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News from the Executive Council

Doris Maye

The IPMA Executive Council held its mid-year meeting in Washington, DC on March 15, 1997. Included on the agenda were several items of potential interest to IPMAAC. Two actions are highlighted below.

Professional Development Committee Report

One of the strategic goals in the IPMA Long-Range Strategic Plan concerns the professional development of human resource managers. As part of this goal, the Association appointed a Professional development Committee with a charge to enhance the expertise of public sector human resource staff by expanding professional development opportunities that focus on new and emerging roles and competencies. IPMAAC Past-President Marianne Bays served on the committee.

The recommendations of this committee were presented to the Executive Council for approval and guidance of future activities. The committee recommended that a professional development curriculum be developed that was based on the competency model designed by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). The NAPA model, A Competency Model for Human Resources Professionals, was released by NAPA in 1996 and was sponsored by 37 federal agencies. It includes those competencies that are required for satisfactory or exemplary job performance within the context of a person's job roles, responsibilities and relationships in an organization and in its internal and external environments.

The NAPA model is based on the following five roles -- business partner, leader, change agent, human resource expert and advocate. The NAPA report observed that "a key component to applying the model is the need for a plan and curriculum to develop and train HR professional to use the competencies to successfully perform their new roles." The IPMA Professional Development Committee reviewed and modified the NAPA model for application to IPMA and clustered the competencies into three training "modules" and an overview module that would introduce the training concept and facilitate the subsequent, specific competency training.

The four modules are Overview (Module #1), Business Partner (Module #2), Change Agent (Module #3), and Leadership (Module #4). The modules would include the following elements:

Overview (Module #1)

Overview of IPMA HR Competency model, skills assessment; includes competency Knows Human Resource Laws and Policies

Business Partner (Module #2)

Competencies include:

Change Agent (Module #3)

Competencies include:

Leadership (Module #4)

Competencies include:

The Executive Council discussed the committee's training delivery recommendations -- primarily, workshops in conjunction with IPMA, regional and section conferences and jurisdictional-invited sessions. Among the discussion points was the caveat that competency coverage would necessarily be more geared toward recognition rather than "development" if the preliminary recommendation of short-duration (e.g., 1 and 1/2 days per for modules 2,3 & 4), classroom-oriented methods is adopted.

The committee asked that a vendor be retained to develop and deliver Modules 2, 3 and 4 -- Module 1 will be developed by the committee -- and that seed money for training development be provided by IPMA. The tentative time frame envisioned by the committee called for completion of Module 1 by the September International Conference and completion of the remaining three modules by fall 1998.

The Executive Council approved the use of the NAPA competencies and module approach. It also approved in concept the development and delivery recommendations. The discussion left open for further approval specific seed funding amounts and development formats and timetables, pending further input from the committee and its review of submissions from potential vendors. Anticipated next steps include an RFP for vendors.

IPMA Exhibitor and Advertiser Policy

A recommendation to modify the 1992 IPMA Vendor Policy was approved. In 1992, a vendor policy was established restricting providers of products and services in conflict with Association products and services from advertising in membership publications and from exhibiting at the IPMA International Training Conference. The overall effect of this policy has been negative, both financially and from a public relations standpoint.

Since one of the purposes of both the Conference and Association publications is to provide information that is of benefit to members, the Executive Council agreed with the requests to eliminate the vendor "competition" restriction. However, the change will not affect the Association's commitment to maintain an exclusive exhibit and advertising opportunity for companies with whom the Association has a sponsorship agreement (e.g., ITT Hartford's deferred compensation program). Thus, the new IPMA Vendor Policy reads as follows:

The Association provides its members with diverse opportunities for professional development and enrichment through conferences, seminars and publications. The Association provides vendors with access to its members to enhance the membership's awareness of the latest developments and products in the human resource management profession. The Association will provide this access to all vendors of products and services with the following exceptions:

  1. The product or service is not germane to the public human resource management profession.
  2. The Association has had a prior negative experience with the vendor.
  3. When in the judgment of the Association, the product or service is either of poor quality or lacking in good taste.

Other Items

Other items approved by the Executive Council include the seven recommendations of the International Committee to enhance and expand international activities and the selection of Canada as the site of the 2002 International Training Conference. Plans for the Chapter, Region and Section Leadership Conference were reviewed and endorsed. The one day, "no fee" program will be held on August 9, 1997 in Alexandria, Virginia, and the Association will pay hotel expenses of participants. Both Paul Kaiser, current IPMAAC President, and Jeff Feuquay, IPMAAC President-Elect, will be invited to attend.

A range of other issues, including current federal legislative and litigation activities were discussed. IPMAAC reported a successful 1996 and asserted confidence that 1997 was going to be another great year. Invitations were issued to all Executive Council members to join us in Newport Beach in June. Doris McGuffey, current IPMA President, is definitely planning to join us, and, hopefully, other Council members will be able to be there, as well. Should anyone have questions or comments about Council activities, please let me know.

 

Doris Maye serves as IPMAAC's representative to the IPMA Executive Council. She will be providing us with reports on the Council's activities through out the year. Doris is the Assistant Director of Applicant Services for the Georgia State Merit System and may be reached at 200 Piedmont Ave. SE, #420, Floyd West, Atlanta, GA 30334. Phone: (404) 656-5820, Fax: (404) 656-9740, e-mail at dmm@sms.state.ga.us.

© Copyright 1997 by the IPMA Assessment Council. All rights reserved.