Guidelines

A Workforce Planning
Framework
for
the Civil Service
and
Non-Commercial State Bodies

Forecasting our future demands in the context of the

business planning process to get the right people, with the
right skills, in the right place at the right time.

Workforce PlanningTeam, Civil Service HR Directorate

Contents
Users Guide............................................................................................................................6
Context....................................................................................................................................8
Workforce Planning Process...................................................................................................9
Key Steps...12
Step 1 - Scope and Integration...14
Step 2 Analyse Demand...14
Step 3 Analyse Supply..16
Step 4 Conduct a Gap Analysis..18
Step 5 Create Strategy and Plan20
Step 6 Implement and Evaluate..23
Appendix 1: Action Plan - Structure.....................................................................................26
Appendix 2 Worksheets.....................................................................................................28
Appendix 3: Staff Skills Survey Form....................................................................................32
Appendix 4: Dublin City Questionnaires...............................................................................40
Appendix 5: Succession Planning.........................................................................................54
Appendix 6 - Sample Templates...........................................................................................60

Framework
Depts/Offices/
NCSSBs

Statement of Strategy
Programme level
Performance Budgeting

ECF
disciplines
2012-2015

Staffing
needs

Profile of Vote Group

Skills

Age
Profile

Grade

Location

Gap Analysis

C
Requirements relative to
Surplus or Deficit

Policy
Enablers

Dynamic Action Plan

End June 2012 (iterative)

-Amendment to
the PSM Act
2004 to facilitate
mobility
-Limited
Recruitment &
Promotion

Users Guide
This framework is intended to provide a step-by-step guide to assist your
organisation in preparing a Workforce Plan in support of your strategic
and business planning objectives.
The Workforce Plan should flow from an analysis of your staffing needs
relative to your business requirements using the 6 key steps of the
Workforce Planning Process set out in this framework.
The framework provides a toolkit to assist your organisation in
preparing its Workforce Plan and comprises
a suggested structure for your Workforce Plan - Appendix 1
some key prompt questions which link directly to the planning steps Appendix 2
a sample Staff Skills Survey form Appendix 3
a quantitative approach to identifying the key gaps in staffing Appendix 4
an example of a formal methodology for Succession Planning Appendix 5
sample templates for workforce analysis - Appendix 6

Refer to Action Plan

Appendix 1
(Structure)

Complete 6 Key Steps

Main Document

Refer to
Templates for
Workforce Analysis
Appendix 6

Refer to
Worksheets &
Questionnaires
Appendices 2, 3, 4 &
5

Context
Under the reform agenda it is intended to have an integrated approach to Public Service
Reform which seeks to align a number of key initiatives including the Public Service Reform
Plan, the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (where relevant), the Public Service
Agreement and any specific reform initiatives which are linked to the Programme for
Government commitments. The Reform Delivery Office is responsible for coordinating the
delivery of the Integrated Reform Delivery Plans.
This Workforce Planning Framework is a supporting initiative to the Public Service Reform
Plan that has been developed by the Civil Service HR Directorate in the Department of Public
Expenditure and Reform for the civil service and non-commercial Semi State bodies.
Separate workforce plans will be developed by individual sectors in the public service
including the Health, Education, Local Authority, Justice and Defence sectors.
The Government is committed to achieving a planned reduction of 37,500 staff in the public
service to 282,500 by 2015, from a peak of 320,000 in 2008. Workforce Planning is intended
to help organisations deploy staffing resources more optimally, especially in the context of this
planned reduction of 12% in public service numbers over the medium term.
The challenge for each sector will be to manage this reduction in staffing levels while
maintaining a high level of service delivery to clients and policy support to Government.
While the primary focus of public service numbers policy will remain the reduction in the
public service pay bill, there will be opportunities for selective recruitment in the coming years
to reinforce the upskilling and reform of the civil service.
It will be a matter for local and departmental management and their agencies to identify
emerging skills gaps, whether arising from staff turnover or from changes in the external
environment, which require new responses and new skill sets.
The civil service has to operate efficiently and effectively against the backdrop of these
workforce pressures and address potential loss of corporate memory. The challenge is to
develop a leaner, more efficient and sustainable civil service capable of delivering better value
for money outcomes.

Workforce planning is an essential tool for anticipating possible future

developments and maintaining a well-structured workforce of an
appropriate size, which is able to meet the changing needs of the public
service in a cost-efficient manner
OECD (2011), Public Servants as Partners for Growth: Toward a Stronger, Leaner and More Equitable
Workforce, OECD Publishing.

Workforce Planning Process

Workforce planning is a process to measure and compare your current workforce (supply)
with your future workforce (demand) relative to your organisations strategy and business
planning process. An organisation operates most effectively when the right people with the
right knowledge, skills and competencies are deployed appropriately.
Workforce planning should focus on the size and composition of your workforce, its
deployment across your organisation, and the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary
to pursue your business objectives. It includes all managed movement into, around and out
of your organisation including recruitment, promotion, secondment, transfer, redeployment,
attrition and retention.
Workforce planning is about ..
developing an understanding of the internal and external environment and how those
factors will affect your current and future workforce
understanding the makeup of your current workforce and the knowledge, skills and
competencies that you require to achieve your intended business goals in the
current and changing environment
linking human resources strategies with your business objectives
thinking about future service pressures and needs, and putting in place staffing
strategies to address these

A Workforce Planning system should.

be holistic in its approach and link with your strategic/business planning and budget
processes
be built around service needs and the competencies/skills required to deliver a
quality service
be responsive to change variables such as the economic, technological and
Government mandates
be supportive of continual learning and development concepts
be data driven to allow for scenario building with changing assumptions for different
desired outcomes
identify potential problems and manage risk
develop workforce skills that take time to grow
take account of regional structures
optimise the use of human, financial and other resources
The structure of your organisation will partly determine how the process of workforce
planning, including consultation and data retrieval, should be progressed.

Regardless of the process chosen, senior management in each organisation will need to ask
what elements of work are critical, important or desirable. Some key questions would include
for example ..
Where is your organisation going and what is its intended growth in the next 3-5
years and into the longer term?
Which areas of its work will reduce or stop and which will grow?
Which areas of its work will be delivered differently and in what ways?
How can technological advancements help what your organisation does?
Accurate forecasting is important if organisations are to avoid having .
a surplus of employees who are not fully and effectively deployed, or
a deficit of employees which may result in reduced productivity and a sub-optimal
performance.

