Contract Advisor
Induction &
Training
Version 2.0
POL00448194
POL00448194
Version
Classification
Description
‘Author
Date.
Status.
V2.0
Confidential
Contract Advisor - Induction &
Training Plan
David Southall
O3APR24
Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme ©
Table of Contents
1. Introduction. 3
2. Pre-Start Checks. 4
3. Day One.. 5
4. Week Oni 6
4.1. Introduction to the Postmaster Contract Types. 6
4.2. Team Document Library & Decision Rationale 7
4.3. Governance 7
5. Week One/Week Twi 8
6. Week Thre -10
7. Points of Contact 11
8. Resource Links 12
9. Control .13
10. Appendix 14
Version Classification I Description Author Date Status
V2.0. Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall I O8APR24 Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
1. Introduction
The role of the Contract Advisor is to manage a postmaster against their
contractual obligations across those branches in the Postmaster network
(not DMB or Strategic Partners). The role is required to understand of the
postmaster contract (s) working with the wider Retail Team the Contract
Advisor helps postmasters deliver high performance standards and, where
necessary, they deploy procedures to manage and resolve contractual
breaches to help meet these standards.
The nature of the role means that they are responsible for reviewing
matters that may, in due course, lead to the termination of a postmaster’s
contract. It is important then that the proper training is given so any new
member of the team fully understands the policies behind the decisions
being taken and the processes to follow.
Version
Classification I Description ‘Author Date Status’
V2.0.
Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall I O8APR24 Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
2. Pre-Start Checks
Prior to the new starter the following needs to be arranged
. Laptop, with log on and email address
: Mobile phone
Once an email has been provided the access to the following resource is
needed:
Dynamics
Policy Database
Periscope
NOMAD
Knowledge Centre
Retail Toolkit
Cloud City
Puzzel
The Hub
Quatrix
If the new starter has no previous Post Office experience, then
arrangements will be made for them to complete Post Office Discovery Day
event on Success Factors.
Version
Classification I Description ‘Author Date Status’
V2.0.
Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall I O8APR24 Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
3.
Day One
Meeting between the Head of Contract Management & Deployment
new starter
Key Information/Overview
Business Overview
(HoCM&D) and
development support available. To
be reviewed and discussed with the
HoCM&D
The Hub Central Hub for all business needs I Review content
and support - found here
* Employee Assist
* wow
° Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
* Horizon Inquiry and IT Scandal
Training Learning & Development Review content,
Development & I (sharepoint.com) provides an understand any
Support overview of the learning and learning and
development needs
Wood Street
Overview (if
applicable)
Contracts Team - Training - Post
Office Workspace Guide (Apr 24
update) .pdf - All Documents
(sharepoint.com) provides an
overview of the workspace in Wood
Street
Undertake tour of
Wood Street
Discovery Day
Contract Team
Introduction
Discovery day in Wood Street or
Chesterfield, facilitated by the
Learning & Development Team.
Includes compliance and Health &
Safety courses,
Team
This provides an overview of the
Contracts Team and the three key
policies the team work to.
Process Maps (work in process)
Postmaster Support Policies
(sharepoint.com)
Attend discovery day
HoCM&D to present
Team Basics
Team meetings
121 meetings and quarterly reviews
Weekly ‘sit down’ calls
Contract Advisor objectives
Cost Centre code - 116208
Use of calendar
Booking travel - Travel and Events
Booking Portal (sharepoint.com);
Travel Policy
HoCM&D to run
through
Performance This sets out the performance HoCMéD to run
Overview review process and what is looked through
for _at_year end (April - March)
Version Classification I Description Author Date Status
v2.0 Confidential_I Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall_I O8APR24__I Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
4. Week One
This
that
over
also
week will involve
underpin the work
the course of the
meet
guidance,
support and act as a
course of
cases and
4,1. Introduction to the Postmaster Contract
reviewing the postmaster contracts and the policies
the contracts team do.
week to review these areas.
with other Contract Advisors who will provide practical
‘puddy’ to the new starter and across the
this week onwards will spend time reviewing live examples of
understand how information is recorded.
Diary time will be put in
The new starter will
Types
Head of Contract Management & Deployment
To provide an
common issues
contracts. To
- Background to restatement.
- Review
- Review of Main Agreement
of Local Agreement
historic contract list
- Review
- Review
To have an understanding of the postmaster contract types,
across agreements and the impact of the Common Issues Judgement.
be supplemented by the
overview of postmaster contract types,
judgement and the effect of the judgment
include the following:
of Subpostmaster Contract
a background to the
on postmaster
(SPMC)
differences
This to
‘Horizon IT Scandal - guidance for colleagues’.
