Establish a Capability Baseline | Excellent Business Partnering

Establishing performance expectations through a capability framework or equivalent will enable you to baseline current capability. This capability assessment can be integrated with the performance review process or stand alone as a developmental discussion. What your capability framework will enable you to do is allow line and HR to self assess against the performance levels and to discuss this assessment with their line managers.

National Grid has adopted a similar approach to baseline capability for line managers, shared services and HR Partners (generalist and specialist). This approach is set out in the following case study.

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Case Study — National Grid

The example below is taken from the line manager self-assessment for Manage ER and Cases:

Element	Not applicable at this stage	Significant development need	Development need	Adequate	A clear strength
Able to access, interpret and act upon policies and processes that relate to a Case
Effectively manage short- and longterm sickness absence
Conduct the dismissal process

Elements were categorised: essential for all managers, event driven (just in time development) and not essential for all managers.

For shared services and HR Partners a similar self-assessment, followed by manager review process, was adopted.

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AXA has adopted a different approach to baseline capability and this is reflected in the following case study.

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Case Study — AXA UK

Development options are listed for each of the four performance levels to enable HR professionals to create their development plan. Quite a few of these options are mandatory. This approach is based on a view that most HR professionals do not have the required new capabilities. Base lining is therefore about ensuring people have met mandatory skills acquisition at their level and that HR develops and uses a common language and toolkit.

An example capability development sheet for business partners and senior business partners is as follows:

Capabilities
Demonstrates the impact of HR interventions on thebusiness KPIs and the strategic plan Challenges the status quo Leads specific aspects of organisational change, e.g., organisational design elements Contributes to the development of business HR strategy Translates HR interventions into business benefits Designs and/or supports initiatives and programmes Coaches middle-senior line managers Manages key HR projects Demonstrates a broad understanding of the external influences that impact the business

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Development needs
	Awareness and application of OD best practice Commercial and businessawareness Consulting skills Influencing skills Project management skills Change management skills Coaching skills

Development activity
		Organisation design skills Organisation design skills Influencing skills Facilitation skills Advanced presentation skills—winning hearts and minds Project management Change management Improving performance through coaching