ContentsPage 1

Building capacity for changePeter Cassells

Page 3Transforming our places of work

Lucy Fallon-Byrne

Page 4Taking stock

Philip Kelly

Page 6Singing from the same hymn sheet

Damian Thomas

Page 9Making progress

Cathal O’Regan

Page 10Profile: National Workplace Strategy

High-Level Implementation Group

Page 14Innovation measures up

Larry O’Connell

Page 16Workplace learning:

views from the coalface

Page 18Masterclass Gallery

Page 20Raising awareness,

promoting innovationConor Leeson

Contact the editor:E conor@ncpp.ie T 01 814 6398

In recognition of this, the Govern-ment launched an integrated Nation-al Workplace Strategy in 2005 to sup-port and drive workplace change.

The focus of the National WorkplaceStrategy, which is the subject of thisissue of Update, is on leadership andthe capacity for change, upskillingand workplace learning, increasingemployee involvement, promoting

equality and diversity, and improvingthe quality of working life.

Delivering this agenda, whether inthe public or private sectors, will notbe easy. It involves not just changingthe way work is organised, but alsochanging the behaviour and atti-tudes of managers, employees andunion representatives.

Continued overleaf >

It has been said that not all change is for the better.

However, we now know that changing the way we

work and how people are managed is critical for our

economy and our society.

editorial

Building capacity for change

Update8The Bulletin of the National Centre for Partnership and Performance

Issue 8 Winter 2006–07

A new year, a new structure…On 1 January 2007, the NCPP officiallybecame a constituent body of the NationalEconomic and Social Development Office(NESDO), a new umbrella organisation incor-porating the NCPP, the National Economicand Social Council (NESC) and the NationalEconomic and Social Forum (NESF). The main effect of this development is to placethe NCPP and its sister organisations on a statutory footing, while facilitating and promoting closer co-operation between thethree bodies in terms of research, analysis,publications and administrative services. TheChairman of NESDO is Dermot McCarthy,Secretary General of the Department of

the Taoiseach, and its Chief Officer is Rory O’Donnell, Director of the NESC.

… and a new StrategyOn 10 January, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern,TD, launched the NCPP’s new Strategy for2007-2010. Entitled ‘Irish Workplaces: AStrategy for Change, Innovation and Partner-ship’, the document comprises a series ofpractical responses to the long-term policyobjectives outlined in the National Work-place Strategy and Towards 2016. We willreturn to the Strategy in more detail in thenext issue of Update. In the meantime, youcan order your own copy by contacting us on(01) 814 6300, or visit www.ncpp.ie to down-load it directly.

2 Editorial contd.

We know what needs to be done.Managers, employees and their representatives need to work together to develop an ongoingculture of co-operation withchange.

We need to bring about:

p New and more flexible forms ofwork organisation that improveproductivity and organisationaleffectiveness

p A better delivery of public services

p Modern workplaces adapted tothe individual needs ofemployees

p New systems that measure andreward good performance

p Better workplace relations basedon problem-solving and the needto avoid conflict.

The key to achieving these changes,in my view, is leadership develop-ment. It is about building the capa-bilities of managers, employees and unions, in both the public andprivate sectors, to proactively intro-duce and manage change.

I agree with the Taoiseach, BertieAhern,T.D., who told the recentLabour Relations Commission sym-posium on New Perspectives onWorkplace Change that “managersdeal with complexity, but leaders

deliver change”. We need moreworkplace leaders to deliverworkplace change.

So how do we bring this about?There are key words that come upagain and again regarding themanagement of change – trust,credibility, motivating and inspiringpeople, sharing information, listen-ing, problem-solving, an inclusiveapproach and developing a sharedunderstanding of the organisation’sfuture.

The social partners, through thethree-year Workplace InnovationFund established by the Govern-ment under Towards 2016, nowhave a major opportunity to identify and develop potential leaders in this area. The Fund willassist them to provide potentialleaders with the knowledge, skills,behaviour, qualities and personalattributes to promote and bringabout change in our workplaces.

In addition, the NCPP’s newStrategy for Change, Innovationand Partnership 2007–2010contains a series of practicalapproaches to partnership that alsohave the potential to deliver realimprovements in our ability toanticipate and manage change.

Peter CassellsChairman, NCPP

“Managers, employees and their representatives need

to work together to develop an ongoing culture of

co-operation with change.”

The value of such a strategy is thatit offers us an opportunity not onlyto imagine the future workplace butalso to work together to make ithappen.

The Strategy has a clearly articulatedvision of the characteristics of amodern, dynamic and successfulworkplace. It outlines a comprehen-sive set of recommendations whichmust now be delivered to make thisvision a reality.

It is a critically important initiativewhich aims to encourage us tochange the way we think about,and act within, our workplaces. Bothemployees and employers alike mustopen their minds to new ways ofworking, to improve communication,consultation, performance andproductivity, advance the quality of our working lives and embraceequality, diversity and learning.

