This section outlines the rationale for a systematic assessment of the work force and introduces the key questions that the implementing agency must address.
A systematic assessment of the work force enables the implementing agency to:
The principal objective of a staffing assessment is to determine existing levels and types of staff and compare those with what are needed. To that end the assessment will address the following questions:
Work force restructuring has both immediate and longer-term dimensions.
Three assessment tools–all closely related:
- Staff audits
- Benchmarking
- Work force analysis
Staffing assessments are relevant in a range of restructuring circumstances. Work force restructuring has short-term (often urgent) as well as longerterm dimensions. This is illustrated in table 3.1, which characterizes three dimensions: work force reduction, work redesign, and organization redesign.
In many PPI programs all three dimensions are involved and the different tools described in this chapter can be applied to each of the dimensions. During the course of a railway PPI transaction, for example, there may be removal of ghost workers, early retirement and voluntary departure (work force reduction), more use of containers and streamlining of terminal turnaround times (work redesign), and the closure of redundant workshops (organization redesign).
There are three tools that the implementing agency can use to address the above questions:
Terms of reference for consultants to undertake a staff scoping study
Although these are described as three different tools and are presented in separate sections, in practice they are closely related and often overlap. For this reason the model terms of reference for consultants (see the CD-ROM) include all of these tools because they may well be procured as a single contract. In combination they can guide decisions about levels of redundancy, avoidance of adverse selection, and other aspects of restructuring strategy.
The tools described in this section can also be useful when the PPI transaction is not likely to happen for some time. Sometimes the preparation for PPI reform may take years, and during this time there will be proposals for organizational change. Such efforts can themselves benefit from systematic staffing assessments and the use of proper tools.
Staffing assessments and the tools employed in this process are a means to determine the potential size and scope of labor restructuring. The main objective is to estimate the broad extent of restructuring for planning purposes. The process should not become an end in itself or be viewed as a way to determine precise needs or identify individual surplus employees. Such an approach can be highly time consuming and may lead to delays not just in the restructuring process but in PPI itself.
| Work force reduction | Work redesign | Organization redesign | |
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| Focus |
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| Timeframe |
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| Key tools |
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| Factor(s) to eliminate |
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| PPI issues |
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| Implementation and payback period |
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| Examples |
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Source: Adapted from Cameron 1994.