Day 2
Wildchild
4TheHRRoleinPolicyBudget.pptxThe HR Role in Policy, Budget, Performance Management, Program Evaluation
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Policy making, budgeting, performance management, and program evaluation are the sequential processes (or links) that by which ideas become programs.
These core managerial functions are how organizations develop programs, allocate resources to them, and benchmark their effectiveness.
Human Resource Planning (HRP)
That aspect of public HRM that mediates between the political environment and managerial implementation of public programs through core HRM activities such as:
workplace planning,
job analysis,
job classification,
job evaluation,
and compensation…
HRM matches agency manager’s wish list with political realities generated by
projected revenues and political philosophies and goals within a much broader context of factors like the supply and demand for labor…
Most of these requests are preceded by some type of strategic planning process that establishes priorities and goals…maybe
Policy Making….
The American democratic system of government has a constitutional structure that guides and constrains policy design.
Therefore policy making (as a system) is the process by which all levels of government make and implement policies to resolve the problems of their constituency and satisfy their needs.
Many experts utilize a Six Stage rational, linear model of policy making:
initiation, estimation, selection, implementation, evaluation, and termination.
This type of model doesn’t show all the imponderable pressures and events that enable issues to advance to the top of the politicians’ agendas, or to become important to voters.
Note: Sometimes we have a solution in search of a problem:
i.e. with todays technology we look for community based programs as an alternative to the high cost of the imprison of nonviolent offenders.
Budgeting…
A budget is a document that attempts to reconcile program priorities with projected revenues….
Budget helps to aid the planning of actual operations by
forcing managers to consider how the conditions might change
and what steps should be taken now
and by encouraging managers to consider problems before they arise.
It also helps co-ordinate the activities of the organization by compelling managers to examine relationships between their own operation and those of other departments. Other essentials of budget include:
To control resources
To communicate plans to various responsibility center managers.
To motivate managers to strive to achieve budget goals.
To evaluate the performance of managers
To provide visibility into the company's performance
For accountability
Historically, the most important purpose has been external control…
i.e. ceiling budget; line-item budget; and performance and program budgets (MBO).
Performance Management….
Performance management (PM) includes activities which ensure that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner.
Performance management can focus on the performance of an organization, a department, employee, or even the processes to build a product or service, as well as many other areas.
PM is also known as a process by which organizations align their resources, systems and employees to strategic objectives and priorities.
Because decisions on future funding for programs and agencies are likely to involve an evaluation of past performance, performance management becomes a critical part of the planning process….
Program Evaluation….
Program evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing, and using information to answer questions about projects, policies and programs, particularly about their effectiveness and efficiency.
In both the public and private sectors, stakeholders often want to know whether the programs they are funding, implementing, voting for, receiving or objecting to are producing the intended effect.
While program evaluation first focuses around this definition, important considerations often include
how much the program costs per participant,
how the program could be improved,
whether the program is worthwhile,
whether there are better alternatives, if there are unintended outcomes,
and whether the program goals are appropriate and useful.
Evaluators help to answer these questions, but the best way to answer the questions is for the evaluation to be a joint project between evaluators and stakeholders.
Questions for the Public Administrators...
In light of the planning process, the money spent in accordance with the appropriations law, or whether (or not) the program itself has achieved it’s predicted results…. Did the process resolved the policy issued at hand?
Are we getting the most for our money?
Are we accomplishing the goal we set out to do?
Is the goal we set out to accomplish worthwhile in light of the other goals we might have chosen?
When do we try to implement a policy that, on the surface, is not acceptable in light of a current political environment?
(i.e. giving out condoms in prisons; and providing intravenous (IV) drug users with clean needles, etc.)
Cost-Benefic Analysis (CBA)
Cost–benefit analysis (CBA), sometimes called benefit–cost analysis (BCA), is a systematic approach to estimating the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives that satisfy transactions, activities or functional requirements for a business.
It is a technique that is used to determine options that provide the best approach for the adoption and practice in terms of benefits in labor, time and cost savings etc.
The CBA is also defined as a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project, decision or government policy (hereafter, "project").
Broadly, CBA has two purposes:
To determine if it is a sound investment/decision (justification/feasibility),
To provide a basis for comparing projects. It involves comparing the total expected cost of each option against the total expected benefits, to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs, and by how much.
Cost-Benefic Analysis (CBA)
CBA is related to, but distinct from cost-effectiveness analysis.
In CBA, benefits and costs are expressed in monetary terms, and are adjusted for the time value of money, so that all flows of benefits and flows of project costs over time (which tend to occur at different points in time) are expressed on a common basis in terms of their "net present value."
Closely related, but slightly different, formal techniques include
cost-effectiveness analysis,
cost–utility analysis,
risk–benefit analysis,
economic impact analysis,
fiscal impact analysis,
and Social return on investment (SROI) analysis.
How HR Managers Supports Policy-Making Process
Policy-making process
HR staff’s responsibility is to assist other department heads and their line responsibility of directing their own departments.
Department heads need the ability to predict human resource needs base on various program options.
Their second role in the policy-making process is to provide input on the positive and negative consequences of alternative policy options for staffing needs in their own departments.
How HR Managers Supports the Budget Process …
Budget process
Again HR staff’s responsibility is work with department heads so they can realistically predict the pay and benefit cost associated with alternative program delivery options.
In addition, HR have to ensure that any request will conform to personnel policy and practices reflecting the hiring or downsizing needs of the agency.
This includes but not limited to additional costs incurred due to uniform allowances, recruitment, training, and equipment.
The HR director’s second budget preparation function is to develop and defend the budget needed to provide personnel support services for all departments such as:
recruitment and selection;
job analysis and classification;
operation of the payroll and benefits system,
training and orientation,
performance evaluation,
grievances and disciplinary action,
and collective bargaining
How HR Manager Supports the Performance Management Processes
Performance management process
Because of HR’s role in the budgetary process, they play a critical role in productivity improvement by monitoring the efficiency or effectiveness of program outputs compared with personnel cost, or departmental compliance with legal requirements.
Because program managers and their supervisors are directly responsible for the actions of their assigned personnel, HR’s oversight role of performance management is indirect.
This keeps HR directors from being drawn into departmental personnel issues (i.e. competing values, objectives, and demands).
Because of direct request from agency directors or other elected and appointed officials,
HR managers have a tendency to react immediately and concretely to those demands and resolve any operational problems that may occur.
How HR Managers Supports Program Evaluation Process
Program Evaluation Process
HR collects data through a HRMIS to evaluate all public personnel management activities.
Human Resources Management Information System (HRMIS) refers to the systems and processes at the intersection between human resource management (HRM) and information technology.
Because the function of human resources (HR) departments is administrative and common to all organizations, they can formalized the selection, evaluation, and payroll processes. The management of "human capital" has now progressed to an imperative and complex process.
With this type of information technology HR can now automatically track and evaluate electronically existing employee data which traditionally includes personal histories, skills, capabilities, accomplishments and salary which will play an important role in the overall operation and planning of the organization.