Summary of contract restatement cts Team - Training -
ct-restatement-summary.pdf -
All Documents (sharepoint.com)
Horizon IT Scandal — guidance for Horizon IT Scandal - guidance for
colleagues colleagues (sharepoint.com)
Subpostmaster Contract (SPMC) Contracts Team - Training - Clean -
SPMC - updated on 140720.pdf - All
Documents (sharepoint.com)
Local Agreement Contracts Team - Training - Clean -
Local NTC - updated on 140720.pdf -
All Documents (sharepoint.com)
Main Agreement Contracts Team - Training - Clean -
Main NTC - updated on 140720.pdf -
All Documents (sharepoint.com)
Historic Contract List Historic Contract List.docx
(sharepoint.com)
4.2.Team Document Library & Decision
Rationale
Head of Contract Management & Deployment
Version Classification I Description Author Date Status
V2.0 Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall I O8APR24 Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
A review of the rationale document that is used to support the decision-
making processes in the contracts team. This is to understand the basis of
how a Contract Advisor undertakes an review of a situation, and considers
key factors drawn together into a rationale that sets out a recommended
course of action.
A review of the document library, highlighting the documents and pointing
out the differences between NT contract documentation and SPMC
documentation.
Decision Rationale document Contract Decision
Rationale _V2.1_Local_Main
22MAR24.docx (sharepoint.com) sets
out the review and decision making
process
Document Library General
Use of Puzzel and Contact Logs Contracts Team - Meeting and Puzzel
Recordings - Puzzel - Contracts
Team Guide_vl.0 09FEB24.pdf - All
Documents (sharepoint.com)
4.3. Governance
Head of Contract Management & Deployment
Post Office Ltd has policies governing the management of its
contractual agreements with postmasters. These policies explain
that, in certain circumstances, there may be situations where Post
Office needs to either suspend or terminate a Postmaster’s
Agreement. To ensure our policies are implemented as fairly as
possible, as well providing the proper support to Post Office
colleagues who implement the policies, additional governance is in
place to support these decisions.
Responsible; Accountable; Postmaster Contracts Decision Making
Consulted; Informed RACI v2.2
(RACI)
Termination Decisions — Legal Legal Assurance.pptx (sharepoint.com)
Assurance
Postmaster Suspensions Decision Postmaster
Governance Committee - Overview Suspensions_DGC_Overview_03APR24.pptx
(sharepoint .com)
Postmaster Contract Termination Postmaster Contract Termination
Decision Committee Decision Committee_Overview.pptx
(sharepoint.com)
Contract Termination Decision
Review Panel
At the end of the week a review will be undertaken between the new starter and Head of
Contract Management & Deployment.
Version Classification I Description ‘Author Date Status’
V2.0 Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall I O8APR24 Final
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
5.
Week One/Week Two
Week One/Week Two
The new starter’s mentor will spend time reviewing live cases and going through processes
at a team level. The following will be included:
Contract
What comes from where?
‘scalations
Expectation is that the process to follow
When to reassign
when contacted with a performance
Review of live cases
escalation is understood
Walkthrough of specific example
Understanding how the details are captured
on Dynamics
Use of Puzzel and Contact Logs
Team inbox - review of the type of queries
that come into the inbox and how these are
managed
Team Processes
Expectation is that how the team inbox and
data sites are managed is understood
Teams site - an overview of the Teams site
and the documents stored on there.
Dynamics — overview of how to capture
information on Dynamics
Document Storage — overview as to how
to save and link to documents
How and when a Branch Assurance
Advisor will contact a Contract Advisors -
the hub - Network Monitoring and Branch
Assurance Support Policy V3.2.pdf - All
Documents (sharepoint.com)
How these are dealt with
Branch Assurance Visit
Expectation is that the process to follow
when contacted by a Branch Assurance
Advisor is understood
Performance
Review of live cases
Walkthrough of specific example
How to approach a rationale and where to
find documentation
Understanding how the details are captured
on Dynamics
Use of Puzzel and Contact Logs
Intervention
Expectation is that how to determine what
is performance intervention and the
process to follow is understood
Version
Classification I Description
Author Date Status
V2.0.