An overriding requirement of any workforce plan is that it should be sustainable, affordable

and value for money.
In many cases challenging choices and decisions will have to be made between service
needs and financial constraints.

The current economic, financial and demographic context demands

careful workforce planning and strategic management of human
resources, to ensure that the public service maintains the capacity for
service delivery.
OECD (2011), Public Servants as Partners for Growth: Toward a Stronger, Leaner and More Equitable
Workforce, OECD Publishing.

10

11

Key Steps
SCOPE AND INTEGRATE
STEP 1

ANALYSE DEMAND

ANALYSE SUPPLY

STEP 2

STEP 3

CONDUCT GAP ANALYSIS

STEP 4

CREATE
STRATEGY & PLAN
CREA
STEP 5

IMPLEMENT & EVALUATE

STEP 6

12

13

Step 1 - Scope and Integration

Who
The Workforce Action Plan should be developed by Government departments and offices as
well as non-commercial semi-state bodies (NCSSBs). Departments should liaise with their
respective NCSSBs to coordinate a Vote Group Plan that reflects the high level goals, outputs
and outcomes of their Programmes under the performance budgeting initiative and the
expenditure ceilings set out in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.
When
The focus of the plan should be on the medium term (3-5 years) but your workforce plan
should highlight shorter term (1-2 years) challenges to address the impact of fiscal
consolidation measures. Where there is scope to forecast beyond 5 years that could be
factored into the workforce forecasts.
Integrated with what
Workforce planning should flow from the strategic planning process which should be informed
and influenced by the Integrated Reform Delivery Plan. Your staffing needs should flow from
your business needs. The strategic plan (and the supporting business planning process)
specifies what is to be done while the workforce plan delineates who should be employed to
do the work effectively. Together, the strategic plan and the workforce plan drive an
organisations performance.
How often
Workforce planning is an iterative process and needs to be reviewed regularly in order to
respond to changing circumstances. Ongoing monitoring will be required to ensure that your
workforce plan remains current and aligned to the business needs of your organisation.

Step 2 Analyse Demand

Your staffing needs should flow from your business needs. Demand analysis is about
extracting from your Statement of Strategy and Business plans the key business drivers
which will apply either upward or downward pressures on your organisations future staffing
levels.
In preparing a Statement of Strategy your organisation will have set out its key objectives and
priorities to reflect the Programme for Government, the Public Service Reform agenda and
any other sector-specific policy initiatives.
14

Key Reference Documents in Workforce Planning

Statements of Strategy and Business Plans
Estimates for your Vote Group
Public Service Reform Plan /Integrated Reform Delivery Plans
Sector specific initiatives on foot of Programme for Government Commitments
Action Plans: Public Service Agreement 2010 2014
Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE)
Organisational Reviews

Your Statement of Strategy, allied to the Business Plans which flow from it, will typically have
taken account of any important environmental factors 1 which are likely to impact on the
achievement of your organisations goals and objectives for the future.
Every organisation will have unique business pressures exerting influence on its staffing but
some general examples which might apply across organisations would include:
Downward Pressures
Upward Pressures
Electronic channels/self-service
Streamlining of operations
Elimination of unnecessary or
duplicate processes
Shared services
Simplification
Structural & organisational reforms

New programmes
Increases in international
commitments
Increases in the demand for State
services
Additional statutory & regulatory
requirements
EU Presidency commitments in the
short term

HR Sections should consult with managers across their organisation at an appropriate level to
identify any upward or downward pressures on their staffing levels both in the short term (1-2
years) and the medium term (over the next 3-5 years). It would be important for your
organisation in its Workforce Action Plan to list these pressures, to elaborate on the nature of
the pressures and describe how they impact on your organisations future staffing. For
1

PESTLE, SWOT and the McKinsey 7S model are techniques often used in environmental analysis.

15

example, each manager should clearly identify upward pressures on staffing which are
related solely to seasonal factors or to a particular year (which would suggest the use of
temporary or contract staff) as opposed to more permanent staffing requirements. The
workforce planning process then becomes a method for informing HR decisions on
prioritisation of requests for new posts from line divisions/sections.
Some key questions for managers in relation to demand analysis might include the following.
What new or changed services do you foresee in the short term 1-2 years and the
next 3 to 5 years?
How will your business units be structured for tomorrows business?
What skills or competencies will you require to carry out your future work functions?
What technology or process re-engineering could be used to improve your service
delivery?

Step 3 Analyse Supply

This step involves analysing the attributes of your current workforce. Workforce analysis
relies heavily on the proper collection and evaluation of data. Data can come from a variety of
sources.
Primary sources of data include the following.

the civil service HRMS system

role profiles - competencies
skills databases
interviews at appropriate level in the organisation
staff surveys
focus groups and workshops
Integrated Reform Delivery Plans
Organisational Reviews
process maps
reports of Management Services Units

16

Analysis of your current staffing levels and the composition of your current workforce should
consider the following .
What posts now exist?
How many people are working in a particular area?
How essential is each post?
Are there posts that are no longer needed?
What is the use of temporary versus permanent staff?
In relation to information on the skills and experience of your staff, best practice indicates that
HR Managers should develop (if they have not already done so) a database detailing in
respect of each staff member:
their professional qualifications/ relevant training,
their key experience across the key functional areas of their organisation (e.g. HR, IT,
Industrial Relations, Finance, Communication, Project Management, Procurement,
Policy Analysis and Specialist areas such as Taxation, Intellectual Property etc.), and
their key competencies.
A Staff Survey Form to capture skills and qualifications devised by the Training Branch
of the Revenue Commissioners is set out in Appendix 3 for your information.
In relation to the presentation of supply data in your Workforce Action Plan generally, you can
include any workforce dimensions that you consider important to your organisations business
but these would normally include the following .

