Competency framework - Level three
Level 3 – Corporate Management Team (CMT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
One council one team – seeing the bigger picture, collaboration and partnering
Anticipate and predict the long-term impact of national developments, including economic, political, social and technological on the council.
Identify and shape how own portfolio fits within and supports the work of the council and priorities for the local interest, public and economic good.
Develop an in-depth insight into customers, citizens, services, communities and markets affected by their portfolio and the wider public sector context.
Create joined up strategies and plans that have positive impact and add value for stakeholders, citizens and communities.
Shape strategies and plans which help put into practice and support the council’s vision and long-term direction, including those shared with other regions.
Proactively create, maintain and promote a strong network of connections with colleagues across the council and with external partners.
Promote team working with peers, shares knowledge and resources with peers and across functions.
Encourage and establish principles of working effectively across boundaries to support the business.
Encourage teams to engage with a variety of delivery partners and stakeholders and listen to their feedback.
Build high performing teams within own area, aligned around common goals and values.
Set out clear expectations that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.
Can do – changing and improving, delivering at pace, developing self and others
Encourage and recognise ideas, initiative, improvements and measured risk taking within own portfolio to deliver better approaches and services, sharing results for the wider good and genuinely listen to ideas from employees and stakeholders.
Identify step changes that quickly transform flexibility, responsiveness and quality of service. Challenge the status quo in own and related areas to achieve value-adding improvements and change. Lead the transformation of services to users, moving to a digital approach whenever possible.
Create effective plans, systems and governance to manage change and respond promptly to critical events.
Translate strategic priorities into clear outcome-focused objectives for managers and provide the energy and drive in achievement of these objectives.
Take ownership of delivery against outcomes and give credit for others’ delivery.
Maintain a strong focus on priorities, holding others to account for priorities and swiftly respond to changing requirements.
Drive a performance culture within council, allowing people space and authority to deliver their objectives. Champion development, talent and career management for all staff and make learning a reality by encouraging and providing a range of development experiences.
Encourage work-place based learning, ensure colleagues take responsibility for their own learning and share it to build organisational capability.
Act as a role model for delivery by injecting enthusiasm and energy to achieve results.
Promote resilience and responsiveness in the organisation by being open and honest about challenges, and the actions required to address unexpected developments.
Support teams to succeed, devoting dedicated time to empowering people through coaching and mentoring and sharing expertise/knowledge.
Customer focused – delivering value for money services, managing a quality service
Understand the financial position of the council and the wider economy and recognise impacts of this when delivering services, managing risks and recognising cost drivers when making decisions.
Make and encourage strategic choices on spend, challenge high risk costly projects and forgo non-priority expenditure.
Promote and visibly demonstrate a culture of value for money in order to focus managers on getting a good return for taxpayers’ money.
Interpret a wide range of financial and management information and use financial data effectively in decisions.
Develop robust business cases, with fully costed options identifying clear policy advantages and/or returns on investment to assist decision making.
Facilitate flexible use of resources across grades through innovative structuring of teams and resources within the council.
Clarify and articulate the diverse requirements of customers and delivery partners to support delivery of professional excellence and expertise.
Use customer insight to determine and drive customer service outcomes and quality throughout own area.
Translate complex aims into clear and manageable plans and determine resource requirements to support implementation.
Maintain and improve service by managing risks to ensure own area and partners deliver against defined outcomes.
Work collaboratively with customers or service delivery partners to manage, monitor and deliver against service level agreements.
Honesty and respect – Leading and communicating, making effective decisions
Lead by example, ensuring visibility and communicating in a straightforward, truthful and candid way.
Actively promote the council’s reputation externally and internally – build a sense of pride and passion for public service.
Inspire staff and delivery partners to engage fully with long term vision and purpose of the council, supporting them to make sense of change.
Actively promote diversity and equality of opportunity inside and outside the council, valuing difference and external experience.
Communicate with conviction and clarity in the face of tough negotiations or challenges, surface tensions and resolve ambiguities.
Influence external partners, stakeholders and customers successfully – secure mutually beneficial outcomes.
Interpret a wide range of political and national pressures and influences to develop strategies.
Create a culture and ensure systems and procedures are in place for the secure and careful handling of council and public information.
Ensure involvement and consultation where necessary and take decisive action when required.
Articulate options and large-scale reputational risks and impacts, including equality issues, economic, environmental, political and social, and recommend plans to manage and mitigate.
Take quick, confident decisions at a strategic level to move things forward to meet council goals.
Outline direction of travel, recommendations and decisions for their portfolio/council.