Makhtar NDIAYE

Scope :

My role consists of leading the Development of a new People Strategy and its Implementation Plan.

This assignment is on-going.

Scope:

I Led the HR component of the Organizational Transformation exercise covering the 47 countries that form the African Region of WHO. My assignment was 2 folds:

• Within a multi-disciplinary team, my role consists of translating the Organizational Imperatives deriving from the Organizational Transformation agenda into the People’s capabilities required to successfully complete the Transformation Agenda;
• I also led a team of Restructuring Officers/Change Agents tasked to implement the HR component of the Organizational Realignment exercise, which is an integral part of the Global Transformation journey

Achievements:

I, successfully, led the Restructuring and the Repositioning of the 47 country offices of the World Health Organization in Africa

• The project of restructuring the 47 country offices in Africa was completed at the end of June 2022.

Scope:

Jakarta (Indonesia), Bangkok (Thailand), Yangon (Myanmar), Brazzaville (Congo), Dakar (Senegal), Bissau (Guinea-Bissau)

My role consisted of leading/facilitating Organizational Transformation/Realignment, Restructuring and Workforce Re-profiling exercises.

My achievements:

They included the Restructuring of WHO Office/Indonesia, WHO Office/Myanmar, the Polio Programme in India, the Realignment of WHO Office & Projects in Thailand and the Technical Departments of the South East-Asia Regional Office of WHO and a Job Review exercise/Re-alignment of functions according to the priorities set for the WHO office in India, an Organizational Realignment exercise for the SIFI Group, a West Africa based Holding company, a Strategic HR Review exercise for Senbus Industries and the Elton Oil Group in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau that culminated with the development of Strategic Workforce Plans, Talent Review Exercises, Employee Engagement initiatives.

Scope:

As Deputy Director HR, I was the Head of the Global Integrated Talent Management (Talent Acquisition, Talent Deployment & Career Management, Capability Development & Performance Management) and Leader of the Staff Relations/Engagement and Policy Functions of the World Food Programme (WFP), the largest Humanitarian Organization in the World.

WFP is a UN Organization specialized on Food Assistance that employs 14,000 persons and operates in 75 countries with a yearly budget close to USD 5 billion.

My role consisted, through an active engagement and partnership with Executives Business Leaders and Staff Representatives, of identifying and sourcing for the capabilities needed today and tomorrow, to deliver the mandate of WFP.

Key Achievements:

1/Supported the formulation of the new corporate People Strategy, which addresses business needs in the areas of staffing, performance management, learning and development, as well as career and succession planning;

• The Development of the People Strategy and its related Implementation Plan gave me a unique opportunity to quickly get a very good insight of the People's issues confronted with by WFP, but also to actively contribute to the design of long term solutions in support to Business Challenges. This was a complex exercise as it required a lot of internal and external consultation, the reconciliation of conflicting views and a high quality content.

2/Contributed to the strengthening of organizational capabilities by incorporating the people management component into corporate planning, development and assessment;

• We were able, through collaboration, team work and join sessions, to partner with the Corporate Performance Management Team and to effectively articulate the Individual Performance Strengthening process with the wider Business Performance Management process. Such a partnership led both managers and staff to understand the need to ground the goals set for 2014 and 2015 for individuals and teams into their corporate objectives.

3/Led the delivery of leadership development programs aimed at identifying and developing high potential people and diversifying talent pools;

• A key Leadership Development Program with an emphasis on sustainability, relevance and high impact has been designed, piloted and is being implemented.

• A Talent Review Exercise for senior roles, for the first time in WFP's history, has been successfully designed and implemented.

• A Talent Pool concept destined to identify internally and externally the talent needed by WFP, has been developed and is being implemented.

• A new Junior Professional programme has been successfully implemented.

4/Coordinated the identification and dissemination of key organization-wide learning initiatives to ensure WFP has the required skills and knowledge to achieve its strategic objectives;

• A Learning Strategy has been developed through a wide consultative process and will be implemented soon;

• A Career Framework covering all functional areas and destined to provide the Organization with the identification of the required capabilities, has been designed and is being implemented.

5/Strengthened the organization’s performance culture, linking individual performance to organizational outcomes, values and core competencies;

• The Performance Management process has seen significantly improved in 2013 and 2014 in terms of compliance rate that has reached 97% (for 2013) and goal alignment. This has been complemented with a profound review of the Organization practices and processes in order to strengthen and sustain the performance culture;

6/Developed a Strategic Workforce Planning framework to meet future capabilities requirements.

7/Ensure world class delivery of HR services to internal clients based across 75 countries.

