Planning for COVID-19

Webinar Series

Planning for COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us, the changes and impacts will continue for some time. It’s during times like this when you need you remember that you are part of a community of best practice, so don’t be alone. The Forum is your friendly, safe environment for sharing ideas, top tips and pitfalls to avoid. In this time of uncertainty its important that we collaborate and work together, bringing together ideas and use this time as an opportunity to learn and continue to raise standards. 

 We have designed three short series of learning academy modules, along with a top-tips & pitfalls to avoid for homeworking webinar and then a virtual networking group to help you. Phil Anderson has written an article about some of the considerations you might need to make. 

To view series 1 and 2 you need to log in to the website. Click on My Account at the top right to register or log in. 

Workforce Strategy

Your workforce strategy delivers your strategic objectives, however this too often is an afterthought after budgets have been agreed. This module explores the importance of a fully costed operating model.

 - Linking the shifts that are worked to the business strategy
 - Benchmark your current approach against the maturity model
 - Have clear next steps to improve your workforce strategy

Scheduling & Flexibility Toolkit

One you have determined the volatility of your volumes you can start to think of ways to manage this through scheduling. The flexibility toolkit contains 18 options that you can use in your business. Learning outcomes include:
 - What are the flexibility options and which can be combined? 
 - Pros and cons of each method and case study examples of how they’ve been implemented.
 - Understanding how different tool kit options can be used strategically and tactical

Predictability of Events

A chance to practice assessing the predictability of events through a classic exercise from The Forum to help you hone your skills in forecasting ad hoc events.

Planning For Wellbeing

This module introduces the broader concept of planning for wellbeing and ways to support your colleagues. Understanding these key considerations will help you to create a workforce strategy with wellbeing at the heart. 
 - What is wellbeing and why this is important?
 - The 5-key steps for wellbeing
 - Our responsibility as Planners to ensure we support wellbeing

Understanding your Volatility & Flexibility

The basis of a best practice scheduling strategy is a clear understanding of the volatility of workload and the amount of flexibility to need and can afford.  This module introduces you to theoretical models and calculations to understand your flexibility need.  Learning outcomes include:
 - What does volatility & flexibility mean and the importance of defining these for your business.
 - How to calculate the volatility of demand and amount of flexibility available
 - Understanding different flexibility needs based on different starting positions, e.g. annually and daily, compared to average, compared to budget

Intro to The Planning Cycle

Learn the role planning plays in implementing your strategic objectives.  Understand the importance of your role and how you can help others.
 - Understand how the strategic objective is implemented into a forecasting, scheduling and real-time plan.
 - Learn about the importance of effective data checkpoints, change governance and hand-overs
 - Play a part in driving continuous improvement and become the nerve-centre of the business

The Strategy Pyramid

Before setting targets and goals it is important that these are aligned to strategies that support your organisational goals. In this module;
 - Understand your organisational goals
 - See how to balance your strategies
 - Learn how to align the right metrics and targets to your strategies

Understanding the Flexibility Toolkit

Hosted on 12th February 2020 by Phil Anderson

Once you have determined the volatility of your volumes you can start to think of ways to manage this through scheduling. The flexibility toolkit contains 18 options that you can use in your business. Learning outcomes include:
 - What are the flexibility options and which can be combined? 
 - Pros and cons of each method and case study examples of how they’ve been implemented.
 - Understanding how different tool kit options can be used strategically and tactical

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