​Global HR Design:

​The Service Delivery Model

​March 2018
​GlobalHRDesign@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Global HR Design: Setting the standard for future focused, technology enabled and user centric HR services in Government 1
The Service Delivery Model
Purpose and Contents

​The purpose of this document is to outline a typical HR Service Delivery Model for Civil Service organisations, aligning to the Shared Services
Strategy for Government. It provides a framework to show how HR services may be provided to Line Managers and Employees, to support all
types of public sector organisations.

Civil Service HR Operating Model and the HR Service Delivery Model: An overview

HR Service Delivery Model: In detail

HR Service Delivery Model: Scenarios

2
Civil Service HR Operating Model and the HR
Service Delivery Model:

An overview

3
HR Operating and Service Delivery Models
Overview

​The links between the HR Operating Model and the Service Delivery Model are detailed below.

HR Operating Model:

The HR Operating Model outlines the high-level roles and the

services provided within each area of the HR function

Service Delivery Model:

The Service Delivery Model details the way HR services may be
provided to Civil Service organisations from an end to end
‘customer’ (e.g. Line Manager, employees and other key
customer groups) perspective

4
High level HR Operating Model role descriptions
A consistent definition across the Civil Service HR Operating Model

​In order to shape the future HR Operating Model, a consistent definition of HR roles is required.

HR Business Partners (HRBPs) Line Managers and Employees

• Implement people strategies and solutions that support business- • Are at the heart of Civil Service HR activity and are the primary
specific objectives recipients of HR services

• Lead initiatives that benefit Civil Service organisations through • Resolve a significant proportion of their HR queries through self-
increased collaborative trust, employee engagement, leadership service, and take ownership of their HR and personal data via self-
effectiveness, and workforce productivity service in the first instance

• Advocate and champion the service delivery model within their • Line Managers have a high level of involvement in, and
organisation and the wider Civil Service accountability for, people management, enabled by self-service

• Mitigate people risk and increase HR policy and process adherence • Their needs shape HR strategy including the services HR offers

Civil Service
HR Operations Communities of Expertise (CoEs)
HR
• Deliver HR Operational Services with a deep focus on customer • Create and own sustainable and scalable workforce programmes
service, employee experience, operational excellence and and HR solutions based on user insights and market leading
continuous improvement practice research, that incorporate leading practice concepts and
Tier 1: enable the workforce to meet Civil Service objectives
• Own and manage the employee experience to enable the ‘moments • Drive data analytics, research leading practices, and provide
that matter’ during the employee lifecycle thought leadership and subject matter expertise
• Support the organisation with transactional activities which cannot
be completed by self-service facilities e.g. employee questions on • Collaborate and integrate across CoEs and other functions to form
benefit allowances connected teams of expertise who construct joined up, relevant and
desirable HR solutions
Tier 2:
• Provide more specialised expertise in a particular area / function i.e.
recruitment
• Produce reports and analyse data to provide robust insights to the
HRBPs / CoEs 5
The Customer Centric HR Operating Model
Putting the employee at the centre

​The HR Operating Model is moving away from a traditional federated, hierarchical HR model to a leading practice model which puts the
customers at its centre.

A traditional federated, hierarchical HR model with A customer centric HR Operating model

customers on the outside and siloed HR groups for the Civil Service

6
Civil Service HR Operating Model
A consistent definition

​The future focused HR Operating Model is an evolution of the current framework, designed to support Civil Service organisations and drive
high performance in HR through increased agility, flexibility and co-ordination, putting HR customers at the centre.