staff numbers (headcount, full-time, part-time, contract)

grades by category (General Service, Professional, Technical & Industrial)
an organisation chart showing staff categorised on a functional basis - in the private
sector for example the categories might be along the lines of personnel, purchasing,
production, sales, finance, and distribution or on the product lines the company sells
a profile of staff by age, years of service, gender, location, qualifications, experience
and/or competencies
important trends affecting future staff levels such as employment control framework
targets, projections in relation to retirements, career breaks, transfers,
redeployments, promotions (internal and external), and sick leave patterns
historical trends can be useful to illustrate how staffing levels have changed in recent
years, e.g. the last 3 to 5 years

Supply data for the purpose of profiling and trend analysis in the civil service may be obtained
from the civil service HRMS system. Some data collection may require consultation and
dialogue with managers at section or division level. The size and complexity of your
organisation will determine the approach which is most appropriate to it.
17

Step 4 Conduct a Gap Analysis

Gap analysis is the process of comparing your current workforce supply (Step 3) to your
workforce demand (Step 2) and identifying gaps (deficits or surpluses). The process of
identifying the differences between supply and demand establishes the roadmap for your
organisations Workforce Action Plan. A risk assessment can be undertaken for each gap
how are strategic intents and desired outcomes impacted by the gap? You should prioritise
those gaps that are critical to the delivery of your organisations future goals. Your focus
should be on these gaps at least initially.
Gaps in a workforce can be defined in terms of specific grades, skills and experience,
competencies or some combination of these;
grade (general service, professional, technical, industrial)
skills (professional qualifications & relevant training);
experience (e.g. HR, IT, Industrial Relations, Finance, Communication, Project
Management, Procurement, Policy Analysis and Specialist areas such as Taxation,
Intellectual Property etc.) and/or
core competencies - the behavioral characteristics that a person needs to perform
a particular job effectively
Competencies can be developed for an organisation, or part of an organisation or for grades
or specific posts. In the case of the Irish civil service, the following competencies have been
developed under the PMDS system for training and development purposes:
Personal Effectiveness

Thinking Style & Problem Solving

Self Confidence
Achievement, Drive & Commitment
Initiative
Teamworking
Communications

Analytical Thinking
Conceptual Thinking
Decision Making & Judgment
Specialised Expertise

Managing for Results

Group & Interpersonal Effectiveness

Managing Budgets & Resources

Information Seeking & Management
Concern for Clarity & Work Quality

Networking/Influencing
Interpersonal Understanding
Customer Service
Managing & Developing People
Leadership

18

Competencies have also been developed by the Public Appointment Service for the purposes
of selection and recruitment in the civil service.
In a competency-based model, a workforce gap arises wherever the proficiency level for a
competency is not being met by any member or segment of the organisation, or where there
is difference between the level of proficiency identified for each competency, and the level of
proficiency currently demonstrated by each member or segment of the workforce.
Competencies are the characteristics that a person needs to
perform their job effectively. These characteristics are
effectively a demonstration of a combination of the
knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal attributes that an
individual brings to a situation and influences the way that
individual interacts with the situation. Competencies are
used primarily for selection and recruitment purposes and for
identifying training and development needs.

In attempting to identify skills gaps it may be useful to consider focusing your attention on
particular posts within sections/divisions that deliver essential services.
Workforce
Segmentation involves identifying the segments of the workforce which are the most critical
to the effectiveness your organisation.

19

Critical workforce segments are the positions that

are highly skilled, highly trained
provide a disproportionate amount of value
make or break a strategy
have the most valuable skills and
are generally the hardest to replace
By identifying critical workforce segments in your organisation you are seeking to ensure that
your organisation secures an adequate supply of its most indispensable resources.
A quantitative-based questionnaire developed by Dublin City Council which seeks to
identify priority business areas and the adequacy of staffing levels is set out in
Appendix 4. It would need to be adapted by individual organisations to suit their
particular business circumstances.

Step 5 Create Strategy and Plan

Your Department/Office can create a Workforce Action Plan

based on information collected through the gap analysis process
and discussions with managers at section or division level and
the MAC. This input will be the basis for determining solution
strategies that can be considered to eliminate identified gaps. By
the time you get to this point, you will have a clear picture of the
issues and challenges faced across your organisation by
division, functional areas, grades, etc.
Critically it is senior management in each organisation that must facilitate this process
and signal buy-in to the process.
The following questions will be of particular relevance in formulating your Action Plan.
What are the three to five most critical workforce planning challenges facing your
organisation today?
What are the most common themes that emerged from your dialogue with managers
and supervisors?
What is the organisational impact if these challenges are not addressed?
What, if any, actions are underway to address these challenges?
20

Is there enough time to develop staff internally for anticipated vacancies or new skill
sets, or is use of redeployment options or targeted external recruitment the best
approach?

Does your organisation have a policy of succession planning?

Do existing staff demonstrate the potential or interest to develop new skills and
assume new or modified positions?
What is PMDS telling you in relation to the performance management of your staff
and their training and development needs?
What labour market competition exists for future skills (IT, Legal, Financial Analysis,
and Intellectual Property)?
Do current job classifications and post descriptions reflect future functional
requirements and skills?
Do some divisions/sections need to be reorganised to meet business needs and
strategic objectives? Is restructuring or rationalisation needed?
What are the recommended solution strategies that the organisation can take to
address the challenges?
Are there areas of work where internal process improvement is needed?
Is outsourcing an option?
What will be required in terms of human and financial resources to carry out these
strategies?

The HR area is typically the primary recipient of the Workforce Planning output and is
normally but not exclusively responsible for executing the Action Plan.
Addressing Skill Gaps
HR mangers will need to explore the full-range of options when seeking to fill any skill gaps
that have been identified. The options to consider include:

upskilling your existing staff to bridge the skills gaps (staff training and
development)
redeploying suitable staff from within your organisation and realigning your work
where necessary (mobility and restructuring)
redeploying suitable staff from other areas of the civil service where there are
surplus staff (redeployment from within the civil service)
redeploying suitable staff from the NCSSBs where there are surplus staff
21

(redeployment or secondment from within your Vote Group)

redeploying suitable staff from the wider public service with surplus staff
(redeployment or secondment from wider public service)
Use of outsourcing to perform a function
promotion and/ targeted recruitment (when all the above options have been
exhausted)

Succession Planning
A key issue currently in the public service is the need for some form of succession planning.
Succession planning identifies the key or critical positions that will become vacant within a
specified amount of time (typically from 18 months to five years) and the competencies
necessary to do the work associated with these positions. Its goal is similar to workforce
planning, i.e. having the right people in the right positions at the right time. The focus of
succession planning is on key positions critical to the mission of the organisation at all
levels.
In the diagram below, for example, the areas highlighted in red are the areas of greatest risk
where managers need to focus retention or succession planning efforts. The green areas are
of limited concern, while the yellow areas are where managers need to keep a watching
brief.

