Team Development with D&A College

Providing a toolkit to support our teams in their operations

To support our employees in their reporting and communication practices ANGUSalive utilised funding from the Flexible Workforce Development Fund to undertake two separate projects.

KPI Reporting Overview

Outline and Methodology

Various meetings were held with the D&A College Project Lead to confirm deliverables, agree the best approach within the timescales and decide on the actions required for the project team members. ANGUSalive colleagues outwith the project teams were also consulted to identify further information and insight to inform the projects.

Held on Microsoft Teams, in line with COVID-19 safety protocols, the meetings consisted of group discussions and break-out sessions to explore ideas, share gaps and provide suggestions for improvement.

The two projects were:

1) Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reporting

2) Internal communications

Two project teams, with representatives from across ANGUSalive, were created. The projects began in September 2021 with final recommendations presented to the charity’s Senior Management Team in February 2022.

The project aimed to identify and review key topics including the sourcing and collection of data, development of skills and reporting requirements.

Approach

Consultation and engagement was facilitated in team meetings in order to share best practice and provide suggestions for colleagues looking to identify both the metrics employees are required to report on in their respective service area and how to record, compile and report on the findings.

Outcomes

As part of the KPI reporting project, recommendations were presented and these included the alignment of KPIs to actionable objectives for each service area. This was to ensure efforts to achieve these goals are trackable, there was also the implementation of a unified methodology for the collection and presentation of performance data, which is accessible and understandable at all levels within the organisation and the development of training resources to increase the data literacy of our employees to support a workforce that can make data-enabled, informed decisions.

Internal Communications Planning and Support Overview

The aim of this part of the project was to develop the communications strategy launched in July 2017.

This had set the foundations for a framework to plan and target messaging for internal and external groups and propose regular meetings and opportunities for leaders across the organisation. The team aimed to develop the strategy and work together to improve cross team communications and to discuss key business challenges and successes, whilst making active decisions on areas to develop throughout the next year.

Approach

Project team meetings were held to discuss the topics proposed and investigate outputs that could be created, delivered and recommended.

Outcomes

Outputs and recommendations delivered by the Communications Project Team, included a revised Communications Framework which provided a guide for all staff at every level within the organisation and detailed the importance of communication and the practices that should be carried out at key meetings including appraisals and one-to-ones with line managers.

Suggestions for improvements included service-specific team meetings and an annual employee survey was recommended.

Several training resources were also created including a guide on the best practice for reporting and managing meetings.

Aligned with strategic aims 8 7

Spotlight On Cross-service

“Recognising the value of our employees is one of the aims at the core of our charity and this exercise has been fundamental in both the continued support of our staff and encouraging their development, particularly as they navigate the changing environment of our services as we get back to business postpandemic. As an organisation, we continue to work on implementing and embedding the recommendations and improvements from the project into our practices.”

Iain Stevens, Senior Manager, Business Management & Development, ANGUSalive

Did you know?

Effective internal communication is important for developing trust within an organisation and has a significant impact on employee engagement, organisational culture and, ultimately, productivity.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) website

“As part of our business training provision at D&A College, we work with organisations to identify skill requirements and opportunities to support their staff. For ANGUSalive, this meant the development of reporting and internal communications processes. I was encouraged by the focus of the team involved and worked with them to identify streamlining communication to enhance and improve on existing procedures.”

Mina Welsh, Consultant Business Trainer, D&A College

Did you know?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) play an important role for many companies, forming a strong basis to execute a strategy that helps differentiate themselves from their competitors, drive sales, profits and stimulate long-term growth.

Chartered Management Institute (CMI) website

Did you know?

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) was introduced by the Scottish Government to provide employers with workforce development training to up-skill and re-skill their existing workforce.

Scottish Funding Council website

Key Fact

SMART objectives were established in 1955 and are now firmly established within most successful companies, they are used alongside most end-of-year appraisals.

Chartered Management Institute (CMI) website