Determining Req

The overall purpose of this step is to focus on function, not on people needed to do the job. Once you have a strategic plan, you need to think about what functions you will need to perform in order to accomplish the strategic mission of your organization. This may include many of the functions you are currently performing in addition to forecasting future functions and activities based on changes to mission, goals, and objectives. The functions outlined in your organizational manual and the activities listed in your Administrator's Performance Agreement are examples of your current functions.

Neither key positions nor their work requirements will remain forever static. Unfortunately, the unsettling fact is that there is no foolproof way to predict key positions with absolute certainty. Some possible approaches to help organizations determine functional requirements are:

Functional Scanning: A systematic process of examining external trends. Focus attention on economic, government/legal, technological, social, geographical, and other issues affecting the organization's external environment. For best results, involve decision-makers in this process since key functional areas in the future should reflect the organization's plans and changing work processes.

Organizational Analysis: A systematic process of examining how an organization is positioning itself to address future challenges. It is an effort to assess an organization's strengths and weaknesses. Many organizations conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Consider these questions:

How well-positioned is the organization to respond to the effects of future trends?
What action steps can the organization take to meet the threats and opportunities posed by future trends?
How can the organization maximize its strengths and minimize its weaknesses as the future unfolds?

As these questions are answered, pay close attention to likely changes in organizational structure and work processes.

Again, the overarching question here is, what will people need to do in order for the organization to successfully meet its mission? Convening a small group of exemplary employees to answer this question through a facilitated process, usually accomplishes this task. In defining future functional requirements, you may want to refer to some of the questions outlined in Step 4, below, e.g., impact of technological advancements, economic, social and political conditions.