Impact of Departure

Risk Assessment Matrix

HIGH

3
MEDIUM

LOW
LOW

MEDIUM

HIGH

Likelihood of Departure
Position 1

Low Concern - unlikely to depart and if they did the impact of departure

22

Position 2
Position 3
Position 4

would be minimal
Low Concern - likely to leave but possess few critical skills that cannot
be replaced
Medium Concern - would leave a significant gap if they left although
the likelihood of them going seems low
High Concern - close to deciding to go and the departure would cause
great disruption

23

Key positions might include leadership positions or specialist positions or roles that may be
technical, or contentspecific or otherwise hard to replace. (These positions should already
have been identified under Step 4 of the planning process above and should not require a
separate exercise.)
The succession planning process identifies and prepares suitable employees through
mentoring, training and job rotation, to replace key players within an organisation as those
key players leave their positions for whatever reasons retirement, advancement, attrition,
etc. Positions should be prioritised for succession planning based on this analysis.
Departments may assign a numerical value to the High, Medium and Low assessments in
order to create a rank order of positions for succession planning. Alternatively, departments
may choose to focus on positions rated high for both vacancy risk and impact. A formal
structured approach to succession planning is set out in Appendix 5 for information.
At a minimum succession planning should involve the following:
identifying the critical posts at an early stage
ensuring that replacement staff have the skills, knowledge and competencies to
perform these jobs through job rotation or formal training
assigning a successor to shadow the current holder of the key post for a transition
period before s/he leaves
an agreed procedure for the handover of work and responsibilities (key documents
including a comprehensive briefing note of key issues, a role profile, a section manual,
a list of key contacts and key files etc.)
doing it now dont wait until you have only four weeks to fill a key position

Step 6 Implement and Evaluate

Workforce planning is not a one-off activity. There is a need to monitor the progress of
agreed actions and assess whether they are having the intended impact. It is necessary to
check that milestones are being achieved and to adjust the plan where necessary to maintain
the dynamism of the approach.
Some important questions in the evaluation process would include the following.
Have performance measures, milestones, and expected deliverables been defined?
Have any change management issues been identified and has a plan to address
them been created?
Has the business plan changed since the beginning of your workforce planning
efforts? If so, what are the implications for the strategies implemented?
Have the implemented strategies achieved the intended results?
What was the cost/benefit of implementing the solution?
To what extent were the demand and supply projections accurate?
24

Vote Groups will be expected to revise their Action Plans annually to

reflect, among other things, changes in business plans or their strategic
direction or any restructuring initiatives.
Successful implementation will require a proactive approach by Departments, Offices
and NCSSBs. Possible barrier and aids to implementation are set out below:

Barriers to Implementation

Aids to implementation

Lack of clarity or focus in the

organisation strategy

Too much focus on the operational and

budgetary planning at the expense of
longer-term planning or a strategic
direction for planning
Processes that dont join up, meaning
information is not fed into the planning
cycle or that effort is duplicated

A three way conversation about

future requirements between the
Business Unit, Human Resources
and the Finance Area
Workforce champions in the
business
Having a good process that enables
everyone to feed in information that
is informed by the needs of the
business
Human Resources and line
management working together to
understand future staffing needs

Failure to develop plans that are

responsive enough to adapt to a
changing environment

Understanding the difference

between supply and demand for
labour

Failure to review plans in the light of

new information that indicates change

Bottom-up communication feeding

the planning process

Poor quality data/systems

Good quality data that people can

believe, accompanied by sufficient
analysis to explain what it means for
the business
Managers acting on the data to
make informed decisions

A constantly shifting strategy

Too much focus on the numbers of

people required and not enough on
capacity and potential to develop new
skills and abilities in the future
An over complicated system or trying
to do too much too soon

Regular planning cycle and reviews

with feedback into the planning
process

Lack of planning skills and good

guidance on workforce planning

Developing managers workforce

and resource planning skills

25

26

Appendix 1: Action Plan - Structure

Overview
&
Executive Summary

Demand
Forecasting
(Environmental
Scanning)

Supply
Forecasting
(Profiling
& Trends)

Gap Analysis
(Critical Posts &
Segmentation)

Action Plan
(Range of Options)

27

28

Appendix 2 Worksheets
The following worksheets link to the 6 steps of the
Workforce Planning Process

Worksheet 1 Scope and Integration

What are the key issues and challenges facing the Department/Office that will affect its
mission, values, strategies, and goals in the next 1-2 years and the next 3-5 years?
How will the Departments organisation structure look in 3 to 5 years? How will the
current structure evolve?
What specific workforce issues/problems is your Department/Office facing?
What are the timeframes required to resolve each of the issues/problems?
What is the consequence if each issue/problem is not resolved in the required
timeframe?

Worksheet 2 Analyse Demand

What are the Governments/customers expectations? How are they changing?
Are changes (including reforms) occurring in other divisions or sections that will impact
on your the work functions?
Are you able to meet the current volume of work?
Which work functions will remain unchanged? Which functions may be discontinued?
Will any work functions be consolidated?
Is the department planning to offer new services which will add new work functions to
your division/section?
What are the competencies, skills and experience required to perform the work? How
will this change in the future?
What technology changes will be made, or new technology introduced, that may impact
your work functions?
How does your Departments/Offices regionalised structure affect your approach to
workforce planning?
In what way will legislation impact on our Department/Office?
What provisions are likely to arise during negotiations with the unions and what impact
might they have on the organisation?

29

Worksheet 3 Analyse Supply

What jobs now exist?

