Workforce Model of Organizational Development

Workforce Model of Organizational Development

The Workforce Model Of Organizational Development (Workforce MOOD) enables a review of an organization's workforce. The Workforce MOOD identifies a phased 12-step framework that can be used to review an organization. The model may be viewed as circular or linear. While it is better to conduct all 12 steps, an organization may choose to focus only on the steps it deems are required.


The model was developed for an organizational review of 2 divisions of the BC Ministry of Health in 2004 and 2005. Line managers in the 2 divisions were not satisfied with the effectiveness and efficiency of current HR processes. As a result, line managers demanded a better approach. Thus, the above model was developed using the PDSA (Plan, Develop, Study, and Act) concepts from Deming and Shewart, which allowed for the project team to adopt a cyclical "continuous improvement" approach - identify issues, create a solution, review and then improve if needed. This ongoing review and improvement process turned out to be particularly valuable.

Several other concepts were also applied, such as Alfred Chandler's "strategy before structure." This allowed the line managers to apply out of the box solutions first, while eventually bringing the solutions back into the box.
How and why did this happen? The managers in the two divisions were really trying to find out how HR could understand their business needs and that meant identifying the different building blocks of the various HR processes. When the model was defined, additional tools were created and added to support each phase and each step. The use of the model resulted in a more effective and efficient organizational review and better integrated HR processes. The two projects did require a strong and knowledgeable HR project manager, an executive sponsor, and a willingness to solve issues.

As already mentioned, the Workforce MOOD encompasses the core PDSA concepts created by Dr. Walter A. Shewhart and Dr. W. Edward Deming. Their 4 phases were further divided into 12 steps, being:
- Plan: Strategic Planning, Business Planning, and Organizational Planning
- Do: Work Analysis, CKSA's (Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities), and Gap Analysis
- Study: Learning Plan, Performance Measures, and EPDP (Employee Performance and Development Plan)
- Act: Succession Planning, Division HR Plan, and Reassess/Review.


Each of the 12 steps is linked to specific HR processes including job description development, job evaluation, recruitment criteria, organizational design, etc. Following the 12 steps allowed the line managers to:
- Better understand the purpose of the various HR processes, and
- Make HR decisions that were subsequently approved by the corporate HR group.
This was a win-win for both the business managers and HR.
Executives in the Ministry also supported the process and the results, which were substantially faster and more cost effective. Also there was much less fighting, because line managers and HR professionals supported the decisions made.
The projects also allowed the two organizations to focus on becoming "learning organizations," while more effectively and efficiently managing change.

The model has a number of specific HR advantages using an 8E assessment process, including:

1. Economic - Reduces the cost to review organizations and provides an integrated HR model.
2. Efficient - Speeds up the results of organization reviews and reduces potential workload for clients.
3. Equitable - Decisions also integrate several methodologies for compensation, thus allowing for equation of results to benchmarks, while meeting internal business perspectives. This also allows internal equity.
4. Easy to Use - Easy for users to understandable and for Corporate HR to explain.
5. Effective - Provides a common decision date for all positions in an organization and reduces the number of individual reviews.
6. Electronic -Results are placed into the appropriate HR systems and also posted on the organization's shared drive to allow openness and transparency by managers and employees.
7. End User Friendly – Concepts used are simple and explain and support.
8. Educational – Users can define CKSA’s (e.g., Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) and development needs.

Would this type of model work for your organization? Do you believe that if HR educates line managers and provides guidance that allows for innovative and creative solutions, business areas will be more receptive to HR solutions? Your reactions will be appreciated...

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		4 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Workforce Mood Strengths Thank you David for sharing this truly interesting model. I believe that most business managers in ... Sign up

		1 Augustine T. Mansaray Analyst, Sierra Leone
	A Way of Integrating HR into the Management Think Tank Thank you David for sharing this typology with us. Like Jaap said, I would not like to restate what ... Sign up

		0 Zahra Djebaili Student (University), Algeria
	The Work Force Model of Organizational Development Thank you David for this interesting model. I hope that our public organizations really achieve thos... Sign up

		0 Dawodu Adeyemi HR Consultant, Nigeria
	Re: Workforce Model The workforce model as presented in this series will always give the same result globally if careful... Sign up

		2 David Wilson Manager, Canada
	People Drive the Solution Hi Dawodu: The model was actually based on the work of people in and across the organization. The pe... Sign up