Model Overview

• The illustration depicts the different components across the future HR

Operating Model

• HR Customers (Employees, Line Managers & Leadership) are at the

centre of the model reflecting the user centric focus

• HR Customers will primarily be using self-service (Tier 0) to open

cases and for HR support HRBPs CoEs

HR
• The initial interaction point with HR for HR Customers is with HR Customers
Operations, this is defined as ‘Tier 1’ in the Service Delivery Model

• HR leadership sits across all areas of the model, and illustrates the
continuous integration / interaction between HR Leadership and the
rest of HR HR Operations

• HR Governance & Control, in the outer mode, depicts how the HR

function is directed and controlled through aligning the leadership
across the HR components and the delivery of services and
technology Enablers*
*Powered by:
• Key enablers that support the overall model include data & analytics, Data and Analytics Enabling Technology HR Capabilities
enabling technologies and HR capabilities 7
High level HR Service Delivery Model
A tiered approach

​The Service Delivery Model (SDM) outlines the way in which HR services may be provided to Civil Service organisations from an end to end
customer (employee and Line Manager) perspective. The illustration below depicts how work is distributed through the different tiers within
the model.
Communities of
HR Operations Expertise
• First point of access for • Resolution of line
• The SDM visually depicts the major HR managers and employees manager and employee • Resolution of more • Policy interpretation
building blocks and interactions to • Self-service functionality HR queries and requests complex HR queries by • Exception handling
provide the guiding structure for how deployed via HR systems aligned to the Channel ‘specialist’ teams • Design of HR processes,
and applications Strategy • Transactional activity policies, tools and
services are delivered to the different • Access for information, • Basic transactional and support programmes
customer segments queries and transactions activity
• A SDM should focus on:
- Simplicity, consistency and connected
services with clear ownership Technology Enablers: HR Portal; Content & Knowledge Management tools; Reporting & Analytics; Integrated technologies
- Utilising a tiered approach to managing Tier 0 Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
‘customer’ groups
managers & other
Employees / Line

HR enquiries
- Considering everyone who receives HR Communities
services, providing clear structures and General Specialist of Expertise
Self-service
roles for service delivery Support Support
HR Business
• Channels are the methods that Partners
employees, managers and HR use to
access information and initiate queries Enablers: Governance; Service Level Agreement & Metrics; Policies; Processes; Procedures &
and transactions with (e.g. portal, Compliance; Vendor Management
webchat, phone etc.)
HR Business
• Tiers refer to how work is structured and Partners
organised within HR Operations • Advocate and champion
the SDM
• Business insight and
understanding
8
HR Service Delivery Model:

In detail

9
HR Service Delivery Model
HR contact strategy / query management

Good Practice
Escalation routes
Query
Resolution
• Tier 3 business leaders have
direct access to their
CoE/HRBP Low volume
support HRBPs. Only by exception
Tier 3

will other employee queries

Exceptional queries / Process and policy changes <2% be handled at this tier
• Tier 2 provides departmental
and cross-Civil Service
Specialist

specialist support for a

support
Tier 2
HR Operations

range of areas such as

Specialist Queries / Complex Requests / Complex Cases 8-10% recruitment, learning, talent
and casework.
• Tier 1 provides the platform
for general enquires that
Support
General

cannot be resolved through

Tier 1

self-service. This includes

General Queries / Triage / Simple Cases 20-25% basic policy interpretation.
• Tier 0 provides self-service
functionality to the customer.
Self-service

If the query cannot be

Tier 0

answered through self-

General queries / reports/ self-service activity service then the customer
65-70% can contact an HR
External Operations representative at
Business Line customers
Manager Employees e.g alumni/
Tier 1 through a variety of
Leaders s
candidates channels

High volume 10
HR Service Delivery Model
HR sourcing strategy

Good Practice
Query Sourcing
Resolution arrangement
CoE/HRBP
support Low volume
• The majority of departments
Tier 3

HRBPs / Communities of Expertise <2% aligned to the Government

Shared Services strategy utilise a
shared services arrangement at
Tier 1 and Tier 2 for HR
Operations
• For small organisations it is
Cross-
Specialist

recognised that it may be as

support

government
Tier 2

Shared Services / BPO 8-10% effective to utilise an in-house HR

HR Operations

HR Services team to perform HR operations

In- activities
house • Cross-government HR Services
HR activity spans both the HR
Operations Specialist teams and
the CoEs. HR Operations
Support
General

Specialists provide advisory and

Tier 1

Shared Services / BPO 20-25% delivery support whilst CoEs

provide the strategic design and
process ownership
• CoEs will provide cross-
government support to design
tools and people processes.
Self-service

Some CoE specialists will also sit

Tier 0

65-70% within departments depending on

Portal, cognitive agent, automated tools the size and scope.

