LGAGCM705A
Manage and improve the organisation's processes

This unit covers the review, improvement and management of processes and projects by councils that deliver client services to the community and support the operations of the council itself. Essential to this unit is an understanding of the importance of project accountability and performance measurement as well as the need for quality control, accountability and responsibility for service outcomes. The management and driving of organisational change is a major focus of the unit.This unit does not address the actual implementation or ongoing management of a particular service or program.No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Application

This unit supports the attainment of skills and knowledge required for competent workplace performance in councils of all sizes. Knowledge of the legislation and regulations that provide the boundaries for the operation of councils is essential. The unique nature of councils, as a tier of government, directed by elected members and reflecting the needs of local communities must be appropriately reflected.


Prerequisites

Not applicable.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Determine community needs and service expectations

1.1 Extensive research and community consultation are undertaken to determine current and future services required by constituents.

1.2 Mechanisms for open and ongoing consultation and feedback from constituents, internal council staff and elected members are established and maintained.

1.3 Recommended or anticipated changes to services are communicated to senior management and stakeholders for discussion and approval.

1.4 Involvement of constituents and other community members is continuously facilitated in determining new initiatives.

2. Establish and implement performance measurement strategies

2.1 Financial and non-financial performance measures and evaluation criteria for specific program or service delivery are established and agreed upon by relevant stakeholders and communicated to relevant staff and service providers.

2.2 Appropriate financial and non-financial benchmarks are determined and agreed to by relevant stakeholders.

2.3 Where applicable, tender and contract specifications are developed and expressed clearly, concisely and unambiguously.

2.4 Services are monitored to ensure that they effectively and efficiently meet identified needs and service expectations.

2.5 Feedback from customers is communicated to relevant areas within council and incorporated into performance reviews.

2.6 Trends in customer/stakeholder satisfaction and service usage are monitored to identify opportunities for improvements to services or processes.

2.7 Issues of responsiveness and accessibility are reviewed and reported upon accordingly.

3. Facilitate accountability for service outcomes

3.1 Project management systems, reporting mechanisms and processes are established and communicated to service providers.

3.2 Results of all service reviews against desired targets are reported according to standard organisational procedures.

3.3 Tenders and contracted works are regularly monitored and adverse variations in established performance targets are immediately addressed.

3.4 Quality and efficiency of operational processes are measured and documented.

3.5 Service shortfalls are analysed and resolved within council service protocols.

4. Develop and implement change management processes

4.1 Need for change in organisational processes or work culture to support service delivery is identified.

4.2 Change process to address the need is identified and implemented.

4.3 Changes to operational processes or services delivered are recommended and communicated to appropriate personnel with supporting information.

4.4 Staff members are adequately informed of improvement plans, their goals and changes to operational procedures.

4.5 Appropriate methods are employed to gain commitment for change.

4.6 Improvement projects are implemented within agreed timelines and coordinated effectively.

4.7 Effectiveness and benefits of implemented changes are monitored and reported accordingly.

4.8 Outcomes of improvements are reviewed and used for further learning and continuous improvement by being shared with other departments.

Required Skills

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit

Required Skills

high-level management and leadership skills

high-level written and oral communication

numeracy skills to develop tender and contract specifications

ability to identify and evaluate potential obstacles to change

analysis of organisational systems, processes and activities

lateral thinking and creativity

developing a range of possible options in solving problems

Required Knowledge

comprehensive knowledge of council's demographics and environment

change management processes

service improvement processes

Evidence Required

Overview of assessment requirements

A person who demonstrates competency in this unit will be able to perform the outcomes described in the elements to the required performance level detailed in the performance criteria. The unit's skill and knowledge requirements must also be demonstrated. The candidate will demonstrate the capacity to provide leadership and drive service improvements and change within the department, unit or whole council.

Critical aspects of evidence to be considered

The demonstrated ability to:

manage, improve and report on organisational processes within council

Context of assessment

Assessment of performance requirements in this unit should be undertaken with the context of the local government framework. Competency is demonstrated by performance of all stated criteria, including the range of variables applicable to the workplace environment.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested:

preparation of a major workplace project report/portfolio (that may incorporate assessment of related units) as a key form of assessment that enables candidates to integrate the learning and assessment project into their regular work responsibilities, which enables integrated and holistic assessment of the complex skills and knowledge addressed in this unit

observation of the learner performing a range of workplace tasks over sufficient time to demonstrate his/her handling of a range of contingencies

written and oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding

completion of workplace documentation

third-party reports from experienced practitioner

completion of self-paced learning materials, including personal reflection and feedback from trainer, coach or supervisor

Evidence required for demonstration of consistent performance

Evidence should be gathered over a period of time in a range of actual or simulated management environments.

Resource implications

Access to a workplace or simulated case study that provides the following resources:

relevant council documents, such as strategic and operational plans

relevant local government legislation and regulations


Range Statement

The Range Statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the Performance Criteria is detailed below.

Research and community consultation include:

focus groups, in-depth interviews and other forms of qualitative research

surveys and other forms of quantitative research

community meetings

stakeholder structured interviews

Non-financial performance indicators may include:

social indicators

average processing time for applications

number of residential care buildings inspected for fire and emergency evacuations

number of trees planted

percentage of population as library members

number of new businesses introduced into the community

number of vaccinations administered

number of 'Clean Up Australia' day activities

number of complaints from customers/ stakeholders

Monitoring of customer/stakeholder satisfaction may include:

gap analysis approach

customer satisfaction monitoring (CSM) approach, e.g. telephone, questionnaires, face-to-face interviews or in-depth interviews

listening to customers and recording responses

developing customer-focused key performance indicators (KPIs)

Reporting mechanisms may include:

system reports

budgetary reporting systems

informal reporting methods, such as regular team or departmental meetings and council meetings

financial and non-financial reports

Service providers may include:

council staff

volunteers

contractors

vendors

Change processes may entail:

processes to plan for the change

processes to implement the change

processes to reinforce the change

steps to support staff during the change, including:

coaching and mentoring

training interventions

revised process documentation

feedback and appraisal processes

reward and recognition processes

Services delivered may include:

capital works

statutory planning

infrastructure services

library services

parks and gardens

youth and community

leisure and culture

family services

disability services

waste and recycling

aged services


Sectors


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.


Licensing Information

Not applicable.