Succession Planning in Government Organizations
Few events in the life of an association are as critical, visible, or stressful as when the leader leaves. The eyes of every member, employee, customer, supplier, and stakeholder are focused on the outgoing executive director or CEO. How such an exit is managed reveals the character and effectiveness of that leader and association.
Once an individual is employed, the process of his replacement starts almost immediately depending on the post, its technical qualification, duration of training, labour force in the market and recruitment process.
A future transition must be prepared well in advance in a process known as succession planning. The process of succession of a CEO for example will be almost immediate since the term of a CEO is the shortest between three and six years while that of an office driver would not be immediate.
My curiosity is in the realization and implementation of this process by government technocrats so that they don't create a vacuum at the exit of current office holders. There is a feeling that government technocrats purposely ignore the succession plan in their departments in order to remain 'relevant'. What is your take?