In this issue, we examine theNational Workplace Strategy from arange of different perspectives:

p We look back to the genesis of the Strategy, the Forum on theWorkplace of the Future, and thefindings which underpinned itsextensive recommendations.

p Our system of social partnershipis examined and the various waysin which Towards 2016 reaffirmsand supports the aims and objectives of the Strategy aredescribed.

p We highlight the work of the High Level Implementation Group,summarise the key findings of itsfirst annual progress report, andprofile the members of the Group.

p We describe the steps being takenby the NCPP and its partners todevelop indicators of workplaceinnovation, which are critical tothe achievement of more innova-tive workplaces throughout oureconomy.

p We summarise the key ideas andrecommendations which emergedfrom last September’s workplacelearning Masterclass, Learning ina Knowledge Society – is IrelandReady?

p We outline plans for a major public awareness campaign insupport of the Strategy in 2007.

The Workplace Strategy’s mainobjectives will be extremely difficultto deliver unless Ireland’s twomillion employers and employeesare made aware of the key issues at hand, and the reasons why ourworkplaces need to change. That iswhy the public awareness campaign,in particular, is of such criticalimportance.

It is no exaggeration to say that thesuccessful implementation of theNational Workplace Strategy isimperative if Ireland’s currenteconomic prosperity is to bemaintained and her internationalcompetitiveness improved upon.

It is a challenge we simply cannotafford to shirk.

Lucy Fallon-ByrneDirector, NCPP

update 3

Transforming our places of work

This issue of Update is devoted to an examination

of the National Workplace Strategy, the Irish

Government’s blueprint to transform our

workplaces into ‘workplaces of the future’.

4

One of the many benefits of partici-pating in the Forum on the Work-place of the Future back in 2003–04was the opportunity it offered tobring issues together in a new way.It presented new information andre-presented or articulated anewinformation and values already possessed, but which had slippedbelow the radar. For many of us, itoffered new insights into the waythings are or could be interconnected.

It is perhaps timely, almost two yearssince publication of the Forum’sfinal report – now of course ourNational Workplace Strategy – toreflect on the findings or evidencebase which underpinned its exten-sive recommendations. At somelevel, the findings are more power-ful than the recommendations.

The key interlocking findings of theForum concerned four main areas:

p Workforce

Return on investment in R&D can only be optimised byinvesting in people.

This investment is the key toretaining people in particular jobsand in the workforce itself. Manypeople are increasingly relying on their skill sets rather than the

terms of their employment con-tracts for their future employment.

Highly skilled women can be lostto the workforce due to issuessuch as the demands of childcare;and they return to the workforceto lower pay and promotionprospects. The workforce of thefuture will draw more heavily onwomen, older workers, non-nationals and on othermarginalised groups. In the casesof childcare and lifelong learning,Ireland can either play catch-upor lead the way. The only way toexcel in these two areas is to strikethe right balance of personal,employer and Government action.

p Workplace

Productivity and performance,lower staff turnover and betterintroduction of new technologiesare all associated with ‘bundles’of work practices including jobrotation, training, quality circles,feedback systems andperformance pay, etc. The publicsector is just ahead of the privatesector in these terms, but bothare still relatively low.

Philip Kelly recalls the key findings of the

Forum on the Workplace of the Future.

Taking stock

“Many people are

increasingly relying on

their skills sets rather

than the terms of

their employment

contracts for their

future employment.”

update 5

p Employers and trade unions

In the indigenous sector, thesearch for higher productivity willbe contingent on adopting newforms of work organisation, somore flexible working patternsneed to be offered and we need to be more open to diversity in theworkplace. Unions need to adoptmore flexible attitudes towardschange management in order tobroaden their appeal to members– given the increased incidence ofin-house staff organisations andthe individualisation of contracts.

p Government

The key conclusion, forGovernment, was the need for amore integrated approach. Thereis a need therefore, to reflect onthe experiences of the High LevelImplementation Group and NCPPto see what has been achieved. Indoing so, it is worth noting that weare all in the change-managementbusiness.

Replicating partnership formula?In some respects, through theNational Workplace Strategy andthe work of the NCPP, we are tryingto replicate at enterprise level thesuccessful tripartite approach toplanning and problem solving thathas served us so well for almost twodecades at national level. Is this anoverly simplistic approach? Are thehigh-level policy issues we deal withas Government and social partnersat national level superseded by per-sonal concerns for individualworkers arising from the nature,manner and pace of change?

Yet even if the mechanism or scaleof the problems are different atenterprise level, it seems almost self-evident that better communicationsand sharing of information are morelikely to lead to win/win outcomes.More sustainable change comesfrom high-participation practices.We try to legislate for communica-tion, but this can only provide forminimum or specific cases. We areoften better off leading than pushingwhen it comes to changingbehaviour. And this is where theNCPP comes in – in terms of researchand dissemination of new ways ofbeing in the workplace. It is very difficult to be an agent of change.For those involved, it is personallyand organisationally tiring. All ofthe usual barriers to change emerge.Those people that are happy withthe way things are find themselvesdiscommoded. The NCPP also meetsthe institutional barriers of differentfunding silos and lines of accounta-bility within the public system.

