State IT and Procurement Career Path Report

State IT and Procurement Career Path Report

Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information

Technology and the Fiscal Research Division

Keith Werner

State Chief Information Officer

Department of Information Technology

April 2016


This page left blank intentionally


Contents Legislative Request ............................................................................................................................................................. 2

Background ..................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Current compensation structure ................................................................................................................................. 3

Talent Review and Succession Planning ..................................................................................................................... 5

Acquisition .................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Training and Development ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Performance Management ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Career Paths ................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Career Planning .............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Path Forward ................................................................................................................................................................ 10

Benefits of Career Counseling ................................................................................................................................... 10

Career Counselor Pilot Program ............................................................................................................................... 11

Critical success factors .............................................................................................................................................. 12

Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................... 13


This page left blank intentionally

Department of Information Technology 2 | P a g e

Legislative Request

This report is submitted pursuant to N.C. G.S. §143B-1312(d), which states,

“The State CIO shall establish standard information technology career paths for both management and

technical tracks, including defined qualifications, career progression, training requirements, and

appropriate compensation. For information technology procurement professionals, the State CIO shall

establish a career path that includes defined qualifications, career progression, training requirements,

and appropriate compensation. These career paths shall be documented by February 1, 2016, and shall

be provided to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology and the Fiscal

Research Division by February 1, 2016, but may be submitted incrementally to meet Department

requirements. The career paths shall be updated on an annual basis.”


Background

Information Technology (IT) is essential to the successful delivery of government services. The recent

creation of the Department of Information Technology (DIT) highlighted commitment of both the

General Assembly and Executive Branch to providing consistently effective, high quality IT services to

State agencies. In order to maximize the effectiveness of IT service delivery in this new department, DIT

is focused on the recruitment and retention of a highly skilled IT workforce. North Carolina has one of

the most technologically advanced workforces in the country, and this workforce is essential to the

successful operation of state government. In order to better define the IT workforce the State needs,

DIT examined the demographics of the existing IT employee population, as well as how qualified

employees are developed, trained, and compensated.

A demographic assessment of DIT employees showed that as of March 2016, the average age of a DIT

employee was 51 years of age, with a median age of 52, and with 28 percent of the workforce eligible to

retire within the next five years. In addition to the large number of upcoming retirements, DIT’s turnover

rate increased from 9.5 percent in 2014 to 14.3 percent in 2015, which includes staff retirement.

Whether retiring or moving to another job, each departing employee takes with them specific

institutional knowledge. In order to avoid such an immense loss of institutional knowledge, DIT must

find new ways to attract and retain IT talent.

DIT faces steep competition in recruiting new IT talent, as there are numerous Fortune 500 companies

across the state (and particularly in the Research Triangle Park) that excel in attracting college graduates.

In order to recruit and retain the best possible IT staff, DIT must take a holistic approach, focusing on the

satisfaction and performance of existing employees and examining compensation models and other

recruitment activities in the IT industry to determine the best method for attracting and retaining

qualified employees.

Current compensation structure

The State’s current compensation model follows a career banding structure that lays out the

competencies (skills, experience, and education) required for employee classification in a particular

salary band. The bands range from contributing to advanced, and description are outlined below:

Contributing Competencies: The span of knowledge, skills and abilities minimally necessary to

perform a job from entry up to the journey competencies recognized for the class.

Journey Competencies: Fully acquired knowledge, skills and abilities demonstrated on the job

that are beyond the contributing competencies.

Advanced Competencies: The highest or broadest scope of knowledge, skills and abilities

demonstrated on the job that are beyond journey competencies.1

Salary classifications are a necessary component of a career path, but do not constitute a career path by

themselves. Career paths encompass all aspects of an employee’s growth within an organization. These

1 State Human Resources Manual, rev. Jan 1, 2015


paths chart the positions and responsibilities employee may hold given their competencies, and show

what is required of that employee to progress through the various stages. A clear understanding of future

responsibilities and positions allows both the employee and the employer to identify areas where

training would be necessary to acquire the required competencies for the next level, or what other roles

that employee may take on in a lateral transition.

In order for DIT to establish career paths for all IT and IT procurement professionals, DIT must address

talent review and succession planning, acquisition, performance management, and training and

development. Additional detail on the activities required to address these four areas can be found in the

diagram below.

Figure 1. Talent Management Cycle

DIT is working with the Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) on several initiatives that address

components of each quadrant. All of these initiatives benefit and incentivize current and future

employees, and allow DIT to establish measures to track and demonstrate growth potential within the

department.


