Personal Development Plans: Case Studies of Practice

1 Personal Development PLANS: CASE Studies OF Practice Other titles from IES: Development Centres: Assessing or Developing People? C Jackson, J Yeates Report 261, 1993. ISBN 1 85184 185 7 Careers Counselling in Organisations: The Way Forward C Jackson Report 198, 1990. ISBN 1 85184 106 7 Performance Appraisal: A guide for Design and Implementation J Yeates Report 188, 1990. ISBN 1 85184 091 5 Succession Planning: Current Practice and Future Issues W Hirsh Report 194, 1990. ISBN 1 85184 088 5 THE INSTITUTE FOR EMPLOYMENT Studies Report 280 PERSONALDEVELOPMENT Plans: CASE Studies OF PRACTICEP Tamkin, L Barber, W Hirsh A study supported by the IES co operative research programme Published by: THE INSTITUTE FOR EMPLOYMENT Studies Mantell Building University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9RF UK Tel.

2 + 44 (0) 1273 686751 Fax + 44 (0) 1273 690430 Copyright 1995 Institute for Employment Studies No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form by any means graphic, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage or retrieval systems without prior permission in writing from the Institute for Employment Studies . A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library ISBN 1 85184 206 3 The Institute for Employment Studies The Institute for Employment Studies is an independent, international centre of research and consultancy in human resource issues.

3 It has close working contacts with employers in the manufacturing, service and public sectors, government departments, agencies, professional and employee bodies, and foundations. Since it was established 25 years ago the Institute has been a focus of knowledge and practical experience in employment and training policy, the operation of labour markets and human resource planning and Development . IES is a not for profit organisation which has a multidisciplinary staff of over 50. IES expertise is available to all organisations through research , consultancy, training and publications.

4 IES aims to help bring about sustainable improvements in employment policy and human resource management. IES achieves this by increasing the understanding and improving the Practice of key decision makers in policy bodies and employing organisations. Formerly titled the Institute of Manpower Studies (IMS), the Institute changed its name to The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) in Autumn 1994, this name better reflecting the full range of the Institute s activities and involvement. The IES Co- operative research programme This report is the product of a study supported by the IES co operative research programme , through which a group of IES Subscribers finance, and often participate in, applied research on employment issues.

5 The members of the CRP are: Abbey National plc BAA Barclays Bank plc British Steel plc British Telecommunications plc The Cabinet Office Department of Social Security Electricity Association Services Ltd HM Customs and Excise HM Treasury J Sainsbury plcLloyds Bank plc Marks & Spencer plc National Westminster Bank plc The Post Office Prudential Corporation plc Rolls Royce plc Shell (UK) Ltd W H Smith The Wellcome Foundation Woolwich Building Society vAcknowledgements Our thanks to those in the case study organisations who gave so generously of their time and enthusiasm, and were willing to pass on their learning to others.

6 ViContents Executive Summary 1 1. Introduction 7 Background 7 Objectives 7 Methodology 8 Literature review 9 Report structure 13 2. Case Studies 14 Detailed Case Studies 14 Case Study 1: Royal Mail Anglia 15 Case Study 2: Guardian Royal Exchange 17 Case Study 3: Scottish Power 20 Case Study 4: TSB Bank plc 23 Case Study 5: BP Chemicals 26 Case Study 6: Marks and Spencer 29 Case Study 7: The Wellcome Foundation 32 Case Study 8: Abbey National 35 Summary of telephone interviewed case Studies 37 Summary 39 3.

7 Main Findings 40 Content and characteristics of the PDP 41 Frameworks for skills and learning needs 41 Target group 41 Focus 42 Development actions 43 The PDP itself 45 Process issues 46 Implementation 46 Support 48 Roles and responsibilities 49 Linkages in 49 Linkages out 51 Impact and evaluation 51 Summary 52 4. Issues for Practitioners 54 Self organised learning 55 Individuals ability to manage their own learning 56 Emergent themes 56 Scope and content of PDPs 57 Employee coverage 57 Structuring the PDP 57 Links with other processes and the focus of the PDP 58 Links into PDPs 58 Links out from PDPs 60 Implementation and support 61 Launching PDPs 61 Supporting individuals 62 Maintaining momentum 63 Ownership.

8 Control and confidentiality 64 Impact 65 Lessons for practitioners 66 Appendix A 68 Section A: Background and Context 68 Section B: Design of the Current PDP Scheme 68 Section D: Impact and Evaluation 69 Appendix B 71 Bibliography 73 viiiExecutive Summary Personal Development plans (PDPs) have evolved as a particular approach to planning career and skill Development activities for individuals within employing organisations. The concept of a PDP is of a clear Development action plan for an individual. It may well include some plans for formal training, but is also likely to include a wider set of Development activities eg coaching, project working or action learning, secondment, self study or distance learning, and developmental career moves.

9 The other core concept in the PDP approach is that the individual takes primary responsibility for the plan. Line managers and the HR function often have a supporting role. Although the idea of Personal Development planning is not new, especially to those in education and training, there does seem to have been a rapid increase in the number of large organisations seeking to introduce some kind of PDP scheme. Organisations no longer feel they can take prime responsibility for the careers and Development of their employees, and the PDP approach clearly puts the Development ball in the employee s court.

10 It also fits comfortably with other business processes, such as total quality initiatives, which are both devolved and dependent upon the commitment of individuals to positive change. The study The research study reported here was undertaken because of this rise in interest in PDPs, and because relatively little appeared to be known of how such schemes were working in Practice . It builds on other IES research both into self Development in general, and particular career Development processes. The research was undertaken with the support of the IES co operative research programme .