Government Finance Profession

Support the Finance Director with talent management and succession planning, ensuring a balanced portfolio of internally developed and externally recruited skills mix. Advise and assess those posts that are deemed to require job-related expertise in Policy, Operations and other groupings within Corporate Services delivery. Ensure that sufficient rigour exits during assessment for promotion, reflecting the Gateway standards, expertise and core skills requirements.

Communicating Financial Management (FM) skills and other PSG requirements, working with HR and line management in assessing core FM skills competencies as part of the on-going annual performance management process and more generally in recruitment and that sufficient rigour exists during assessment for promotion.

Help to create a culture of staff development by demonstrating the importance of lifelong learning and by targeting, encouraging and supporting those eager to develop and those needing development. Provide a point of contact for people on development issues within Finance and other delivery areas. Ensure that the leadership and broader experience requirements of PSG are being adopted.

Support HR in assessing core FM skills and provide assurances to the Finance Director as to how the identified FM skills gap in their departments are being risk managed, addressed and improvements evidenced.

Work with the Director of Finance and Finance Managers to coordinate the development of a training and development strategy, policy and an annual training plan/budget, and maintain appropriate information on the size, distribution and grading of the finance profession. To lead on pay and reward for the profession and to maintain performance standards for Finance Professionals.

Take a strategic role in identifying and commissioning appropriate development routes for those at or aspiring to the relevant grade gateways ensuring value for money in the process.

Monitor progress against the training strategy, policy, plan and budget, feedback to the Director of Finance and to Finance Managers and take any required action to keep on track. Assess the core skills needs of external recruits and arranging the necessary training and career development.

Work closely with the department’s other core skill owners to ensure a consistent approach to the implementation and integration of respective core skills within the HR and performance management framework. Recognise the reality that the core skills needed to be demonstrated as a suite and encourage take up of the FM e-learning available through the NSG.

Support managers and individuals as they identify and prioritise training needs and help people to source appropriate learning opportunities (on the job learning as well as formal courses), ensuring equal access for all.

Evaluate the success of individual training and development activities and take appropriate action where required.

Organise and/or deliver briefing/coaching for managers and individuals (e.g. objective setting, appraisals, mentoring, coaching, Personal Portfolios, identifying training needs, key finance issues, and the point of contact on other professional and ethical matters.

Provide a link to internal training/HR ensuring that the Finance Department works alongside and in cooperation with internal experts and that the best use is made of internal/external resources and funding opportunities.

Work collaboratively with the central team in the Treasury to develop, share and promote best practice.