Capstone II Report - Spring 2023

ITANZ
Succession Planning
Instructor: Ms. Juveria Baig

Submitted by: Group Members

Ume Rubab - 20519

Samra Shafiq - 18970

Maham Sohail - 18584

Syeda Isra Ali - 20444

Ayman Sattar – 18877

Amna Noorani - 20617

Institute of Business Management (IoBM)

Korangi Creek, Karachi, Pakistan
Contents
1. Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................... 2
2. Introduction of Team ............................................................................................................................ 2
3. Introduction of Client ............................................................................................................................ 2
4. 6
5. Road Map .............................................................................................................................................. 2
6. Literature Review .................................................................................................................................. 3
7. Methodology......................................................................................................................................... 3
a. Primary Research .............................................................................................................................. 3
b. Secondary Research .......................................................................................................................... 3
8. Key Positions ......................................................................................................................................... 3
9. Job Descriptions .................................................................................................................................... 3
10. Competencies Identified ................................................................................................................... 3
11. Growth Plan Proposed ...................................................................................................................... 3
12. Retention Strategies with Operational Plan ..................................................................................... 3
13. Succession Planning Template .......................................................................................................... 3
14. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 4
15. Recommendation.............................................................................................................................. 4
16. References ........................................................................................................................................ 4
 1. Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to devise retention and succession plan for the employees of our client,
ITANZ. The client provided us with the critical positions for the succession planning and their
Organizational Chart to evaluate the current organizational structure. This research will help the
Human Resource Department to take important decisions with respect to employees’ career
development.

The methodology combines both Primary and Secondary research, where the group members carried
out both the researches by referring to various research papers for succession planning and by
assessing the job description and job specification for the critical positions provided by the client.

To devise the succession plan, we identified the main competencies of each critical position and
categorized them by Managerial Competencies, Technical Competencies and Behavioral
Competencies. Once the competencies were categorized, the common competencies were identified to
create a growth plan for the critical positions including the training and development plan for the
identified common competencies among critical positions for succession planning.

Moreover, retention strategies were devised by the group members along with their operational plan as
requested by the client.

This report further includes the recommendations based on the primary and secondary research and
covers the project deliverable that was assigned to us.
2. Introduction of Team

Ume Rubab:

Rubab is an energetic and self-directed professional,

working at NovoNordisk as a HRBP. She completed
her Bachelors from IoBM and is currently in her last
semester of MBA at IoBM.

Samra Shafiq:

Samra is a self-driven professional with a passion in

Human Resources. She pursued her BBA from Iobm in
2019 and is pursuing her MBA now. She is currently
working as an Assistant Manager-HR at MARS
Healthcare.

Maham Sohail:

Maham is a motivated professional and working as

an Associate HR Manager at Koderlabs. She did her
Bachelors from Iobm in 2019 and is currently in her
second last semester of MBA with majors in HR.
Isra Ali

Isra is currently working at Ezhire as a HR Executive.

She is keen to pursue her career in Human Resources
and is currently pursuing her MBA from IoBM with
majors in HR.

Ayman Sattar

Ayman is working as a Service Delivery Specialist at

HRSG and currently in her last semester of MBA with
majors in HR. In her free time, she likes to listen to
music.
 Amna Noorani:

Amna is actively seeking an opportunity in HR

department of any new firm while effectively utilizing
her current time by completing her MBA degree from
IoBM this year.

3. Introduction of Client
ITANZ is an Australia based Company and are providing their operational and functional services from
offices in Wellington, Sydney, Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. ITANZ is a global leader in consulting,
software development, and digital transformation on a global scale. Technology and in-depth subject
matter experience are combined to deliver a variety of integrated services by ITANZ.
The main services they are providing include Asset Management, Property Management, Utilities Billing
Revenue, Custom Development and Airline IT Solutions. ITANZ have secured many certifications such
as 100% Sell Expertise in Oracle Cloud Platform for ASEAN Region, Sell Expertise in Oracle CX
Marketing Cloud – B2B, Sell Expertise in Oracle Utilities for ASEAN Region and etc.
Their Leadership includes Mr. Ahmed Bilal - Managing Director, Mr. Asim Zafar - CEO, Mr. Faizuddine
- Director Commercials, Mr Amin Shakir - CFO and Mr. Irfan Zafar - COO.

