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ITEM EX14
- ANNEX 1
EXECUTIVE
– 20 JULY 2004
ADULT AND
COMMUNITY LEARNING STAFFING STRUCTURE
Review of the Structure
of the Adult and Community Learning Service
Structure Options from Consultation
Document
Model A:
- Three large Division-based
teams, with curriculum, community needs analysis/widening participation,
and administrative strands, led by a Divisional Manager as the head
of operational management
- Ongoing curriculum
leadership and development for the whole county is managed by one person
in each divisional team,
- Administrators
manage centres and venues
- Divisional managers
and curriculum staff may be named contacts for specific roles in relation
to centres and venues
- A central Widening
Participation and Development strand.
The Head of Service
manages a four-strong strategic management team: Head of Performance &
Quality, Head of Curriculum Delivery, Head of Widening Participation &
Development, and Head of Resources, with clear responsibilities and connections
to operational activities. The responsibilities shown in these strands
are functions, not posts
Advantages
- Embedding of Skills
for Life
- Embedding of other
strands of the service
- Development of
a widening participation strand
- Quality of service
at point of delivery to learner monitored by specialists
- Specialized curriculum
leadership
- Discrete performance
and quality strand
- Facilitates management
across/between strands within divisions and across the service; academic
staff have career progression across strands
- Creates wider
geographical areas
- Good use made
of existing staff skills and resources
- Clearer distinction
between strategic and operational activities
- Enhances career
progression for non-academic staff
Possible Disadvantages
- Structure dependent
on 3 key operational posts – the divisional managers
- Lack of senior
leadership for some of the strands within divisions/areas, depending
on where curriculum manager is
- Matrix management
needs careful maintenance
- Effective team
working may be compromised by current premises availability
Problems to be solved
- Premises
- Communication
across large areas
Model B:
- Three division-based
teams, led by a Divisional Manager, responsible for community needs
analysis, partnerships and widening participation, for developing the
right mix of curriculum in their division, and for the administrative
infrastructure.
- Curriculum is
managed in a different strand, by staff responsible for one major
curriculum area or for a group.
- Curriculum Managers
and their full or part-time co-ordinators recruit and support tutors,
convene curriculum groups, and advise divisional staff
The Head of Service
manages a three-strong strategic management team: a Senior Manager Community,
Senior Manager Curriculum and Development, and a Senior Manager Planning,
Strategic Finance and Performance.
Advantages
- Emphasises curriculum
expertise as the basis for success in development and delivery of teaching
and learning
- Emphasises the
special role of senior managers with responsibility for curriculum development
- Emphasises support
for tutors’ curriculum expertise
- Enables recruitment,
promotion and career development for tutors to a high level of curriculum
management, with continuing teaching, rather than career development
normally by becoming generalist
- Maintains some
current strengths of the service; doesn’t destabilise areas of work
where posts are grouped countywide by curriculum area now – basic skills;
family learning, PLD to some extent. Large elements of FE and ACL programme
that are under LSC spotlight have continuity through any turbulence
caused by restructuring
- Separates the
roles of a) knowing community needs and ‘purchasing’ for them and b)
knowing about the teaching of the curriculum
- Is related to
models recently adopted by large, successful, Adult Learning services
Possible disadvantages
- Only basic skills
works fully in this way now; this model would mean considerable change
in management lines for many other curriculum areas
- The model works
well for ‘compact’ curriculum areas where we have a large number of
learners and/or learner hours in similar work; it needs considerable
thought and adaptation for more diverse groups such as arts, movement,
health
- The fact that
some staff would have more continuity, and experience less change than
others, may be a weakness
Problems to be solved
- Premises
- Communication
across large areas
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