Principle E: Developing the Council’s capacity including the capability of its leadership and the individuals within it
1. Developing capacity
The Council has a People Plan which is our workforce strategy. It outlines what we as a Council and a responsible employer are going to do to deliver the workforce vision and objectives, particularly around organisational development and leadership. The People Plan details how we intend to improve capacity, capability and processes to deliver the Council’s priorities.
The Council recognises the importance of partnerships in developing capacity in our city. This can be seen through the introduction of a Chief Partnerships Officer at the Council. We are also working with anchor institutions in the city to grow employment opportunities and retain money in the City by encouraging the purchase of local goods and services. Anchor institutions are large organisations based in the City that have a significant stake in the area – this includes NHS Organisations, Universities and large employers.
2. Developing strong leaders
The Council has a Members Training and Development Strategy which is designed to ensure our Members are properly supported to help them meet the demands of the role. Members need the skills and knowledge to be able to deliver Coventry’s ambitions. A well-trained and informed cohort of Elected Members is key to the success of the One Coventry Plan. The strategy provides the framework for Elected Members to access a programme of training that meets their needs, as well as the needs of the organisation to deliver the ambition set out in the One Coventry Plan. The strategy will help to continue to support the development of a training culture for Elected Members.
The Council has Corporate Learning and Development offer in place which includes a strand on leadership and management development. Strengthening the leadership and management capability of our workforce will enable us to address some of the challenges we face as an organisation and will put us in a better position to deliver our ‘One Coventry’ ambitions through our One Coventry Plan.