Agenda item

Agenda item

Senior Management Capacity Review

The report of Chief Executive is enclosed

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive which set out proposals to realign senior leadership capacity in the context of impending vacancies in the Senior Management Team (SMT) and below and the need to develop wider leadership capacity and resilience.  

 

Vacancies had arisen due to the impending departure of the current Deputy Chief Executive who would soon take up the post of Chief Executive at Trafford Council.  The current Director of Human Resources / Organisational Development (HR/OD) would also shortly take up a post of Executive Director at Bury Council

 

The Committee noted that proposed changes would lead to a budget saving of £104,000 and were designed to invest in delivery capacity in support of the Council’s strategic objectives despite no net increase in SMT numbers.

 

The report asserted that the departure of the current Deputy Chief Executive provided an opportunity to consider the detailed portfolio and accountabilities of this post in the context of the new Corporate Plan and emerging Corporate Core Transformation Plan. In line with m people principles the City Treasurer would be Level 1 matched to a new post, of Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer, with a significantly enhanced portfolio:

 

The Strategic Director grade within the Council’s pay and grading structure does not enable the scale and scope of the responsibilities of the new Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer portfolio, which were previously incorporated across three SMT posts, to be reflected. The Council’s grading structure will therefore require review to accommodate a grade between the top of the current SS5 and Chief Executive grade (SS6) with a salary of £150,000.

 

The other areas of the current Deputy Chief Executive’s portfolio would be redistributed with the Chief Executive providing personal capacity and leadership to drive the delivery of Our Manchester within the Council and City and leadership to strategic communications function, which would sit operationally within the City Solicitor’s portfolio.  The City Solicitor would also take management responsibility for the Communications Service and Civic and Ceremonial team within the existing grade for the post.

 

Additionally, it was proposed that leadership of the Neighbourhoods Directorate would be provided by a new Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) post (at Grade SS5) who would become a member of the Council’s Strategic Management Team and report directly to the Chief Executive following established approval mechanisms.

The post would also take the lead on City Culture strategy.  In light of this the Committee was asked to disestablish the current Chief Operating Officer (Neighbourhoods) post (SS4) and, in line with m people principles, and ringfence that post holder for assessment to the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) role. A further report will be presented in the coming months setting out proposals in relation to additional leadership changes within the Neighbourhoods Directorate.            

 

It was also proposed that in order to manage the capacity of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer post that a number of further structural changes   be endorsed, namely:

 

  • That a new post of Director for Policy, Performance and Reform is created (evaluated at Grade SS4) to take responsibility for the Reform and Innovation; Policy, Partnerships and Research and the Performance, Research and Intelligence teams.

 

  • An enhanced role for the Deputy City Treasurer involving a greater proportion of the statutory functions of the City Treasurer.  Additional responsibilities would be contained within existing grade for the post, but arrangements will be monitored to ensure that with the combining of the City Treasurer and Deputy Chief Executive responsibilities there will be sufficient capacity to ensure the proposed additional duties could be adequately fulfilled.

 

  • A redesignation of the post of Head of Policy, Partnerships and Research to Head of Local Planning and Critical Infrastructure reporting to the Strategic Director (Development) to give support on the new Manchester Local Development Plan.

 

  • The creation of a post of new Strategic Lead post, Policy and Partnerships (evaluated at Grade SS2) reporting to the Director for Policy, Performance and Reform.

 

The Committee also noted that that the current Director of HROD would leave the Council in March Recruitment arrangements to source a replacement HROD Director was recommended, on the existing grade and Role Profile.

 

The Committee also noted that despite the proposals meeting immediate capacity needs more thought was needed on capacity below the SMT level such that a further report will be brought forwards in the coming months setting out both structural changes to assure these arrangements and proposals to strengthen succession and development planning for senior leaders.

 

The Committee noted the comments received the Trade Unions concerning the proposals.

 

There was a discussion about the decision to merge the role of Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer.  In recognition of the talent of the current post holder of City Treasurer, a member queried whether merging the role to encompass two portfolios might potentially pose difficulty in the future in terms recruiting a candidate of equal calibre and expertise.  The Chief Executive explained that the portfolio of the Deputy Chief Executive was being split across two roles with part being merged with the City Treasurer role and part would be covered by the role of Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods).  With regard the model and the potential impact on recruitment arrangements, the Chief Executive explained that the role of City Treasurer as de facto Deputy Chief Executive was a fairly and fairly common model in comparable authorities.

 

The provision detailed structure charts to set out reporting arrangements and provide better guidance on where savings and / or costings was welcomed and it was agreed that in future these would be provided as standard where indicated.

 

The Leader of Council congratulated both Sara Todd on her appointment of Chief Executive at Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council and Lynne Ridsdale for her appointment as Executive Director at Bury Council. He added that whenever a senior post became vacant it was prudent to consider whether the post should be routinely filled under existing arrangements or operated in a different way.  He also said that in order to use the Human Resources function in an effective way, a certain amount of fluidity should be retained to retain the skills and talents of the workforce in the best way possible given the changing landscape of local government services.

 

The Committee agreed the proposals.

 

Decisions

 

1.    To note the appointment of Sara Todd to the post of Chief Executive of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council and thank Sara for her commitment, dedication and significant contribution to the people of Manchester for the past 14 years.

 

2.    To recommend to Council that the role profile and duties of the existing Deputy Chief Executive post are varied as set out in the report and to include the duties of the Council’s statutory Section 151 Officer. The post will become Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer.

 

3.    To agree that the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer will take leadership responsibility for the: Human Resources / Organisational Development (HR/OD); Policy, Partnerships & Research; Reform & Innovation; and the Performance, Research & Intelligence services along with providing overall leadership to the Corporate Core, working closely with the City Solicitor, who will retain responsibility for the City Solicitor’s Division.

 

4.    To recommend to Council that the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer is remunerated at a salary of £150,000 to reflect the increased portfolio and in line with the proposed changes to the Council’s Pay Policy Statement detailed elsewhere on this meeting’s agenda.

 

5.    To agree that the Deputy City Treasurer assumes a greater proportion of the statutory functions of the City Treasurer role as detailed in the report, within the existing grade for the post.

 

6.    To agree that the City Solicitor will take on responsibility for the Communications service and Civic and Ceremonial function, within the existing grade for the post.

 

7.    To note that the Chief Executive will provide personal leadership to delivery of the Our Manchester approach across the organisation and City, together with strategic communications

 

8.    To recommend to Council the creation of a new post of Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) at Grade SS5 on the Council’s pay and grading structure. This post will take on strategic responsibility for the Neighbourhoods and Highways services. Establishment of this post will enable the disestablishment of the current Chief Operating Officer (Neighbourhoods) post and, in line with m people principles, this post holder will be ring fenced for assessment to the Strategic Director role.

9.    To agree the redesignation of the Head of Policy, Performance and Research to Head of Local Planning and Critical Infrastructure, at Grade SS3 on the Council’s Grading structure.

 

10.To recommend to Council the creation of a new post of Director Policy, Performance and Reform at Grade SS4 on the Council’s pay and grading structure. This post will take on strategic responsibility for the Performance, Research & Intelligence; Policy, Partnerships and Research and Reform & Innovation teams and will be funded through equivalent reductions at the tier below.

 

11.To agree the creation of a new Strategic Lead - Policy and Partnerships at Grade SS2, which will be funded through equivalent reductions at the tier below

 

12.To thank Lynne Ridsdale for her contribution to Manchester and note the intention to recruit a replacement Director of HR/OD at the existing grade and under the current Role Profile.

 

Supporting documents: