Appendix C: Succession Planning and Management for Senior Managers Checklist: Steps & Considerations

STEP 1. Identify key areas and key positions

• Identify which positions, if left vacant, would be detrimental to the health, safety, or security of the Canadian public.
• Identify which positions, if left vacant, would cause major difficulties in achieving current and future business goals.

STEP 2. Identify capabilities for key areas and key positions

• Ensure that the Key Leadership Competencies Profiles for key positions are used.
• Communicate information on key positions and skills to employees.

STEP 3. Identify interested employees and assess them against capabilities

• Has your organization developed an inventory of employee skills and experience to ensure that a pool of trained staff is available for key areas and positions?
• Is there a sufficient pool of bilingual candidates, as well as members from designated groups, in feeder groups for key areas and positions?

STEP 4. Develop and implement succession and knowledge transfer plans

• Institute succession planning and knowledge transfer programs and processes in your organization.
• Incorporate responsibility for conducting succession planning and knowledge transfer activities in performance management agreements.
• Encourage the development of a learning organization through employee and management engagement.

STEP 5. Evaluate effectiveness

• Have succession plans been developed for all key areas and positions?
• Are key positions filled quickly?
• Are the values, and business objectives of the Government of Canada met?