4. Project Deliverables

Objective:

The objective is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the organizational structure and devise strategic
growth plans for key positions within the organization. The goal is to create personalized competency-
based development plans that facilitate seamless talent transition and minimize potential disruptions
resulting from vacancies or organizational changes.
Additionally, the aim is to formulate effective retention strategies, aligning them with the operational
plan, to proactively address concerns related to turnover. This entails developing and implementing
targeted strategies and plans to tackle these issues head-on and ensure a stable and motivated workforce.

Key Deliverables:

- Review Key Positions:

Conduct a detailed analysis of the key positions within the organization. This involves identifying
roles that are critical for the organization's success and stability. Review each key position's
responsibilities, required qualifications, and contributions to organizational goals. This analysis
will provide a comprehensive understanding of the significance and impact of each key position.

- Competency Identification:

Conduct a thorough assessment of the competencies required for each key position. Identify the
knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes necessary for success in these roles. This assessment
will help in identifying potential successors and guide the design of targeted training and
development programs. Develop competency frameworks or profiles that outline the desired
competencies for each key position.

- Growth Plan of Key Positions:

Develop individualized growth plans for employees occupying key positions. These plans will
outline the specific developmental opportunities, training programs, and experiences necessary to
enhance their skills and competencies in alignment with future role requirements. The growth
plans will be tailored to each employee's developmental needs and career aspirations, ensuring a
targeted approach to their professional growth within the organization.

- Retention Strategies and Operational Plans:

Develop effective retention strategies and operational plans that focus on creating a supportive
and engaging work environment. These plans will include initiatives such as mentoring programs,
career development opportunities, recognition and rewards systems, and work-life balance
policies. The objective is to enhance employee satisfaction, motivation, and commitment, thereby
reducing turnover and retaining valuable talent.

5. R
o
a
d

M
a
p
 PROJECT TIMELINE:

● WEEK 1: TEAM FORMATION & PROJECT ALLOCATION

- Identify project team members and their roles and responsibilities
- Schedule a project kick-off meeting to introduce the team and establish communication
channels.

● WEEK 2 -4: DESK RESEARCH & CLIENT MEETING

- Conduct a client kickoff meeting to discuss the project scope and objectives, and gather
client input on their goals and expectations for the project.
- Conduct desk research on succession planning best practices and strategies.
- Request and receive the current organizational charts of the client's company.

● WEEK 5 -6: PLANNING & STRATEGIZING

- Strategizing the way forward majorly on the insights shared by the client
- Internal Planning to address the client's need, finalizing the major deliverables of the
project along with defined timelines.

● WEEK 7 -9: ORG CHART ASSESSMENT & KEY ROLE IDENTIFICATION

- Analyze the organizational charts to understand the organization structure in detail with
relevance to the reporting hierarchy.
- Identify key roles for successors, to customize the major objectives according to these
successors.

● WEEK 10: JOB DESCRIPTION CREATION

- Review each key position's responsibilities, required qualifications, and the major
purpose it has toward organizational goals.

● WEEK 11 -13: CUSTOMISED COMPETENCY CHART & GROWTH PLAN

- Design a customized competency chart that addresses the identified key roles and
potential successors.
- Develop a growth plan on the identified competency of each role by suggesting the
different modes of training and development to develop the required skills and
competencies for the possible successor of the role.

● WEEK 14 -15: RETENTION STRATEGIES & OPERATIONAL PLAN

- Suggest retention strategies that address the challenges that the client is currently facing.
- Create an operational plan against each strategy to suggest the implementation criteria to
the client for retention.

● WEEK 16 - 17: REVIEW & FINALISATION

 - Finalizing the growth plan and retention strategy.
- Conducting the final review of the complete plan.
- Preparing and delivering a final report summarizing the project findings and
recommendations.
- Presenting all the outcomings of the project and handing over all the written materials.

