Frequently Asked Questions

How much input do departments need to give by way of providing learning opportunities?

As much as they can! Any projects or opportunities that are available for both individuals in the department and outside of the department (other Future Leaders and Graduates) would be very much appreciated and will build on the skills and experiences for the participants of the programme. In the future we will be looking for project secondments and role mentoring cross departmentally, which will benefit the organisation by way of sharing experience and skills across the organisation.

What do I need to do to be nominated?

Look at the role specification document for the programme you feel is appropriate for you. If you think that you meet the criteria, meet with your manager to discuss the criteria and if appropriate fill out the word document nomination rating form on line. Your manager will submit the form once you have agreed the content.

What happens to the on line form and how will I find out if I have been successful?

The form will be sent to your department panel and reviewed along with all other nominations from your department. You and your manager will receive an email thanking you for your nomination. If you are successful, your managers and yourself will hear from the panel in January.

What if my nomination is not successful?

The individual and their manager will hear from the department panel and receive feedback as to why the nomination was unsuccessful. You will then need to discuss the feedback with your manager and consider and agree areas for development for future programmes if appropriate.

What happens if my nomination is successful but I am not selected at the Development Centre?

You will receive thorough feedback about your performance during the Development Centre and have the opportunity to discuss this with a member of the Development Centre panel. We recommend that feedback is also discussed during a one to one with your Line Manager.

I am currently working as a XXXXX consultant within education and therefore on a renewable contract, current one expires in March 2011. Is this opportunity open to me? What other opportunities are open to me for career development in the authority?

This programme is not education based. It is a generic leadership/management initiative - there is the possibility that it could be offered out as a charged programme but it would be charged to schools. Applicants would need to be in a permanent position with Hampshire County Council at the time of the nomination process.

I’ve been on Leading Success, should I bother with the Future Leaders Programme?

The Future Leader’s programme has been designed to build on the many positive aspects of Leading Success, while at the same time offering considerably greater challenge through both the content and the structure of the programme. Some differences from Leading Success include:

Challenging selection process
Action Learning Sets working on real problems and accountable to CMT to bring learning back into the organisation
Much greater depth and personal challenge on fewer topics, (e.g. emotional intelligence is given two days)
Opportunities to implement skills and techniques back in the workplace, with support and coaching from both manager and programme coaches
A major emphasis on political skills
Workshop modules designed and facilitated by Roffey Park, in conjunction with HLC. Roffey Park has a national and international profile and has worked extensively in the public and private sector. They bring a wealth of experience to the programme

Does the fact that I only work part-time (3 days/week) affect any application to the Future Leaders Programme?

Not at all, I would highlight that the course is programmed for set days and as long as you were able to complete the course dates and all aspects of the programme (such as group projects), there is no reason why you could not ask your manager to nominate you following a discussion around the criteria.

I have a high grade social worker whom I would recommend but I do not understand the ref to "E/F", could you explain?

The Graduate programme is designed for those members of staff who are at E/F grade .

I am employed by HCC and I am paid by HCC, but I work with West field Technology College( which is a secondary school). Would I still get funded, or do I need to be working direct with HCC in Winchester?

If you are employed by HCC then yes you can ask your manager to nominate you once you have agreed the development needs fit the criteria and can give examples of where you have demonstrated this.

Where can I find the documentation to nominate my member of staff?

The nomination documents can be found on the website as a link and filled in and submitted on line.

Can I just clarify my understanding of the time commitment for the programme(s), as that schedule does not define it all. I understand the course is over a year and a total of ten days are mentioned as the involvement time. The headings 'Coaching' and 'RADICAL Groups' have no time against them.

What is the number of working days a member of staff would need to be freed from their normal working commitments?

The timings have been broken down on the website for the programme with the exception of the two areas you have commented on. We have left the timelines of these areas to the individual and their manager as to the time they feel is appropriate to spend - with the RADICAL Groups, this is very much at the discretion of the group themselves:

How much time they spend meeting
How much time is spent working on the project
With regards to coaching we would expect at least an hour following each module to discuss learning’s, actions and objectives to set for the oncoming module, coaching may be required as part of the RADICAL Group work if the staff member and yourself agree this is useful for the individuals development.

Below one of the Graduates has estimated the time he took on coaching and the RADICAL Group project and he quoted the following:

'Quickly looking back on my diary, we had approx 5-6 days worth of meetings (including our lunch time sessions and the presentation itself). Plus, I probably put in an extra 6 days work in the evenings and when I had a spare five minutes during the day or lunch time. Other than the training session, it's very hard to put a time to the coaching. I feel that my manager gave support/encouragement (coaching) throughout the programme. I think the time spent on coaching does depend on the individuals.'

I have a member of staff at G Grade and would like to nominate them but notice they fall between both programmes. Can I nominate for both?

The Hampshire Own Grown programme is aimed at two distinct groups - grades H & I for Future Leaders and grades E & F for Graduates. The Graduates programme is unlikely to be challenging enough for staff on grade G and is therefore not appropriate for them and there would need to be exceptional circumstances for a grade G staff member to apply for the Future Leaders programme (e.g. acting up as Head of Service with the expectation that the next role progression would be a Senior Manager or DMT role).

HLC did include some grade G staff in the assessment for the Future Leaders programme on a previous year but they did not meet the requirements and found the process stressful and not enjoyable. This is not an experience or memory we would wish for our staff. In addition, lowering the level of entry for that programme is not being true to the programme objectives as the aim is to fill skills gaps at senior levels.

A differing form of development will be required in the short term for your grade G staff. Please look at the programmes on Progress Pathways.

Is there anything similar that is suitable for those on a G grade as the graduates programme is for E and F grades therefore I am stuck in between the two programmes.

Progress Pathways is the management and leadership development strategy which outlines a variety of programmes to meet specific needs of managers at different stages of their career (this includes Hampshire Own Grown). The Essentials of Leadership Programme is one such development programme and is appropriate and available for G grade staff. You may find this web link useful which explains what it is about in further detail:

http://intranet.hants.gov.uk/hr-resourcing-leadershipessentials