1999
PA Consulting introduces outsourcing service for management development - New research points to increased demand
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15 July 1999
According to a survey commissioned by PA Consulting Group’s management development practice, 61 per cent of the blue-chip respondents* plan to outsource their management development programmes over the next three years because of lack of internal expertise and resources and the need for specialist knowledge.
Acting on these findings, PA is launching a programme for strategic partnering in management development – an outsourcing service which will analyse needs, design and deliver programmes to meet those needs and manage the process to ensure the best and most-effective value for money.
In the survey which included the UK’s top management development organisations, PA received the highest score for ‘value for money’ and led the field with programme content and calibre of professional staff.
Dr. David Band, head of PA’s management development practice comments: "Companies outsourcing their management development are likely to save money - or at least spend no more than they would on an in-house facility - and they will get significantly better value for money.
"Organisations may see management development as a vital function but they should ask themselves if it is one of their core competencies. If the answer is no, then the likelihood is that the cost of getting good at it will outweigh the benefits. The principles behind outsourcing of management development are exactly the same as those behind the outsourcing of other corporate functions.
"PA is particularly well placed to help as it has experience in project management and human-resource consulting. We have developed an outsourcing model which has been tried and tested by our own offices around the world and we know that it works."
In the research, carried out by Winmark, 93 per cent of respondents cited organisational change as a key driver in the decision to launch management development programmes and 79 per cent cited employee demand (and therefore satisfaction).
"Now, more than ever, organisations are listening to their employees and providing for their development needs", continues David Band. "Management development delivers a clear focus, enhances skills and corporate confidence and underpins succession planning."
PA’s approach to outsourcing management development varies according to an organisation’s circumstances but its fundamental approach includes a combination of four elements:
- policy & management
: PA advises the company on management development policy then assumes day-to-day managerial responsibility
- analysis & design
: PA analyses the managerial capabilities and strategic objectives, produces a template for each managerial level and designs the appropriate programme
- delivery management
: working in close partnership with the client, PA ensures consistent quality and content of all its management development programmes on an ongoing basis
- administration
: PA manages all administration and monitors overall efficiency and individual performance improvement
David Band and Mary Long are the key points of contact for PA’s management development outsourcing service. Dr. Band has been head of PA’s management centre since September 1997. His areas of expertise are corporate strategy and corporate governance. He works as an advisor at board level for many global blue-chip organisations. Before joining PA he was Dean of the Leeds Business School.
Mary Long has a background in the IT industry and is one of PA’s outsourcing specialists.
For more information, please contact:
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| Nick Parfitt |
| PA Consulting Group |
| 123 Buckingham Palace Road |
| London |
| SW1W 9SR |
| United Kingdom |
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Tel: +44 20 7312 4748 |
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Fax: +44 20 7333 5085 |
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E-mail:
nick.parfitt@cubiks.com |
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Notes to editors
1. To arrange interviews or obtain case studies or pictures please contact Patricia Lotery or Fiona Davis-Coleman at PoLo PR, 30 Shrewsbury Avenue, London SW14 8JZ - +44 20 8876 4242; fax: +44 20 8876 8900; e-mail info@polopr.co.uk
2. *The research project was carried out during May 1999 by Winmark Limited. The objective of was to identify human resource and cultural differences that effect management development and to assess the future management development requirements within the response group.
The sample consisted of 101 of the UK’s top companies including British Telecom, Kodak Limited and Whitbread PLC. Respondents were asked to comment on succession planning, mentoring programmes, appraisals, training, outsourcing and management development.
PA Consulting Group is a leading management, systems and technology consultancy, with a unique commitment to the integration of these capabilities. Established almost 60 years ago, and operating worldwide from around 50 offices in some 20 countries, PA draws on the knowledge and experience of about 2,700 employees, whose skills span the initial generation of ideas and insights all the way through to detailed implementation, including:
- Strategic management, and managing for shareholder value
- Accelerating business growth, especially through innovation
- Improving business design, including customer relationship management, enterprise-wide systems for the supply chain, and full e-business solutions
- Mobilising human resources
- Delivering projects and programmes.
PA focuses on creating benefits for clients rather than merely proposing them, and this focus is supported by an outstanding implementation track record in every major industry and for governments around the world. PA also develops leading-edge technology both for its clients and within its own portfolio of venture companies in areas ranging from software to wireless technology to life sciences.
PA distinguishes itself from its competitors through the range and quality of its people, its development and use of technology, and also its independence. PA's work in every area from strategic management to project delivery is enhanced by its expertise in all the other areas. PA's consultants, whatever their special skills, all share:
- A highly commercial approach to clients' problems and opportunities
- A technologically sophisticated view of both the industry sectors we serve and the solutions we deliver
- A culture of respect, collaboration and flexibility in working with our clients to achieve their aims.
Adding value to clients, from insight to implementation, is ingrained at PA through our culture and tradition, and also through our compensation and ownership philosophy. PA is owned by its employees, with everyone at PA entitled to a stake in the company, and our reward systems are also directly related to the results created for clients. This builds a virtuous circle, as we know that the only way we can create value for ourselves is by creating value for our clients first. The value we create for clients and within PA helps us to attract the best people in the world to PA, and to invest in more leading edge technologies, thereby allowing us to increase further the value we bring to our clients. We are proud that our clients say "PA makes it happen"
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