Developing a capacity framework for leadership and management development

Background

The need for this project has arisen from the findings of the scoping project, P4.102 that examined the existing practices used when developing the capability of leaders and managers. Although there was evidence of management training taking place, the scoping report concluded that much more needs to be known about how the specific learning curriculum of management development is determined and how capability is assessed and evaluated against the needs of rail. The report also suggested that more in-depth and quantitative research was needed to gain in-depth knowledge on the range of management capabilities currently being developed in the rail industry.

Objective

The key objective of this project is to seek harmonisation on leadership and management development (L&MD) within the rail industry through the uptake of a leadership capability framework. First, research will identify and understand how leaders and managers in rail are currently developed in terms of program goals, learning content, delivery mechanisms and alignment with business needs. Comparisons will be made with international findings on leadership and management development. Secondly, a conceptual model will be developed to evaluate the strengths and limitations of current approaches. Finally, in consulation with stakeholders, a capability framework will be developed to provide a strategic platform on which future leadership and management development can be based.

Outcomes

The expected outcomes are to:

• evaluate the effectiveness of existing L&MD programs in terms of their relevance to business needs, individual learning requirements, effective design criteria and methods of learning delivery,
• develop a comprehensive capability framework of competencies to inform and guide rail leadership and management development programs,
• identify strategies on how rail leaders and managers might benchmark their capability in relation to other managers.

Benefits

The research will contribute to make the rail sector an ‘industry of choice’ for the next generation of leaders and managers. It will enable rail executives to learn what L&MD capabilities are being developed currently, how participants view the relevance of this training in regard to their work roles and validate in-house L&MD programs. Furthermore it will provide guidance for company HR practitioners and external training providers on strategies for developing leaders and managers in rail.