Succession planning in the South African Department of Water and Sanitation

Abstract

Although succession planning and management has been a popular topic in practice for decades, the primary emphasis in the literature has been on the private sector. As a result, when public organisations seek guidance on the practice and implementation of succession management in government departments and public organisations have limited information available with which to compare. Moreover, literature often represents a specific part of succession management. There are relatively few journal articles focusing on succession management as a whole in the South African public sector, and even fewer that focus specifically on the Department of Water and Sanitation. This article attempts to close the gap in the literature by presenting the results of this research. The research was designed to provide insights and visibility to the best possible way to implement succession management in the Department of Water and Sanitation. The research method was quantitative in nature and was collected via survey. A pilot study was done on a small group. The research report found the highly ranked catalyst and inhibitors to succession management. The catalysts were found to be good business practice, motivated employees and adequate talent pipeline. It also found the preferred way to implement succession management in the Department of Water and Sanitation. The research report concludes with summary observations and recommendations for implementing succession management in the Department of Water and Sanitation.