Majority Organisations Minority organisations

High volume 11
Diagram for indicative purposes only
HR Service Delivery Model:

Scenarios

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HR Service Delivery Model
Scenario 1: Self-service

​Bob has opened a new bank account and needs to update his details on the HR system.
Start

End
Tier 0 Case Resolution
Bob, an employee, has recently changed his Bob receives an
bank and needs to update his details on the HR automatic notification
system, It’s important he does this quickly so he confirming his details
can ensure he gets paid correctly. Bob goes have been updated.
onto the HR portal through his mobile and uses
the self-service functionality to input his new
details.

Key
Employee / Line
Manager initiating a
query
HR Operations Tier 1
&2

HRBP / CoE Tier 3

13
HR Service Delivery Model
Scenario 2: Maternity process

​Sandie has recently found out that she is pregnant and she wants to understand the department’s maternity process.
Start

End
Tier 0 Tier 1 Case Resolution
Sandie accesses the Sandie is unsure of a couple of Sandie has all the
HR portal and uses a points related to how the information she
chat bot to quickly find maternity policy and guidance requires and the case is
all the relevant applies to her so she calls an HR closed.
maternity leave and pay representative for clarification.
information.

Key
Employee / Line
Manager initiating a
query
HR Operations Tier 1
&2

HRBP / CoE Tier 3

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HR Service Delivery Model
Scenario 3: Probation review

​Talha is concerned one of his team members is under performing and is not on target to pass their probation.
Start

End
Tier 0 Tier 1 Tier 2 Case Resolution
Talha receives an automatic Talha discusses his An HR Operations Specialist Tahla conducts a final probation
email that his direct report’s concerns with an HR contacts Tahla to discuss the review and dismisses his team
probation is due to expire in a representative who case. They review all the member with the support of the
month's time. He reviews all discusses the different evidence gathered during the Operations Specialist inline
the performance options with Talha, and team member’s probation. The government policies. Tahla is
conversations, both informal escalates his case to an decision is taken not to extend satisfied that they have followed
and formal, on the HR portal Operations Specialist due to their probationary period and a fair process and received the
and decides to contact HR to its complex nature. the Operations Specialist support he required.
discuss next steps. supports Tahla through the
dismissal process.
Key
Employee / Line
Manager initiating a
query
HR Operations Tier 1
&2

HRBP / CoE Tier 3

15
HR Service Delivery Model
Scenario 4: Requesting a new learning offering

Jennifer, a Line Manager, feels her team would benefit from a specific training course but cant find the particular offering.
Start

End
Tier 0 Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Case Resolution
With changes in Jennifer opens a webchat The HR Operations Specialist The Operations Specialist analyses Jennifer is happy that
business requirements with an HR Operations contacts Jennifer to discuss that a number of similar requests her team are being
Jennifer goes onto the Representative to discuss her the learning requirement. The have come in across government provided with the
HR portal to search for team’s learning requirements. specialist explains that they and reports the needs to the appropriate
learning offerings for The Operations don’t currently have the Learning CoE. The CoE review the development to
her team but cannot Representative escalates her learning offering but gives demand against budget, business support them to
find what she is case to a HR Operations Jennifer advice around the requirements and developments in deliver in their roles
looking for. Specialist to discuss different offerings her team can the market and design a new effectively.
Jennifer’s learning needs in access to support. He logs the learning offering. Jennifer is advised
more detail. learning requirement. a new offering is now available.

Key
Employee / Line
Manager initiating a
query
HR Operations Tier 1
&2

HRBP / CoE Tier 3

16