Workforce Planning

Workforce planning is a systematic, proactive approach for identifying how an agency's people and people-management activities align with and support achievement of the agency's mission, strategic goals and performance expectations through:

• forecasting mission critical talent needs (i.e. competencies, staffing, diversity) and
• developing, implementing and evaluating strategies to close existing gaps.

In short, it's the process to ensure that your agency has the right people with the right skills in the right job at the right time.

Workforce planning provides managers and supervisors with valuable information to make sound human resource decisions focused on the achievement of both program and agency goals. It also helps agency leaders anticipate change and develop strategies for meeting current and projected workforce needs.

The overall benefit of workforce planning, then, is its ability to ensure that the agency has a workforce with the necessary skills and competencies to achieve goals and priorities both now and in the future.

The Department of Management works closely with the Department of Administrative Services, Human Resources Department to assist agencies in creating robust workforce plans. The State of Iowa has a very helpful guide, planning template and accompanying resources to help departments create and implement their plans. To learn more about the process go to http://das.hre.iowa.gov/wp_home.html.

For more information about Workforce Planning, please contact Cindy Axne at Cynthia.axne@iowa.gov.