How many people are performing each job?
How many staff have retired from your organisation in 2011 and 2012 prior to the end of
February Grace Period?
What are the projected rates of retirement for your organisation for the rest of 2012 and
for each of the years 2013, 2014 and 2015?
What are the other factors (e.g. resignations, redeployments, career breaks, transfers,
promotions etc) affecting your attrition rates which are likely to change or remain
constant?
What are the other factors affecting your attrition rates which are likely to change or
remain constant?
What are the education and experience levels of the current staff?
How will you determine if existing staff possess the required level of competencies or
skills?
Is there an adequate supply of people to recruit from redeployment, internal/external
panel lists?
Do you anticipate any reorganisations which could impact the staffing supply?
What use is made if any of temporary/contract staff versus permanent staff?

Worksheet 4 Analyse Gap

When you compare the future demand to the existing supply, is there a gap? If so, when
will the gap occur (i.e. 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, and 10 years)? If there is a gap, will you
have too many staff or too few staff by functional classification or grade?
What aspects of the divisions/sections work can be classified as critical, important or
desirable?
Are your critical and important workloads adequately staffed? If not, when will the
critical workloads require additional staff support and for how long?
Can workforce gaps be filled or partially filled by way of redeployment?
What will occur if the gap is not addressed (i.e. what critical business outcomes will not
be met)?

30

What priorities do the Government, customers and stakeholders place on the various
workloads and business outcomes?
Are there other areas within your Department/Office from which you can draw suitable
staff to fill skills gaps?
Is external recruitment required? Are there established internal/external promotion
panels that can be used to fill the gaps? Have you considered using the intern
placement scheme?
Is there any classification or grading issue that needs to be addressed to close the
workforce gap?
Do existing staff need training to enhance their competencies and skills? If so, is
training available? Do you need to develop specialised training?

Worksheet 5 - Create Strategy and Plans

What are the 3-5 most critical workforce planning challenges facing your organisation
today?
Has managements support for initial and on-going implementation of the workforce
plan been secured?
What are the most common themes that emerged from your dialogue with managers?
What is the organisational impact if these challenges are not addressed?
What selection/recruitment strategies are you proposing and for what posts?
Is there enough time to develop staff internally for anticipated vacancies or new
competencies, or is special, fast paced recruitment the best approach?
What staff development strategies should be considered to prepare employees for
specific positions or classifications?
What knowledge transfer/mentoring strategies need to be considered to capture the
knowledge of experienced employees before they leave your Department/Office?
Does your Department/Office need to be restructured to meet business needs and
strategic objectives?
Have acceptable timelines been established and approved?

31

Worksheet 6 - Implement and Evaluate

Have performance measures, milestones, and expected deliverables been defined?

Have any change management issues been identified and a plan to address them been
created?
Has a communication plan been established?
Has the business plan changed since the beginning of your workforce planning efforts?
If so, what are the implications for the strategies implemented?
Have the implemented strategies achieved the intended results?
What worked well during the workforce planning effort?
What did not work well during the workforce planning effort?
What was the cost/benefit of implementing the solution?
To what extent were the demand and supply projections accurate?
Is a new analysis necessary before revising the strategies?

32

Appendix 3: Staff Skills Survey Form

The attached survey form was devised by the Training Branch of the
Office of the Revenue Commissioners.
It links to Step 3 of the Workforce Planning Process.
It would need to be adapted by individual organisations to suit their
own particular business circumstances.

33

34

Completing the Staff Survey Form

Instructions:
1. To select a field, click on the field with your left-mouse button. The field is highlighted, ready
for your input. When you open the form, the first field is highlighted by default.
2. There are three types of fields: text fields, check boxes and drop-down lists.
In text fields, simply type your input.
Check boxes permit a choice from a range of options - make your selection by clicking into
the appropriate box with your left-mouse button. An X is entered in the selected box. To undo
your selection, click into the box again.
Drop-down lists provide you with a list of options to choose from. Select one of the options by
clicking on it. If you choose the other-please specify option, you will need to provide further
information in the box provided.
3. When you are finished inputting data in any field, press Tab to move to the next field.
4. Save and return the completed form by e-mail to ----------------------------, Training Branch.
(VPN -------).

35

36

Staff Skills/Knowledge & Qualifications Survey

Personal Details

Name:

Grade: - Select Division / Region: - Select -

Skills / Knowledge Details

Please rate your skills/knowledge in the areas outlined on the chart below using the five-point scale,
where: (5) indicates that you would be regarded as having expert skills/knowledge and where (0)
indicates that you have no knowledge or skills in the particular area. Please tick only one of the
options in the 0 5 in each row.

Skills / Knowledge

Taxes

Specifics
Direct Taxes
Indirect Taxes
Customs
Excise
Audit
Appeals
C & E Procedures

Customs & Excise

Revenue Systems: e.g. AIM,

ITP, ITS, IBI, CRS, ROS, RPV,
etc.
Legal Procedures

C & E Enforcement
C & E Audit

Legislative Process
Courtroom Procedures
Drafting Legislation
Litigation/Prosecution

37

Debt Management &

Collection
IDEA Software (Data Analysis
tool used for Audit)

Microsoft (Word, e-mail, Excel,

Access, PowerPoint)
External Systems: e.g. Internet
/ online or paper based
reference/research systems
Information Technology:
(Specialised areas)

Computer Operator
Computer Programming
Systems Analyst
Network Management
Databases

Specialist internal systems,

e.g. Payment Accounting,
Payroll, etc., please specify
Accounting packages (Sage,
etc.)
Industry Sector Knowledge

General business
knowledge
Specialist sector
knowledge.
Please specify sector:

Management

Project Management
Budgets & Resources
Staff Management

Human Resources

Recruitment
Discipline
Training

Research

Primary Research
Report Writing

Other please specify

Qualification Details
Qualifications Achieved: post 2nd level:
38

Do you have a post 2nd level qualification?: Click either the Yes or No Box:
No

Yes

(Where more than one qualification achieved, please provide details for each)

Qualification
Type

If Other,
please
specify

Qualification
Field

If Other,
please
specify

- Select - Select - Select - Select - Select -

- Select - Select - Select - Select - Select -

Qualification Title:
e.g.
BSc/BA/BCh/BE /
BCL/MSc etc.

Qualification
Year

Note: All information supplied will be treated in the strictest confidence

39

Awarding Body:
e.g
University/College/
Institution

40

Appendix 4: Dublin City Questionnaires

A quantitative approach to identifying the critical segments in an

organisation where skills gaps need to be addressed.
These questionnaires were devised by Dublin City Council for their
Workforce Analysis Project.
The questionnaires link to Step 4 of the Workforce Planning Process.
They will need to be adapted by individual organisations to suit their
own particular business circumstances.

