Management and Employee Relations guide
 ESR Discoverer Report guide
I have chosen to use this secondary data because it will provide me with most up to date information and
consistency of data best practice.
7.0 Information Sources
Sources of information will consist of:
 Financial costs: Estimated Cost:
• Questionnaire design / generation / distribution £2.34
• Internet access £5.00
• Stationery expenses £15.96
Prepared by Nikolina Taylor CIPD Membership Number: 22910330
5 January 2010

3. Estimated Total: £23.30
 Time Element: Estimated Time:
• Production of Management Questionnaire 5 hours
• Individual interviews 3 hours
• Analysis of Management Questionnaire 3 hours
• Interpretation and analysis of all research 5 hours
• Final report preparation 3 hours
• Internet research 10 hours
• Extra time for anticipated issues 2 hours
Estimated Total: 31 hours
 Access to computer data:
• Use of internet for research
• Microsoft Office for production of questionnaires, analysis and final report
• E-mail to distribute questionnaires
 Administration:
• Computer with internet, Microsoft Office and printer
• Stationery for questionnaires and final report
• Office area for one to one interviews
• Sealed box for submission of completed questionnaires
8.0 Problems / Issues Anticipated
The issues anticipated in conducting the investigation will be:
• Problem: Questionnaires not completed in time
• Solution: Ensure colleagues are aware of the deadline and ensure this is set earlier than necessary
in case any questionnaires are submitted late
• Problem: Staff worry that their answers will not be treated confidentially and information will get back
to management
• Solution: Reassure staff that answers are submitted on an anonymous basis and ensure that
questions asked do not allow me to guess whose survey it is through a process of elimination by
making questions more general
• Problem: Not having sufficient time to produce my report due to workload and external commitments
• Solution: Ensure my time is planned in advance so that my work is not left until the last minute
• Problem: One to one interviews with managers may be difficult to organise as they are busy with
their own work in-store
• Solution: Arrange the interviews well in advance and be willing to come into the store in my own time
as it may not be convenient to remove me from my position as well as a manager.
Prepared by Nikolina Taylor CIPD Membership Number: 22910330
5 January 2010

4. 9.0 Schedule of Work
Draft Management Proposal to be submitted by: 10th
November 2009
Management Proposal to be submitted by: 30th
November 2009
Initial Secondary Research to be completed by: 5th
January 2010
Questionnaires to be designed and checked by: 11th
January 2010
Questionnaires to be distributed by: 18th
January 2010
One to One Interviews to be conducted by: 15th
February 2010
All questionnaires to be completed by: 15th
February 2010
Primary Research to be analysed by: 1st
March 2010
Evaluation of Secondary Research to be completed by: 22nd
March 2010
Methodology section of the report to be completed by: 29th
March 2010
Conclusions and preparation of the final draft to be completed by: 19th
April 2010
Final Draft to be presented: May 2010
Final Presentation of Management Report: June 2010
Declaration:
“I declare that this management proposal is my own work”
Signed: _____________________________________________________
Name: Nikolina Taylor
Date: 5 January 2010
Prepared by Nikolina Taylor CIPD Membership Number: 22910330
5 January 2010