In addition, the NCPP meets ambi-guity or ambivalence. Sometimes,employers and unions want to actunilaterally, but then again, theywant to cloak themselves inpartnership when the firm is losingmoney and job losses are beingsought; or when the pensionscheme becomes problematic, orwhen outsourcing is mentioned.It is difficult to adopt participativeapproaches, based on trust with the aim of mutual gains, whenthere has been little history of co-operation. And yet we know thatin a time of crises, such approachesoften make the difference between

survival and closure. Perhaps “realand present danger” can focusminds, but the aim of the NCPP is to promote that co-operative focusmore generally in the pursuit ofhigher performance.

However, the NCPP cannot actalone – it must work with its fellowGovernment actors. And the NCPPmust work with employers andunions – to achieve a ripple effectfrom its work.

The Workplace Innovation Fundoffers us a chance to demonstrateco-operation in action, both withinGovernment and betweenGovernment and the social partners.Working with the social partners, itgives us the means to reach out towider constituencies.

The next national workplace survey,to be commissioned in 2008, willgive us quantifiable informationabout attitudes and behaviours ofemployers and employees. Hopefully,we will get some meaningfulinsights as to whether our effortsare having an impact where it reallymatters – in the workplace.

Philip Kelly is Assistant Secretary atthe Department of the Taoiseach andDeputy Chairman of the NCPP

6

innovative and practical solutions toa number of complex issues.

Significantly, Towards 2016 containsa renewed commitment from allparties to the specific agenda ofworkplace change and innovation.This reflects a deepeningappreciation, by the social partnersin particular, that the developmentof high-participation and high-involvement work practices has tobe a priority for both employers andemployees. There are clear compet-itive advantages to be gained bothfrom the improved deployment ofour workforce and from workplacedevelopment generally. Equally,there are significant social dividendsto be realised by improving the quality of individuals’ working lives.

Towards 2016 is notable insofar as itspecifically references the work ofthe High Level ImplementationGroup that was set up in 2005 tooversee delivery of the aims andobjectives of the Workplace Strategy.In addition to endorsing the work ofthe Group, Towards 2016 states thatparticular priority should be affordedto the Group’s work of promotingand advocating – across the publicand private sectors – the range ofactivities contained in the Strategy.

The National Workplace Strategyclearly recognises that the quality of our workforce, and our levels ofworkplace innovation and change,are critically important to Ireland’songoing transition to a highly skilled,dynamic and knowledge-basedeconomy. The Strategy is animportant milestone insofar as itestablishes for the first time an inte-grated and coherent approach toworkplace and workforcedevelopment. It combines newplanned initiatives and strategicobjectives with an emphasis onadding momentum to theimplementation of existing policies.

And while the Strategy isunderpinned by a sharedunderstanding of the need for a newapproach to workplace change andinnovation, translating thisconsensus into agreed practicalactions at the organisational levelremains a major challenge.

Our national social partnershipsystem would appear to provide astrong platform for addressing thischallenge. Since 1987, the ongoingcommitment of the social partnersand Government to engaging inintensive problem-solvingdeliberation has generated

Singing from the same hymn sheet

Damian Thomas examines the various ways in which

the latest social partnership agreement, Towards 2016,

reaffirms the aims and objectives of the National

Workplace Strategy.

This reaffirms the key role that ICTUand IBEC have to play, as membersof the High Level ImplementationGroup, both in championing theNational Workplace Strategy and inbuilding support within their respec-tive constituencies for the wideragenda of workplace change andinnovation.

A key commitment under Towards2016 is the establishment by theGovernment of a three-yearWorkplace Innovation Fund. TheFund will enable the social partnersand the NCPP to build a strongercommitment to workplace innovationand to the development of new waysof working through partnership, witha view to increasing flexibility andimproving performance. In order tomaximise the value of the Fund,financial support will be conditionalon the learning and experiencegained being shared with otherorganisations and with the policycommunity. The NCPP will also seekto develop case studies on the basisof these initiatives as exemplars forwider discussion.

Towards 2016 outlines an ambitiousand holistic agenda for workplacepartnership, and commits the NCPPto undertake a number of specificinitiatives, as follows, in support ofthe National Workplace Strategy:

p The development of a detailedproject plan, in consultation withIBEC, ICTU and relevant govern-ment departments and agencies,outlining a series of practicalapproaches and activities to

further develop workplacepartnership. This project plan willinclude customised approachesdesigned to address the differentneeds and challenges facing keysectors within the economy.

p The finalisation of revisedguidelines on employee financialinvolvement and the developmentand promotion of an associatedactive programme of educationand communication foremployees, management andunions. [Editor’s note: The reportcontaining these guidelines hasnow been concluded, within thetimeframe stipulated in Towards2016, and will be launched in Janu-ary 2007.]

p The commissioning of a furtherattitudinal survey of employersand employees in 2008 to assist inthe process of measuring andmanaging the process of changeand modernisation in Irishworkplaces.