Confidential
Contract Advisor Induction Pl:
jan. David Southall I O8APR24 Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
@
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Performance
Review of live cases
Expectation is that how to determine what
Walkthrough of specific example
is Contract Performance and the process to
How to approach a rationale and where to
find documentation
follow is understood
Understanding how the details are captured
on Dynamics
Use of Puzzel and Contact Logs
Contract S'
Review of live cases
juspension
Expectation is that how to determine what
Walkthrough of specific example
is Contract Suspension and the process to
How to approach a rationale and where to
find documentation
follow is understood
Understanding how the details are captured
on Dynamics
Use of Puzzel and Contact Logs
Contract Termination
Review of live cases
Expectation is that how to determine what
Walkthrough of specific example
is Contract Termination and the process to
How to approach a rationale and where to
find documentation
follow is understood
Understanding how the details are captured
on Dynamics
Use of Puzzel and Contact Logs
@
Version
Classification I Description
Author Date Status
V2.0.
Confidential
Contract Advisor Induction Plan
David Southall I O8APR24 Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme ©
6. Week Three
The new starter will be introduced to their own cases, with support from the wider team, and
will contact the Regional Manager(s) for the areas they will cover to introduce themselves
and arrange to attend their team meeting(s). Time to be arranged to spend time with an Area
Manager and, if possible, attend a branch visit.
In addition to this contact will be made with the following teams all of that have direct
involvement with the Contracts Team, to arrange time to understand what they do (list can
be varied depending on business experience):
Team
Mailwork Manager/Policy Advisor
Onboarding
Network Monitoring
Network Support & Resolution (Tier 2/Tier 3)
Postmaster Account Support Team
Branch Assurance Team
Training Team
Branch Support Centre
Security
Speak Up
Area Managers
Regional Managers
Financial Crime
Branch Support
Strategic Partners
Assurance & Complex Investigation
Network Provision Team
Ongoing
Ongoing support from the Head of Contract Management & Deployment through 121
meetings and regular reviews as well as support from the mentor and wider team. Should
any additional training requirements arise they will be captured in the Induction and Training
Programme document (included as an appendix to this document). This will be a live
document maintained in the employee’s file.
Governance
It is the responsibility of the Head of Contract Management & Deployment to ensure that the
induction of a Contract Advisor takes place and accurate records of each activity completed
are kept, maintained and stored centrally (see Appendix 1).
Version Classification I Description Author Date Status
V2.0. Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall I O8APR24 Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
7. Points of Contact
Digital Contracts/ I supportadvisorsI.
Onboarding
Hard copy chaida.aboobakari
contracts ~
Arrange a Branch networkmonitoring!_.
Assurance Visit branchassurancesuppo.
Former Postmaster formeraccount support} GRO i
Accounts - :
Postmaster Account
Support Team
Current Postmaster I postmasteraccount GRO i
Accounts -
Postmaster Account
Support Team
Security post.office.security} GRO i
Remuneration agent . changes i
confirmation : °
requests
CFS (pay system) postmaster.changes!_
Updates
Postmaster OST.escalations
Training trainingschedulingI
Discrepancy branchTier2Adming
Investigation 12
Discrepancy
Investigation 73
Remuneration Pp
queries GRO}
Postmaster postmaster.services _
Expenses
Smart ID smartID,_
Registered postmaster.assistant.vetting _ GRO
Assistants
Sending letters/ issue.resolution. team. r
OBC
CVIT/ Cash cash.management.support.mail.i
Management
Mailwork/Postmaste I steve.utting{_
r Policy Queries
Estate Manager/ kevin.parkin,
Royal Mail Leases
Temporary temporarypostmaster GRO
Postmaster Team
Historical historicalshortfallscheme{,
Shortfall Scheme
Financial Crime financial.crimel GRO i
Fit and Proper fitandproperi, GRO.
Information Rights I information ghtst GRO ——y
Business Plans businessplansfinancq GRO. i
Finance :
Version Classification I Description Author Date Status
V2.0 Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan David Southall I O8APR24 Final
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
POL00448194
POL00448194
@
Network Monitoring I networkmonitoringl,....-..G80...
Community/Outreach I nigel.parryt
Queries .
Whistleblowing/ speakup,
Speak Up
Complex triage!
Investigations
Version
Classification I Description
Author
Date
Status’
V2.0.
Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan
David Southall
O8APR24
Final
POL00448194
POL00448194
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
8. Resource Links
NOMAD Branch overview platform
Periscope Central branch inf ation hub
Dynamics Active case management and document
storage platform
Cloud Old business documentation storage
platform
Training Postmaster training, support, and
intervention logs
Puzzel Platform used to record telephone calls
Puzzel admin
To be able to access and obtain call
recordings
Horizon support
Visibility over Horizon support that is
accessible in branch
Quatrix
Secure transfer platform
Retail Toolki
Wider business guidance, policies, and
documentation
Onboarding Knowledge Cen
Storage of contracts and cond:
Interventions
Process and documentation for
requesting further Postmaster support
or interventions
Customer Complaints
External Postmaster or branch complaint
logs
Area Manager Logs
Area Manager call and visit logs
Visit Logs
Wider business visit logs
Contracts Landing Page
Old contracts landing page for relevant
links and information
To order new software and hardware
Travel Portal
To book business travel and
accommodation
WOW
Ways of working recognition platform
The Hub
Business landing page or watercooler
Success Factors
Personal HR platform
Version
Classification I Description
Author Date Status
V2.0
Confidential
Contract Advisor Induction Plan
David Southall I O8APR24 Final
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
9. Control
POL00448194
POL00448194
@
Date
Version Updated by
Change Details
1.0 David Southall
Head of Contract
Management &
Deployment
1.0 David Southall
Head of Contract
Management &
Deployment
11 David Southall
Head of Contract
Management &
Deployment
3 April 2024
2.0 David Southall
Head of Contract
Management &
Deployment
Updated version to include governance
steps and changes within team processes.
Version
Classification
Description
Author
Date
Status’
V2.0.
Confidential
Contract Advisor Induction Plan
David Southall
O8APR24
Final
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
10. Appendix
POL00448194
POL00448194
Include a copy of the training plan capturing that all areas have been
(as well as ongoing training).
covered
Name
Date started
Action
Pre-start Checks
Date Complete I Comments
Laptop, with log on and
email address
Mobile Phone
Post Office Discovery
Day
Access Required To -
NOMAD
Periscope
Dynamics
Cloud
Training
Puzzel
Puzzel admin
Horizon support
Quatrix
Retail Toolkit
Onboarding Knowledge
Centre
Interventions
Customer Complaints
Area Manager Logs
Visit Logs
Contracts Landing Page
Action
Day One
Date Complete I Comments
The Hub
Training Development &
Support
Wood Street Overview
(if applicable)
Discovery Day
Contract Team —
Introduction
Team Basics
Action
Comments
Date Complete
Introduction to
Postmaster contract
types
Version
Classification I Description
Author
Date
Status
V2.0
Confidential
Contract Advisor Induction Plan
David Southall
O8APR24
Final
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
POL00448194
POL00448194
Summary of contract
restatement
Horizon IT Scandal -
guidance for colleagues
Horizon IT Scandal -
guidance for colleagues
Subpostmaster Contract
(SPMC)
Local Agreement
Main Agreement
Historic Contract List
Decision Rationale
document
Document Library
Use of Puzzel and
Contact Logs
Termination Decisions -
Legal Assurance
Postmaster Suspensions
Decision Governance
Committee - Overview
Postmaster Contract
Termination Decision
Committee
Contract Termination
Decision Review Panel
End of week review
Comments
Week One/Week Two
Action Date Complete
Contract Escalations
Team Processes
Branch Assurance Visit
Performance
Intervention
Contract Performance
Contract Suspension
Contract Termination
Action Date Complete
Comments
Introduction to
Postmaster contract
types
Postmaster Support
Policies
Operational controls
Contractual Casework
Decision Review process
Version
Classification I Description
Author
Date
Status
V2.0
Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan
David Southall
O8APR24
Final
Contract Advisor — Induction & Training Programme
POL00448194
POL00448194
Review of Learning &
Development Support
Discovery Day
End of week review
Action
Week One/Week Twp
Date Complete
Comments
Contract performance
Auditor contact
Non-suspension
Suspension
Termination
Team inbox
Teams site
Restrictions processes
Action
Other team contact
Date Complete
Comments
Regional Manager/Area
Manager teams
Mailwork Manager/Policy
Advisor
Onboarding
Network Provision
Network Support &
Resolution (Tier 2/Tier
3)
Postmaster Account
Support Team
Training Team
Branch Support Centre
Network Monitoring
Branch Assurance Team
Assurance & Complex
Investigations/Speak Up
Financial Crime
NFSP
Action
Ongoing
Date Complete
Comments
Learning & Development Support
Action
Date Complete
Comments
Version
Classification I Description
Author
Date
Status
V2.0
Confidential Contract Advisor Induction Plan
David Southall
O8APR24
Final