Succession planning is one of those processes that seems simple enough: train employees so they are prepared for when their supervisors retire. In this day and age, however, there are other factors that need to be considered and considered quickly as senior-level employees are beginning to reach retirement age. Surveys have shown that 71% of city managers were under the age of 40 in the early 1970s while today only 13% of city managers are under the age of 40 (Henderson, 2008). While this may not seem like a big deal, it does mean that there is the potential for local governments to go through massive knowledge drains as long term city managers and department heads finally retire. Only 25% of respondents in the 2009 International Public Management Association for Human Resources said that their local government had an official succession plan in place. If your local government is part of the 75% without a formal plan consider making that a priority for this year.

Succession planning, if handled correctly, can ensure that knowledge isn’t lost with retirement. To do this, local governments need to begin looking at succession planning as a great opportunity to develop talent within the organization, especially since local governments are still facing hiring freezes and slow-downs and hiring an outside candidate may not be an option.

Local governments can create mentorship or talent exchange programs between departments, and they can also focus on building talent at all levels of the organization instead of just focusing on the transition deputies and department heads. These changes will not only aid in succession planning but will allow your local government to become a choice employer in the community so you can attract the talent your local government needs.

Here are succession planning resources on the Knowledge Network that can help your local government begin to prepare for the retirement of baby boomers. If your local government has a succession planning success story, please share it with us! You can write a blog post, submit a case study or document, or simply comment below and tell us about any tips or advice you might have.

• “Succession Planning in Government: Why It Is Still Relevant” is a document that explains how succession planning has changed after the economic recession and why it is still an important issue for local governments to tackle.
• “Workforce and Succession Management Program” is a case study from San Mateo County, California, that discusses its innovative succession planning program and how it turned the local government into a choice employer that develops talent at every level in the organization.
• Learn how Colleyville, Texas, is combating the “brain drain” by focusing on workforce development and benefits and compensation in “Succession Planning: The Time Has Arrived.”
• “The Myths and Realities of Succession Planning” shows that succession planning is more than simply training employees to take over as current senior employees retire. It is about developing talent and innovation within the organization.
• “Talent Management: The Next Phase of Succession Planning”  is an article on how human resource departments can deal with succession planning during this turbulent time for local government.
• For even more information on succession planning, be sure to check out the Knowledge Network’s topic page on succession planning . 

Robin Saywitz 

ICMA Knowledge Network Intern

rsaywitz@icma.org