The national agreement alsoincludes initiatives and recommen-dations that enhance and augmentparticular aspects of the WorkplaceStrategy. For example, the develop-ment of future skills is one of the

five strategic action areas identifiedin the Strategy, and this is reflectedthroughout Towards 2016 by astrong emphasis on the need for aconcerted effort to increase thelevels of learning and upskillingacross all Irish workplaces.

The impending publication by theGovernment of the National SkillsStrategy is referenced, and a reviewof existing workplace learning and upskilling initiatives isrecommended, to ensure theymatch anticipated requirementsand provide a co-coordinated and user-friendly system that isfocused on both employability andcompetitiveness.

The Government, IBEC/CIF and ICTU are also committed to workingwith existing and future partnershipinitiatives in order to progress workplace learning and upskillingprojects and, as outlined in the table overleaf, a number of specificactions have already been agreed in this regard:

update 7

“Towards 2016 contains

a renewed commitment

from all parties to the

specific agenda of

workplace change and

innovation.”

8 Singing from the same hymn sheet

For its part, the NCPP has developeda new strategic framework of itsown, entitled Irish Workplaces –Strategy for Change, Innovation andPartnership. It sets out a detailedand integrated work programmedesigned to lead and supportworkplace transition during the period 2007–2010.

Three main strategic priorities havebeen identified that will guide itswork in the coming years:

p Developing a greater level of com-mitment among all stakeholdersto supporting workplaceinnovation and change

p Increasing the focus on buildingorganisational capacity for changeand the practical ways in whichpartnership can provide supportfor this

p Expanding the role of partnershipinto new, emerging concerns in relation to the quality of people’sworking lives.

In conclusion, a key premise under-pinning the establishment of theForum on the Workplace of theFuture (2003–05) was that the same energy invested in Ireland’s economic transformation over the past two decades must now beapplied to the transformation of ourworkplaces for the 21st century.

An integral part of the success of theIrish social partnership experiencehas been its capacity to respondspeedily to changing economic andsocial circumstances. This continuedadaptability is clearly evident in theextent to which Towards 2016embraces a new consensus squarelyfocused on workplace change andinnovation.

Dr Damian Thomas is Head of Policyand Partnership at the NCPP

Towards 2016:Progressing Workplace Learning and Upskilling

— Development of a targeted guidance, learning and training programme,particularly accessible to the manufacturing sector. This programme willinclude coaching and mentoring for workers in vulnerable employments,where appropriate

— Measures for the promotion of take-up of apprenticeships by older workers

— Mainstreaming of the Knowledge Economy Skills Passport

— Increased support for the pilot trade union-led learning network under theFÁS ‘One-Step-Up’ programme, and for the Workplace Basic Education Fund

— Further expansion of the Skillnets programme, including pilot initiatives tofocus on those with lower skill sets

— A targeted fund to alleviate the fees in public institutions for part-timecourses by those at work and who have not previously pursued a third levelqualification

Getting started

“An integral part of the

success of the Irish social

partnership experience

has been its capacity

to respond speedily to

changing economic and

social circumstances..”

update 9

Continued on page 12

The first annual progress reportof the High-Level ImplementationGroup established to oversee execu-tion of the National WorkplaceStrategy was published in August2006.

Chaired by the Minister for LabourAffairs, Tony Killeen, T.D., the Groupis comprised of the relevant Govern-ment departments, State agenciesand the social partners.

Their report summarises theprogress that has been made todate across the Strategy’s fivestrategic action areas, as follows:

Commitment to workplace innovationThe report describes the progressmade by Government departmentsand State agencies in establishingworkplace innovation as a strategicpriority of public policy, and citesexamples from Forfás, FÁS,Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland andthe Central Statistics Office.

The report also points to progressmade in the context of the newnational partnership agreement,Towards 2016, where clear

commitments are in place to developworkplace innovation across thepublic and private sectors. Severalnoteworthy initiatives have beenagreed in Towards 2016, includingthe establishment of a WorkplaceInnovation Fund which commitssignificant additional resources todeveloping working practices in theprivate sector. The NCPP is currentlyengaged with other key stakeholdersin planning the roll out of this newFund in 2007.

The report points towards a numberof sectoral initiatives in education,health and local government asexamples of a growing commitmentto workplace innovation. Anotherkey undertaking by the NCPP is theroll-out in 2007 of a nationwidepublic awareness campaign topromote the importance of innova-tion in the workplace.

The High Level ImplementationGroup highlights progress inimproving the data infrastructureon workplace innovation, andrecords a series of initiatives beingundertaken by the NCPP in conjunc-tion with Forfás and the Central Statistics Office.