41

42

Service Assessment Questionnaire

Department/Office
Business Unit:
Date Completed:

Is the service a statutory function?

Tick one box and mark score

No
1

Partial
2

Slight
2

Significant
3

Score

Significant
3

Score

Significant
3

Score

Is there a potential loss of income to Dublin City Council?

Minor
1

Score

Is there a risk to the health and safety of the public and/or employees?
No/Minimal
1

Fully
3

Marginal
2

Is there a potential for increased liability to fines, penalties, compensation?

No
1

Slight
2

43

Is there a risk of to Environmental Damage?

No
1

Potential
2

Partial
2

Minor
2

Score

Major
3

Score

Significant
3

Score

Is there a risk to Social Cohesion/Development and Public Order?

No
1

Significant
3

Would service disruption cause inconvenience to the General Public?

No
1

Score

Rate the Units contribution to the Business Environment of Dublin.

None
1

Significant
3

Slight
2

Are there National Service Indicators for your Unit?

No
1

Yes
2

44

Score

10

Would service disruption cause negative political consequences or damage to the Citys reputation?
No
1

Local
2

Significant
3

Score

Total Score
Service Level Ratings:
10 to 17 = "Low"

18 to 22 = "Medium"

45

23 to 29 = "High"

HR Assessment Questionnaire - Grade Level Survey

Department/Office:
Business Unit:
Employee Grade Title
No of Staff at this Grade (FTE)
Questions to be answered by head of Section or Division as appropriate

Less than 5%
1

Over 5% less than 10 %

3

Over 10%
6

Score

Moderate
2

Significant
3

Score

Review Only
2

Change implemented
3

Score

Estimate the loss of valuable experience resulting from Q.1

Minimal
1

Tick one box and

mark score

Estimate the % reduction in your staffing levels over the next 6 months

Have you introduced measures to improve operational efficiency?

No
1

46

Have you succession planning measures in place?

No
1

Fully
3

Score

No change or increase <10%

2

Increase > 10%

4

Score

Has your verifiable workload increased or decreased since 1/1/08?

Reduced
-2

Partial
2

Estimate your staffing levels (at this grade) over the next 18 months
Surplus

Adequate

Insufficient

If your answer to Q6 is either "Surplus" or "Insufficient", enter the number of staff concerned (FTE)
Surplus

Deficit

Signed:
Head of Unit:

Date Completed:

Questions to be answered by CSD Section of your Department

% reduction in staffing levels at this grade from end of 1/01/08 to present

Less than 5%
1

Over 5% less than 10%

3

47

Over 10%
6

Score

Dept % Sick Leave rate in the last year

Over 6%
1

10

Over 4% less than 6%

3

Less than 4%
6

Score

10-30% - Over 55
3

30% plus - Over 55

6

Score

Percentage of employees in this grade by Age Profile

0- to 10%- over 55
1
HR Level Ratings:
5 to 16 = "Capacity"

Total Score
17 to 28 =
"Adequate"

48

29 to 37 =
"Insufficient"

Guide to Completing Assessment Questionnaires

Service Assessment Questionnaire

Each business unit will answer and score ten questions relating to its operations and the resulting
total score will allow senior management to determine the business importance or possible impact of
any disruption/curtailment to the units current service levels i.e.:
Service Impact
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
The following guidance should be used when answering the eleven questions:
1. Is the service a statutory function?
For the purposes of this exercise, a statutory function is considered to be either a role carried out as a
requirement of legislation (Irish Law, EU law) and/or Departmental Circulars.
If all aspects of your units operations are statutory functions you should answer Fully. Otherwise
answer No or Partial as appropriate.
2. Is there a risk to the Health & Safety of the public and/or employees?
Significant -

Slight

risk would arise where disruption/curtailment of a service would result in an

immediate and/or serious risk to the Health & Safety of the public and/or
employees.
-

No / Minimal -

risk would arise where there is a potential for incidents of a less serious nature
affecting the Health & Safety of the public and/or employees.
disruption/curtailment of a service would either (a) not raise any Health &
Safety concerns or (b) any potential risk would be negligible.

3. Is there a potential for loss of income to Dublin City Council?

For the purposes of this exercise, income is defined as any source of ongoing revenue streams and
may allow under certain circumstances longer term capital funding particularly where it covers
salaries.
Minor
Marginal
Significant

up to 500k in a year
between 500k and 1million in a year
over 1million in a year

49

4. Is there a potential for increased liability to fines, penalties, compensation?

Significant

curtailment of service would undoubtedly result in corporate fines/penalties for

breaching statutory requirements

Slight

potential for compensation claims from individuals/businesses

No

no potential risk of fines/penalties or compensation claims

5. Is there a risk to Environmental Damage?

Significant
pollution

curtailment of service would result in an immediate and/or serious risk of

in respect of water, waste, noise and air quality

Potential
Environmental

potential long term risk (not immediate) of a minor nature to the Citys
Landscape

No

curtailment of service would not result in any risk to the Citys Environmental
Landscape

6. Rate the Units Contribution to the Business Environment of Dublin

Significant
city

plays a vital role in generating business and employment opportunities in the

Partial

plays a mainly supportive and advisory role to existing commercial activities

None / Minimal

the service does not directly contribute to commercial business activities

7. Would service disruption cause inconvenience to the General Public?

Major

immediate and serious impact on quality of life issues for the public

Minor

delays and backlogs in dealing with customer queries/applications

No

no direct impact on customers / general public

50

8. Is there a risk to Social Cohesion/Development and Public Order?

Significant behavior/crime

curtailment of services could result in both an increase in anti-social

and a lack of community identity/involvement

Potential
exclusion

medium/long term risk of increased deprivation resulting in areas of social

No

would be unlikely to increase anti-social behavior or exacerbate social exclusion

9. Are there National Service Indicators for your Unit?

Yes or No
10. Would service disruption cause negative political consequences or damage to the Citys
reputation?
Significant

would result in considerable/sustained adverse publicity and possible political

Intervention

Local

may result in adverse reaction at local/constituency or interest group level only