• The average turn-around time to complete the selection process for external recruitments has decreased from 6 to 4 months over the last months;

• The Talent Deployment Exercise has been strengthened and the service regularly provided at the satisfaction of Senior Management and other clients, despite an increasing volume of positions to fill and within a very short period of time. Additionally, a profound review of the Talent Deployment Exercise with the view of strategically staffing the Organization and optimizing both its human capital and financial resources, has been carried out;

8/Directed the human resources policy formulation and interagency coordination (UN Secretariat, ICSC, UNDP, FAO, etc.) and has been instrumental on the recent adoption of special measures and a join framework for HR actions in the handling of the ongoing Ebola crisis.

9/Through the timely and regular production of people’s analytics and the use of Staff Surveys, significantly Improved the employee engagement scorecard.

Scope:

• Led the HR Function staffed with 92 persons and tasked to service the African Region of the World Health Organization that employs 2600 staff, about 2200 non staff and operates in 46 countries, 3 Sub-Regional Offices/Hubs and 32 sub-country offices, with a biennial operational budget of USD 2 billion
• The unique governance system of WHO has created a large autonomy for its Regions, thus, the Regional Human Resources Manager for Africa is responsible for the provision of the full range of HR services
• They cover all aspects of Human Capital Management from Organization development and Workforce Planning to Talent Management solutions, Policy to Compensation Management

Key Achievements:

• Transformed the HR function for a better delivery of Public Health actions, through the creation of HR capabilities across the African Region up to its lowest level, and the transfer of ownerships from HR Professionals to Managers;
• Positioned HR as a recognized added value provider and a reliable partner for Business Owners/Line Managers;
• Developed and implemented a joint programme of work with the Regional Ombudsman and shifted the focus, as far as the Labor/Staff Relations Function is concerned, from Managing/Resolving Conflicts to Preventing Conflicts at workplaces from happening with joint Country Visits to run awareness/capacity building on conflicts prevention and resolution workshops for both the Regional Office and Country Offices’ Staff Members, joint facts finding missions with the Regional Ombudsman and the Regional Chapter of the Staff Association;
• Leverage my mediation skills to, amicably, resolve conflicts between the Regional Director and Senior Staff Members (WRs, Directors and other Staff Members holding senior roles);
• Was instrumental in the design of the new architecture of the Regional Office, 3 Sub-Regional Offices and 46 country Offices and led their subsequent re-profiling;
• Was pivotal in the design and execution of the Region’s strategy/responses to the Financial Crisis in its different components: Restructuring, Reallocation of Resources between the different levels of the Organization, Downsizing, new staffing model for country offices;
• Developed and successfully implemented career transition programmes in favor of 320 staff directly affected by the financial crisis facing WHO;
• Successfully implemented the HR component of an ERP system and, as a change catalyst, drove its related organizational changes;
• Developed and successfully implemented succession plans for critical functions;
• Positively influenced behavioral changes within and outside the HR function and other enabling functions towards a more business driven Organization.

Scope:

Led the team in charge of the full range of HR Operations and Strategic Staffing issues for WHO/HQ based programs and offices, which represents a workforce of 10.000 staff & a biennial operational budget of USD 4.7 billion

• Among other responsibilities, I was tasked to develop Strategic Workforce Plans and supporting Staffing Policies, Mechanisms and Tools that enable the Organization to timely and effectively staff its programs and offices with the best possible talents

Key Achievements:

• Shaped the thinking on Human Capital Management in WHO;
• Made a paradigm shift happen by succeeding in putting staffing issues at the heart of the Business Priorities of WHO;
• Brought Workforce Planning and Staffing functions to a more strategic level;
• Developed a strategy on implementing the new WHO’s vision on Staffing and Talent Management Issues;
• Developed a Strategic Workforce Planning Framework and action plan on staffing to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis;
• Actively contributed to the development of a new Service Delivery Model for the HR functions, WHO worldwide and led its implementation in HQ;
• Substantively improved HR reporting by developing a reliable, comprehensive and transparent information system on staffing issues that helped improve the relationships with the Staff Association Committee and got the adhesion of Senior Management and Hiring Managers;
• Through the streamlining of processes, the design of effective HR tools and the team engagement, managed to significantly reduce the time to hire from 7 months (base-line) to 3 months while the target was 4 months;
• Managed to clear a back-log of 291 selections over a period of six months in 2008 and to complete more than 500 selections in 2009, which has had a huge impact on the Organization’s performances in timely delivering Public
• Health Programmes and improving its relations with donors and recipients Member States.