Making progress

Cathal O’Regan describes the work of the

High-Level Implementation Group and the main

findings of its first progress report

Profile: National Workplace Strategy High-Level Implementation GroupRecommendation 41 of the final report of the

Forum on the Workplace of the Future advocated

the creation of a High-Level Implementation

Group to oversee the successful implementation

of the National Workplace Strategy.

10

The Group was duly established byGovernment in March 2005following adoption of the ForumReport, and met for the first time inMay of that year.

The Group operates under the aegisof the Department of Enterprise,Trade & Employment, and is chairedby the Minister for Labour Affairs,Tony Killeen, T.D.

Its members include seniorrepresentatives of five Government-departments, three State agenciesand the social partners, as follows:

ChairpersonTony Killeen, T.D.Minister for Labour Affairs

Catherine ByrneExecutive Council member,Irish Congress of Trade Unions

Ciaran ConnollyAssistant Secretary General,Department of Finance

Patricia CurtinAssistant Director General, FÁS

Lucy Fallon-ByrneDirector, National Centre forPartnership and Performance

Frances GaynorAssistant Principal Officer,Department of Enterprise,Trade and Employment

Pat HaydenPrincipal Officer, Department ofEnterprise, Trade and Employment

Eddie KeenanDirector of Industrial Relations,Construction Industry Federation

Philip KellyAssistant Secretary General,Department of the Taoiseach

Billie MathewsPrincipal Officer, Department ofEnterprise, Trade and Employment

Paddy McDonaghAssistant Secretary General,Department of Education andScience

Brendan McGintyDirector of IR and HR, Irish Businessand Employers’ Confederation

Denis RowanDirector, Services to Business, FÁS

Martin ShanahanManager, Forfás

John WalshAssistant Secretary GeneralDepartment of Enterprise,Trade and Employment

Noel WatersAssistant Secretary General,Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Fergus WhelanIndustrial Officer, Irish Congress of Trade Unions

HLIG Secretariat

c/o NCPP16 Parnell SquareDublin 1T (01) 814 6300F (01) 814 6301E info@ncpp.ie

update 11

12 Making Progress

across the public and private sectorsremains a key priority for the HighLevel Implementation Group, andwill be addressed in the NCPP’s new strategic plan for the period2007–2010.

Developing future skillsMajor progress has been made inrespect of the new National SkillsStrategy, which will be launched in2007. This, along with the ‘One StepUp’ initiative and the establishmentof a National QualificationsFramework are key strategicdevelopments at a national level.

The progress report notessignificant increases in investmentin in-company training since 2004.Investment in core programmesmanaged by FÁS, Skillnets Ltd andthe Department of Trade, Enterpriseand Employment totalledapproximately d52m in 2006,compared to d14m in 2004.

Capacity for changeThe National Workplace Strategyidentifies a number of key objectivesto achieve real capacity for change,both at national level and at the level of the individual enterprise. Oneof these is the development of lead-ership and management skills in thepublic and private sectors, and theprogress report identifies a numberof important initiatives funded byEnterprise Ireland, FÁS, Skillnets andthe Department of Finance.

Another objective of the NWS is thedevelopment of greater strategichuman-resource management capa-bility in the public sector, and thereport highlights a number ofcommitments in Towards 2016 thatwill progress this issue. Another significant development noted inthe report is the enactment of newlegislation on employee informationand consultation which adds to themomentum for change.

Further progress is expected during2007 on a number of issues, includ-ing employee financial involvementand work by the Labour RelationsCommission on improving capacityat enterprise level for the in-houseresolution of disputes. The develop-ment of workplace partnership

“Several noteworthy initiatives have been agreed

in Towards 2016, including the establishment

of a Workplace Innovation Fund which commits

significant additional resources to developing

working practices in the private sector.”

Continued from page 9

update 13

Access to opportunities in the workplaceThe National Workplace Strategyhighlights the need for a labourforce management strategy thatmaintains the capacity to meet theneeds of a changing labour market.The High Level ImplementationGroup reports on a number ofimportant developments in address-ing issues including equality anddiversity in the workplace, childcare,economic migration policy, and supporting older workers. For exam-ple, developments include thelaunch of a new Wage SubsidyScheme for people with disabilities,the enactment of the EmploymentPermits Act, the establishmentof the Office of the Minister for Children and the implementation of the National Childcare InvestmentProgramme (2006 – 2010). The Groupalso highlights research beingcarried out by the National Centrefor Partnership and Performance(NCPP) and the Equality Authorityon the business case for managingdiversity and equality in theworkplace.

Quality of working lifeThe Group acknowledges that moreempirical evidence is required toenhance the debate and analysis ofquality-of-working-life issues.Collaborative projects involving theNCPP, the Health and Safety Author-ity, the Equality Authority andothers are destined to address thecurrent data deficit.

Commenting on the report, MinisterKilleen said: “If we are to meet thechallenges presented by theglobalised 21st century market,our workplaces must be geared forconstant change and innovation.All of the people involved –employers, employees, policy makers,and social partners – need to create ashared understanding of what needsto be done, most importantly at thelevel of the workplace.”

