b'Internal Operating Environmentand Critical success FactorsPublic expectationsVisibility, The Performance Development and Management engagement and communications System (PMDS) and the Management,Council services and roles have changed since theDepartmental and Personal Plans within this recession. While fewer customers have a directsystem assign the roles, actions and objectives to service-relationship with the Council we still relyeach staff member and this brings our Corporate upon funding from local sources i.e. Local PropertyPlan to life. PMDS will ensure staff understand their Tax (LPT), rates, development contributions androle in corporate objectives and that performance other payments. A recurring issue in recent is continually monitored and discussed.consultations has been the need for better and more frequent communication and consultation The Local Authority People Strategy focusesby the Council.on the people implications of keyorganisational issues facing local authorities and There was also found to be a lack of sets out a roadmap for management of human understanding of our services and role. The publicresources, to support business goals and ensureare our stakeholders, however the relevance of thea motivated and committed workforce equipped Council to peoples lives is less understood. In thisto provide optimum standards of service delivery.regard it is important to deliver services but also build awareness of our services and their impact.This visibility, transparency and accountability The People Strategy will ensure that we:can be supported by increasing communityparticipation through the Public Participation Plan for our future workforce requirementsNetwork, the growing role of Municipal Districtsin service delivery and improved consultation Attract, recruit and retain the people that methods.we need Build capacity and competence to effectively Clearly, with a population of over 36% aged 0-24deliver on our current and future serviceswe must meet the challenge of reaching and engaging with a younger group of citizens whoseCreate culture of continuous learning and lives are shaped by the decisions we have takendevelopmentand will take. The Councils website will bere-developed during this Plan along with new Support succession planning online consultative platforms and a revised Continue to foster a culture of dignity, Communications Strategy. As part of the respect and fairnessproposals to improve communications a dedicated Communications Unit is planned.Enable and empower a motivated and committed workforce to provide a quality Human Resource Management (HRM)service.Local authorities are at the forefront of theprocess of modernisation in the public service. Central to the delivery of the Corporate Plan and this challenging agenda is the need to attract,A key principle underpinning the People Strategy retain, train, upskill and utilise human resourcesis to align it with the business needs of the Local effectively and flexibly. While the county has theAuthority and align it with the Corporate Plan 5th highest population in the state Kildare Countycycle over the next five years. This will facilitate a Council has the 2nd lowest number of staff perdynamic approach to accommodating emerging head of population (262 people per staff member, needs.compared with a national average of 177,based on the 2016 Census). In this regardimplementation of the Performance Development and Management System (PMDS) and sectoral HR policy in the form of the Local Authority People Strategy is vital to maximise performance. 33'