6. Literature Review
Today’s environments are changing rapidly and organizations are facing serious unpredictability and
uncertainty, which sometimes causes instability in the business operations. In this unstable environment,
organizations need to rely on the most important assets: their people. Organizations need to strategize to
motivate and connect their employees to create competitive advantage and achieve higher profitability.
Organizations may consider methods like succession planning and management to promote their
employees’ knowledge, skills, talents, and capabilities to tackle problems created by the challenging
environments. (1)
Effective organizations do not passively wait for the future; they create it by investing their time,
thoughts, and planning to ensure the continuity of their talent, both their leaders and their front-line
employees.(2)
The Seven-Pointed Star Model is a famous model developed by Rothwell (2001, 2005) to achieve
systematic succession planning and management. Seven steps in this model are: Make the commitment,
assess the present work/people requirements, appraise individual performance, assess the future
work/people requirements, assess individual potential, close the development gap, and evaluate the
succession planning and management program.(3)
Advancement leaders need to think strategically about developing talented people and building a pipeline
of future leaders from within their organizations instead of letting talented staff simply walk out the door.
Developing career paths, the availability of career paths creates a leadership pipeline for an organization
and creating a leadership development plan will ensure successful leadership transitions in the future.
Career paths inevitably lead into succession planning. These two strategies, although slightly unique, go
together, and it would be counterproductive for advancement organizations to engage in one without the
other. Career pathing is, simply put, developing milestones of opportunities within the same organization
for workers to attain. Career paths do not necessarily mean upward mobility. Career paths can focus on
building cross-functionality as well as increases in responsibility.(4)
Rothwell (2010) stated that the major reason for succession planning is that it is proactive and prepared in
line with the firm’s broader strategy. Theoretically, succession planning encourages internal employees
toward strategic organizational change for the future key positions as compared to external hiring. In a
similar vein, Edwards (2012)highlighted that the organizations who do not identify the key positions face
survival issues. Succession planning creates a sense of job security while providing professional growth.
In other words, it minimizes the risk of job insecurity and trains the individuals for appointing them to
some key positions in the future. (5)
When appropriately implemented, an effective succession management system can lead to increased
employee satisfaction, employee retention, customer satisfaction and the general organizational
productivity. This ultimately leads to improvement of an organization’s productivity(3,6)

7. Methodology
The methodology combines both Primary and Secondary research, where the group members carried out
both the researches by referring to various research papers for succession planning and by assessing the
job description and job specification for the critical positions provided by the client. This research will
help the Human Resource Department to take important decisions with respect to employees’ career
development.

a. Primary Research
Primary research was conducted for collecting data directly from the company. It was conducted through
online meetings with the client, and our observations. To conduct primary research on ITanz, we reached
out to the company and requested for online meetings. Primary research was conducted to gather the
information about ITANZ’s Organizational structure, existing retention strategies, succession planning,
critical positions and existing career growth plans.

b. Secondary Research
Secondary research was carried out by referring to various research papers for retention strategies,
Career growth, succession planning and by assessing the job description and job specification for the
critical positions provided by the client. Additionally, case studies were reviewed of companies that
have implemented successful retention strategies and analyzed the key factors that contributed to their
success and industry reports and studies were studied to gain insights on the most effective career
growth strategies used by companies.

8. Overview/Description of the Document

Document’s main purpose was to develop a retention and succession plan for the employees of
ITANZ. The objective was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the organizational structure and
devise strategic growth plans for key positions within the organization. The goal was to create
personalized competency-based development plans that facilitate seamless talent transition and
minimize potential disruptions resulting from vacancies or organizational changes. This research will
help the Human Resource Department to take important decisions with respect to employees’ career
development. To devise the succession plan, we identified the main competencies of each critical
position and categorized them by Managerial Competencies, Technical Competencies and Behavioral
Competencies. Once the competencies were categorized, the common competencies were identified to
create a growth plan for the critical positions including the training and development plan for the
identified common competencies among critical positions for succession planning. The main purpose
was to prepare a retention strategy and plan as this is one of their major concerns and they plan to
solve that retention issue by having a succession strategy in place. Additionally, the aim was to
formulate effective retention strategies, aligning them with the operational plan, to proactively address
concerns related to turnover. This entails developing and implementing targeted strategies and plans to
tackle these issues head-on and ensure a stable and motivated workforce.
 9. Key Positions