• Under the leadership of the Regional HR Manager for the African Region, I was responsible for driving a platform of integrated HR solutions in favor of both Managers and Staff
• I also oversaw the Labor/Staff Relations Functions administering the Informal Conflicts Prevention and Resolution Mechanisms across the African Region;
• In this regard, among other tasks, I managed the business interface between the HR Team and the senior management of the Organization by facilitating both strategic & operational HR Planning processes, Organization modeling exercises and assisting Business owners in identifying the potential HR implications of the organizational strategic directions and enabling their translation into workforce plans (including succession management) and their operationalization;
• I also was the focal point for all WHO Regional and Field Offices in the Global Management System (ERP) project for its HR components, in which I was very active from the design throughout its implementation.
• Key Achievements:
• Conceptualized & implemented a Re-profiling model destined to align the staffing pattern and work processes of the Regional Office, 46 country offices and 32 sub-country offices to the Strategic Directions defined for the African Region
• This was later replicated in WHO/HQ and other Regions of
• WHO and is now known under Strategic Direction and Competency Review (SDCR);
• Played a key role in developing and implementing a new operating model for WHO in the African Region, which has led to a further decentralization of Operations, through the creation of 3 Sub-Regional Offices/Hubs and delegation of authority to WHO Representatives in the 46 WHO country offices and the design of an organizational structure, a staffing plan and working arrangements that supports the reallocation/redeployment of staff from the Regional Office to the 3 Sub-Regional Offices/Hubs and Country Offices;
• Managed to ensure that the field perspective was heard and taken into account in the solutions designed for WHO operations in the Organization’s ERP project;
• Actively engaged with both the Regional Committee of the Staff Association and the Ombudsman to improve the administration of justice and the delivery of the Staff Labor/Relations function within the African Region.

Scope:

• Led the team in charge of Organizational Development & Job Classification, Workforce Planning and Selection/recruitment for the WHO African Region

Key Achievements:

• Conceptualized a new approach and designed tools destined to streamline selection processes, to improve screening/assessment/ranking of applicants concerning WHO vacancies and speed in filling positions (this happened before the advent of the e-Recruitment system)
• Designed HR tools for Managers in order to facilitate operational HR planning processes;
• Carried out several exercises of matching between job requirements and staff profiles.
• Managed the hiring process for more than 300 positions;

As Director HR for Shell Petroleum Company in Senegal, Gambia, in Mali, Guinea and Guinea Bissau, I was leading a team in charge of the full range of HR functions such as Formulation, Implementation, Monitoring and Assessment of various HR Policies and strategies (talent acquisition and compensation management) Workforce Planning (Designing Manpower plans) and Talent Acquisition/Management;

I also led the Employees/Labor Relations Function at Shell, throughout my tenure with Shell.

Key achievements:

• Designed effective HR policies for Shell in Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Gambia such as employee branding and compensation that made Shell the best in-class in the Oil Industry and among the 3 employers of choice in the local markets. This resulted in the acquisition of dozens of high potentials ranging from engineers to professionals in marketing, Finance, Operations and Business planning over a period of 15 months;

• The HR function actively contributed to make the Shell Petroleum Company’s brand shine in West and Central Africa;

• Led several exercises of Workforce Planning;

• Facilitated several talent review exercises and succession management processes & the creation of talent pools and strong bench strengths for key functions;

• Managed the HR component of a major Gas Plant Project from design to running: architecture and job profiles, planning over 5 years the required staffing pattern in terms of level and number, developing a talent acquisition plan, outsourcing the acquisition of technical junior staff to a specialized firm & supervising it, and ensuring the effective on-boarding of newly recruited staff;

• Led the HR stream of the Shell Petroleum ERP system and acted as change agent to accompany Managers and staff in coping with their new working environment and related challenges while the company’s performance is sustained/consolidated;

• Led the transformation of the HR function in Senegal, Mali, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, which contributed to the creation of an environment conducive to innovation and staff engagement.

• As Chief Employee/Staff Relations for Dakar region in Senegal (more than 10,000 private companies and 100,000 employees), I was leading a team in charge of conflicts Management at workplaces, compliance with Labor laws, social security and HR Policies, and the Restructuring of private and semipublic companies
• I also acted as mediator/facilitator between staff and employers, Unions and Employers Associations during collective bargaining on working/living conditions and on job classification
• I also was an HR Policy Advisor to the Government of Senegal and tasked to identify areas for informed policies destined for Friendlier, healthier and safer workplaces
• Key achievements:
• Acted as Mediation Specialist in hundreds of individual and groups labor related conflicts;
• Successfully resolved dozens high impact/sensitive conflicts in big Corporation in the private sector and often in a strike context;
• Facilitated the revision and/or conclusion of more than 50 collective agreements between Employers of private sector and Unions & staff committees;
• Managed more than 200 restructuring exercises of private and public firms in the context of their organizational alignments;
• Facilitated more than 100 collective job evaluation exercises in both private and public sectors;
• As Advisor in Human Resources Management to the Senegalese government, I was member of the team that formulated HR policies for civil services and developed HR handbooks;
• Was part of the team that formulated Public Policies on occupational health and safety at workplaces.
• Used strong analytical and problem-solving skills to develop effective solutions for challenging situations.