Personnel Perspective-Development (PEP) – Support Programme for Expert- and Management Development

Organization

- Organization/Company -
Kooperation östliches Ruhrgebiet (KöR)-Arbeitsgruppe
- City -
Bochum, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Recklinghausen
- Country -
Germany

Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen AG (BOGESTRA),
Straßenbahn Herne-Castrop-Rauxel GmbH (HCR)
Vestische Straßenbahnen GmbH
Dortmunder Stadtwerke AG (DSW)
Federführung DSW und BOGESTRA

Goals

Achieving Synergy effects by use of Know-how and Infrastructure of the cooperating companies.

Recognising the potential among the members of the taskforce and developing these potentials in the member companies while respecting the peculiarities of the sector.

Enlarging the personal abilities of the employees and creating the necessary Environment to enable a career step for a driver towards a new job (expert or manager in the organisation).

Giving a positive signal in order to increase goal convergence and group identity among the employees of urban passenger transport companies

Creating a network in the group of member companies to be able to get future mutual management.

Context

The urban passenger transport enterprises are in a restructuring phase, which can be seen among other things in programmes for cost reduction and productivity increase. Technical and management vacancies are not filled "automatically", but, if possible made redundant by organizational changes; at the same time the meaning and responsibility of the left over specialized positions rises while reducing the number of levels in the hierarchy. Some key positions will require a stronger specialized knowledge in future. The large enterprises involved, additionally, are involved in the setting up of local infrastructure companies, which require new qualifications of their employees. Thus the integration of diverse tasks in transport, energy, telecommunications, construction and city development requires cooperation at internal- and external enterprise interfaces and especially also requires appropriate qualification of employees and the management.

Target group

All employees of the Urban passenger transport companies cooperation (KöR). Selection criteria were a ten year work experience in the company and good knowledge of the company structure. The drivers also needed a diploma of a vocational training. Out of 56 applicants, 37% were drivers (21 drivers).

Period of innovative practice application

2004 - 2005 (18 month pilot-phase)

Content

The content organization of PEP is directed toward learning key competences (expert -, social- and methodical competences). Learning of these competences on the one hand happens via exchange by means involving high-level personnel of the KöR enterprises ("input" by experts), on the other hand also external advisers are being used. Differences in the pre-qualification of drivers, repair staff and administrative staff become balanced by use of "expert knowledge" of the PEP participants. Expert participants pass on their knowledge in different modules to other colleagues. The PEP participants qualify for later management activities and their cooperation in multidiscipline projects are the organizational framework. (Topic example: Quality standards in urban passenger transport). The courses take place weekly on Friday and Saturday.

Innovation

The Personnel Perspective-Development Programme (PEP) is a new continuing training programme, that offers ambitious employees new possibilities to develop their potential. It was also developed to test cooperation in networks as a future oriented form of working.

Joint programme of four independently and independent (according to the law) enterprises, that also may be competitors
Requirement oriented mix of expert- and (potential) managers (knowledge transfer)
Integration of PEP-participants in the company action (practice oriented project work)

Results

Out of the 56 applicants from enterprises, 18 employees (including 6 drivers) were selected. The implementation of the program began only in April 2004. Later on intermediate results will presumably be available for an update of this case study. First programme is not yet finished; interim conclusion: Good cooperation in the group/teamwork (Learning partnerships and private meetings)

Points of strength

The self qualification among colleagues in the project groups is a new method for the qualification of high-level personnel. It promotes the knowledge transfer while participating and it also contributes to mutual acceptance between the different groups of employees.

Points of weakness

Notwithstanding the high personal commitment and regular weekend work (Saturday) demanded in the project groups, there is no warranty for the PEP participants of a leading position after concluding the qualification;

Different partners in the companies (responsibility for personal development/organisational development;

Feedback and Controlling need a (time consuming) tuning process.

The organization's internal actors involved in the "innovative practice"

Topmanagement (HRM responsible)

Approval of the concept
Kick-off- and final conference
Continuing information

Responsible manager for the participants

Kick-off- and final conference
Continuing information

HRM development/organisation-Development

Concept design (call, tendering procedure, programme);
Organisation; coaching

All managers

Information on needs (criteria)
(Actually:) participation to tendering procedure;
Project assignments
Common events

Shop stewards

Participation according to the “Works Council Constitution Act”
Participation to tendering procedure
Continuing information

Organizations, institutions, authorities involved in the application of the "innovative practices"

Trainers
Teaching of social- und methodical- competences

Type of "innovative practice"

	Political
	Organizational
	Technical

Field of application

	Recruiting and integration policies within the company
	Skill and career management procedures
	Training program content, practices and processes associated with the evolutions observed in the occupation
	Relations with national/regional policies
	Relations with Collective Agreement
	Other

How the "innovative practice" can be transfered?

The possibility to perform a multi-company joint development programme can be transferred to other sectors, especially where the employee numbers of a company are too small to perform their own programme. Co-operation offers advantages for the companies but also for the employees, for whom new sights, but also new perspectives can be seen.

A systematic knowledge transfer inside a group enlarges the expert- and job-hopping ability of all participants, it leads – independent from reaching personal development goals of individuals - to improved co-operation after end of the programme.

Is there a specific handbook for the dissemination?

	Yes
	No

If affirmative, is the Handbook available?

	Yes
	No

Notes

Angela Brennemann
Dortmunder Stadtwerke AG
Deggingstraße 40
44141 Dortmund
Telefon: +49 231 955-2558 - E-Mail: a.brennemann@dsw.de