Talent Review and Succession Planning

Information Technology Reclassification

The Department of Information Technology (DIT) is testing the Office of State Human Resources’ (OSHR)

new classification and compensation system. This project aims to develop a classification structure that

is useful for all IT positions, regardless of the agency in which they reside. The new system creates one

set of position descriptions for all IT classifications. The summaries include a brief description of the

position, knowledge, skills and abilities and minimum education and experience required for the

position.

DIT completed the reclassification of IT positions in 2015. Reclassifications of IT positions in other

agencies will take place in 2016. This will be the first step in transitioning all IT classifications from

participating agencies to DIT. As the DIT transition progresses, there will be a continual process to create

formal career paths, training and appropriate compensation.

Acquisition

Innovative Compensation

The IT compensation structure in state government does not align with the structures seen in private

industry. The salary, bonus, and other incentive structures in the private sector are more competitive,

keeping many young IT professionals from looking at state government jobs. In addition, existing State

IT professionals frequently migrate to the private sector to benefit from those incentives.

In 2014, the General Assembly passed legislation that allowed exemption from certain provisions of the

State Human Resources Act for IT positions. This legislation allows the State to develop compensation

plans that are more in line with the market, and will foster the cultural change needed for IT in the state.

The resulting compensation plans are predicted to have a significant positive impact on the State’s ability

to attract new IT talent, and to retain and reward existing IT resources.

DIT is the pilot agency for the Innovative Compensation Plan. This plan allows DIT to leverage bonuses

and other forms of compensation, which it has not previously been able to do. Three new components

of compensation were identified in the plan – project incentives, signing bonuses, and retention

bonuses. In addition to these forms of compensation, the plan allows, as necessary and with the

appropriate approvals, the establishment of a relocation assistance program and an education assistance

program.

Updating the incentive structure for IT professionals will enable DIT to attract previously unattainable

talent, and to improve existing employee retention.


Performance Management

NC Valuing Individual Performance

NC Valuing Individual Performance (NCVIP) is a new performance management system that allows all

state employees to have a clearer understanding of performance expectations. It also enables

employees to set and track their goals in real time. The performance management process consists of

three stages: Performance Planning, Performance Feedback and Annual Performance Evaluation. The

NCVIP process provides opportunities for employees to have discussions with their supervisor about

career growth potential and career opportunities.

Training and Development

Learning Management System

The Office of State Human Resources invested in a Learning Management System (LMS) to track and

provide training for State employees. DIT will continue to utilize the existing LMS to store online training

material, offer instructor-led training, and to track DIT employee enrollment, course attendance, and

overall interest in course offerings. Managers can identify courses as beneficial for employees to help

market themselves for career advancement. Hiring managers can check the LMS to determine if internal

candidates have attended and passed required courses to aid in making an internal hiring determination.

Procurement Training

In 2014, DIT assessed the skills and functions of the Statewide IT Procurement Office. Based on the

findings from this assessment, DIT took steps to address gaps in skills, functions and structure.

The Statewide IT Procurement Office, through collaboration with and support from the Department of

Administration (DOA), implemented a training curriculum through the National Institute for Government

Purchasing (NIGP). NIGP provides a certification pathway for procurement professionals and is the

premier organization supporting career development in public procurement. The curriculum was

established and offered over the last six months of 2014, with a focus on establishing a baseline

competency and body of knowledge. The courses focused on training, process improvement and

enforcement of processes through monitoring and review. Statewide IT Procurement employees

attended 14 days of training, which included the following courses:

- Developing and Managing RFPs in the Public Sector

- Legal Aspects of Public Procurement

- Sourcing in the Public Sector

- Contract Administration

- Negotiation Strategies

The next phase of activities will identify the gaps between the NIGP training and current North Carolina

IT procurement practices. DIT will work with the University of North Carolina system and other third

party vendors to augment the NIGP training and enhance existing training offered through the Statewide


IT Procurement Office based on the gaps identified. The State will develop a customized curriculum to

deliver through multiple training modalities leveraging the enterprise LMS.

DIT identified the skills necessary to support a modern IT procurement office and leveraged the

Reorganization Through Reduction (RTR) program to pursue skillsets that are currently unavailable in the

department. The use of this program allowed for repurposing of existing positions to focus on skills

required to make procurement and implementation of technology more responsive, efficient and cost-

effective. DIT is working with OSHR to ensure that skills and training for modern procurement

professionals are included in the updated job classification system that will complete deployment in

2016. As a result, the SCIO will be able to ensure that accurate staff competencies and career

development plans reflect the progression of procurement professionals and match the IT procurement

needs of the state.

Career Paths

As participating agency staff transition into the new department, job descriptions, roles, and

responsibilities will continue to change. As a result, DIT will evolve a career path program over time.

There are three career path models that will likely cover the variety of IT roles in the State, based on

research on types of career paths and the initial assessment of IT roles for the reclassification effort.

