Last week we officially launched the Succession Planning Framework which aims to support brigades with future planning.
Succession planning is an important process that allows for the development of CFA members in line with future role demand in brigades and groups.
This work has been supported by our Volunteer Sustainability Team in close partnership with North West Region. We have been able to create a Succession Planning Framework that is easy to use and guides CFA members through six foundational areas.
The framework was developed after extensive consultation with volunteers and staff across the state to make sure we were responding to their specific needs. Consultation data highlighted the fact that only a very small percentage of brigades and groups are succession planning, with most planning being informal.
The framework acknowledges that succession planning may look different for every brigade and group and each of them must determine the best approach to meet local needs. There is no right or wrong way to proceed, a brigade or group can cover all sections of this framework or just a few. A range of resources will support members in each area.
The six foundation areas include, Structure Review, Skills Review, Membership and Roles Review, Developing Our Members, Retaining and Recruiting Members and Preparing for Elections.
It is recommended that brigades and groups consider each of the six foundational areas of the framework, as they assist in the development of prospective leaders and addressing role gaps.
There are currently no requirements for brigades or groups to create a documented succession plan, however by doing so brigades and groups can be confident they are always led by the best people.
Members can find the new Succession Planning Framework on the Succession Planning Intranet page.
A Succession Planning Workshop covering the framework will be available to brigade leaders as part of the Volunteering for Leadership program. More information will be available soon.
If you would like to provide feedback, or if you have any questions regarding content or resources, please contact successionplanning@cfa.vic.gov.au