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Depa~finent/Program Director '- Manuals,. .Training Cross- ,: _ .trainin Client Services Vacant 5 3 3 The recent past Director, Eowyn Gilmore updated procedures before she left. Mr. Awwad, Ms. Cheng, Ms. Valadez, and several interns are covering her job. Although, Basic Needs falls under Client Services, in the absence of a Director, it is functioning independently -and there is no Basic Needs manual (see that section). This position is being redesigned and the new title will be Basic Needs Program Social Worker. When the redesign is complete, there will be a need to recreate the current position's procedural documents. Succession Plans & Structures: Conclusions/Recommendations 1) The current succession plan for the Executive Director and Director of APP is very well designed and strengthens the sustainability of the agency tremendously. If, however, the plan is executed at either the Executive Director or APP Director level because those positions become vacant, a new plan needs to be immediately designed for the next generation of executives in these positions. Part of what makes the current plan so viable is the experience level of both Ms. Padilla-Johnson and Ms. Bedinger. Their permanent replacements, per the succession plan, do not have nearly the same history with DSFRC. Ideally, by the time either transition occurs, their replacements (an Associate Executive Director (currently an open position) and Rowena Gilmore) will have more experience at the agency. Once these replacements take over, they will then need to begin grooming their own successors in order to keep the executive level succession plan viable. 2) A formal succession plan should be designed for all program directors. These plans do not necessarily have to name a single person to take over, but can identify a group of people (or titles/positions) to handle various responsibilities as an interim strategy while waiting for permanent personnel to return to work or be replaced. 3) A formal cross training program needs to be implemented so that those people who are slated to fill in for key personnel are prepared to handle those extra responsibilities. 4) There is great vulnerability in the IT department. This department is sorely in need of more resources in the form of skilled IT personnel. While other departments can get help from throughout the company should key people leave, this is not true for IT. There is only one staff member in the IT department -Daniel Lapres, who is being trained by Mr. Ennis but does not have nearly the same level of experience. Mr. Ennis needs to be freed up to document the intake system on which the company relies so heavily. See the section on Agency Infrastructures below for more comments on the IT Department. 5) There is also a great deal of vulnerability in Basic Needs. Especially since the Client Services Director is now gone and this position is restructured and unoccupied, there is no suitable replacement or fill-in for Mr. Awwad, who has no written documentation in place and is very senior in his experience. 6) The Childcare Centers make use of a very well written parent handbook (created by APP personnel) for training purposes. These handbooks cover some policies and Sustainabiliry Study: Davis Street Family Resource Center - 4/08 Page 42 of 96