He continued: “People and their skillsare at the core of an organisation. Aflexible workplace will identify andput in place the types of workarrangements that best facilitate ahigh level of worker involvementand that best meet the needs of theorganisation. The National Work-place Strategy is the roadmap forproducing workplaces that areadaptable and agile and thatbalance flexibility with security.This Report highlights the importantprogress that has been made inachieving this.”

Without doubt, the High-LevelGroup has made significantprogress in its first full year ofexistence. And while it is clear thatmuch remains to be done, theGroup may look forward with confi-dence to 2007 in the knowledgethat a good start is half the battle.

Cathal O’Regan is Head of Organisational Change andInnovation at the NCPP

“Investment in core

programmes managed

by FÁS, Skillnets Ltd

and the Department of

Enterprise, Trade and

Employment, totalled

approximately c52 million

in 2006, compared

to c14 million in 2004.”

In practice, all forms of innovation –from research and development tomarketing and design – depend fortheir effectiveness, and sometimestheir inspiration, on how a companyis structured, how its work is organ-ised and the internal practices andculture of the organisation.

It is now recognised, in Ireland andacross Europe, that these issues arecrucial for innovation and that if weare to sustain our competitivenessin the knowledge economy, work-place innovation must be improved.To do so, we need to know not onlyhow well we are doing but alsoexactly what it is that Ireland’s mostinnovative companies are doing.

Under the National WorkplaceStrategy, a Benchmarking andIndicators Working Group, com-prising the Central Statistics Office,Forfás and the NCPP, is looking atways to develop the data infrastruc-

ture and our knowledge about whatis happening in our workplaces.

A key challenge for the WorkingGroup is to improve data co-ordination, particularly inrelation to three main surveys dealing with innovation and theworkplace in Ireland, namely:

p Community Innovation Survey(Forfás/Eurostat)

p Annual National EmploymentSurveys (CSO)

p National Workplace Surveys(NCPP 2008)

In this context, the NCPP has, forexample, submitted additionalquestions in the area of workplacechange and structural/organisationalchange to be included in the CSO’sNational Employment Survey. Theinclusion of a permanent questionon information and consultation foremployers and their employees isalso under consideration.

14

Innovation measures up

Larry O’Connell on the challenge of

measuring innovation.

Furthermore, Forfás has anagreement with Eurostat, the EU’sstatistical office, that Ireland (alongwith the UK) will pilot a newexpanded module on organisationalinnovation in 2007.

The Working Group is also workingto develop indicators for workplaceinnovation. Workplace innovationsare defined as innovationsspecifically concerned with attributesand features of the workplace – forexample, systems of internal com-munication, programmes to supportgreater employee involvement, newtraining initiatives, and programmesthat promote a better work-life bal-ance. In practical terms, workplaceinnovation is the adoption ofprogrammes or systems of organisa-tional change, including initiativesfocusing on human-resourcemanagement (HRM), industrial rela-tions, and work organisation andemployee well-being.

update 15

To date, work has focused on thedevelopment of indicators in thefield of HRM that could be used asindicators for workplace innovation.

Research carried out for theWorking Group by the University of Limerick focused on the develop-ment of HR indicators based on asmall, multi-sector sample of someof the larger companies in Ireland.The research has identified practiceswhich are likely to lead to highperformance in three areas: produc-tivity, innovation and staffretention.

UL researchers looked at over 30workplace practices and from these,five have been identified as criticalindicators. These are presentedbelow as a guide or benchmark forcompanies interested in promotingworkplace innovation. Industry aver-ages for different categories of

employees from across a sample ofthe ‘Top 1000’ Irish companies arealso included for comparativepurposes.

More detailed comparative researchfor the NCPP is currently underwayat the University of Limerick, incollaboration with the EqualityAuthority, and will be available earlyin 2007.

Dr Larry O’Connell is Head ofResearch at the NCPP

Your Company Industry Average Your Company Industry Average

Percentage of employees involved in programmes designed to elicit participation and employee input(e.g. quallity circles, problem solving or similar groups). 32 47

Percentage of employees provided with relevantoperating and financial performance information (e.g. quality, productivity, profitability, etc.). 61 75

Percentage of employees receiving compensation partially based on group performance (e.g. profitsharing, gainsharing, etc.). 38 48

Percentage of employees owning shares in their organisation (e.g. employee share ownership plan, etc.). 20 28

Average hours training provided for employees. 32 33

Indicators of Workplace Innovation: Assessing the innovative potential of your workplace

Key Workplace Practices Production, Maintanance, Executives, Managers, Supervisors,Service or Clerical Professional Technical

Workplace learning:the employers’ perspectiveFewer than fifty per cent of Irish organisations currently offer theiremployees meaningful learningopportunities. The Masterclassheard that Irish private and public-sector organisations must devotemore resources to the provision ofsuch opportunities if Ireland is to maintain its internationalcompetitiveness.

