Creating a Staffing Solution

Within PeopleSoft HCM

The Right Resources, in the Right Places at the Right Times
June 20, 2017
The Calgary Catholic School District
Calgary Catholic is the largest Catholic school district in the province of
Alberta, serving over 55,000 students in 112 schools located in municipality
of Calgary and the surrounding rural areas of Airdrie, Cochrane,
Chestermere and Rocky View.
We employ over 5,400 employees, in which over 4,700 occupy school based
positions.
Calgary Catholic, like many of the school districts across Canada, each year
will allocate positions to adapt,
 to ever changing student enrolment
 school complexity (Diverse Learning, English Language Learners)
 program needs (French Immersion, Off Campus)
 employee changes (retirements, resignations, leaves of absence)

“Staffing” alone can generate thousands of employee changes

each year.
Why the Need for a New Solution
For over fifteen years, this staffing activity had utilized an in-house
program built using an Access platform for the HR component and
later a .NET program for the school / employee web based
component.
Limitations
 Unable to apply changes or enhancements.
 Unable to keep pace with technology enhancements.
 Uncomfortable risk of system failure during the “staffing” season.
 Integration from core HR done on an annual basis through a data
import.
 Excluded the second largest employee group, our school based
support staff. These movements were processed manually.
Our Initial Direction

“To develop a sustainable program and tools

that will ensure that this critical business
activity continues; to include the school based
support staff and re-imagine our current processes
to identify and develop efficiencies.”
Discovery
During the discovery phase, the team met with a number of
stakeholders in and outside of Human Resources.
It became evident that “Staffing” was a much larger process involving
seven different business units with a variety of tasks from the
projection of school enrollment, resource needs analysis and
allocation budgeting to name a few.
One item each business unit had in common, they all used excel
spreadsheets.
Our Revised Direction
To develop a sustainable program and tools which will ensure that
the staffing activities of Planning, Finance, Instructional Services
(in particular Diverse Learning), Senior Administration and the
Staffing Committee, our School Based Administrators, the HR
Recruiting and Staffing Teams and finally our employees (teachers
and support staff) will continue.

The project team will leverage the District’s current investment

in PeopleSoft HCM, ensuring that the various staffing activities
are housed within one common home to allow for full integration,
improved efficiencies and workflow.”
Fundamental Requirements
 To adhere to the District principle that customizations are kept to
a minimum and, if required, are essential to the operation of the
organization.
 Sustainability and Integration
 To ensure that existing business practices related to District
staffing continue.
 Automated formula allocations
 Tracking and audit of allocation overrides and contingency
allocations
 Future and Current Year panels
 Principal security to access multiple school sites
 Eligibility to apply in a staffing cycle based on the employee’s
contract status.
 Three Phases of Staffing

Foundation Tables

Student Enrollment Update Invalid Position Assign Employee Screening

Staffing
Allocations

Ads & Applications

Home Room Organization Numbers Criteria
Master Teacher Allocations Balance Allocations to Creates Ads for Vacancies
Positions and Staff Update Ads for Screening,
Master Support Staff
Allocations Staff List, Employee and Destination, Open and
Position Profile Close Date Requirements
Diverse Learning Teacher
and Support Staff Declare Surplus Staff Employee Application
Allocations Approve Surplus Staff Interview, Selection and
Class Size Contingency Requests Application
Allocations Priority Placement /
Coordinating Teacher Layoff and Recall
Allocations Approve Staffing
Allocation Cash Ins Transactions
Process Transactions into
Core HR
Our PeopleSoft HCM Environment

PeopleSoft HCM 9.1 Modules Utilized for Solution

People Tools 8.52.22 Recruiting
SQL Server 2008 Workforce Administration
Windows 2008 R2 Position Management
Profile Management
Global Payroll and Absence
Management
Self Service
Time and Labor
Structure | Security
 Following standard PeopleSoft methodology, the team developed
the Staffing module using proven best practices and some
creativity on our side.
 Modeling the PeopleSoft approach to foundation tables we
developed the staffing foundation tables to hold the various
attributes and elements required for all staffing processing.
 Using PeopleSoft row level security structure, we created
permission list security based on location.
The Machine
The Allocation Phase
 The configuration of District staffing formulas in a centralized
database in a flexible, efficient and transparent manner.
 The development of automated and online functionality for the
student enrolment, home room organization plans, allocation
processing, staffing compliments in a centralized repository.
 Enhanced reporting
The Student Enrollment Page
The Projected School Enrollment Page
The Home Room Organization Page
The Diverse Learning School Profile Page
The Master Allocations Page
The Staffing Phase
 Enhancements to the existing Staffing process for teaching staff
in the areas of employee and position information.
 Apply the existing Staffing technology model to school-based
support staff.
 Manager directed updates with an HR approval process.
 Real time integration from core HR
 Enhanced reporting
The Balance Page
The Staff List Page
The Staff List Page
The Staff List Page - Absences
The Staff List Page - Vacancies
The Ads | Applications Phase
 Utilization of PeopleSoft delivered eRecruit functionality for the
creation and maintenance of job openings.
 Utilization of PeopleSoft delivered Person Profile functionality
for eligibility screening.
 Enhanced control and audit of applicants and successful
candidates.
 Applicant and Job Opening history
 Enhanced Reporting
Creating a Job Opening
Creating a Job Opening
Managing a Staffing Cycle | Round
Principal View of Job Opening 360
View While the Staffing Cycle is Open
Principal View of Job Opening 360
View Once the Staffing Cycle is Closed
Lessons Learned
 The mind set change from an annual data import to real time
integration, and change to historic workflow.
 Effective Dating
 Don’t over complicate things. PeopleSoft works, so work with
PeopleSoft not against it.
 Desired Enhancements through Positive Experiences
 Expect the Unexpected
 Need a Shepherd
 Lesson to be Learned – Image Management
2016 – 2017 Staffing in a Nutshell
122 Projected School
Enrollment
54,164 Projected Students 1,294 Job Openings Submissions

54,658 Actual Students

122 Home Room Submissions
109 Principals 7 Business Units
5 Support Staff Recall Rounds

3,416 Staffing Transactions 137 Priority

8 Certificated Staffing Rounds Placements
5,661 Applications in
2,986.2 Certificated
HR Self Service
Allocations (FTE)
131 Recall Employees 35,577.6 Support Staff
300 Auto Allocations (Hours)
Generated 109 Diverse Learning Profile Submissions
Positions
Questions

Paula Finley
Senior Manager, HR Information Systems
Calgary Catholic School District
paula.finley@cssd.ab.ca

Jeff Beatty
President and Senior Consultant
b3 Systems Solutions
jeff@b3ps.com