1. Vertical: traditional career ladder, where an employee enters the workforce as an entry-level

individual contributor, progressing through the levels of individual contributor (Contributing,

Journey, and Advanced under the current classification system), and on to management once

they reach the highest level for an individual contributor. This type of path is best for roles

that are in departments where there are clearly visible next levels and for those employees

with the desire, experience, and appropriate skill set for management. This path structure is

illustrated using the role of Tier One Help Desk Agent at DIT.

Figure 2. Vertical Career path illustration

Help Desk Manager/Lead

Tier 2 Help Desk Agent

Tier 1 Help Desk Agent


2. Dual: A dual career ladder provides opportunities for upward mobility for those employees

who are not interested in or suited for management, or for those with specific technical skills.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, this structure is very often used

in IT organizations, as it allows those individuals with deep technical knowledge to progress

in their careers while still providing the technical services for which they are best suited. This

path structure is illustrated using the software developer role.

Figure 3. Dual Career path illustration

3. Horizontal: Horizontal career growth focuses on expanding knowledge. Employees move

“across” the agency, rather than in an upward trajectory. This means that the employee gets

to see and experience different departments and teams. Employees get to meet new people,

try out different roles, and get a hands-on look at everything that goes on within the

organization. Horizontal and vertical career growth work to complement each other.

In order for DIT to establish a career path program that enables employees to follow the path of their

choosing, employees must first have the ability to plan their careers within DIT.

Career Planning

As DIT examined ways to develop and leverage IT professionals’ career paths, the research firm Gartner

provided a solid approach which calls for IT professionals to build a career profile that considers their

long-term personal and professional goals. According to Gartner,

“A good starting point to explore the career options available is to look externally for cues on job market

trends. This complements the internally focused career profile assessment. The external review includes

a look at a number of factors (for example, economic, industry and technology) that will have an impact

on the career options that are available and the most relevant for an individual.”


The key steps in Gartner’s recommended approach are as follows:

Assess. Perform a current career profile review that takes into account the levers that form the basis of the profile as well as the accelerators (connected, adaptive and receptive [CAR]) that are critical in enhancing the career opportunities available.

Explore. This step includes a look at the external factors (for example, economic, industry and technology trends) that, when coupled with the career profile assessment, facilitate the discovery process of the career options that are a best fit for the individual. Consider no more than three career options at any given time.

Identify. An analysis of the current career profile against the requirements of career options available will determine the gaps in the current career profile. The nature of the gaps and degree of investment they will require to fill will have an impact on the most viable career option selected for targeted development purposes.

Develop. The action plan will be driven by the career option selected and considered the closest to meeting both personal and professional goals. Focus on one option for the short term. However, use the information gained through the gap analysis to find common areas of development across the viable options. Activities to fill these gaps may be included in the action plan to prepare for options beyond the immediate plan.2

Figure 4, from Gartner research, highlights key components of each step. Currently, DIT can assess an employee. In the future, DIT will leverage the remaining steps (explore, identify, and develop) as the career path model matures.

2 Diane Berry, “Leverage a Career Profile for Ongoing Success,” March 14, 2012


Figure 4. Steps to Leverage and Maintain a Career Profile3

DIT is committed to implementing a similar process as the agency continues to transition to a unified

department, and continues to look for ways to attract, retain and reward IT talent.

Path Forward

As noted above, a full scope career path program for DIT must be developed over time, as the newly

transitioned organization matures. As a step towards a robust career path program, DIT will incorporate

career counseling with a DIT pilot group of managers and employees by October 2016. This counseling

program will enable employees to better plan and prepare for their careers at DIT.

Benefits of Career Counseling

Career counselors provide a wide variety of benefits to employees. Depending on the organization and

the level of involvement desired, career counselors can:

3 Source: Gartner (January 2012)


Administer and interpret assessments and inventories to assess work values, interests, skills, and competencies

Identify alternative internal career options for people in transition that capitalize on individual

knowledge, skill, and ability profiles

Develop specific career paths with experience, knowledge, abilities, and skills defined

Create career development plans to help employees grown and learn

Maximize person-job-organizational fit

Explore and prepare employees for internal job searches, including resume preparation, in-house

interviewing and networking

Identify and cultivate internal mentor and career advisor networks for personal career

development

Provide unbiased, objective career counseling intervention/mediation/facilitation for people

experiencing job stress, job loss or transition during reorganizations, consolidations, or times of

significant change.

Teach internal career advisors and mentors how to be more effective in guiding employee

development

Facilitate employee training and development initiatives4

The career counseling initiative at DIT will initially focus on facilitating employee training and

development, cultivating advisor networks for personal career development, creating career

development plans, and identifying alternative internal career options based on knowledge, skill, and

ability profiles. The program will eventually expand to cover all of the activities listed above.