Not enough employers appear torealise this, or if they do, they do not appear to be convinced by it. Instark contrast, the employersfeatured in the case studies made a powerful business case for work-place learning, arguing that itimproved staff retention rates andled to real improvements in thecapacity of their organisations.

16

Workplace learning: views from the coalface

A summary of the views expressed at the NCPP’s

2006 National Workplace Strategy masterclass.

Staff retention and commitmentThe employers featured in our casestudies argued that a key benefit ofinvesting in employee training andeducation was the ability to retainskilled staff. Their message was thatspending on learning is aninvestment, not a cost.

On 25 September last, more than 200 public and private-sector delegates from throughout Irelandattended the NCPP’s ‘Learning in aKnowledge Society’ Masterclass atthe RHK in Dublin.

The second in a series of Masterclass-es organised under the auspices ofthe National Workplace Strategy, theevent was opened by Tony Killeen,T.D., Minister for Labour Affairs, andmoderated by RTE’s Áine Lawlor.

Keynote speakers included Sir Ken Robinson, an internationallyrenowned expert on creativity andinnovation in business and education,and Professor Andy Hargreaves, theThomas More Brennan Chair in Edu-cation at Boston College, USA. FromIreland, they were joined by ProfessorTom Collins, Head of Education atNUI Maynooth, Eoin O’Driscoll,the chairman of Forfás, and Lucy Fallon-Byrne, Director of the NCPP.

The broad message to emerge fromthe event was that if Ireland is tocompete successfully as a know-ledge economy, we must embraceworkplace learning.

The Masterclass also showcasedexamples of what is happening onthe ground in respect of workplacelearning in Irish organisations. Herewe present a summary of the expe-riences gained by employers andemployees alike, built around keyfindings on workplace learning inIreland:

“I would say to businesspeople: If you don’t providetraining and learning opportunities for employees,then it will cost you.’’

Jim Hoey, Managing Director,Masonite Ireland

“I would definitely say to anycompany out there to embraceeducation and to educate your workforce, because they are your best resource.”

Nicola Gilmartin, HR Manager,Abbott Ireland

“By investing this money in our staff, I personally feel thatthey are committed to us as abusiness and as an employer….It makes them [the staff] want to achieve a lot more; itgives them goals rather thanaspirations. There is also lowerstaff turnover within the company, and that’s a veryimportant factor.’’

Joanne Fernandez,Office Manager, 123.ie

“Every employee you hire is aninvestment. You won’t be ableto hire a person with every skillthat you need. It’s just a wasteof money if you’re not going todevelop those skills… It wouldbe absolutely stupid on ourpart if we didn’t develop those individuals while they’re here”.

Sean Twohig, Training and Standards Manager,Jurys Hotel and Towers

Nicola Gilmartin of Abbott Irelandalso noted a positive effect onrecruitment. Her company had been finding it difficult to recruitexternally, but was then able to fillvacant positions with existing oper-atives after they had participated inthe company’s employee develop-ment programme. Other employershighlighted similar benefits.

Enhancing the capacity of the organisationThe case studies showed how learn-ing is used to increase the companies’abilities to solve problems in-house.

Masonite Ireland decided that theestablishment of proper educationalfacilities at its plant would help toimprove their competitiveness. Thecompany joined forces with Sligo ITto provide degree and certificatecourses on site. Their employeeswould not otherwise have been ableto access these courses because ofthe 24x7 shift system that operatesat the plant. After participating inthe programme, Jon Conlon, a main-tenance technician, came up with asolution to resolve a problem relatedto compressors overheating duringthe summer months. Since the intro-duction of the cooling system hedeveloped as part of a studentproject, the issue has been resolved.

Workplace learning:the employees’ perspectiveLooking at the experiences ofindividual employees, the case stud-ies demonstrated that learning canprovide very significant benefits,both professionally and personally— not only in terms of theincreased loyalty employees felttowards their employers, but also interms of the new-found confidencethey had in their own ability.

Increasing motivation and commitment

Increased motivation and loyalty wasvery evident among the participantsin the case studies. Employers hadinvested in employees both financial-ly and through the provision of timeoff for study and examinations. As aresult of this investment, employeesfelt a strong sense of motivationand commitment to using theirnewly acquired skills to the fullestfor those employers.

Building confidence Many employees spoke of how theopportunity to undergo training had transformed them. In particular,they highlighted the confidence thatthey now had in their own abilities.

The NCPP would also like to thankDermot Mulligan (DETE), BrigidMcManus (DES), Rody Molloy (FÁS),Jenny Hayes (IBEC), CatherineByrne (ICTU) and Liam O’Donogue(Enterprise Ireland) for theirthought-provoking contributions to the Masterclass.

update 17

“It is a myth that people youtrain and educate move on.Everyone that’s participated in the three programmes hereare still with the company.”

Jim Hoey

“It has certainly been worthevery bit of money and effortthat’s gone into it.”

Mary McSweeney, Partnership Co-ordinator, Dublin City Council

“I couldn’t believe learningcould be so good. I was amazedwith myself; I was amazed withother people around me”.

