PO07 Process Description

PO07: HR Management

1. Description

Sound, fair and transparent personnel management practices to recruit, hire, vet, compensate, train, appraise, promote and dismiss.

2. Control Objectives

Personnel Recruitment And Promotion - implement and regularly assess the needed processes to ensure that personnel recruiting and promotion practices are based on objective criteria and consider education, experience and responsibility. These processes should be in line with all moinistry and central agency policies and procedures in this regard
Personnel Qualifications - regularly verify that personnel performing specific tasks are qualified on the basis of appropriate education, training and/or experience, as required
Personnel Training - ensure that employees are provided with orientation upon hiring and with on-going training to maintain their knowledge, skills, abilities and security awareness to the level required to perform effectively. Education and training programs conducted to effectively raise the technical and management skill levels of personnel should be reviewed regularly
Cross-training Or Staff Backup - provide for sufficient cross-training or backup of identified key personnel to address unavailabilities. Personnel in sensitive positions should be required to take uninterrupted holidays of sufficient length to exercise the organization’s ability to cope with unavailabilities and to detect fraudulent activity
Personnel Clearance Procedures - ensure that personnel are subjected to security clearance before they are hired, transferred or promoted, depending on the sensitivity of the position. An employee who was not subjected to such a clearance when first hired, should not be placed in a sensitive position until a security clearance has been obtained
Employee Job Performance Evaluation - implement an employee performance evaluation process and make sure that the evaluation is performed against established standards and specific job responsibilities on a regular basis. Employees should receive counseling on performance or conduct whenever appropriate
Job Change And Termination - ensure that appropriate and timely actions are taken regarding job changes and job terminations so that internal controls and security are not impaired by such occurrences.

3. Key Goal Indicators

Age of IT human resources management plan defined by number of months since last update
Percent of IT staff that meet the competency profile for their role within the organization
Percent utilization of IT personnel on IT processes which provide direct business benefits
IT personnel turnover rate
Percent achievement of staffing complement
Average length of time, in months, that IT personnel jobs are open

4. Key Performance Indicators

Time lag between changes in the IT strategic plan and the IT human resources management plan
Percent of IT personnel with completed professional development plans
Percent of IT personnel with documented and validated performance reviews
Percent of training time per person
Percent of critical personnel cross-trained and assigned back-up personnel
Number of projects delayed or cancelled due to lack of IT personnel resources
Percent of the human resources budget assigned to the development and maintenance of the IT human resources management plan
Percent of IT personnel positions with documented job descriptions and hiring qualifications

5. Critical Success Factors

A framework exists for the development and maintenance of an IT human resources management plan
Management supports and is committed to the IT human resources management plan
There is consistency between the IT strategic plan and the IT human resources management plan
Sufficient and appropriately skilled resources are allocated to the development of the IT human resources management plan
Appropriate ongoing IT and orientation training resources are allocated to fulfil the needs of the IT human resources management plan
Succession plans consider single points of dependency to avoid leaving expertise gaps
Job rotation for career development is implemented

6. Service Maturity Variations

0 Non-existent	There is no awareness about the importance of aligning IT human resources management with the technology planning process for the organisation. There is no person or group formally responsible for IT human resources management.
1 (Initial/Ad Hoc)	Management recognises the need for IT human resources management, but has not formalised a process or plan. The IT human resources management process is informal and has a reactive and operationally focused approach to the hiring and managing of IT personnel. Awareness is developing concerning the impact that rapid business and technology changes and increasingly complex solutions have on the need for new skills and competence levels.
2 (Repeatable but Intuitive)	There is implicit understanding of the need for IT human resources management. There is a tactical approach to the hiring and managing of IT personnel, driven by project-specific needs, rather than by a technology direction and an understood balance of internal and external availability of skilled staff. Informal training takes place for new personnel, who then receive training on an as required basis.
3 (Defined Process)	The process for managing IT human resources has been developed and there is a defined and documented IT human resources management plan. There is a strategic approach to the hiring and managing of IT personnel. There is a formal training plan designed to meet the needs of IT human resources. A rotational program, designed to expand both technical and business management skills, is established.
4 (Managed and Measurable)	Responsibility for the development and maintenance of an IT human resources management plan has been assigned to a specific individual with the requisite expertise and skills necessary to develop and maintain the plan. The process is responsive to change. The organisation has standardised measures that allow it to identify deviations from the plan, with specific emphasis on managing IT personnel growth and turnover. Compensation scale analysis is performed periodically to ensure that salaries are competitive with those in comparable IT organisations. IT human resources management is proactive, taking into account career path development.
5 Optimized	The organization has an effective IT human resources management plan that meets the business requirements for IT and the business it supports. IT human resources management is integrated with technology planning, ensuring optimum development and use of available IT skills. Components of IT human resources management are consistent with industry best practices, such as compensation, performance reviews, participation in industry forums, transfer of knowledge, training and mentoring. Training programs are developed for all new technology standards and products prior to their deployment in the organisation. Technology is used in providing skills, training and competence requirement information in easily accessible databases, to assist the IT human resources management process. Incentive programs are defined and enforced for IT management, similar to those available for other senior management of the organisation, to reward those meeting IT performance goals.