Career Counselor Pilot Program

The career counselor program is the first step towards a robust career path program. Under this

program, employees in management and leadership roles will act as counselors to other employees.

Counselors will help employees establish a career profile and goals, and will work with employees to

determine what additional skills and training are required to meet the employee’s career goals.

For the pilot phase, DIT will solicit volunteers in leadership roles to be career counselors. These volunteer

career counselors will be advised on their role and provided with training (on coaching/mentoring

employees) by DIT Human Resources staff. Once a pool of counselors is established, DIT will gauge

interest from employees. Employees will be able to choose their counselor, based on the

department/role in which they are interested. Counselors will have access to departmental job

descriptions, an understanding of job qualifications, and have a comprehensive understanding of

training opportunities available to staff by accessing the LMS (or other options such as universities,

online vendors, etc.). Counselors will meet with staff members one-on-one to get an understanding of

their needs/concerns and how they wish to develop professionally. Counselors will also have access to

4 Source: Linda Ginac, “Career Counseling is a Valuable Benefit for Employees”


employee performance reviews and will be able to provide objective feedback. The counselor will not

act as the staff member’s manager, nor will s/he dispute another manager’s performance review of an

employee. The counselor will simply act as a mentor, based on what s/he observes and the data they

are provided. The goal for the program is to help employees position themselves for any type of career

growth, whether that be a traditional vertical progression into management, a horizontal transition to a

new area of expertise, or progression further along a path of technical expertise.

As employees are counseled, they can opt to take training courses suggested by the career counselor to

help them become qualified for their desired role. The counselor will assist with career progression and

help educate the counseled individual on compensation expectations. This personalized attention will

help engage employees in the process. As a result, those who counseled will likely return the favor as

they continue to grow within the organization; thus creating a natural cycle of personalized employee

counseling, career development and career pathing.

DIT will evaluate the counseling program after six months. Based on feedback, the department will make

adjustments, as needed. DIT will then continue to phase in the counseling program based on areas of

interest and participation.

Critical Success Factors

To make the counseling program a success, DIT will need the following:

Clear, easily available job descriptions

Job descriptions should be housed in a central repository that enables employees to easily search for

and view the roles and responsibilities of each job in the department. Job descriptions should include

the purpose of the position, major duties and responsibilities, working title, job classification, and

required knowledge, skills, and abilities. This information will enable employees to see how a position

aligns within the department, as well as what qualifications they would need to be eligible for each role.

Training for career counselors and counselees

The career counselor concept is new at DIT, and as a result, training is required for all prospective

counselors and counselees. The HR staff at DIT will provide initial training for counselors, with additional

provided as needed.

Career Counselors

Ultimately, the success of this program will be contingent upon the counselors. Experienced,

knowledgeable and enthusiastic mentors will be needed to ensure that positive behavior and actions are

passed along to employees. DIT will seek volunteers who are passionate about their work, and who want

to teach others the value of a job well done; and how to be successful within the organization. A

successful counselor will be an active listener, a confidant, a coach, a trainer, a mentor, and most

importantly, s/he will be a personal resource for employees to learn more about career advancement.


Established Counseling Process

The counseling process must be written and communicated to those who participate in the counseling

sessions. Although these sessions are optional, DIT wants to ensure that employees and their counselors

make the most of their time. By creating a clearly defined process that is communicated, participants

will know what to expect from the program.

The process will include career profile templates that will help counselors know what they should track

as they counsel employees will need to be developed. In addition, employees should have a template

that allows them to fill-out their information (meeting times, dates, mentoring provided, suggestions,

courses taken, etc.).

Standards will be established as part of the pilot detailing how career counselors are identified, how

often counselors meet with employees, roles and responsibilities of both counselors and employees,

necessary forms, schedules for workforce assessment briefings, and other materials.

Once approved, DIT will establish a flexible career counseling pilot model driven by voluntary

participants who desire to teach, motivate, and learn.

Conclusion

DIT is committed to providing high quality IT services to the State of North Carolina. A holistic approach

to recruitment and retention will enable DIT to build and maintain a highly skilled IT workforce that will

maximize the effectiveness of IT service delivery in the State. Over the next six months, DIT will establish

a career counseling program in an effort to foster a culture of career growth and development in the

department. The pilot will begin in October 2016, and will be revised and expanded after a six-month

trial period. As both DIT and the counseling program mature, the department will build a robust career

path program. Updates on the program will be provided annually.

State IT and Procurement Career Path Report

Documents

Transcript of State IT and Procurement Career Path Report