Robert Traynor, Waste ManagementSupervisor, Dublin City Council

“It’s nice to find out that thegrass isn’t always greener onthe other side, that sometimesyou really do have a lot ofopportunities where you are.For myself, I have morecommitment to my job, and Iprobably put more pressure onmyself than any otherindividual will put me under”.

Shirley Lynch, Plant Trainer,Abbott Ireland

“The difference has been in confidence. I feel I have more of an input into what goes on in the factory.”

Jim Conlon, Maintenance Technician,Masonite

“Ever since then, I’veprogressed… I want to continuewith these exams to give me abetter qualification, a betterfuture… If I didn’t have that[the qualification], I don’t thinkI’d have the confidence to sit in the interview and sellwhat I have.”Caroline Lynch, Life Sales Support,123.ie

“I was a different person after the course,I felt I mushroomed.”Phil Colgrove, Rooms Bar Supervisor,Jurys Hotel and Towers

‘’It means I’m not afraid totake on other courses. I knowthat, if I want to, I can take on x and y courses to get thatjob – and I know that I canpass them.”Seamus O’Reilly, Nurse,St James Hospital

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Masterclass Gallery

A selection of photographs from the ‘Learning in aKnowledge Society’ Masterclass which took place at theRoyal Hospital Kilmainham on 25 September 2006

2. Perusing the programme beforethe event were (l–r) ProfHargreaves, Lucy Fallon-Byrne,Minister Killeen and Sir KenRobinson

3. Keynote speaker, Sir KenRobinson, and Masterclassmoderator, Aine Lawlor (RTE)

1. Speakers at the Masterclassincluded (l–r) Peter Cassells (NCPP Chairman), Lucy Fallon-Byrne (NCPP Director), Prof AndyHargreaves and Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen, TD

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4 + 5. More than 200 public andprivate-sector delegates fromaround Ireland attended theMasterclass

6. Edna Jordan, Head ofWorkplace Learning,NCPP, and organiser ofthe Masterclass

All photographs by Tommy Clancy

Raising awareness,promoting innovation

Conor Leeson on final preparations for a nationwide public-awarenesscampaign in support of the NationalWorkplace Strategy

A major public awareness campaign to promote the keymessages of the National Workplace Strategy is due to belaunched in 2007, under the strategic guidance of the NCPP.

Primarily targeting Ireland’s 2 million-plus employees andemployers, the campaign aims to encourage greaterworkplace innovation in all its forms, from improvedmanagement and leadership capacity to wider employeeinvolvement and increased workplace learning.

Among the key messages the NCPP wishes to convey bymeans of this campaign are the following:

p Irish workplaces – and those who populate them – need

to embrace innovation and change as a matter of

urgency. In a rapidly-evolving economic environment,

both nationally and internationally, the status quo is no

longer a viable option.

p Ireland has taken the strategic decision to transform

itself into a dynamic, inclusive, knowledge-based

economy/society. For this to happen, the ‘buy-in’ of all

relevant actors – employers, managers, employees,

unions, representative organisations, Government

departments and State agencies – is imperative.

p Greater workplace innovation and worker participation

can lead to improved performance and productivity for

businesses and organisations, regardless of size or sector,

and for employers and employees alike.

p Maintaining our economic prosperity and international

competitiveness will depend to a large extent on our

ability/willingness to innovate in the workplace, adapt to

change, develop future skills, provide access to

opportunities for all and improve the quality of our work-

ing lives. In other words, to deliver the strategic priorities

of the National Workplace Strategy.

p It’s all about partnership – and partnership works. 20

years of successful social partnership in Ireland provides

ample evidence in support of that theory.

The task of transforming our places of work into‘workplaces of the future’ is one that will not be achievedwithout the commitment of employers and employeesthroughout the country, regardless of size or sector.

Or, in the words of An Taoiseach at the LRC symposium(November 2006): “The proactive engagement ofemployers, employees and their representatives is key toimplementation of the National Workplace Strategy.”

For people to be able to engage, however, they must firstbe informed and made aware of the issues. Through what isexpected to be a series of imaginative advertisementsacross a range of media, the campaign will endeavour tomake the Strategy’s key themes and messages relevant tothe everyday life experiences of employers and workers inthe workplace.

In addition to advertising, a variety of other awareness-rais-ing events and activities is also foreseen, includingroadshows and workshops, a workplace poster campaignand direct-marketing initiatives.

In line with EU public procurement requirements, the NCPPand High Level Implementation Group issued a call forExpressions of Interest to PR and advertising agenciesthroughout Europe. A shortlist of candidate companies wasdrawn up and invited to submit full tender proposals.

The successful tenderer has now been selected and thecampaign is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2007.

Conor Leeson is the NCPP’s Head of Communications

16 Parnell SquareDublin 1, Ireland

T 353.1.814 63 00F 353.1.814 6301

E info@ncpp.ieW www.ncpp.ie