Human Resources Assessment Questionnaire

Each business unit will answer and (where requested) score seven questions relating to staffing
levels (by grade) for the unit relating to its operations. The Human Resources Dept will answer a
further three questions based on centrally held statistics. The outcome and score from this exercise
will indicate the units HR status for the grade concerned i.e.:
HR Level
CAPACITY
ADEQUATE
INSUFFICIENT
The following guidance should be used when completing the assessment form:
Employee Grade
The form is intended to indicate the staffing levels for individual grades. For the purposes of this
exercise, staff should be recorded/assessed in their substantive grades only. If it is essential for
someone to act at a higher grade, that position can be recorded as a deficit (Q6 and 7) in the return
for the higher grade.
No of Staff in Post (FTE)

51

Enter the total number of staff working at this grade based on a full time employee equivalent (e.g.
working sharing three days a week count as 0.6, or four days a week 0.8).
Questions
1. Estimate the % reduction in HR levels over the next 18 months
Based on current staffing levels for this grade/group in your unit, estimate the percentage reduction in
this level based on known changes i.e. retirements (including ISERs), career breaks, long term sick
leave (on half pay or pension rate).
2. Estimate the loss of valuable experience resulting from Q.1
A high score would apply where the departing employee(s) is in a specialist role and/or is the only
person undertaking a specific task and there would be considerable training need to up skill a
replacement. A lower score would apply where there are already a number of staff employed in a
similar role and the loss could be more easily managed.
3. Have you introduced measures to improve operational efficiency?
Your answer should reflect measures since 1/1/09 to re-organise workloads, ensure better use of
resources (e.g. more efficient procedures), reprioritising of service delivery, introduce cost effective IT
solutions.
NB: Supporting evidence will be required where the maximum score has been selected.

4. Have you succession planning measures in place?

Your answer should reflect measures taken to ensure the effective transfer of knowledge and skills
from departing employee(s) so that their role(s) can be immediately assumed, e.g. detailed job
specification and work schedule provided by departing employee, key tasks explained to other staff
prior to leaving, all electronic and paper files moved to accessible location, training provided on
specific skills and introductions made to key contacts and network groups.
5. Has your verifiable workload increased or decreased since 1/1/08?
Indicate whether there has been a reduction or percentage increase (less or greater than 10%) in your
units workload. NB: Supporting evidence will be required where the maximum score has been
selected.

52

6. Estimate your staffing levels (at this grade) over the next 18 months
Give an estimate of your staffing levels over the next 18 months, indicating if you have a surplus,
adequate or insufficient number of staff to meet your business units objectives.
7. If your answer to Question 5 is either surplus or insufficient, enter the number of staff
concerned
Enter either the number of surplus or deficit staff posts based on a full time employee equivalent
(e.g. working sharing three days a week count as 0.6, or four days a week 0.8).
Please note that questions 8 to 10 will be answered by the HR section

53

54

Appendix 5: Succession Planning

Key Steps and

Sample Templates
A formal quantitative approach to Succession Planning.

55

56

Step 1: Identify Key Leadership/Specialist Position

The departments HR team should identify key leadership or specialist positions by evaluating
the impact each position has on the organisation achieving its strategic goals and objectives.

Position Title:

Division:

Incumbent:
Section:

Location:

Position Impact Factor

Managers/Supervisors estimate of difficulty or effort required based on the function,
responsibility, authority, priority of strategic objectives to replace position incumbent.
3- Critical and unique knowledge
2- Important, procedural, knowledge and skills
1- Common knowledge and skills

Vacancy Risk Factor

The projected retirement dates from the Workforce Retirement Forecast Reports,
marketability, and other factors for position turnover.
3- Projected Retirement date or other turnover factors w/in 1 year
2- Projected Retirement date or other turnover factors w/in 5 years
1- Projected Retirement date or other turnover factors greater than 5 years

Position Impact Factor multiplied by Vacancy Risk Factor =

Total Attrition Factor
Total Attrition Factor: Estimated effort and urgency to the
delivery of programmes and services
High (6 and higher)
Medium (4-6 points)
Low (1-3 points)

57

Step 2: Identify Competency, Skills and Success Factors of

Leader/Specialist
The next step for the HR team is to document the education, experiences, key competencies,
and other factors necessary for success for each key leadership position.

Position Title:

Division:

Section:
Education
(Third Level Degree or equivalent)

Location

Experiences
Competencies
(check the key competencies for the position. It is suggested that you
limit your selection to a maximum of 5 core competencies
Self Confidence
Achievement, Drive & Commitment
Initiative
Teamworking
Communications
Analytical Thinking
Conceptual Thinking
Decision Making & Judgment
Specialised Expertise
Managing Budgets & Resources
Information Seeking & Management
Concern for Clarity & Work Quality
Networking/Influencing
Interpersonal Understanding
Customer Service
Managing & Developing People
Leadership

Additional Factors

58

Step 3: Assess Current Bench Strength

The HR team should utilise this form to indicate the number of current employees who, in
their judgment, are either currently eligible or may be eligible within 3-5 years for each of the
prioritised key leadership/specialist positions.

Position Title:

Division:

Finance Officer

Section: Finance Unit

Location: Dublin

# Ready
Now

# Ready
within 1 year

# Ready
within 2 year

# Ready
within 3- 5 years

Action Plan:

The Finance Officer is a key leadership position with a high position

impact and vacancy risk. The current incumbent is eligible to retire. Career development
assignments and shadowing will be done. The current Officer will develop a plan to be
presented to the HR Team within 30 days.

As the HR team evaluate the depth (strength and/or weakness) of the available talent for
each prioritised key position, it is important not to inflate the preparedness assessment of the
organisation. The HR team should not rely on the same person as their bench strength for
multiple positions, especially if the positions for which they would be relying on this individual
are both high impact and high risk. While it may be unlikely that multiple high impact/high risk
positions would be vacated within a given short period of time, it is possible. In current
circumstances there is a risk of this occurring in the Irish public service.

Step 4: Design and Implement Career Development Strategies

This step in the succession planning process is focused on helping key employees and their
managers discuss career development plans. Discussing and encouraging the career
development of all employees is an important part of management. However, for the purpose
of succession planning and increasing bench strength in specified areas, the selection of a
subset of employees upon which to focus career development efforts may be necessary. The
annual performance review session provides an opportunity to begin discussions of career
development goals and opportunities.

