Co-Designing a Bespoke Performance Management Program & Competency Framework

Introduction

A top-tier local council recently partnered with the Registered Training Organisation Aspire Performance Training to develop a tailored Performance Management Program and Competency Framework that not only aligned with the council's strategic objectives but also enhanced leadership development, employee capability, and workplace culture.

With leadership from key figures within the council’s People and Culture team, the initiative focused on driving high-performance teams, strengthening leadership competencies, and aligning employee development with community service values.

This collaboration aimed to ensure that leaders at all levels had the skills and tools to drive a values-based, results-oriented workforce while embedding competency-based training and executive coaching principles into everyday practice.

The Challenge:

Strengthening Leadership & Performance Alignment

During Aspire Performance Training’s investigation process and workshops, in collaboration with feedback from the council’s People and Culture team, opportunities were identified to refine and enhance the existing performance management framework. While the organisation had a strong foundation in leadership and employee development, there was a need to create a more structured, values-driven approach that further aligned individual and team performance with the council’s strategic objectives and community-focused mission.

The Challenge was to create:

• A unified performance framework: Ensuring a consistent, organisation-wide approach to defining and measuring success and leadership capability.

• A stronger connection between individual performance and the council’s strategic goals and community expectations.

• Enhanced leadership development: Equipping managers and executives with tailored executive coaching, leadership training, and competency-based assessments to strengthen decision-making, coaching skills, and team engagement, allowing them to support a high-performance culture.

• Deepened values integration: Embedding the council’s core values of sustainability, inclusion, and public service more effectively into performance conversations and employee growth strategies.

• Stronger alignment with strategic goals: Helping employees and leaders connect their day-to-day roles with the broader organisational mission, ensuring a sense of purpose, contribution, and high-performance culture.

By partnering with Aspire Performance Training, the council aimed to build upon its existing strengths, providing leaders and employees with a structured framework and practical tools to support ongoing professional growth, executive leadership development, and performance excellence.

The Solution:

A Customised Leadership & Performance Management Framework

Aspire Performance Training worked closely with the council’s People and Culture team to design and implement a comprehensive, values-driven performance management strategy that provided clear pathways for leadership development, competency assessment, and executive coaching.

1. Co-Designed Competency Framework

• A customised competency framework was developed to define the skills, behaviours, and leadership qualities needed across all levels of the organisation.

• Integrated the council’s core values into leadership expectations, ensuring that employee growth and performance assessments were values-driven.

• Supported competency-based performance assessments to create clear career progression pathways.

• The framework emphasised the broader impact of employees’ roles on the community.

2. Executive & Senior Leadership Program

Recognising the vital role of leadership in driving organisational change, Aspire designed a targeted leadership training program for executives, senior managers, and emerging leaders, focusing on:

• Executive coaching and one-on-one mentoring for senior leaders to ensure confidence in implementing the new frameworks across teams.

• Equipping leaders with the tools and skills needed to lead, model the new performance framework, and inspire their teams to embrace a high-performance culture.

• Emotional intelligence, strategic decision-making, and adaptive leadership skills.

• Performance coaching for managers to enhance team engagement and results.

• Leadership development workshops to cultivate a strong workplace culture and promote high-performance teams.

3. Values-Driven Performance Management Program

Aspire built a structured performance review system that:

• Ensured employees were assessed on both technical competencies and cultural contributions.

• Provided leaders with clear evaluation tools to set expectations and measure progress.

• Reinforced the council’s commitment to a high-performance, community-focused culture.

4. Collaborative Development Process

Aspire engaged with employees and leadership teams through:

• Competency-based training workshops to educate staff on role expectations and development opportunities.

• Interactive consultation sessions to ensure early buy-in and widespread adoption.

• Team alignment strategies to seamlessly integrate the program across all departments.

5. Practical Tools for Managers & Employees

To support the implementation, Aspire developed user-friendly resources, including:

• Performance review templates for structured evaluations.

• Goal-setting frameworks to align individual and organisational objectives.

• Coaching resources for managers to enhance leadership skills and support career progression.

• Clear feedback models to improve communication and performance tracking.

Implementation & Delivery

The program rollout followed a structured, high-engagement approach:

• Executive & Senior Leadership Training: Equipping leaders with performance management best practices.

• Competency Framework Workshops: Employees gained a clear understanding of expectations and career growth pathways.

• Post-Training Executive Coaching: Aspire provided ongoing leadership mentoring to reinforce key skills and ensure long-term success.

The Results:

A Stronger Leadership & Performance Culture

The partnership between Aspire Performance Training and the local council delivered measurable improvements across leadership, culture, and engagement.

Stronger Leadership Capabilities

• Leaders reported greater confidence in performance conversations.

• Enhanced goal-setting and team management skills.

• Increased leadership accountability and decision-making effectiveness.

Higher Employee Engagement & Cultural Alignment

• Employees felt more connected to the council’s mission and values.

• The values-driven approach resulted in a more engaged and motivated workforce.

• Strengthened collaboration and team cohesion across departments.

Greater Community Impact

• By embedding community-focused leadership principles, the program reinforced the council’s role in delivering high-quality public services.

• The framework became a benchmark for best practices in local government performance management.

Conclusion:

A Blueprint for High-Performance Leadership

This case study highlights how a co-designed, competency-based approach to leadership training and performance management can transform an organisation’s workplace culture.

By integrating executive coaching, structured leadership development, and strategic competency frameworks, Aspire Performance Training helped the local council:

• Build high-performance leadership teams.

• Strengthen employee capability and engagement.

• Enhance community-focused service delivery.

Ready to Elevate Your Leadership Team?

Aspire Performance Training specialises in executive coaching, leadership development, and customised competency frameworks to help organisations achieve measurable performance success.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help your organisation build a high-performing, future-ready workforce.