1. Solutions manager
2. Infrastructure consultant
3. Delivery lead
4. Technical lead
5. Project manager
6. Customer success manager
7. Sales director-North
8. Sales Director-Australia
9. Functional architect
10. Principal technical consultant
11. Bid manager

10. Key Competencies Identified

After crafting Job Descriptions for each of the critical roles, we identified key competencies associated
with each role and categorized them into three different categories;

10.1 - Managerial Competencies: Focusing on strategic skills required for effective decision making,
leadership, resource management and team development. These competencies also involve overseeing
and directing the work of others. Some of the most common managerial competencies include;

a. Project Management

b. Business Consulting

c. Strategic Management/Strategy Development

10.2 - Technical Competencies: This category refers to expertise, specialized knowledge and skills
required for specific roles with Itanz. These competencies are job specific and vary depending on the
nature of the identified critical positions. Some of the most common technical competencies include;

a. Technical Knowledge (QA/SDLC/Agile Methodology/Code Reviews)

b. Programming Languages

c. Product Knowledge

d. Financial Planning

10.3 - Behavioral Competencies: These competencies include interpersonal skills and interpersonal
skills required for progression in critical roles. Some of the key behavioral competencies include;

a. Leadership
 b. Communication

c. Client/Customer Relationship/Service Excellence

d. Problem Solving / Critical Thinking / Design Thinking

Figure:

COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

B Comp T Comp M Comp

1 Leadership Technical Knowledge Project Management

(QA/SDLC/Agile Methodology/Code
Reviews)

2 Communication Programming Languages Business Consulting

3 Client/Customer Product Knowledge Strategic Management /

Relationship/Service Excellence Strategy Development

4 Problem Solving / Critical Financial Planning

Thinking / Design Thinking

Key Competencies for each of the critical positions: (attachment)

11. Growth Plan Proposed

To ensure the development and enhancement of the identified competencies within the framework, we
have established a range of delivery options. These options are designed to cater to different learning
preferences and provide individuals with opportunities to acquire and refine the necessary skills and
knowledge. The delivery options include:
 1. Classroom Training: This traditional approach offers instructor-led sessions where participants
can engage in interactive discussions, practical exercises, and role-playing scenarios to develop
their competencies.
2. E-Learning: Leveraging technology, e-learning provides a flexible and self-paced learning
experience through online modules, videos, and interactive assessments, allowing individuals to
access the material anytime, anywhere.
3. Certifications: By pursuing relevant certifications, individuals can demonstrate their proficiency
in specific competencies, validating their knowledge and expertise in a standardized manner.
4. Mentorship/Coaching: Pairing individuals with experienced mentors or coaches allows for
personalized guidance, feedback, and support to develop targeted competencies through one-on-
one interactions.
5. Project Assignments: Assigning individuals to relevant projects or initiatives exposes them to
real-world challenges, enabling them to apply and further develop their competencies in practical
settings.
6. Secondment/Rotations: Providing opportunities for individuals to work in different roles or
departments within the organization fosters cross-functional experience, broadening their skillset
and understanding of diverse competencies.

Helicopter view of the growth plan:

B Comp Delivery Options

Mentorship /
1 Leadership Coaching Classroom Training Certifications

Effective
2 Communication Classroom Training Certifications E-learning

Client/Customer
Relationship/Serv
3 ice Excellence Classroom Training E-learning Certifications

Problem Solving /
Critical Thinking
4 / Design Thinking Assignments Classroom Training Certifications

T Comp

Technical Secondment/Rotati
1 Trainings Certifications Classroom Training Assignments ons

Classroom
Programming Training/Workshop
2 Languages s E-learning Certifications
 Classroom
Product Training/Workshop
3 Knowledge s E-learning Certifications

Classroom
Financial Secondment/Rotatio Training/Worksh
4 Planning ns Certifications ops