59

60

Appendix 6 - Sample Templates

(These templates relate link to Steps 2, 3 and 4)

61

62

Templates - Demand Analysis

Downward Pressures on Staffing

Upward Pressures on Staffing

Division/Section

Any likely
increase/decrease
in
activity/workload.
If yes, please state
what or why:

Any changes
because of
technological
advances? If yes,
please state what
or why

Any service
delivery
changes,
e.g. changes
in where
and how the
service is
delivered. If
yes, please
state what
or why:

1.

1.

1.

2.

2.

2.

3.

3.

What effect on staff

numbers and skills?

What effect on staff

numbers and skills?

3.
What effect on
staff numbers
and skills/

Asst Sec
PO
AP
AO
HEO
EO/SO
CO
63

Grand Total

64

Templates - Supply Analysis

Organisation Chart by Vote/ Programme

Vote

Programme A

Programme B

Programme C

Assistant Secretary
1

Assistant Secretary
1

Assistant Secretary
1

Principal
5

Principal
5

Principal
5

Assistant Principal
15

Assistant Principal
15

Assistant Principal
15

AO/HEO
30/60

AO/HEO
30/60

AO/HEO
30/60

EO/SO
40/20

EO/SO
40/20

EO/SO
40/20

Clerical
100

Clerical
100

Total Staff

Total Staff

65

Clerical
100

Total Staff

Grade/Location
Offices/Branches
Limerick

Galway

Number of
Branches/Offices
1

Dublin

Grand Total

Grade Title
A.Sec
PO
AP
HEO
EO
SO
EO
CO
AP
HEO
EO
SO
EO
CO
A.Sec
PO
AP
HEO
EO
SO
EO
CO

Grade Numbers
1
3
15
30
50
20
1
70
2
5
10
1
1
1
3
10
30
40
50
40
10
150
543

Total Staff Number

190

20

333
543

Composition of Staff (Fulltime/Part-time/Contract)

Department/Office
Date:
Grade

Full-Time

Part-time

Grand Total

66

Contract

Functional Divide

Department/Office
Date
Functional Area

Number of Employees

Civil Service Human Resources

CMOD and e-Government
Government Reform
Health & Pensions Policy
Labour Market & Enterprise Policy
Expenditure Evaluation & Management
Public Service Reform & Delivery
Remuneration & IR
Office of the Chief Medical Officer
CSD
IT Support

Grand Total

67

Percent of All Employees

Categories/Levels

Department/Office
Date
Levels/Categories

Number of Employees

MAC (Asst Sec upwards)

Management (AP and PO)
Executive (AO/HEO/EO)
Clerical & Supervisory (SO and CO)
Support Staff (Service Officers &
Cleaners
Professional
Technical
Industrial

Grand Total

68

Percent of All Employees

69

Section Breakdown

Distribution by Section
Division:
Date:
Section:

Number of Employees

Grand Total

70

Percent of All Employees

Skills and Qualifications

Skills / Knowledge Details

Proficiency Level

(See Appendix 4 Revenue example)

(where 5 is an expert and 0

is no knowledge)
0
1
2
3
4
5

Name (details
of names
blocked out)

Grade

Skills
knowledge

Specifics

Qualification Details
Name

Grade

Qualification
Title

71

Level
Achieved

Qualification
Year

Awarding
Body

Age and Service Analysis (FTE)

Age
Years of service

<20

20-29

30-39

40-49

<5
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40+
Total

72

50-54

55-59

>60

Age
Grade
A Sec
PO
AP
HEO/AO
EO/SO
CO
Other
Total

<20

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-54

55-59

>60

Eligibility to Retire (Headcount)

Year
Number
%
Cumulative %
2012
252
3.9%
3.9%
2012
138
2.1%
6.1%
2013
177
2.8%
8.8%
2014
204
3.2%
12.0%
2015
213
3.3%
15.3%
2016
226
3.5%
18.8%
2017
225
3.5%
22.3%
2018
227
3.5%
25.8%
2019
281
4.4%
30.2%
2020
425
6.6%
36.8%
>2020
4,068
63.2%
100.0%
Total
6,436 100.0%
Based on number reaching 60 during the relevant
year

Age
<25
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60+
Total

All Grades
30
60
60
70
80
100
70
30
500

% of Total
6%
12%
12%
14%
16%
20%
14%
6%
100%

73

Comment
7%

below 30

19%
70%
56%
40%
20%

below 35
above 40
above 45
above 50
above 55

Total

Grades (June 2012)

Sec Gen
Ass Sec
PO
AP
HEO
AO
EO
SO
CO
Service Officer
Total

% above 40
100%
98%
92%
89%
83%
22%
66%
82%
54%
88%
67%

% above 45
88%
93%
79%
74%
66%
10%
50%
70%
40%
75%
52%

% above 50
82%
80%
63%
53%
44%
3%
33%
50%
27%
60%
36%

% above 55
53%
50%
30%
27%
18%
3%
13%
18%
14%
44%
17%

Grade Drift 1997 2009

1997

2000

2007

2009

A.Sec
PO
AP
HEO/AO
EO/SO
CO
Other
Services
Cleaner
Total

74

%
Increase
97-09

2011

Gap Analysis
Identified Surplus/Gap
2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Total

ECF targets

594

574

564

554

546

Retirements

-12

-17

-17

-18

-20

-84

Career Break exits

-5

-2

-4

-11

Career Break returns

596

575

557

539

519

-7

-15

-27

Projected Serving
Surplus/Deficit

Critical Vacancies (2012-2015)

Grade
A Sec
PO
AP
HEO/AO

Loss

% Loss

Replace

Options

EO/SO
CO
Other
Total

Proposed Revised Shape

Grade
A Sec
PO
AP
HEO/AO
EO/SO
CO
Other
Total
ECF

2012

2013

75

2014

2105

Grade

(A)
Current
serving
1/1/2012
(FTE)

(B)

(D)=B-C

Forecast Demand FTE

Forecast Gap FTE

Forecast Supply FTE

(C)

2012

2013

2014

2015

2012

For Grade in table above add Post Rating, i.e.

1= critical role
2= required role
3 = optional role

76

2013

2014

2015

2012

2013

2014

2015