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4. DEMAND
The focus of this step is on identifying staff that will be needed
to perform the functions within the scope of the planning effort.
It includes:
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The knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), and personal characteristics
or competencies staff must have to be successful in performing
each of the functions or positions; and
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The number of staff needed with each KSA or competency set.
In this guide we use the terms KSAs (with or without personal
characteristics), competencies, capabilities, and skill sets interchangeably.
While there are differences in the meanings of the terms, agencies
tend to pick one of the terms to denote what an employee needs
to possess to be able to satisfactorily perform certain work.
The questions to consider are:
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What KSAs are needed to perform each of the functions?
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What titles could be expected to provide incumbents
with the needed capabilities? What titles could provide
the needed capabilities if requirements were modified
or incumbents developed?
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The functions may not change but how the work is done
surely will.
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Which of the competencies do not fit within existing agency
titles and will require a title not currently used in the
agency? Which will require development of a new title?
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What are the projected workload volumes (e.g., telephone
calls, client visits, cases, etc.)?
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What staffing levels will be required by competency and/or
title, level, organization, and geographic location? Will
supervisor/staff ratios change?
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How will diversity be assured?
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What are the potential impacts of technology, budget, organization,
work process, and service delivery changes on the competencies
and staffing levels?
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How will available alternative work schedules impact on staffing
or recruitment?
New York State agencies and agencies in other states and the
federal government have developed competency lists or models that
you can use to start building your own. They also have surveys
and other methods for collecting information on competency levels.
Other resources include professional organizations of related
occupations, like the Society of Certified Public Accountants
for auditors and the Bar Association for lawyers. They will be
able to tell you about emerging changes in their fields in terms
of the work and the competencies needed to perform it. Universities
with degree programs in specific occupational areas are also a
resource.
When you finish this analysis, you will likely find that some
percentage of the future work will be performed using existing
titles. Some modification in expectations and capabilities may
be needed. The remaining percentage may require position classification
work to determine appropriate titles for the new capabilities.
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