Appraisal under RDNATony Lewis, Principal Education Officer, CIEH

Personal background with RDNA

• Involved with RDNA project since February 2006

• A member of the RDNA development team

• Now a member of the RDNA Board

RDNA - what is it?

• A (web) tool to identify areas where individual inspectors can benefit from undertaking development activities

• Underpinned by a framework of competencies expected of a fully qualified HSE inspector or local authority health and safety inspector, fully-authorised to carry out health and safety duties

RDNA - how does it work?• Essential that inspectors review their training and

development needs on a regular basis

• There will always be areas in which an Inspector can benefit from additional development activities

• The identification of development needs does not automatically lead to the revision of an inspector's authorisation

• The relationship between an inspector's development needs and level of authorisation is a decision for management

• RDNA is not a performance management tool

RDNA – why?

• Became an issue for EH following the HSE’s (2005) SITNA report

- A baseline comparator to apply to all and against which training resources could be more effectively provided

• Now a facet of ‘better regulation’

• The principles embodied in RDNA are now rolling out to other aspects of regulatory services activity - possibly using the same web-based architecture

Building competence

Knowledge

Skills

Competencies

Capability

Competence

Excellence ?The Professional Development Stairway to Competence

[Lewis and Brennan 2006]

The journey to ‘capable’ as an EHP is via the qualification process

‘Capability’ to ‘competence’ achieved via experience, peer review + reflective practice

Website

http://regulatorsdevelopment.hse.gov.uk

The assessment

• Process occurs each year, around October / November (to coincide with mid year reviews and the early stages for planning for the next operational year)

• Manager carries out RDNA exercises for members of staff

• Members of staff self-assess using RDNA

• Can be done together

• Takes about an hour or so - becomes quicker with familiarity

The assessment (2)

• Once the manager becomes very familiar with the contents of the RDNA tool, he/she may feel able to make an assessment against the benchmarks in the RDNA tool without necessarily going through the assessment process

• BUT team members must do their self assessments using the tool

• A paper version of the assessment can be used instead of sitting at a PC. Printable versions of the assessments can be downloaded

The appraisal of development• Follows the RDNA assessment and whenever

there is a need

• A two-way discussion that focuses on identified development needs

• Using the benchmarks within the RDNA tool enables a more structured discussion

• Helps to ensure that development needs are addressed and planned for in line with upcoming work plans and available resources

The appraisal of development• The outcome of the discussion will be an agreed, prioritised set

of learning and development objectives

• The objectives should be about the areas in which the manager or team member wishes more experience to be gained

• Sensible for a manager not to agree any specific development actions with staff until all of the reviews have been completed and the priorities assessed against team capacity and business need

• Outcome of the development review meeting is an agreed set of development objectives for individuals (personal development plan or learning log) and team for the year ahead

Setting and agreeing development objectives

• Managers and managed create and agree learning and development objectives

• Learning objectives set out where the Inspector is and where he/she needs to be in relation to each development area

• Objectives are then prioritised in order of personal and team need

Addressing priority development needs

• Experience shows that 85-90% of all development needs can be addressed by means other than formal courses

• Directed reading and learning, coaching and work-shadowing are all appropriate means of addressing development need

• The GRIP (Guidance for Regulators - Information Point) website acts as a one stop shop for addressing most development needs

• http://www.hse.gov.uk/grip/

Addressing priority development needs

• Managers and managed need to be clear when setting and agreeing development activity:

- What will be achieved by doing these activities?

- What will be different?

- How will we know that progress has been achieved?

- How do the activities fit together - is there a logical order?

- How will any training be applied and consolidated?

What happens when development needs cannot be met?

• Unaddressed development needs are a risk for the Inspector and his/her employer

• Scale of risk is determined by the nature of the development need and the needs of the team

What happens when development needs cannot be met?• Options:

- No need to act because the missing competence exists in the team

- No need to act because the missing competence is not necessary for the work of the individual or team

- Restrict the work of the individual

- Restrict the warrant of the individual

What next?

• The RDNA website gathers anonymous data about development needs

• An annual picture of development need will be drawn up

• RDNA Board will consider (and hopefully address!) annual national priorities for training

Questions?