M Comp

1 Project Secondment/Rotatio
Management Project Assignments ns Certifications

2 Business Secondment/Rotatio
Consulting Project Assignments ns Certifications

3 Strategic
Management /
Strategy Mentorship / Project Secondment/Rotatio
Development Certifications Coaching Assignments ns

Detailed file for Growth Plan for each of the critical roles. (attachment)

12.Retention Strategies with Operational Plan

13.Succession Planning Template

Recommendations and Conclusion

After exploring the software industry and an analysis of ITanz, we have come up with comprehensive
recommendations which are aimed at maximizing the potential of the company and driving it towards its
success. To reach the recommendation and conclusion, we have conducted an analysis of the current
practices at ITanz, current operations and problems faced in retaining the employees. After identifying the
areas of improvement, we have developed a strategic growth plan, retention strategies, and have done the
succession planning of the critical positions to enhance the overall performance and market existence. By
implementing these recommendations, we believe that the company will be able to solve the issues that
they are currently facing.

Organizational Chart:

The organizational chart seemed vague and there was no career path defined in the reporting lines. The
departments weren’t divided and it looked like they were working on a project basis. To work on that,
ITanz should,

Define clear reporting lines and designations: They need to ensure the reporting lines are well-defined and
communicated throughout the organization. Employees should know what the growth plan is and what
the career path is for them so they can be motivated to climb the ladder.

Flatten hierarchical structures: They should consider flattening the organizational structure to empower
employees. This could be done through encouraging open communication, cross-functional
collaborations.

Retention Strategies:

Career development opportunities: They should implement a career development program that includes
training, coaching, workshops, and opportunities for employees to advance in their career. This way
employees will be encouraged to work on new assignments, projects while progressing in their career.
This can be done through offering secondment opportunities and rotations, providing short-term
assignments. As they mentioned that the Managerial tiers feel threatened by the team members and feel
insecure, they can work on managing the managers and try to appreciate and reinforce their strengths and
create a safe and secured environment.

In a study conducted by Gallup, it was found that organizations with highly engaged employees perform
better than their peers by 147% in earnings per share. Providing effective training and development can
lead to higher productivity, engagement, and the overall success rate of the organization (Scott, n.d.) (7)

Recognition and rewards for employees: Establish a formal rewards and recognition program to
acknowledge the top performers and rising stars of the company. They can include spontaneous
recognition feedback where employees get on-the-spot feedback, employee of the month/quarter/year
awards, and incentives for employees who provide training to motivate and retain the high-performing
employees.

According to a LinkedIn Learning report, 94% of employees would prefer staying longer with a company
that invests in their career development and growth. Providing a career path and learning and
development opportunities can help organizations retain their best talent (LinkedIn, 2018). (8)

Succession Planning:

Identify the key positions: After identifying the critical positions, they need to work on career planning.
They need to pinpoint the skills and competencies necessary for those positions, identify who the
potential successors are, conduct a skill-gap analysis, set a duration of the training that is needed, and then
evaluate and implement it. They should carefully communicate the plan with successors as this will help
the employees stay motivated and encouraged to perform better. This initiative can also lead to internal
promotions and foster a culture of giving preference to the employees first when filling the key positions.
Providing learning opportunities and training and development programs effectively can play a vital role
in preparing future leaders and key positions in the company. By identifying the high potential employees
who can later take the role of capable leaders and key positions in the organization, companies can ensure
a smooth transition during succession planning (Bhalla et al., 2018) (9)

Employees should be encouraged to pursue continuous learning and should be provided with growth
opportunities to prepare them for future roles as this will encourage employees to stay with the company
when they will have a defined career path, career growth, and they will see professional and personal
growth for themselves.

In conclusion, by mainly focusing on the retention strategies, optimizing the organizational chart and
establishing a succession plan for the critical positions, iTanz technology can enhance the competitive
advantage and work on retaining the employees, foster employee growth and loyalty.

References
Recommendations:
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In Partial Fulfilment Of The Requirements For The Degree Of Masters In Human Resource Management
Of The Open University Of Tanzania 2013 brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar
papers at core.
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capital retention strategies for high-performing advancement divisions. International Journal of
Educational Advancement. 2010 Sep;10(2):59–70.
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